Pages Accufation against Anne Afcue, refpecting the doctrine of the real prefence Great attention of Catherine to the king, while confined by an ulcer in his Policy of the queen Motives which impelled Henry to the destruction of the duke of Norfolk and his fon the earl of Surrey 180 The execution of Norfolk prevented by the timely death of the king 181 Contents of the king's will Character of Henry VIII. His vices and virtues Inconsistency of the ftatutes paffed by the parliament The clergy not punishable while the Catholic religion prevailed Law of tonnage and poundage Hoftilities between England and the Low Countries Infurrection in London Execution of fome of the rioters, and punishment of others Singular act for fixing the price of butcher's meat Firft law for fixing the intereft of money, repealed after one year's trial Wolfey's founding the firft chair for teaching Greek, productive of dangerous difputes at Oxford State of learning in England Queen CATHERINE addreffing HENRY before the two Legates, to face Page 14 -IH. Commitment of ANNA BULLEN to the Tower, to face Page 116. IV. Conqueft of C. HOWARD over HENRY VIII. to face Page 147. V. Singular Execution of the Countess of SALISBURY, in 1541, to face Page 153. VI. Incontinence of C. HOWARD imparted to HENRY VIII. to face Page 154. VII. CATHERINE PARR receiving the Articles of Impeachment, to face Page 178. HENRY HENRY VIII. BY MR. HUME. T HE death of Henry VII. had been attended with as open and vifible a joy among the people as decency would permit; and the acceffion and coronation of his fon Henry VIII. fpread univerfally a declared and unfeigned fatisfaction. Inftead of a monarch jealous, fevere, and avaricious, who, in proportion as he advanced in years, was finking ftill deeper in thofe unpopular vices, a young prince of eighteen had fucceeded to the throne, who even in the eyes of men of fenfe gave promifing hopes of his future conduct, much more in those of the people, always enchanted with novelty, youth, and royal dignity. The beauty and vigour of his perfon, accompanied with dexterity in every manly exercife, was farther adorned with a blooming and ruddy countenance, with a lively air, with the appearance of fpirit and activity in all his demeanour. His father, in order to remove him from the knowledge of public bufinefs, had hitherto occupied him entirely in the purfuits of literature; and the proficiency which he made gave no bad prognoftic of his parts and capacity +. Even the vices of vehemence, ardour, and impatience, to which he was fubject, and which afterwards degenerated into tyranny, were confidered only as faults incident to unguarded youth, which would be corrected when time had brought him to greater moderation and maturity. And as the contending titles of York and Lancaster were now at laft fully united in his perfon, men juftly expected from a prince, obnoxious to no party, that impartiality of adminiftration which had long been unknown in England. These favourable prepoffeffions of the public were encouraged by the measures which Henry embraced in the commencement of his reign. His grandmother, the countefs of Richmond and Derby, was still alive; and as she was a woman much celebrated for prudence and virtue, he wifely fhewed great deference to her opinion in the establishment of his new council. The members were, Warham, archbishop of Canterbury and chancellor; the earl of Shrewsbury, fteward; lord Herbert, chamberlain; fir Thomas Lovel, mafter of the wards and conftable of the Tower; fir Edward Poynings, comptroller; fir Henry Marney, afterwards lord Marney; fir Thomas Darcy, afterwards lord Darcy; Thomas Ruthal, doctor of laws; and fir Henry Wyatt. Thefe men had long been ac * T. Mori Lucubr. p. 182. + Father Paul, lib. 1. Hollinghed, p. 799. B Herbert, Stowe, p. 486. cuftomed cuftomed to business under the late king, and were the leaft unpopular of all the minifters employed by that monarch. But the chief competitors for favour and authority under the new king were the earl of Surrey, treafurer, and Fox bishop of Winchefter, fecretary and privy feal. This prelate, who enjoyed great credit during all the former reign, had acquired fuch habits of caution and frugality as he could not eafily lay afide; and he ftill opposed, by his remonftrances, thofe fchemes of diffipation and expence which the youth and paffions of Henry rendered agreeable to him. But Surrey was a more dexterous courtier; and though few had borne a greater fhare in the frugal politics of the late king, he knew how to conform himself to the humour of his new mafter; and no one was so forward in promoting that liberality, pleasure, and magnificence, which began to prevail under the young monarch*. By this policy he ingratiated himself with Henry; he made advantage, as well as the other courtiers, of the lavish difpofition of his mafter; and he engaged him in fuch a course of play and idleness as rendered him negligent of affairs, and willing to entrust the government of the ftate entirely into the hands of his minifters. The great treasures amaffed by the late king were gradually diffipated in the giddy expences of Henry. One party of pleasure fucceeded to another: tilts, tournainents, and caroufals, were exhibited with all the magnificence of the age and as the present tranquillity of the public permitted the court to indulge itself in every amusement, ferious bufinefs was but little attended to. Or if the king intermitted the course of his feftivity, he chiefly employed himself in an application to music and literature, which were his favourite pursuits, and which were well adapted to his genius. He had made fuch proficiency in the former art, as even to compofe fome pieces of church-mufic which were fung in his chapel. He was initiated in the elegant learning of the ancients. And though he was fo unfortunate as to be feduced into a study of the barren controverfies of the schools, which were then fashionable, and had chofen Thomas Aquinas for his favourite author, he still difcovered a capacity fitted for more useful and entertaining knowledge. The frank and careless humour of the king, as it led him to diffipate the treasures amaffed by his father, rendered him negligent in protecting the inftruments whom that prince had employed in his extortions. A proclamation being iffued to encourage complaints, the rage of the people was let loofe on all informers, who had to long exercised an unbounded tyranny over the nation: they were thrown into prifon, condemned to the pillory, and most of them loft their lives by the violence of the populace. Empfon and Dudley, who were most exposed to public hatred, were immediately fummoned before the council, in order to anfwer for their conduct, which had renHerbert, Stowe, p. 486. Hollingshed, p. 799. dered * Lord Herbert. Polyd, Virg. lib. xxviii, + Ibid. |