marriage, and failing them, to the king's heirs for ever. An oath likewise was enjoined to be taken in favour of this order of succession, under the penalty of imprisonment during the king's pleasure, and forfeiture of goods and chattels.

A. D.

Fisher, bishop of Rochester, and sir Thomas More, were the only persons of 1534. note who scrupled the oath of succession. The latter, with his usual wisdom and integrity, declared he thought the parliament had full power to settle the succession; but he refused the oath prescribed by law, because the preamble of that oath asserted the legality of the king's marriage with Anne, and thereby implied that his former marriage with Catherine was unlawful and invalid. Cranmer the primate, and Cromwel, now secretary of state, who highly loved and esteemed More, entreated him to lay aside his scruples; and their friendly importunity seemed to weigh more with him than all the penalties attending his refusal. He persisted, however, in a mild though firm manner, to maintain his resolution; and the king, irritated against him as well as Fisher, ordered both to be indicted upon the statute, and committed prisoners to the Tower.

The parliament being again assembled, conferred on the king the title of the only supreme head on earth of the church of England; as they had already invested him with all the real power belonging to it. In this memorable act the parliament acknowledged his inherent power "to visit, and repress, redress, reform, order, correct, restrain, or amend all errors, heresies, abuses, offences, contempts, and enormities, which fell under any spiritual authority, or jurisdiction." They also declared it treason to attempt, imagine, or speak evil against the king, queen, or his heirs, or to endeavour depriving them of their dignities or tithes. They gave him a right to all the annates and tithes of benefices, which had formerly been paid to the court of Rome. They also attainted More and Fisher for misprision of treason; and they completed the union of England and Wales, by giving to that principality all the benefits of the English laws.

While Henry proceeded with so much order in changing the national religion, he was held in some inquietude by the state of affairs in Ireland. The young earl of Kildare, resenting the imprisonment of his father, had taken arms, and joined some of the Irish nobles; but being obliged to surrender, he was carried over to England with his five uncles, where all, after a short trial, were executed.

But though Henry had rejected the authority of the see of Rome, he was by no means disposed to encourage the opinions of the reformers. Separate as he stood from the catholic church, and from the Roman pontiff, the head of it, he still valued himself on maintaining the catholic doctrine, and on guarding by fire and sword the imagined purity of his speculative principles.

Henry's ministers and courtiers were of as motley a character as his conduct; and seemed to waver, during this whole reign, between the ancient and the new religion. The queen, engaged by interest as well as inclination, favoured the cause of the reformers, Cromwel, who was created secretary of state, and who was daily advancing in the king's confidence, had embraced the same views; and as he was a man of prudence and abilities, he was able, very effectually, though in a covert manner, to promote the late innovations. Cranmer, archbishop of Canterbury, had secretly adopted the protestant tenets; and he had gained Henry's friendship by his candour and sincerity; virtues which he possessed in an eminent degree. On the other hand, the duke of Norfolk adhered to the ancient faith; and by his high rank, as well as by his talents both for peace and war, he had great authority in the king's council: Gardiner, lately created bishop of Winchester, had inlisted himself in the same party; and the suppleness of his character, and dexterity of his conduct, had rendered him one of its principal supporters.

The king, meanwhile, who held the balance between the factions, was enabled by the courtship paid him both by protestants and catholics, to assume an unbounded authority. The ambiguity of his conduct, though it kept the courtiers in awe, served in the main to encourage the protestant doctrine among his subjects; the writings of the Lutherans were privately imported into England; and a translation of the Scripture, by Tindal, an Englishman who had fled from the king's displeasure to Antwerp, increased the number of converts; and was justly deemed one of the most fatal blows to the established faith.

Though several persons were brought to the stake for their adherence to the protestant doctrines, yet Henry knew his most formidable enemies were the monks, who having their immediate dependence on the Roman pontiff, apprehended their own ruin to be the certain conse

quence of abolishing his authority in England. Some of these were detected in a conspiracy that proved fatal to themselves. Elizabeth Barton, commonly called the "Holy maid of Kent," had been subject to hysterical fits, which threw her body into unusual convulsions; and having produced an equal disorder in her mind, made her utter strange sayings, which, as she was scarcely conscious of during the time, had soon after entirely escaped her memory. The silly people in the neighbourhood were struck with these appearances, which they imagined to be supernatural; and Richard Masters, vicar of the parish, a designing fellow, founded on them a project, from which he hoped to acquire both profit and consideration. He went to Warham, archbishop of Canterbury, then alive; and having given him an account of Elizabeth's revelations, he so far wrought on that prudent but superstitious prelate, as to receive orders from him to watch her in her trances, and carefully to note down all her future sayings. The regard paid her by a person of so high a rank, soon rendered her still more the object of attention to the neighbourhood; and it was easy for Masters to persuade them, as well as the maid herself, that her ravings were inspirations of the Holy Ghost. Knavery, as is usual, soon after succeeding to delusion, she learned to counterfeit trances; and then uttered such speeches as were dictated to her by her spiritual director.

Masters associated with him Dr. Bocking, a canon of Canterbury; and though their design at first was only to raise the credit of an image of the Virgin, finding their imposture succeeded, they extended their views, and taught their penitent to declaim against the new doctrines, and to prophesy the death of the king, if he persisted in his intended divorce from Catherine. Henry at length began to think the matter worthy of his attention; and having ordered Elizabeth and her accomplices to be arrested, they confessed, and suffered for their guilt. The A. D. better to undeceive the multitude, the 1535. forgery of many of the prophetess's mira

cles was detected; and even the scandalous prostitution of her manners was laid open to the public.

The detection of this imposture hurt the credit of the monks; the king, to take vengeance on them, suppressed three monasteries; and finding the little clamour excited by this act of power, he was more encouraged to lay his rapacious hands on the remainder. Meanwhile he exercised punishments on individuals, who were obnoxious to him. The parliament had made it treason to deprive the king of his dignity or titles; they had lately added to his other titles that of supreme head of the church; and hence it was inferred, that to deny his supremacy was treason. Many priors and ecclesiastics lost their lives for this new species of guilt; and Herry, impelled by his violent temper, and desirous of striking a terror into the whole nation, proceeded to make examples of Fisher and More.

John Fisher, bishop of Rochester, was a prelate eminent for learning and morals, still more than for his ecclesiastical dignities, and for the high favour which he had long enjoyed with the king. When he was thrown into prison, he had not only been deprived of all his revenues, but stripped of his very chothes, and without con