400 HISTORY OF KING HENRY VII. 



but in that that followed. For Philip arriving into 

 Spain, and attaining the possession of the kingdom 

 of Castile without resistance, insomuch as Ferdi- 

 nando, who had spoke so great before, was with 

 difficulty admitted to the speech of his son-in-law, 

 sickened soon after, and deceased. Yet after such 

 time, as there was an observation by the wisest of 

 that court, that if he had lived, his father would have 

 gained upon him in that sort, as he would have go 

 verned his councils and designs, if not his affections. 

 By this all Spain returned into the power of Ferdi- 

 nando in state as it was before ; the rather, in regard 

 of the infirmity of Joan his daughter, who loving her 

 husband, by whom she had many children, dearly 

 well, and no less beloved of him, howsoever her 

 father, to make Philip ill-beloved of the people of 

 Spain, gave out that Philip used her not well, was 

 unable in strength of mind to bear the grief of his 

 decease, and fell distracted of her wits. Of which 

 malady her father was thought no ways to endeavour 

 the cure, the better to hold his regal power in Cas 

 tile. So that as the felicity of Charles the Eighth 

 was said to be a dream ; so the adversity of Ferdi- 

 nando was said likewise to be a dream, it passed over 

 so soon. 



About this time the king was desirous to bring 

 into the house of Lancaster celestial honour, and 

 became suitor to Pope Julius, to canonize King 

 Henry the Sixth for a saint , the rather, in respect of 

 that his famous prediction of the king s own assump 

 tion to the crown. Julius referred the matter, as 



