and throwing himself on his knees in the mire, received, in that humble attitude, these marks of his majesty's gracious disposition towards him; thus confirming the maxim, " that he who is arrogant in prosperity will be abject in adversity."

But the cardinal's enemies, who dreaded his return to court, never ceased plying the king with accounts of his demerits; and Henry not only ordered him to be indicted in the Star Chamber, but abandoned him to all the rigour of the parliament. He was indicted on an obsolete statute for having procured bulls from Rome; and he was pronounced to be out of the king's protection; his lands and goods forfeited; and that his person might be committed to custody. But this prosecution of Wolsey was carried no farther. Henry even granted him a pardon for all offences; restored him part of his plate and furniture; and still continued from time to time to drop expressions of favour and compassion towards him.

About this time the complaints against the usurpations of the ecclesiastics became so prevalent in England, that the commons passed several bills restraining their impositions. The difficulties which lay in the way of his divorce had often tempted Henry to break off all connexions with the court of Rome; but he dreaded the reproach of heresy; and having once exerted himself in defence of the Romish communion, he was ashamed to retract his former opi. nions. While he was agitated by these contrary motives, an expedient was proposed, which, as it promised a solution of all difficulties, was embraced by him with the greatest joy and satis faction.

Dr. Thomas Cranmer, fellow of Jesus College in Cambridge, a man remarkable for his learning, and still more for the candour and disinterestedness of his temper, falling one evening by accident into company with Gardiner, now secretary of state, and Fox, the king's almoner, the business of the divorce became the subject of the conversation. Cranmer observed that the readiest way, either to quiet Henry's conscience or extort the pope's consent, would be to consult all the universities of Europe with regard to this controverted point: if they agreed to approve of the king's marriage with Catherine, his remorses would naturally cease; if they condemned it, the pope would find it difficult to resist the solicitations of so great a monarch, seconded by the opinion of all the learned men in Christendom. When the king was informed of the proposal, he was delighted with it; and swore, with more alacrity than delicacy, that Cranmer had got the right sow by the ear; he sent for that divine; entered into conversation with him; engaged him to write in defence of the divorce; and immediately, in prosecution of the scheme proposed, employed his agents to collect the judg ments of all the universities in Europe.

A. D.

The universities of France, of Venice, 1530. Ferrara, Padua, and Bologna, as well as of Oxford and Cambridge, after some hesitation, gave a verdict in the king's favour. The convocations too, both of Canterbury and York, pronounced the king's marriage invalid. But Glement, still under the influence of the em peror, continued to summon the king either by himself or proxy, neither of which alternatives could be complied with.

The extremities to which Henry was pushed both against the pope and 'the ecclesiastical order, were naturally disagreeable to cardinal Wolsey; and as the king foresaw his opposition, it is the most probable reason that can be assigned for his renewing the prosecution against his ancient favourite.

After Wolsey had remained some time at Esher, he was allowed to remove to Richmond; but the courtiers, dreading still his vicinity to the king, procured an order for him to remove to his see of York. The cardinal knew it was in vain to resist: he took up his residence at Cawood in Yorkshire, where he rendered himself extremely popular in the neighbourhood by his affability and hospitality; but he was not allowed to remain long unmolested in this retreat. The earl of Northumberland received orders, without regard to Wolsey's ecclesiastical character, to arrest him for high treason, and to conduct him to London, in order to take his trial. The cardinal, partly from fatigue, and partly from agitation, was seized with a disorder which turned into a dysentery; and with some difficulty, he reached Leicester-abbey. When the abbot and the monks advanced to receive him with much respect and reverence, he told them that he was come to lay his bones among them; and he immediately took to his bed, whence he never rose more. A little before he expired, among other expressions, he used the following, to Sir William Kingston, constable of the Tower, who had him in custody: " Had I but served God as diligently as I have " served the king, he would not have given me " over in my grey heirs. But this is the just re"ward that I must receive for my indulgent " pains and study, not regarding my service to " God, but only to my prince. Therefore let " me advise you, if you be one of the privy-coun"cil, as by your wisdom you are fit, take care "what you put into the king's head: for you can "never put it out again."

Thus died this famous cardinal, whose charac ter seems to have contained a singular variety of good and bad qualities, but who, with all his foibles, was unquestionably a great man, and an able minister.

A. D. 1531.

A new session of parliament was held, together with a convocation; and from

the latter a confession was extorted, that the "king was the protector, and the sepreme head of the clergy of England." In the ensuing parliament, an act was passed against levying the annates or first-fruits; and it was also voted, that any censures which should be passed by the court of Rome on account of that law, should be entirely disregarded.

Sir Thomas More the chancellor, anticipating a separation from the church of Rome, with. which his principles would not permit him to concur, desired leave to resign the great seal; and descended from his high station with more joy and alacrity than he had mounted up to it. The austerity of this man's virtue, and the sanctity of his manners, had no wise encroached on the gentleness of his temper, or even diminished that frolic and gaiety to which he was naturally inclined. While his family discovered symptoms of sorrow on laying down the grandeur and magnificence to which they had been accustomed, he drew a subject of mirth from their distresses; and made them ashamed of los

ing even a moment's cheerfulness, on account of such trivial misfortunes. The king, who had entertained a high opinion of his virtue, received his resignation with some difficulty; and he delivered the great seal, soon after, to sir Thomas Audley.

1533.

Henry, having now gone too far to recede, privately celebrated his marriage A. D. with Anne Boleyn, whom he had previously created marchioness of Pembroke. Her early pregnancy gave the king great satisfaction; and an act being passed against all appeals to Rome in causes of matrimony and divorces, Henry publicly owned his marriage, and commanded Catherine, whom he had hitherto treated with respect, to style herself hereafter princess dowager of Wales.

On intelligence of these transactions, Clement declared the nullity of Henry's second marriage, and threatened him with excommunication. Soon after, by a precipitate sentence, the marriage of Henry and Catherine was pronounced valid, and Henry actually declared to be excommunicated, if he refused to adhere to it. This violent measure effectually shut the door of reconciliation; and the parliament being entirely at the king's devotion, passed several laws which put an end to the exercise of the papal jurisdiction in England.

But the most important law passed this session, was that which regulated the succession to the crown. The marriage of the king with Catherine was declared unlawful, void, and of no effect; and the marriage with queen Anne was established and confirmed. The crown was appointed to descend to the issue of this