HISTORY OF KING HENRY VII. 407 



knew the way to peace was not to seem to be desirous 

 to avoid wars : therefore would he make offers and 

 fames of wars, till he had mended the conditions of 

 peace. It was also much, that one that was so great 

 a lover of peace, should be so happy in war. For 

 his arms, either in foreign or civil wars, were never 

 unfortunate ; neither did he know what a disaster 

 meant. The war of his coming in, and the rebel 

 lions of the Earl of Lincoln, and the Lord Audley, 

 were ended by victory. The wars of France and 

 Scotland, by peaces sought at his hands. That of 

 Britain, by accident of the duke s death. The insur 

 rection of the Lord Lovel, and that of Perkin at 

 Exeter, and in Kent, by flight of the rebels before 

 they came to blows. So that his fortune of arms 

 was still inviolate ; the rather sure, for that in the 

 quenching of the commotions of his subjects, he ever 

 went in person: sometimes reserving himself to back 

 and second his lieutenants, but ever in action ; and 

 yet that was not merely forwardness, but partly 

 distrust of others. 



He did much maintain and countenance his 

 laws; which, nevertheless, was no impediment to 

 him to work his will: for it was so handled, that 

 neither prerogative nor profit went to diminution. 

 And yet as he would sometimes strain up his laws to 

 his prerogative^ would he also let down his preroga 

 tive to his parliament. For mint, and wars, and mar 

 tial discipline, things of absolute power, he would 

 nevertheless bring to parliament. Justice was well ad 

 ministered in his time, save where the king was 



