his losses, he endeavoured to win the popular favour by apparent humility, and strict attention to his episcopal duties. But symptoms of returning ambition soon appeared. He was detected in correspondence with foreign powers, when his arrest for high treason was ordered. Being removed from York, he complained of sudden illness, but was conducted to Leicester. On entering the abbey in that town, he said he was come to lay his bones there. Death rapidly approached. Wolsey's last hours have been minutely described; they present an instructive lesson. Gradually sinking under an attack of fever and dysentery, he left a memorable testimony to the vanity of worldly ambition, and of seeking human favour. He said to his attendants, "If I had served God as diligently as I have done the king, he would not have given me over in my grey hairs. But this is the just reward that I must receive for my diligent pains and study, that I have had to do him service; not regarding my service to God, but only to satisfy his pleasure." The dying cardinal also gave a graphic description of Henry's self will, that "rather than miss or want any part of his will, he will endanger one half of his kingdom," adding, that sometimes he had knelt before the king for three hours together, to dissuade him from his appetite, but could not prevail. Unhappy is the man, whether prince or peasant, who thus is a slave to his appetite; but the reader will see that this evil disposition was made instrumental for destroying the papal power.

Wolsey died November 29, 1530, seeking support in his last hours from the superstitious observances of the church of Rome. The king received the intelligence of his death in a manner that showed he had no real regard for one who had, as it were, sold himself to gratify his will; he only viewed him as an instrument of pleasure or policy. Such, however, is the way in which men of the world estimate and treat those who aid their earthly projects.

The rapid fall of the cardinal was probably hastened by the king's mind being considerably enlightened as to the errors of popery. The extent to which the kingdom was plundered by the begging friars had for some years excited considerable attention. It was ably exposed in a popular tract, called "The Supplication of the Beggars," which was widely circulated, being scattered about the streets. One of the royal attendants brought a copy to the king, who listened attentively to the contents. He intimated his design to follow up the subject, quaintly remarking, that if an old stone wall was to be taken down, whoever began at the foundation would bring the upper part upon his own head! Wolsey cautioned the king against these books, when Henry took a copy out of his bosom, and gave it to the cardinal to study. There was another and more valuable class of books, the tracts of the Reformers, which at the same time exposed the errors of popery, and plainly taught the way of salvation. Anne Boleyn brought some of these to the court, and gave them to her attendants; they also reached the king, and were read by him. The clergy were much alarmed: they urged the king to issue a proclamation against heretical works; but it was evident that his conscience was awakened, so that he would not allow the clergy to rule him as Wolsey had done.

The most interesting subject connected with English history at this period, is the rapid, though gradual progress of the doctrines of truth among the mass of the people. This is fully proved by the registers of the popish bishops, which record particulars respecting many individuals whom they persecuted. From these documents it appears, that the followers of Wickliffe were become very numerous, particularly in Herts, Buckinghamshire, Suffolk, and Essex. The progress of the Reformation in Germany and the Low Countries, also, had considerable effect upon London, where Lutheran books were brought

in by persons engaged in trade. Tindal and others took refuge abroad, but continued to correspond with their friends in England. Tindal had been instructed in the universities, before he took the office of tutor in a family in Gloucestershire. Becoming aware of the errors of popery, he frequently engaged in controversy with the popish priests. One of them told him, it was better to be without God's laws than the pope's ; to which blasphemy Tindal replied, that he would try that even the plough-boys should in a few years be better skilled in the Scriptures than the priesthood of that day. He then applied himself to translate the New Testament into English, and got an edition printed in Holland in 1526, whither he retired after a short stay in London. Tonstal, bishop of London, thought to stop the further progress of the work, by employing some merchants to purchase all the unsold copies, and caused the books to be publicly burned. But then was seen the power of the press. The money thus obtained supplied Tindal with the means of printing larger and more correct editions; the books were secretly sent over in considerable numbers, and found a ready sale among the people. The bishops were alarmed; they persecuted all whom they could detect to be engaged in this trade, laying ruinous fines upon some merchants of note; but they could not succeed in checking the progress of the truth.

Important changes speedily followed the removal of Wolsey from power. He had so long exercised absolute control as prime minister and ruling favourite, that his removal was felt to free both the court and the kingdom from a heavy bondage. The duke of Norfolk became chief in authority; his principal supporters were the duke of Suffolk, who had married the king's sister, and the earl of Wiltshire, the father of Anne Boleyn. Sir Thomas More was appointed chancellor. The new chancellor had been a decided opponent to Wolsey. His chief anxiety was to discharge the duties of his office faithfully, without promoting his private interests

at the public expense, living frugally and in the bosom of his family, enjoying the affections of his children. More was decidedly opposed to the reformation of religion, though he greatly encouraged learning. Although willing to repress the corruptions of popery, which he opposed by his writings before Luther appeared, More was a bigoted adherent to the doctrines and will-worship of popery, a bitter persecutor of the Lollards, and of all who followed the truth as it is in Jesus. Natural facetiousness led him sometimes to jest upon the sufferers in an unfeeling manner; but where the charge of heresy was not raised, England never had a better judge; he was in public and private life a direct contrast to the proud cardinal his predecessor. Gardiner had also a place in the ministry. His talents for crafty intrigue gave him more influence than has been generally supposed. He, with Anne Boleyn's father, were envoys to the pope and emperor for forwarding the divorce. But the pope was so thoroughly under the control of Charles, that he dared not consent, though he thereby lost his power over England. The papacy was now completely subservient to the imperial power, though it still preserved the name and semblance of independent authority.

When the pope refused his sanction to the divorce, Henry and his ministers were at a loss how to proceed. At this juncture, while the court was on a progress, Gardiner and secretary Fox lodged for the night at the house of a gentleman, named Cressy, at Waltham. After supper, the question of the validity of the king's marriage was talked of, when Dr. Cranmer, a clergyman absent from Cambridge on account of the plague, then residing in the family as a tutor, expressed surprise that there should be so much difficulty on the subject. Being asked what course he would recommend, since the pope was determined against the divorce, he proposed that the best divines of Europe should examine the subject, to decide it according to the word of God. This might be ascertained by con