The History of King HENRY the Seventh

Just as by his Victory, men's knees were bent, so by his intended Marriage to Elizabeth, their hearts were also won.

Meanwhile, the King, in his great prudence (not being ignorant of the feelings and fears of the people), so that he might dissipate the perception and terror of a kingdom conquered by war, gave orders that his progress should have nothing of a military march about it, but rather the appearance of a peaceful journey, such as Kings are accustomed to use when traveling through their provinces for pleasure.

He entered the City of London on a Saturday, just as he had obtained his Victory on a Saturday: a day of the week which he chose repeatedly—first from an observation of events, and later from memory and personal belief—as being, beyond all others, lucky and prosperous for him.

The Lord Mayor of London, accompanied by the City Companies Original: Fraternitatibus, referring to the trade guilds or livery companies of the city. in solemn pomp, received him at Shoreditch; from which place, attended by a great throng of Nobles and leading men, he entered the City. He himself was carried not on a horse, nor in any open litter or throne, but in a closed carriage; as one who, having once been declared a public enemy and outlawed from the entire realm, thought it better to protect his Majesty and inspire reverence in his People, rather than to hunt for their favor in any way.

First of all, he went to the Cathedral of St. Paul Latin: Templum D. Pauli; where, being very unwilling for the people to forget sooner than they ought that he had won the Kingdom by battle, he offered up and placed his banners in the Cathedral. He attended the solemn prayers according to the custom, and caused the hymn Te Deum A traditional Latin hymn of praise, "We Praise Thee, O God," often sung to mark victories. to be sung again. Then he went to the Palace of the Bishop of London, where lodging had been prepared for him, and stayed there for several days.

While he stayed there, he summoned his Privy Council Original: Sanctius Concilium, along with other men of great dignity, in whose presence he renewed his pledge to enter into marriage with Elizabeth. What most compelled him to do this was that, upon his departure from Brittany, he had with great skill cast some hope (as his affairs then required at the time) that if things went successfully for him in obtaining the Kingdom of England, he would take as his wife Anne, the Heiress of the Duchy of Brittany (who a little later married Charles the Eighth of France). Therefore, some suspicion had arisen that he was behaving less than sincerely or consistently in the matter of the marriage treaty with Elizabeth, which was vehemently desired by the prayers of all. This rumor, although only tossed about in the talk of men, had afflicted the wretched Elizabeth in strange ways. But he acted in the best of faith; indeed, he desired this to be believed by all (so that in this way he might more easily quench the envy and opposition to the things he was planning in his mind), though he had secretly determined within himself not to proceed to the consummation of the marriage until his solemn Coronation and the meeting of Parliament had been celebrated. The first of these aimed to ensure that his own Coronation, if performed jointly with the Queen (as would have been proper), would not present any appearance of her sharing in the Right of the Kingdom; the second was so that in establishing the Right of the Crown in his own person (which he trusted to achieve by the Authority of Parliament), the votes of the Estates Original: Ordinum, meaning the three estates of the realm represented in Parliament: the Clergy, the Nobility, and the Commons. should not reflect back upon Elizabeth in any way.

Around this time, in the Autumn, towards the end of September, there began to spread—both in the city of London and in other parts of the Kingdom—a certain epidemic disease, new at that time; to which, from its nature and symptoms, they gave the name of the Sweating Sickness Latin: Febris Sudorificae. This disease...