ts and scruples, the prisoner
was brought to his trial, condemned, and presently after beheaded.
Historians are not agreed with regard to the crime which was proved
against him. The general report is, that he should have said in
confidence to Clifford, that if he were sure the young man who appeared
in Flanders was really son to King Edward, he never would bear arms
against him. The sentiment might disgust Henry, as implying a preference
of the house of York to that of Lancaster; but could scarcely be the
ground, even in those arbitrary times, of a sentence of high treason
against Stanley. It is more probable, therefore, as is asserted by some
historians, that he had expressly engaged to assist Perkin, and had
actually sent him some supply of money.

The fate of Stanley made great impression on the kingdom, and struck
all the partisans of Perkin with the deepest dismay. From Clifford's
desertion, they found that all their secrets were betrayed; and as
it appeared that Stanley, while he seemed to live in the greatest
confidence with the king, had been continually surrounded by spies, who
reported and registered every action in which he was engaged, nay, every
word which fell from him, a general distrust took place, and all mutual
confidence was destroyed, even among intimate friends and acquaintance.
The jealous and severe temper of the king, together with his great
reputation for sagacity and penetration, kept men in awe, and quelled
not only the movements of sedition, but the very murmurs of faction.
Libels, however, crept out against Henry's person and administration;
and being greedily propagated by every secret art, showed that there
still remained among the people a considerable root of discontent, which
wanted only a proper opportunity to discover itself.

But Henry continued more intent on increasing the terrors of his people,
than on gaining their affections. Trusting to the great success which
attended him in all his enterprises, he gave every day more and more a
loose to his rapacious temper, and employed the arts of perverted law
and justice, in order to exact fines and compositions from his people.
Sir William Capel, alderman of London, was condemned on some penal
statutes to pay the sum of two thousand seven hundred and forty-three
pounds, and was obliged to compound for sixteen hundred and fifteen.
This was the first noted case of the kind; but it became a precedent,
which prepared the may for many others