and join him as he marched along. But in this he was deceived; the people, averfe to join a body of German and Irish troops, by whom he was fupported and kept in awe by the king's reputation, remained in tranquillity, or gave all their affiftance to the royal caufe. The earl of Lincoln, therefore, a diffaffected lord, to whom the command of the rebel army was given, finding no hopes but in fpeedy victory, was determined to bring the conteft to a fhort iffue. The oppofite armies met at Stoke, in the county of Nottingham, and fought a battle, which was more bloody, and more obftinately difputed, than could have been expected from the inequality of their forces. But victory at length declared in favour of the king, and it proved decifive. Lord Lincoln perished in the field of battle; lord Lovel was never more heard of, and it was fuppofed he thared the fame fate. Sim nel, with his tutor Simon, were taken prifoners; and four thousand of the common men fell in battle. Simon being a prieft could not be tried by the civil power, and was only committed to clofe confinement. Simnel was too contemptible to excite the king's fears or refentment; he was pardoned, and made a fcullion in the king's kitchen, whence he was afterwards' advanced to the rank of falconer, in which mean employment he died.

Á fresh infurrection began in Yorkshire, the people refifting the commiflioners who were appointed to levy the tax. The earl of Northumberland attempt. ed to enforce the king's command; but the populace, being by this taught to believe that he was the advifer of their oppreffions, flew to arms, attacked his house, and put him to death. The mutineers did not stop there; but, by the advice of one John Achamber, a feditious fellow of mean birth, they chofe Sir John Egremont for their leader, and prepared themselves for a vigorous refiftance. The king, upon hearing

this rafh proceeding, immediately levied a force which he put under the earl of Surry; and this nobleman encountering the rebels, diffipated the tumult, and took their leader Achamber prifoner. Achamber was thortly after executed; but Sir John Egremont fled to the court of the duchefs of Burgundy, the ufual retreat of all who were obnoxious to government in England.

One would have imagined, that from the A. D. ill fuccefs of Simnel's impofture, few would : 1492. be willing to embark in another of a fimi

The

lar kind; however, the old duchefs of Burgundy, rather irritated than difcouraged by the failure of her paft enterprizes, was determined to difturb that government which fhe could not fubvert. She first procured a report to be spread, that the young duke of York, faid to have been murdered in the Tower, was ftill living; and finding the rumour greedily received, the foon produced a young man who affumed his name and character. perfon pitched upon to sustain this part was one Ofbeck or Warbeck, the fon of a converted Jew, who had been over in England during the reign of Edward IV. where he had this fon named Peter, but corrupted after the Flemish manner, into Peterkin or Perkin. The duchefs of Burgundy found this youth entirely fuited to her purpofes; and her leffons, inftructing him to perfonate the duke of York, were eafily learned and ftrongly retained by a youth of very quick apprehenfion. In fhort, his graceful air, his courtly addrefs, his eafy manners, and elegant converfation, were capaple of impofing upon all but fuch as were confcious of the imposture.

The English, ever ready to revolt, gave credit to all thefe abfurdities; while the young man's prudence, converfation, and deportment, ferved to confirm what their difaffection and credulity had begun.

Among

Among those who fecretely abetted the cause of Perkin, were lord Fitzwater, Sir Simon Mountford, Sir Thomas Thwaits, and Sir Robert Clifford. But the person of the greatest weight, and the most dangerous oppofition, was Sir William Stanley, the lord Chamberlain, and brother to the famous lord Stanley, who had contributed to place Henry on the throne. This perfonage, either moved by a blind credulity, or more probably by a restless ambition, entered into a regular confpiracy against the king; and a corre fpondence was fettled between the malcontents in England and thofe in Flanders.

While the plot was thus carrying on in all quarters, Henry was not inattentive to the defigns of his enemies. He fpared neither labour nor expence to detect the falsehood of the pretender to his crown; and was equally affiduous in finding out, who were his fecret abettors. For this purpofe he difperfed his fpies through all Flanders, and brought over, by large bribes, fome of thofe whom he knew to be in the enemy's interests. Among thefe, Sir Robert Clifford was the most remarkable, both for his confequence, and the confidence with which he was trusted. From this perfon Henry learnt the whole of Perkin's birth and adventures, together with the names of all those who had fecretly combined to affift him. The king was pleased with the discovery; but the more trust he gave to his fpies, the higher refentment did he feign against them.

At first he was ftruck with indignation at the ingratitude of many of those about him; but concealing his refentment for a proper opportunity, he, almoft at the fame instant, arrefted Fitzwater, Mountfort, and Thwaits, together with William Danbery, Robert Ratcliff, Thomas Creffenor, and Thomas Aftwood. All these were arraigned, convicted, and condemned for high treason. Mountfort, Ratcliff,

and

and Danbery, were immediately executed; the ref received pardon.

The young adventurer finding his hopes fruftrated in England, went next to try his fortune in Scotland. In that country his luck feemed greater than in England, James the Fourth, the king of that country, received him with great cordiality; he was feduced to believe the story of his birth and adventures; and he carried his confidence fo far, as to give him in marriage lady Catharine Gordon, daughter to the earl of Huntley; and a near kinfwoman of his own; a young lady eminent for virtue as well as beauty. But not content with these instances of favour, he was refolved to attempt setting him on the throne of England. It was naturally expected, that upon Perkin's first appearance in that kingdom, all the friends of the houfe of York would rife in his favour. this ground, therefore, the king of Scotland entered England with a numerous army, and proclaimed the young adventurer wherever he went. But Perkin's pretenfions, attended by repeated disappointments, were now become ftale even in the eyes of the popu lace; fo that, contrary to expectation, none were found to fecond his pretenfions.

Upon

In this manner the restless Perkin being A. D. difmiffed Scotland, and meeting with a very 1497. cold reception from the Flemings, who now defired to be at peace with the English, refolved to continue his fcheme of oppofition; and took refuge among the wilds and faftneffes of Ireland. Impatient of an inactive life, he held a confultation with his followers, Herne, Skelton, and Aftley, three broken tradesmen; and by their advice he resolved to try the affections of the Cornish men, and he no fooner madehisappearance among themat BodmaininCornwall than the populace, to the number of three thousand, flocked to his ftandard. Elated with this appearance of success, he took on him, for the first time, the

title of Richard the Fourth, king of England; and, not to fuffer the fpirits of his adherents to languish, he led them to the gates of Exeter. Finding the inhabitants obftinate in refufing to admit him, and being unprovided with artillery to force an entrance, he broke up the fiege of Exeter, and retired to Taunton. His followers by this time amounted to feven thoufand men, and appeared ready to defend his caufe : but his heart failed him, upon being informed that the king was coming down to oppofe him; and inftead of bringing his men into the field, he privately deferted them, and took fanctuary in the monaftery of Beaulieu, in the New Foreft. His wretched adherents, left to the king's mercy, found him ftill willing to pardon; and, except a few of the ring-leaders, none were treated with capital feverity. At the fame time fome perfons were employed to treat with Perkin, and to perfuade him, under promife of a pardon, to deliver himself up to justice, and to confefs and explain all the circumftances of his imposture. His affairs being altogether defperate, he embraced the king's offers, without hesitation, and quitted the fanctuary. Henry being defirous of feeing him, he was brought to court, and conducted through the streets of London in a kind of mock triumph, amidit the derifion and infults of the populace, which he bore with the moft dignified refignation. He was then compelled to fign a confeffion of his former life and conduct, which was printed and dispersed throughout the nation: but it was fo defective and contradictory, that initead of explaining the pretended imposture, it left it still more doubtful than before; and this youth's real pretenfions are to this very day an object of dispute among the learned.

After attempting once or twice to escape from cuftody, he was hanged at Tyburn, and several of his adherents fuffered the fame ignominious death.

There had been hitherto nothing in this reign but plots, treasons, infurrections, impoitures, and executions ;