It was agreed likewise between them what account he should give of his peregrination abroad, intermixing many things which were true, and such as they knew others could testify, for the credit of the rest, but still making them to hang together with the part he was to play.  She taught him likewise how to avoid sundry captious and tempting questions which were like to be asked of him.  But, this she found him so nimble and shifting as she trusted much to his own wit and readiness, and therefore labored the less in it.

Lastly, she raised his thoughts with some present rewards and further promises, setting before him chiefly the glory and fortune of a crown if things went well, and a sure refuge to her court if the worst should fall.  After such time as she thought he was perfect in his lesson, she began to cast with herself from what coast this blazing star should first appear, and at what time it must be upon the horizon of Ireland, for there had the like meteor strong influence before.  The time of the apparition to be when the King should be engaged in a war with France.  But well she knew that whatsoever should come from her would be held suspected.  And therefore, if he should go out of Flanders immediately into Ireland, she might be thought to have some hand in it.  And besides the time was not yet ripe, for that the two kings were then upon terms of peace.  Therefore she wheeled about; and to put all suspicion afar off, and loath to keep him any longer by her, for that she knew secrets are not long-lived, she sent him unknown into Portugal, with the Lady Brampton, an English lady, that embarked for Portugal at that time, with some privado of her own, to have an eye upon him, and there he was to remain, and to expect her further directions.

In the mean time she omitted not to prepare things for his better welcome and accepting, not only in the kingdom of Ireland, but in the court of France.  He continued in Portugal about a year, and by that time the King of England called his parliament and declared open war against France.  Now did the sign reign, and the constellation was come, under which Perkin should appear.  And therefore he was straight sent unto by the Duchess to go for Ireland, according to the first designment.  In Ireland he did arrive, at the town of Cork.  When he was thither come, his own tale was, when he made his confession afterward, that the Irishmen, finding him in some good clothes, came flocking about him, and bare him down that he was the Duke of Clarence that had been there before.  And after, that he was the base son of Richard III.  And lastly, that he was Richard, Duke of York, second son to Edward IV.  But that he, for his part, renounced all these things, and offered to swear upon the holy evangelists that he was no such man; till at last they forced it upon him, and bade him fear nothing, and so forth.  But the truth is that immediately upon his coming into Ireland he took upon him the said person of the Duke of York, and drew unto him complices and partakers by all the means he could devise.  Insomuch as he wrote his letters unto the Earls of Desmond and Kildare to come in to his aid, and be of his party; the originals of which letters are yet extant.