not themselves, and divers more elderly people learned to read on purpose. And even little boys flocked among the rest to hear portions of the Holy Scripture read.' Cromwell, as the king's vicegerent in religious affairs, ordered the prelates and clergy to recommend the study of the Scriptures.

The elevation of Cromwell was not less extraordinary than that of his old master, Wolsey. He was recognised by parliament as next in rank after the royal family; but he felt the instability of his situation; he sought to strengthen and support it by measures which in effect caused his downfall. The king had been a widower two years, when, principally by Cromwell's means, he was induced to marry a Protestant princess, Anne, daughter to the duke of Cleves. Deceived by a report of her beauty, Henry consented to the union, and hastened to Rochester to meet her. The first sight convinced him that he had been grossly deceived; he was, as a bystander described him, "marvellously astonished and abashed," and gave utterance to his thoughts in plain language, or rather in gross terms, which were not applicable; for though a large and ungainly figure, Anne was a comely woman. But the matter had gone too far for him to recede; he unwillingly received her as his wife, but he reproached Cromwell with having formed the alliance, and after a few months required him to devise some plan for effecting a separation. Other matters hastened the downfall of the minister. The king's affections were entangled by the beautiful Catherine Howard, a niece of the bigoted duke of Norfolk, who attracted the notice of Henry by her small sprightly figure and pretty face. This decided the fate of the vicegerent, who still continued active in promoting the Refor

mation.

On June 10, 1540, Cromwell, just elevated to the peerage, first took his seat in the house of peers, as earl of Essex, and seemed in the full possession of his dignities; in the evening he was arrested by the duke

of Norfolk at the council-board, on a charge of treason! Amidst the busy and changing political affairs of that day, both at home and abroad, it was not difficult to put together some plausible, but weak allegations against him. He was not allowed a trial; a bill or act was passed by parliament, declaring his treasons, and ordering his death. All his summer friends forsook him; Cranmer alone ventured to stand as his defender, but in vain; after some little delay, the law was passed, and he was beheaded on Towerhill, on July 28. It should be observed, that Cromwell himself had just introduced the plan of sentencing to death without trial by a bill of attainder, having thus procured the conviction of the aged countess of Salisbury. His own condemnation by the same wresting of the law speedily followed, and his death preceded hers! Cromwell was a remarkable instrument in effecting the changes of those times; but, though a steady supporter of the Reformation, he acted on political rather than on religious grounds. Like many others, the gross absurdities of popery, which in early life he witnessed at Rome and elsewhere, induced him to throw off its bondage; but he did not submit himself to that Master whose "yoke is easy, and whose burden is light." He sought worldly honours, and obtained them: twelve years saw both the extent of his upward course, and his precipitous fall from the summit of earthly greatness. Romanists have represented Cromwell as returning to popery previously to his death, but his last prayer has been preserved; it fully refutes this assertion, showing that when his last hour drew nigh, he sought for mercy where alone it is to be found. Whether it was then too late, is not for us to attempt to judge; we know who has declared, Him that cometh unto

me I will in no wise cast out."

The annulment of the king's marriage with Anne of Cleves took place in the same month, on the plea of a previous engagement between her and one of the

princes of Lorraine. She readily consented to give up being the wife of one whose affections she had never possessed. A liberal pension was settled upon her; she resided in private at Richmond till her death in 1557, doubtless enjoying much more worldly happiness than if she had continued to be queen of England.

The king lost no time in marrying Catherine Howard, who was publicly acknowledged as queen on August 8. This was an unhappy union; its com mencement was marked by a scene of bloody persecution.

Barnes, Garret, and Hierome, three divines who were followers of the truth, were burned at Smithfield, on July 30. They were condemned for maintaining the great scriptural doctrine of justification by faith. The contest between papists and their opponents is not often brought to this issue. In general, the former proceed upon some of the less important, but more direct dogmas of their church. It was now evident that, as Latimer stated, if the great apostle of the Gentiles had preached the doctrines recorded in his Epistle to the Galatians at the Cross in London, called by his name, he would have been liable to condemnation as a heretic; for the accusations against Hierome were expressly founded on a sermon preached at Paul's Cross, from the allegory of Hagar and Sarah, contained in that Epistle, wherein was taught that justification was the gift of God, not obtained by baptism or penance.

With these Protestants three martyrs for the cause of the pope were brought to execution; they were placed in pairs, a Protestant and a Papist on the same hurdle; but the condemnation of Abel, Featherstone, and Powel, was for denying the king's supremacy. They suffered the death of traitors, indicating a different class of crime. No Romanists suffered in the reign of Henry for religious doctrines. They were condemned for acts which threatened the earthly power of the monarch; they were martyrs for the pope,

not for Christ. The Romanists at this time reigned without control; hundreds even of substantial citizens, in London alone, were imprisoned and charged with heresy. The number was too great to admit of full proceedings against them; but Bonner, the bishop of London, went as far as he dared to venture. Latimer resigned the bishopric of Worcester, and Shaxton that of Salisbury, in consequence of the passing of the law of the six articles. Cranmer sent his wife to her friends in Germany; while others of the Reformers retired to the continent, or, like Becon, went into parts of England where they were not known.

In 1541, the kingdom was disturbed by a rising in Yorkshire, which was soon put down. This was followed by a royal progress towards the north, where it had been arranged that James v., king of Scotland, should meet Henry. The latter was desirous to urge his brother-in-law to measures similar to his own respecting the papacy. Cardinal Beatoun, the prime minister of James, was aware of the danger, and persuaded his monarch not to meet the English king, which led to hostile proceedings in the following year. While Henry was absent on this tour, and speaking in the highest terms of his new queen, a private communication was made to Cranmer, charging the queen with guilty and licentious conduct before her marriage, naming various persons, particularly one who had been lately engaged by her as an attendant. Cranmer trembled, and would gladly have refused to take up the matter; but as there was no reason to doubt the truth of the information, concealment must involve him in ruin. He consulted the chancellor, and on Henry's return put into his hands a packet stating the particulars, leaving it to the king to proceed as he thought advisable. Henry would not believe the charges, but directed a private inquiry. The result clearly proved the misconduct of Catherine Howard before marriage, and gave strong evidence that it had been continued. The guilty parties confessed. Among

them was included lady Rochford, who had been instrumental in procuring the death of her husband and sister-in-law, Anne Boleyn. She was now convicted, on indisputable evidence, of having personally aided the queen to have secret interviews with her paramours. The parties being clearly proved guilty were executed; but the queen was spared for two months, till February 13, 1542. Henry did not easily overcome his regard for her; and his affections were not then placed upon any other individual, so as to make him eager for her removal.

The Romanists have been loud in condemning Anne Boleyn, whose guilt never was proved, and whose innocence is more than probable; they are as silent as possible upon the infamous conduct of Catherine Howard, which was clearly proved, and confessed by herself and lady Rochford, and other parties. The detection of Catherine's guilt was favourable to the Protestants; it weakened the influence of Norfolk and his partizans over the king, which otherwise, probably, would have proved fatal to Cranmer and his coadjutors in the Reformation, had this queen retained her influence over the royal mind. But we cannot excuse the conduct of Henry in thus putting Catherine Howard to death. "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her," were our Lord's words to the Pharisees in a somewhat similar case. Henry must have been, like them, self-convicted, if he had reflected upon his own proceedings, and it would be wrong here to conceal or palliate his sinful conduct.

In the year 1541, Henry assumed the title of king of Ireland. The English monarchs hitherto had only been styled "Lords of Ireland." At this time he conciliated several of the most powerful of the Irish native chieftains by creating them peers, and by other measures, which removed their apprehensions of being treated entirely as a conquered nation.

The following year was distinguished by a short war with Scotland. James v. was a vicious and cowardly