EDWARD Original Picture by Holben in Kensington Palace. Engraved by Cha Sherw London Sub" Son, 71 1788. by A. Cadell in the Swand CHA P. XXXIV. EDWARD VI. State of the regency-Innovations in the regency Alfaffination of cardinal Beaton-Conduct of the war with Scotland-Battle of Pinkey- -A parliament-Farther progrefs of the reformationAffairs of Scotland-Young queen of Scots fent into France-Cabals of lord Seymour- -Dudley earl of Warwick-A parliament--Attainder of lord Seymour-His executionEcclefiaftical affairs. TH I547. HE late king, by the regulations which he CHA P. impofed on the government of his infant fon, XXXIV. as well as by the limitations of the fucceffion, had projected to reign even after his decease; and he State of the imagined that his minifters, who had always been regency. fo obfequious to him during his lifetime, would never afterwards depart from the plan which he had traced out to them. He fixed the majority of the prince at the completion of his eighteenth year; and as Edward was then only a few months past nine, he appointed fixteen executors; to whom, during the minority, he entrusted the government of the kingdom. Their names were, Cranmer, archbishop of Canterbury; lord Wriothefely, chancel lor; CHAP. lor; lord St. John, great mafter; lord Ruffel, privy feal; XXXIV. the earl of Hertford, chamberlain; viscount Lifle, ad 1547. Innova tions in cy. miral; Tonftal, bishop of Durham; fir Anthony Brown, mafter of horfe; fir William Paget, fecretary of state; fir Edward North, chancellor of the court of augmentations; fir Edward Montague, chief justice of the common pleas; judge Bromley, fir Anthony Denny, and fir William Herbert, chief gentlemen of the privy chamber; fir Edward Wotton, treasurer of Calais; Dr. Wotton, dean of Canterbury. To thefe executors, with whom was entrufted the whole regal authority, were appointed twelve counsellors, who poffeffed no immediate power, and could only affift with their advice when any affair was laid before them, The council was compofed of the earls of Arundel and Effex; fir Thomas Cheyney, treasurer of the household; fir John Gage, comptroller; fir Anthony Wingfield, vice-chamberlain; fir William Petre, fecretary of state; fir Richard Rich, fir John Baker, fir Ralph Sadler, fir Thomas Seymour, fir Richard Southwel, and fir Edmund Peckham'. The ufual caprice of Henry appears fomewhat in this nomination; while he appointed feveral perfons of inferior station among his executors, and gave only the place of counsellor to a person of such high rank as the earl of Arundel, and to fir Thomas Seymour, the king's uncle. BUT the first act of the executors and counsellors was to depart from the destination of the late king the regen- in a material article. No fooner were they met, than it was fuggefted, that the government would lofe its dignity, for want of fome head, who might reprefent the royal majefty, who might receive addreffes from foreign ambaffadors, to whom dispatches from English minifters abroad might be carried, and whose name might be employed in all orders * Strype's Memor. vol. ii. p. 457. and CHA P. XXXIV. 1547. and proclamations: And as the king's will feemed to labour under a defect in this particular, it was deemed neceffary to fupply it, by chufing a protector; who, though he fhould poffefs all the exterior fymbols of royal dignity, fhould yet be bound, in every act of power, to follow the opinion of the executors. This propofal was very difagreeable to chancellor Wriothefely. That magiftrate, a man of an active spirit and high ambition, found himself, by his office, entitled to the first rank in the regency after the primate; and as he knew that this prelate had no talent or inclination for ftate affairs, he hoped that the direction of public bufinefs would of course devolve in a great measure upon himself. He oppofed therefore the propofal of chuing a protector; and reprefented that innovation as an infringement of the late king's will, which, being corroborated by act of parliament, ought in every thing to be a law to them, and could not be altered but by the fame authority which had established it. But he feems to have ftood alone in the oppofition. The executors and counfellors were moftly courtiers, who had been raised by Henry's favour, not men of high birth or great hereditary influence; and as they had been fufficiently accustomed to fubmiffion during the reign of the late monarch, and had no pretenfions to govern the nation by their own authority, they acquiefced the more willingly in a propofal which feemed calculated for preferving public peace and tranquillity. It being therefore agreed to Hertford name a protector, the choice fell of courfe on the protector. earl of Hertford, who, as he was the king's maternal uncle, was ftrongly interested in his fafety; and, poffeffing no claims to inherit the crown, could never have any feparate intereft, which might lead him to endanger Edward's perfon or his authority. The public was informed by proclamation of this Heylin, Hift. Ref. Edw. VI. change b Burnet, vol. ii. p. 5. |