414 HISTORY OF KING HENRY VII. 



reigns, love, fear, and reverence ; he had the last in 

 height, the second in good measure, and so little of 

 the first, as he was beholden to the other two. 



He was a prince, sad, serious, and full of 

 thoughts, and secret observations, and full of notes 

 and memorials of his own hand, especially touching 

 persons. As, whom to employ, whom to reward, 

 whom to enquire of, whom to beware of, what were 

 the dependencies, what were the factions, and the 

 like ; keeping, as it were, a journal of his thoughts. 

 There is to this day a merry tale ; that his monkey, 

 set on as it was thought by one of his chamber, tore 

 his principal note-book all to pieces, when by chance 

 it lay forth : whereat the court, which liked not 

 those pensive accounts, was almost tickled with 

 sport. 



He was indeed full of apprehensions and suspi 

 cions ; but as he did easily take them, so he did 

 easily check them and master them ; whereby they 

 were not dangerous, but troubled himself more than 

 others. It is true, his thoughts were so many, as 

 they could not well always stand together ; but that 

 which did good one way, did hurt another. Neither 

 did he at sometimes weigh them aright in their pro 

 portions. Certainly, that rumour which did him so 

 much mischief, that the Duke of York should be 

 saved and alive, was, at the first, of his own nou 

 rishing ; because he would have more reason not to 

 reign in the right of his wife. He was affable, and 

 both well and fair-spoken ; and would use strange 

 sweetness and blandishments of words, where he 



