s at last
allowed to depart, after a stay of three months.

* Bacon, p. 633.

** Rymer, vol. xiii. p. 142.

He landed in Spain, was joyfully received by the Castilians, and pit in
possession of the throne.

{1507.} He died soon after; and Joan, his widow, falling into deep
melancholy Ferdinand was again enabled to reinstate himself in
authority, and to govern, till the day of his death, the whole Spanish
monarchy.

The king survived these transactions two years; but nothing memorable
occurs in the remaining part of his reign, except his affiancing his
second daughter, Mary, to the young archduke Charles, son of Philip of
Castile.

{1508.} He entertained also some intentions of marriage for himself,
first with the queen dowager of Naples, relict of Ferdinand; afterwards
with the duchess dowager of Savoy, daughter of Maximilian, and sister of
Philip. But the decline of his health put an end to all such thoughts;
and he began to cast his eye towards that future existence which the
iniquities and severities of his reign rendered a very dismal prospect
to him. To allay the terrors under which he labored, he endeavored, by
distributing alms and founding religious houses, to make atonement for
his crimes, and to purchase, by the sacrifice of part of his ill-gotten
treasures, a reconciliation with his offended Maker. Remorse even seized
him at intervals for the abuse of his authority by Empson and Dudley;
but not sufficient to make him stop the rapacious hand of those
oppressors. Sir William Capel was again fined two thousand pounds under
some frivolous pretence, and was committed to the Tower for daring
to murmur against the iniquity. Harris, an alderman of London, was
indicted, and died of vexation before his trial came to an issue.
Sir Laurence Ailmer, who had been mayor, and his two sheriffs, were
condemned in heavy fines, and sent to prison till they made payment.
The king gave countenance to all these oppressions; till death, by its
nearer approaches, impressed new terrors upon him; and he then ordered,
by a general clause in his will, that restitution should be made to
all those whom he had injured.

{1509.} He died of a consumption at his favorite palace of Richmond,
after a reign of twenty-three years and eight months, and in the
fifty-second year of his age.[*]

* Dagd. Baronage, ii. p. 237.

The reign of Henry VII. was, in the main, fortunate for his people at
home, and honorable abroad. H