HISTORY OF KING HENRY VII. 389 



and Dudley s mills, they did grind more than ever : 

 so that it was a strange thing to see what golden 

 showers poured down upon the king s treasury at 

 once; the last payments of the marriage-money 

 from Spain ; the subsidy ; the benevolence; there- 

 coinage ; the redemption of the city s liberties ; the 

 casualties. And this is the more to be marvelled at, 

 because the king had then no occasions at all of wars 

 or troubles. He had now but one son, and one 

 daughter unbestowed. He was wise ; he was of an 

 high mind ; he needed not to make riches his glory; 

 he did excel in so many things else ; save that cer 

 tainly avarice doth ever find in itself matter of 

 ambition. Belike he thought to leave his son such 

 a kingdom, and such a mass of treasure, as he might 

 choose his greatness where he would. 



This year was also kept the Serjeants feast, 

 which was the second call in this king s days. 



About this time Isabella, Queen of Castile, de 

 ceased ; a right noble lady, and an honour to her 

 sex and times, and the corner-stone of the greatness 

 of Spain that hath followed. This accident the king 

 took not for news at large, but thought it had a 

 great relation to his own affairs, especially in two 

 points : the one for example, the other for conse 

 quence. First, he conceived that the case of 

 Ferdinando of Arragon, after the death of Queen 

 Isabella, was his own case after the death of his own 

 queen ; and the case of Joan the heir unto Castile, 

 was the case of his own son Prince Henry. For if 

 both of the kings had their kingdoms in the right of 



