fuaded by the cardinal to an interview with that prince. This expenfive congrefs was held between Guifnes and Ardres, near Calais, within the English pale, in compliment to Henry for croffing the fea. Some month's before a defiance had been fent by A. D. the two kings to each other's court, and through 1520. all the chief cities of Europe,importing that Henry and Francis, with fourteen aids, world be ready, in the plains of Picardy to answer all comers, that were gentlemen, at Tilt and Tournay. Accordingly, the monarchs, now all gorgeously apparelled, entered the lifts on horfeback, Francis furrounded with Henry's guards, and Henry with thofe of Francis. They were both at that time the most comely perfonages of their age, and prided themselves on their expertnefs in the military exercifes. The ladies were the judges in thefe feats of chivalry; and they put an end to the encounter whenever they thought proper. It is fuppofed that the crafty French monarch was willing to gratify Henry's vanity, by allowing him to enjoy a petty pre-eminence in these paftimes. He ran a tilt againft Monfieur Crandeval, whom he difabled at the fecond encounter. He engaged Monfier de Montmorency, whom, however, he could not throw from the faddle. He fought at faulchion with a French nobleman, who prefented him with his courfer, in token of fubmiffion. By this time all the immenfe treafures of the late king were quite exhaufted on empty pageants, guilty pleasures, or vain treaties and expeditions. But the king relied on Wolfey alone for replenishing his coffers; and no perfon could be fitter for the purpofe. His firft care was to get a large fum of money from the people, under the title of a benevolence; which, added to its being extorted, had the mortification of being confidered as a free gift. Henry little minded the manner of its being raifed, provided he had the enjoyment of it; however, his minifter met with fome oppofition in his attempts to levy thefe extorted contributions. In the first place, having exacted a con fiderable fubfidy from the clergy, he next addreffed himfelf to the houfe of commons; but they only granted him half the fupplies he demanded. Wolfey was at first. G 4 highly highly offended at their parfimony, and defired to be heard in the houfe; but as this would have deftroyed the very form and conftitution of that auguft body, they replied, that none could be permitted to fit and argue there, but fuch as had beenelected members. This was the firft attempt made in this reign to render the king mafter of the debates in parliament. Wolfey firft paved the way ; and, unfortunately for the kingdom, Henry too well improved upon his plans foon after. Hitherto the adminiftration of all affairs was carried on by Wolfey; for the king was contented to lofe, in the embraces of his miftreffes, all the complaints of his fubjects; and the cardinal undertook to keep him ignorant, in order to continue his own uncontrolled authority. But now a period was approaching that was to put an end to this minifter's exorbitant power. One of the most extraordinary and important revolutions that ever employed the attention of man was now ripe for execution. This was no lefs a change than the reformation. The vices and impofitions of the church of Rome were now almost come to a head; and the increase of arts and learning among the laity, propagated by means of printing, which had been lately invented, began to make them refift that power, which was originally founded on deceit. Leo the tenth was at that time Pope, A. D. and eagerly employed in building the church 1519. of St. Peter at Rome. In order to procure money for carrying on that expenfive undertaking, he gave a commiffion for felling indulgencies, a practice that had often been tried before. Thefe were to free the purchaser from the pains of purgatory; and they would ferve even for one's friends, if purchafed with that intention. There were every where fhops opened, where they were to be fold; but, in general, they were to be had at taverns, brothels, and gaming-houfes. The Auguftine friars had ufually been employed in Saxony to preach the indul gencies, and from this truft had derived both profit and confideration; but the pope's minifter, fuppofing that they had found out illicit methods of fecreting the money, transferred this lucrative employment from them to the Dominicans. Martin Luther, profeffor in the university of of Wirtemberg, was an Auguftine monk, and one of those who refented this transfer of the fale of indulgencies from one order to another. He began to fhew his indignation by preaching against their efficacy; and being naturally of a fiery temper, and provoked by oppofition, he inveighed against the authority of the pope himself. Being driven hard by his adverfaries, ftill as he enlarged his reading, in order to fupport his tenets, he difcovered fome new abufe or error in the church of Rome. In this difpute, it was the fate of Henry to be a champion on both fides. His father, who had given him the edu cation of a scholar, permitted him to be inftructed in fchool-divinity, which then was the principal object of learned inquiry. Henry, therefore, willing to convince the world of his abilities in that science, obtained the pope's permiffion to read the works of Luther, which had been forbidden under pain, of excommunication. In confequence of this, the king defended the feven facraments, out of St. Thomas Aquinas; and fhewed fome dexterity in this fcience, though it is thought that Wolfey had the chief hand in directing him. A book being thus finished in hafte, it was fent to Rome for the pope's approbation, which is natural to fuppofe would not be withheld. The pontiff, ravifhed with its eloquence and depth, compared it to the labours of St. Jerome, or St.. Auguftine, and rewarded the author with the title of DEFENDER OF THE FAITH, little imagining that Henry was foon to be one of the most terrible enemies that ever the church of Rome had to contend with.. Henry had now been eighteen years married to A. D. Catharine of Arragon, who had been brought 1527. over from Spain, and married to his elder brother, who died a few months after co-habitation. But notwithstanding the fubmiffive deference paid to the indulgence of the church, Henry's marriage with this princefs did not pass without fcruple and hesitation, both on his own fide, and on that of the people. However it was carried forward, though perhaps not at firft excited, by a motive much more powerful than the tacitfuggeftions of his confcience. It happened, that among the maids of honour then attending the queen, there was one Anna Bullen G5 Bullen, the daughter of Sir Thomas Bullen, a gentleman of diftinction, and related to most of the nobility. He had been employed by the king in feveral embaffies, and was married to a daughter of the duke of Norfolk." The beauty of Anna furpaffed whatever had hitherto appeared at this voluptuous court; and her education, which had been at Paris, tended to fet off her perfonal charms. Her features were regular, mild, and attractive, her ftature elegant, though below the middle fize, while her wit and vivacity exceeded even her other allurements. Henry, who had never learned the art of reftraining any paffion, that he defired to gratify, faw and loved her; but after feveral efforts to induce her to comply with his criminal defires, he found that without marriage he could have no chance of fucceeding. This obftacle, therefore, he hardily undertook to remove; and as his own queen was now become hateful to him, in order to procure at divorce, he alledged that his confcience rebuked him for having fo long lived in inceft with the wife of his brother. In this pretended perplexity, therefore, he applied to Clement the Seventh, who owed him many obligations, defiring him to diffolve the bull of the former pope, which had given him permiffion to marry Catharine; and to declare that it was not in the power, even of the holy fee, to difpenfe with a law fo ftrictly enjoined in fcriptüre. The unfortunate pope, unwilling to grant, yet afraid to refufe, continued to promife, recant, difpute, and temporize; hoping that the king's paffion would never hold out during the tedious courfe of an ecclefi aftical controverfy. In this he was entirely mistaken. Henry had been long taught to difpute as well as he, and quickly found, or wrefted, many texts in fcripture to favour his opinions or his paffions. During the courfe of a long perplexing negotiation, on the iffue of which Henry's happinefs feemed to depend, he had at first expected to find in his favourite Wolfey a warm defender, and a fteady adherent but in this he found himfelf mistaken. Wolfey feemed to be in pretty much the fame dilemma with the pope. On the one hand he was to pleafe h is mafter the king, from whom he had received a thoufand marks of favour and on the a other other hand he feared to difoblige the pope, whofe fervant he more immediately was, and who befides had power to punish his disobedience. He, therefore, refolved to continue neuter in this controverfy; and though of all men the most haughty, he gave way, on this occafion, to Campegio, the pope's nuncio, in all things, pretending a deference to his skill in canon law. Wolfey's fcheme of temporifing was highly difpleafing to the king, but for a while he endeavoured to stifle his refentment, until he could act with more fatal certainty. He for fome time looked out for a man of equal abilities and lefs art; and it was not long before accident threw in his way one Thomas Cranmer, of greater talents, and probably of more integrity. Thus finding himself provided with a perfon who could fupply Wolfey's place, he appeared lefs referved in his refentments against that prelate. The attorney-general was ordered to prepare a bill of indictment against him and he was foon after commanded to refign the great feal. Crimes are cafily found out against a favourite in difgrace, and the courtiers did not fail to increase the catalogue of his errors. He was ordered to depart from York place palace; and all his furniture and plate were converted to the king's ufe. The inventory of his goods being taken, they were found to exceed even the most extravagant furmifes. Of fine Holland alone there were found a thoufand pieces; the walls of his palace were covered with cloth of gold and filver; he had a cup board of plate of maffy gold; all the reft of his riches and furniture were in proportion, and probably their greatnefs invited the hand of power. He was foon after arrefted by the earl of Northumberland, at the king's command, for high treafon, and preparations were made for conducting him from York, where he then refided, to London, in order to take his trial. He at first refused to comply with the requifition, as being a cardinal; but finding the earl bent on performing his commiffion, he complied, and fet out by eafy journies for London, to appear as a criminal, where he had acted as a king. In his way he stayed a fortnight at the earl of Shrewsbury's; where, one day at dinner, he was taken ill, not without |