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 Ro-bertfmen, 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 meafure civilized by his endeavours, his people pay their taxes without conftraint, the nobles confeffing fubor-: dination, the laws alone inflicting punishment, the towns beginning to live independent of the powerful,. commerce every day encreafing, the fpirit of faction extinguished, and foreigners either fearing England or feeking its alliance, he began to fee the ap

proaches of his end, and died of the gout in A. D. his ftomach, having lived fifty-two years, 1509.and reigned twenty-three. Since the times

of Alfred, England had not feen fuch another 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 effecteds in fo fhort a time..

CHAP.

No

CHA P. XXIII.

HE NR Y VIII.

O prince ever came to the throne with a con juncture of circumftances more in his favour than Henry VII. who now, in the eighA. D. teenth year of his age, undertook the 1509. vernment of the kingdom.

go

And as he was at the head of a formidable army, fifty thoufand ftrong, and as a war with France was the most pleafing to the people, he determined to head his forces for the conqueft of that kingdom. But France was not threatened by himn alone; the Swifs, on another quarter, with twentyfive thousand men, were preparing to invade it; while Ferdinand 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 diftreffed a fituation; but theerrors of its affailants procured its fafety.

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 appointed 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 counfels of Thomas, afterwards cardinal Wolfey, who feemed to second him in his favourite purfuits. Wolfey was a

minifter

minifter who complied with all his mafter's inclinations, and flattered him in every fcheme 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 rofe 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 juftices of the peace. put him in the ftocks for being drunk, and raifing disturbances at a neighbouring fair. This difgrace, 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 negotiation refpecting his intended marriage with Margaret of Savoy, he acquitted himfelf to that king's fatisfaction, and obtained the praife both of diligence and dexterity. That prince having given him a commiffion to Maximilian, who, at that time, refided at Bruffels, was furprised 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 affurances that he was juft returned from Bruffels, and had fuccefsfully fulfilled all his majesty's commands. His difpatch, on that occafion, procured him the deanery of Lincoln, and in this fituation it was that he was introduced by Fox, bishop of Winchester, to the young king's notice, in hopes that he would have talents to fupplant the earl of Surry, 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 counsellor; and as fuch, had frequent opportunities of ingratiating himself with the young king, as he appeared at once complying, fubmiffive,

and

and enterprifing. Wolfey used every art to fuit him— felf 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 reftraint 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 entrusted the chief adminiftration 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 fplendour 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 character 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 enterprize; ambitious of power, but ftilk more defirous of glory; infinuating, engaging, perfuafive, and at other times, lofty, elevated, and commanding: haughty to his equals, but affable to his dependants; oppreffive to the people, but liberal to his friends; more generous than grateful; formed to take the afcendant in every intercourse, 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 First, of France, whohad taken many methods to work upon his vanity, and at laft fucceeded. In confequence of that mo-narch's wishes, Henry was perfuaded by the cardinal to an interview with that prince. This expensive congrefs was held between Guifnes and Ardres, near Calais,

Calais, within the English pale, in compliment to Henry for croffing the fea.

Some months before a defiance had been

fent by the two kings to each other's A. D. court, and through all the chief cities of 1520. Europe, importing, that Henry and Francis, with fourteen aids, would be ready in the plains of Picardy to answer all comers that were gentlemen, at tilt and tourney. Accordingly, the monarchs now all gorgeoully 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 exercises. The ladies were the judges in these 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 thefe paftimes. He ran a tilt against Monfieur Grandeval, whom he difabled at the fecond encounter. He engaged Monfieur 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 treasures of the late king were quite exhausted on empty pageants, guilty pleafures, or vain treaties and expeditions. But the king relied on Wolfey alone for replenishing his coffers; and no perfon could be fitter for the purpose.. His first care was to get a large fum of money from the people, under the title of a benevolence, which added to its being extorted the mortification of being confidered as a free gift. Henry little minded the manner of its being raised, provided he had the enjoyment of it; however, his minifter met with fome oppofition in his attempts to levy thefe extorted con

tributions.