Lord Herbert, "feemed not fo much to fuffer thereby as fome of the Clergy of those times "and of ours would have it believed; our king"dom having in the meanwhile, (as Lord Crom"well projected it,) instead of divers fupernumerary and idle perfons, men fit for employ

'

❝ment either in war or peace, maintained at the "coft of the aforefaid Abbeys and Chauntries : "fo that the diffolutions (appearing in their "ftately foundations at this day) are by our po

litics thought amply recompenfed. Befides, "the King, in demolishing them, had fo tender 46 a care of learning, that he not only preferred "divers able perfons which he found there, but "took special care to preferve the choiceft books "of their well-furnished Libraries; wherein I "find John Leland (a curious fearcher of antiquities) was employed."

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As Leo X. had given Henry the name of Defenfor Fidei, Clement the Seventh added to it the title of Liberator Urbis Romanæ.

The book which procured Henry the first appellation is fuppofed to have been written by Fisher Bishop of Rochester. The immense wealth which Henry had procured by the suppreffion of the monafteries seems to have been lavifhed with a prodigality as enormous as the rapacity with which it was acquired.

"Sir Thomas Eliot, Knight, in his Image of "Governance, tranflated," as he fays, "out of "Greke into Englyfhe, in the favour of the Nobi"litie," after having enumerated the Emperors, Kings, and Generals of old who were men of learning, fays, "And to return home to our ❝own countrey, and whereof we ourselves may "be wytneffes, howe much hath it profited unto "this Realme, that it now hath a King, our "Sovereyne Lord King Henry the Eighth, ex"actly well learned. Hath not he thereby onely

fyfted out deteftible herefies, late mingled "amonge the corne of his faithfull fubjectes, "and caufed much of the chaffe to be thrown "into the fyre? alfo hypocrify and vayn super"Itition to be cleane banished, whereof I doubte "not but that there fhall be or it be longe a

more ample remembrance to his most noble "and immortal renoume."

Sir Henry Spelman, in his “ History of Sa"crilege," fays, "Whole thousands of churches " and chapels dedicated to the fervice of God, 66 together with the Monafteries, and other "Houfes of Religion and intended piety, were

by Henry VIII. in a temper of indignation "against the Clergy of that time mingled with "insatiable avarice, facked, and razed, as by an

enemy. It is true the Parliament did give "them to him, but fo unwillingly, (as I have "heard,)

"heard,) that when the bill had stuck long in "the Lower Houfe, and could get no paffage, "he commanded the Commons to attend him "in the forenoon in his gallery, where he let "them wait till late in the afternoon; and then

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coming out of his chamber, walking a turn "or two amongst them, and looking angrily at "them, first on one fide, then on the other, at " last he said, I hear that my bill will not pass; "but I will have it pafs, or I will have fome of re your heads; and without other rhetorick or "perfuafion returned to his chamber. Enough "was faid, the bill paffed, and all was given him as he defired."

"It is to be observed," adds Spelman, “ that "the Parliament did give all these to the King, "yet did they not ordain them to be demolished,

or employed to any irreligious uses, leaving it "more to the confcience and piety of the King; "who, in a speech to the Parliament, promised "to perform the truft; wherein he faith, I can"not a little rejoyce, when I confider the per"fect truft and confidence which you have put "in me, in my good doings and just proceedings. For you, without my defire and re"queft, have committed to my order and dispo"fition, all Chauntries, Colleges, and Hofpitals, "and other places specified in a certain act, "firmly trufting that I will order them to the 'glory

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glory of God and the profit of the common"wealth. Surely, if I, contrary to your ex

pectation, fhould fuffer the Ministers of the "Churches to decay, or learning (which is fo

great a jewel) to be minished, or the poor and "miferable to be unrelieved, you might well fay, "that I, being put in such a special trust as I am "in this cafe, were no trufty friend to you, nor "charitable to my Emne-Chriften, neither a "lover of the public wealth; nor yet one that "feareth God, to whom account must be ren"dered of all our doings. Doubt not, I

pray

you, but your expectation fhall be proved more godly and goodly than you will wish or defire, as hereafter you fhall plainly perceive."

"But notwithstanding these fair pretences and "projects, little was performed, for defolation prefently followed this diffolution: the axe "and the mattock ruined almost all the chief " and moft magnificent ornaments of the king"dom; viz. three hundred and seventy-fix of "the leffer Monasteries, fix hundred and forty"five of the greater fort, ninety Colleges, one "hundred and ten Religious Houses, two thou"fand three hundred and feventy-four Chaunt"ries and Free Chapels. All these Religious "Houses, Churches, Colleges, and Hofpitals, "being about 3500 little and great in the whole,

"did amount to an inestimable fum, especially if "their rents be accounted as they are now im"proved in these days. Among this multitude "it is needless to speak of the great church of "St. Mary in Bulloign; which, upon the taking "of that town in 1544, Henry caused to be

pulled down, and a mount to be raised in the

place thereof, for planting of ordnances necef. 66 fary to annoy a fiege."

"The revenue that came to the King in ten years fpace," continues Sir Henry," was more, "if I mistake it not, than quadruple that of the

Crown-lands, befides a magazine of treasure "raised out of the money, plate, jewels, orna"ments, and implements of Churches, Mona❝fteries, and Houses, with their goods, state, "cattle, &c. together with a fubfidy, tenth, and "fifteenth, from the laity at the fame time: to "which I may add the incomparable wealth of "Cardinal Wolfey, a little before confiscated "alfo to the King, and a large fum raised by "Knighthood in the 25th year of this reign."

"A man may justly wonder how such an "ocean of wealth fhould come to be exhausted "in fo fhort a time of peace. But God's bleff"ing; as it feemeth, was not upon it,” adds the venerable Antiquarian; " for within four years

"after