628 ENGLAND. 
fo comely did he appear in his perfon, fo graceful in 
his air, fo courtly in his addrefs, fo full of docility and 
good fenfe in his behaviour and converfation. Theleffons 
neceffary to be taught him, in order to his perfonating 
the duke of York, were foon learned by a youth of fuch 
quick apprehenfion ; but as the feafon feemed not then 
favourable for the enterprife, Margaret, in order the 
better to conceal him, fent him, under the care of lady 
Brampton, into Portugal, where he remained a year, in 
perfedf fecrecy. 
The war which was then ready to break out between 
France and England, feemed to afford a proper opportu¬ 
nity for launching this impoftor ; and Ireland, which (till 
retained its attachment to the houfe of York, was chofen 
as the theatre for his firft appearance. He landed at 
Cork, and immediately affuming the name of Richard 
Plantagenet, drew to him numerous partifans-among that 
credulous people. Kte wrote letters to the earls of Def- 
rnond and Kildare, inviting them to join his party ; and 
difperfed every where the ftrange intelligence of his efcape 
from the cruelty of his uncle Richard ; while men, fond 
of every thing new and marvellous, began to make him 
the general fubjetl of their difcourfe, and even the ob- 
jeft of their regard. The news foon reached France ; 
and Charles, prompted by the folicitations of theduchefs 
of Burgundy, fent Perkin an invitation to repair to him 
at Paris. He received him with all the marks of regard 
due to the duke of York, fettled on him a handfome 
penfion, afligned him magnificent lodgings, and gave him 
a guard to attend his perfon. The French courtiers rea¬ 
dily embraced a fiction, which their fovereign thought it 
his intereft to adopt; and Perkin, both by his deport¬ 
ment and perfonal qualities, was well qualified to fupport 
the prepoffefTion which was fpread abroad of his royal 
pedigree. From France, the admiration and credulity 
diffufed themfelves over England: fir George Nevile, 
fir John Taylor, and above a hundred gentlemen more, 
went to Paris to offer their fervices to the fuppofed duke 
of York, and to lhare his fortunes; and the impoftor, 
having now the appearance of a court attending him, be¬ 
gan really to fancy himfelf the character he affumed. 
Henry had now the fuperior policy to conclude a peace 
with France ; and Charles, in confequence, confented to 
difmifs Perkin, who found refuge with tire duchefs of 
Burgundy. That princefs affected to put on the appear¬ 
ance of difguft, and it was not till after a long and fevere 
fcrutiny, that (he pretended to burft out into joy and ad¬ 
miration, and embraced Perkin as the true image of Ed¬ 
ward, and the foie heir of the Plantagenets. Numbers 
of the Englifti favoured the impofture ; among the reft, 
fir Robert Clifford and fir William Stanley. The king, 
informed of thefe particulars, proceeded deliberately, in 
counterworking the projects of his enemies. His firft ob- 
je£t was to afcertain tire death of the real drtke of York, 
and to confirm the opinion that had always prevailed with 
regard to that cataftrophe. Five perfons had been em¬ 
ployed by Richard, in the murder of his nephews, or 
could give evidence with regard to it; but as only two 
of them were now alive, and as the bodies were fuppofed 
to have been removed, by Richard’s orders, frorp the 
place where they were firft interred, and could not now 
be found, it was not in Henry’s power to eftablifh the fa£t 
beyond all doubt and controverfy. He was, however, 
more fuccefsful in detefting who this wonderful perfon 
Was, who now advanced pretenfions to his crown. He 
engaged Clifford, who had been admitted into the fecret, 
by the hopes of rewards and pardon, to betray the fecret; 
and fuch was the diligence of his fpies, that in the iffue 
the whole plan of the confpiracy was clearly laid before 
him, with the pedigree, adventures, life, and converfa¬ 
tion, of the pretended duke of York ; and the latter part 
of the ftory was immediately publifhed for the fatisfa£tion 
and aftonifhment of the credulous nation. 
Several of the confpirators were immediately arrefted. 
Some of inferior note were rapidly arraigned, convicted, 
and executed; but more folemnity was neceffary in the 
proceeding againft fir William Stanley, one of the mod 
opulent fubjefts in the kingdom. After fix weeks delay, 
which was interpofed, in order to (hew that the king was 
reftrained by doubts and fcruples, the prifoner was brought 
to his trial, condemned, and beheaded. The fate of Stanley 
ftruck the adherents of Perkin with the deepeft diftnay ; 
yet the impoftor refolved to attempt fomething which 
might revive the hopes and expectation of his partizans. 
Having collected a band of outlaws, pirates, robbers, and 
defperadoes, of all nations, to the number of fix hundred 
men, he put to fea, with a refolution of making a defeent 
in England. Information being brought him that the 
king had made a progrefs to the north, he caft anchor on 
the coaft of Kent, and fent fome of his retainers afliore, 
who invited the country to join him. The gentlemen of 
Kent affembled fome troops to oppofe him ; but they 
purpofed to do more effential fervice, than by repelling 
the in.vafion : they carried the femblance of friendftiip 
to Perkin, and invited him to come himfelf afliore, in 
order to take the command over them. But the wary 
youth, obferving that they had more order and regularity 
in their movements than could be fuppofed in new levied 
forces who had taken arms againft eftabliftied authority, 
refufed to entruft himfelf into their hands ; and the Kent- 
ifti men, defpairing of fuccefs in their ftratagem, fell upon 
fuch of his retainers as were already landed ; and killing 
fome, took a hundred and fifty prifoners, who were tried, 
condemned, and executed, by orders from the king. 
In Ireland, the king’s authority appeared equally ef¬ 
fective and uncontrolled. Sir Edward Poynings, who 
had been fent over to that country, with an intention of 
quelling the partizans of the houfe of York, and of re¬ 
ducing the natives to fubjeCtion, having fummoned a 
parliament to Dublin, he then obtained the memorable 
ftatute, which (till bears his name, and which efiabliftied 
the paramount authority of the Englifti government over 
Ireland. By this ftatute all the former laws of England 
were made to be in force in Ireland; and in future no 
bill could be introduced into the Irifti parliament, unlefs 
it had previonfly received the fanCtion of the council of 
England. By the late aCt of union, thefe regulations, 
which were often the objeCt of jealoufy and contention, 
are happily rendered obfolete. 
After the retreat of Perkin from the coaft of Kent, lie 
fought (helter in Ireland ; but tired of the wandering life 
lie was compelled to lead in that country, he paffed over 
to Scotland, where he was well received by James IV. 
and obtained in marriage the lady Catharine Gordon, 
daughter of the earl of Huntley. The jealoufy which 
then fubfifted between the courts of England and Scot¬ 
land, induced the latter to arm in his behalf; but James 
was foon convinced that the Englifti would never receive 
a prince from neighbours whom they hated; and per¬ 
ceived that Perkin’s pretenfions were become obfolete, 
even in the eyes of the populace. To repel the threat¬ 
ening Scots, parliament had granted to Henry a fubfidy 
of-one hundred and twenty thoufand pounds, with two 
fifteenths; which heavy impofition excited confiderable 
oppofition, particularly in Cornwall; where the people 
were inftigated to reliftance by Michael Jofeph, of Bod¬ 
min, who, by tlirufting himfelf forward on every occa- 
fion, and being loudeft in every complaint againft the 
government, had acquired an authority among his townf- 
men. Thomas Flammoc too, a lawyer in the neighbour¬ 
hood, encouraged the fedition, by informing them that 
the tax was entirely illegal; that the northern nobility 
were bound by their tenures to defend the nation againlt 
the Scots ; and that the Corniftimen muft deliver a peti¬ 
tion to the king, l'econded by fuch a force as would give 
it authority. 
Encouraged by thefe inflammatory fpeeches, the mul¬ 
titude flocked together, and armed themfelves with axes, 
bills. 
