Scotch affairs-Pro Wolfey's adminiftration. ingbam. T HE numerous enemies whom Wolfey's fud- CHAP. den elevation, his afpiring character, and his XXVIII. haughty deportment had raised him, ferved only to rivet him fafter in Henry's confidence; who Wolfey's valued himself on fupporting the choice which he had adminiVOL. IV. B made, 1515. stration CHAP. made, and who was incapable of yielding either to the XXVIII. murmurs of the people, or to the difcontents of the 1515. great. That artful prelate likewife, well acquainted with the king's imperious temper, concealed from him the abfolute afcendant which he had acquired; and while he fecretly directed all public councils, he ever pretended a blind fubmiffion to the will and authority of his master. By entering into the king's pleasures, he preferved his affection; by conducting his business, he gratified his indolence; and by his unlimited complaifance in both capacities, he prevented all that jealoufy to which his exorbitant acquifitions, and his fplendid oftentatious train of life, fhould naturally have given birth. The archbishopric of York falling vacant by the death of Bambridge, Wolfey was promoted to that fee, and refigned the bishopric of Lincoln. Besides enjoying the adminiftration of Tournay, he got poffeffion, on eafy leafes, of the revenues of Bath, Worcester, and Hereford, bifhoprics filled by Italians, who were allowed to refide abroad, and who were glad to compound for this indulgence, by yielding a confiderable share of their income. He held in commendam the abbey of St. Albans, and many other church preferments. He was even allowed to unite with the fee of York, first that of Durham, next that of Winchester; and there seemed to be no end of his acquifitions. His farther advancement in ecclefiaftical dignity ferved him as a pretence for engroffing ftill more revenues: The pope, obferving his great influence over the king, was defirous of engaging him in his interefts, and created him a cardinal. No churchman, under colour of exacting refpect to religion, ever carried to a greater height the ftate and dignity of that character. His train confifted of eight hundred fervants, of whom many were knights and gentlemen: Some even of the nobility put their children into his fa mily XXVIII. mily as a place of education; and in order to gain CHAP. them favour with their patron, allowed them to bear offices as his fervants. Whoever was diftinguifhed 1515. by any art or science paid court to the cardinal; and none paid court in vain. Literature, which was then in its infancy, found in him a generous patron; and both by his public inftitutions and private bounty, he gave encouragement to every branch of erudition". Not content with this munificence, which gained him the approbation of the wife, he ftrove to dazzle the eyes of the populace, by the fplendour of his equipage and furniture, the coftly embroidery of his liveries, the luftre of his apparel. He was the firft clergyman in England that wore filk and gold, not only on his habit, but also on his faddles and the trappings of his horfes. He caufed his cardinal's hat to be borne aloft by a perfon of rank; and when he came to the king's chapel, would permit it to be laid on no place but the altar. A prieft, the tallest and most comely he could find, carried before him a pillar of filver, on whofe top was placed a crofs: But not fatisfied with this parade, to which he thought himself entitled as cardinal, he provided another priest of equal ftature and beauty, who marched along, bearing the crofs of York, even in the diocefe of Canterbury; contrary to the ancient rule and the agreement between the prelates of thefe rival fees. The people made merry with the cardinal's oftentation; and faid they were now fenfible, that one crucifix alone was not fufficient for the expiation of his fins and offences. WARHAM, chancellor and archbishop of Canterbury, a man of a moderate temper, averfe to all difputes, chofe rather to retire from public employ Stowe, p. 501. Hollingshed, p. 847. * Erafm. Epift. lib. 2. epist. i. lib. 16. epist 3. B 2 ment, XXVIII. 3515. CHAP. ment, than maintain an unequal conteft with the haughty cardinal. He refigned his office of chancellor; and the great feal was immediately delivered to Wolfey. If this new accumulation of dignity increased his enemies, it alfo ferved to exalt his perfonal character, and prove the extent of his capacity. A ftrict administration of justice took place during his enjoyment of this high office; and no chancellor ever difcovered greater impartiality in his decifions, deeper penetration of judgment, or more enlarged knowledge of law and equity. THE duke of Norfolk, finding the king's money almost entirely exhaufted by projects and pleafures, while his inclination for expence ftill continued, was glad to refign his office of treafurer, and retire from court. His rival, Fox bishop of Winchester, reaped no advantage from his abfence; but partly overcome by years and infirmities, partly difgufted at the afcendant acquired by Wolfey, withdrew himself wholly to the care of his diocefe. The duke of Suffolk had alfo taken offence that the king, by the cardinal's perfuafion, had refufed to pay a debt which he had contracted during his refidence in France; and he thenceforth affected to live in privacy. These incidents left Wolfey to enjoy, without a rival, the whole power and favour of the king; and they put into his hands every kind of authority. In vain did Fox, before his retirement, warn the king "not to fuffer the fervant to "be greater than his mafter:" Henry replied, "that he well knew how to retain all his fubjects in "obedience;" but he continued ftill an unlimited deference in every thing to the directions and counfels of the cardinal. THE public tranquillity was fo well established in England, the obedience of the people fo entire, the Sir Thomas More. Stowe, p. 504. general XXVIII. 1515 general administration of juftice by the cardinal's CHAP. means fo exact, that no domeftic occurrence happened confiderable enough to disturb the repofe of the king and his minifter: They might even have difpenfed with giving any strict attention to foreign affairs, were it poffible for men to enjoy any fituation in abfolute tranquillity, or abftain from projects and enterprifes, however fruitless and unneceffary. THE will of the late king of Scotland, who left Scotch afhis widow regent of the kingdom, and the vote of fairs. the convention of ftates, which confirmed that deftination, had exprefsly limited her authority to the condition of her remaining unmarried: But notwithstanding this limitation, a few months after her hufband's death, fhe efpoufed the earl of Angus, of the name of Douglas, a young nobleman of great family and promifing hopes. Some of the nobility now propofed the electing of Angus to the regency, and recommended this choice as the most likely means of preferving peace with England: But the jealoufy of the great families, and the fear of ex-. alting the Douglaffes, begat oppofition to this meafure. Lord Hume, in particular, the most powerful chieftain in the kingdom, infifted on recalling the duke of Albany, fon to a brother of James III. who had been banished into France, and who, having there married, had left pofterity that were the next heirs to the crown, and the nearest relations to their young fovereign. Albany, though first prince of the blood, had never been in Scotland, was totally unacquainted with the manners of the people, ignorant of their fituation, unpractifed in their language; yet fuch was the favour attending the French alliance, and fo great the authority of Hume, that this prince was invited to accept e Erasm. lib. 2. epist. 1. |