the fame time fome perfons were employed to treat with Perkin, and to perfuade him, under promife of a pardon, to deliver himself up to juftice, and to confefs and explain all the circumftances of his impofture. His affairs being altogether defperate, he embraced the king's offers, without hefitation, and quitted the fanctuary. Henry, being defirous of feeing him, he was brought to court, and conducted through the ftreets of London in a kind of mock triumph, amidst the derifion and infults of the populace, which he bore with the moft dignified refignation. He was then compelled to fign a confeffion of his former life and conduct, which was printed and difperfed throughout the nation; but it was fo defective and contradictory, that inftead of explaining the pretended impofture, it left it ftill more doubtful than before and this youth's real pretenfions are to this very day an object of difpute among the learned. After attempting once or twice to efcape from cuftody, he was hanged at Tyburn, and feveral of his adherents fuffered the fame ignominious death. There had been hitherto nothing in this reign but plots, treafons, infurrections, impoftures, and executions; and it is probable that Henry's feverity proceeded from the continual alarms in which they held him. It is certain, that no prince ever loved peace more than he; and much of the ill-will of his fubjects arofe from his attempts to reprefs their inclinations for war. The ufual preface to all his treaties was, "That when Chrift came into the world peace was fung, and when he went out of the world peace was bequeathed.” He had all along two points in view; one to deprefs the nobility and clergy, and the other to exalt and humanize the populace. With this view he procured an act, by which the nobility were granted a power of dif pofing of their eftates; a law infinitely pleafing to the commons, and not difagreeable even to the nobles, fince they had thus an immediate refource for fupplying their tafte for prodigality, and anfwering the demands of their creditors. The blow reached them in their pofterity alone; but they were too ignorant to be affected by fuch diftant diftreffes. He was not remifs alfo in abridging the pope's power, while at the fame time he profeffed the utmoft fubmiffion to his commands, and the greatest refpect for the clergy. But while he thus employed his power in lowering the influence of the nobles and clergy, he was ufing every art to extend the privileges of the people. In fact, his greateft efforts were directed to promote trade and commerce, because this naturally introduced a fpirit of liberty, and difengaged them from all dependence, except upon the laws and the king. Before this great æra, all our towns owed their original to fome strong caftle in the neighbourhood, where fome powerful lord generally refided. Thefe were at once fortreffes for protection, and prifons for all forts of criminals. In this caftle there was ufually a garrifon armed and provided, depending entirely on the nobleman's fupport and affiftance. To thefe feats of protection, artificers, victuallers, and fhop keepers, naturally reforted, and fettled on fome adjacent fpot, to furnish the lord and his attendants with all the neceffaries they might require. The farmers alfo, and the husbandmen, in the neighbourhood, built their houfes there to be protected against the numerous gangs of robbers, called Robertfmen, that hid themselves in the woods by day, and infefted the open country by night. Henry endeavoured to bring the towns. from fuch a neighbourhood, by inviting the inhabitants to a more commercial fituation. He attempted to teach them frugality, and a juft payment of debts, by his own example; and never once omitted the rights of the merchant, in all his treaties with foreign princes. Henry having thus feen England, in a great measure, civilized by his endeavours, his people pay their taxes without constraint, the nobles confeffing fubordination, the laws alone inflicting punishment, the towns beginning to live independent of the powerful, commerce every day increafing, the fpirit of faction extinguished, and foreigners either fearing England, or feeking its alliance, he began to fee the approaches of his end, and died. of the gout in his ftomach, having lived fifty-two A. D. -years, and reigned twenty-three. Since the times 1509. of Alfred, England had not feen fuch another G 2 king. king. He rendered his fubjects powerful and happy, and wrought a greater change in the manners of the people, than it was poffible to fuppofe could be effected in fo fhort a time. O HENRY VIII. No prince ever came to the throne with a conjune VIII. who now, in the eighteenth year of his age, undertook the government of the kingdom. And as he was at the head of a formidable A. D. army, fifty thoufand ftrong, and as a war with France was the most pleafing to the people, he 1509. determined to head his forces for the conqueft of that kingdom. But France was not threatened by him alone; the Swifs, on another quarter, with twenty-five thoufand men, were preparing to invade it; while Ferdinard of Arragon, whom no treaties could bind, was only waiting for a convenient opportunity of attack on his fide to advantage. Never was the French monarchy in fo dif treffed a fituation; but the errors of its affailants procured its fafety... After After an oftentatious but ineffectual campaign, a truce was concluded between the two kingdoms; and Henry continued to diffipate, in more peaceful follies, thofe immenfe fums which had been amaffed by his predeceffor for very different purposes. In this manner, while his pleafures on the one hand engroffed Henry's time, the preparations for repeated expeditions exhaufted his treafures on the other. As it. was natural to fuppofe the old minifters, who were ap pointed to direct him by his father, would not willingly concur in thefe idle projects, Henry had, for fome time, difcontinued afking their advice, and chiefly confided in the councils of Thomas, afterwards cardinal Wolfey, who feemed to fecond him in his favourite pursuits. Wolfey was a minifter who complied with all his master's inclinations, and flattered him in every scheme to which his fanguine and impetuous temper was inclined. He was the fon of a private gentleman, and not of a butcher, as is commonly reported, of Ipfwich. He was fent to Oxford fo early, that he was a Bachelor at fourteen, and at that time was called the Boy Bachelor. He rose by degrees, upon quitting college, from one preferment to another, till he was made rector of Lymington by the marquis of Dorfet, whofe children he had inftructed. He had not long refided at this living, when one of the jus tices of the peace put him in the ftocks for being drunk, and raifing difturbances at a neighbouring fair. This dif grace, however, did not retard his promotion; for he was recommended as chaplain to Henry the Seventh; and being employed by that monarch in a fecret negoti ation, refpecting his intended marriage with Margaret of Savoy, he acquitted himself to that king's fatisfaction, and obtained the praife both of diligence and dexterity.. That prince having given him a commiffion to Maximian, who at that time refided at Bruffels, was furprifed in less than three days after to fee Wolfey prefent himself before him; and, fuppofing that he had been delinquent, began to reprove his delay. Wolfey, however, furprifed him with affurance that he was just returned from Bruffels, and had fuccefsfully fulfilled all his majesty's com mands. His difpatch, on that occafion, procured him the G 3 deanery deanery of Lincoln, and in this fituation it was that he was introduced by Fox, bifhop of Winchefter, to the young king's notice, in hopes that he would have talents to fupplant the earl of Surrey, who was favourite at that time, and in this Fox was not out in his conjectures. Prefently after, being introduced at court, he was made a privy counfellor; and, as fuch, had frequent opportunities of ingratiating himfelf with the young king, as he appeared at once complying, fubmiffive, and enterprifing. Wolfey ufed every art to fuit himself to the royal temper; he fung, laughed, and danced with every libertine of the court: neither his own years, which were near forty, nor his character as a clergyman, were any restraint upon him, or tended to check, by ill-timed feverities, the gaiety of his companions. To fuch a weak and vicious monarch as Henry, qualities of this nature were highly pleafing; and Wolfey was foon acknowledged as his chief favourite, and to him was intrufted the chief administration of affairs. The people began to fee with indignation the new favourite's mean condefcenfions to the king, and his arrogance to themfelves. They had long regarded the vicious haughtinefs and the unbecoming fplendor of the clergy, with envy and deteftation; and Wolfey's greatnefs ferved to bring a new odium upon that body, already too much the object of the people's diflike. His charac ter being now placed in a more confpicuous point of light, daily began to manifeft itself the more. Infatiable in his acquifitions, but ftill more magnificent in his expence ; of extenfive capacity, but ftill more unbounded in enterprife; ambitious of power, but ftill more defirous of glory; infinuating, engaging, perfuafive, and at other times lofty, elevated, and commanding; haughty to his equals, but affable to his dependents; oppreffive to the people, but liberal to his friends; more generous than grateful; formed to take the afcendant in every intercourfe, but vain enough not to cover his real fuperiority. In order to divert the envy of the public from his inordinate exaltation, he foon entered into a correfpondence with Francis the Firft, of France, who had taken many methods to work upon his vanity, and at laft fucceeded. In confequence of that monarch's wishes, Henry was per fuaded |