A.D.

1509.

Page

104

106

Hoard amassed by Henry; Extortions of Empson and
Dudley

(22d of April) Death of Henry; his Character: "no
Personage in History, of so much Understanding and
Courage, is so near being despised "

CHAP. IV.

HENRY VIII.

TO THE REFORMATION.

1509-1547.

1509.

The first King of undisputed Title for more than a Cen-
tury
107
Aged Eighteen; warm Hopes of the Nation regarding him 108
The new Council composed under the Advice of his
Mother; his Marriage with Catharine of Aragon
(July and October) Conviction and Execution of Dudley
and Empson

110

1511. 1512.

1513.

Policy of Louis XII. of France; League of Cambray against Venice; general Review of European Affairs 112, 115 Expedition against France; Debate in the English Council 115 Ferdinand delays to join Henry's forces, who mutiny and compel their Leaders to return to England

(4th of August) Battle of the Spurs; Defeat of the French;
Irruption of the Scots; (7th of September) Battle of
Flodden Field; Death of James

Peace between Henry and Louis; Marriage of Louis
with Mary Tudor

Administration of Wolsey; Sketch of his History
Rise of the lower Labourers of London against foreign
Competitors

117

Meeting between Henry and Francis I., at the Field of the Cloth of Gold

122

1521.

123

124

1523.

1525.

Trial and Execution of Stafford Duke of Buckingham
Progress of Wolsey's Administration; no Parliament
from 1516 to 1523

A Parliament; Debate on the Subsidy; Scene between
Wolsey and Sir Thomas More the Speaker
Wolsey unsuccessfully aspires to the Papacy
Wars in Italy between Charles and Francis;
taken Prisoner

(August) Alliance between England and France 1526, 1527. Francis released; (6th of May) Sack of Rome

.125 - 126, 127 Francis

- 127

- 128 129, 130

CHAP. V.

HENRY VIII. continued.

RISE AND PROGRESS OF THE REFORMATION.

1572.

A.D.

1483.

1520

1525.

Page

132

Importance of the Reformation in a Civil Point of View - 131
Every Impediment to Liberty of Enquiry robs a Man of
some Share of his rational and moral Nature
The Reformation of 1517 was the first successful Example
of Resistance to human Authority
But the Reformers assumed the same Authority, though
they rendered the Claim self-contradictory, by renounc
ing the Pretension to Infallibility

Extirpation, the only Persecution which could be finally
successful is happily impossible

132

133

Causes which prepared the Soil for the Reformation
Luther born at Eisleben Mansfeldt, thirty Years after the
Invention of Printing and twelve Years before the Dis-
coveries of America and a maritime Road to India
His early Life
Indulgences; Luther roused to Opposition by their abuse
in Germany
They found Luther engaged in the Contemplation of the
Principle which places the Source of all true Righteous-
ness in the Heart: a Principle which is "the Basis of
all pure Ethics, the Cement of the eternal Alliance be-
tween Morality and Religion, and the Badge of the In-
dependence of both on the low Motives and dim Insight
of human Laws"

(15th of June) Bull condemning Luther's Writings as
Heretical

Zwinglius; Calvin ; Melancthon

Transubstantiation

Erasmus; the moderate Part that he acted

188

139

Revolt of the Boors of Swabia; Luther's Solicitude to
rescue the Reformation from the Reproach of these Dis-
orders

But such Disorders are incident even to the greatest and
most beneficial Movements of the human Mind

147

CHAP. VI.

HENRY VIII. - - continued.

1527-1535.

TO THE EXECUTION OF SIR THOMAS MORE.

Henry's Attachment to Anne Boleyn

He seeks a Divorce from Catharine, on the Ground of

Affinity

150

- 151

A.D. 1528.

Page

1529.

1530.

1533.

Clement VII. temporises from fear of the Emperor, but
grants a Commission to Legates to determine the
Question

153. 155. 162

153, 154

155, 156

Wolsey reluctantly consents to further the Divorce; More
and Fisher refuse
Points of the Theological Controversy respecting
it
(June) A Reconciliation between the Pope and the Em-
peror, precludes all Hope of the former consenting to
degrade an Austrian Princess
Questions addressed by Henry to the Universities of Eu-
rope on the validity of the Marriage

157

- 159

Cranmer employed in a Mission for this Purpose
Proceedings on the Papal Commission by Cardinals
Wolsey and Campeggio

161

- 162

They fail in persuading Catherine to take the Veil
Campeggio temporises, and Henry is incensed at Wolsey's
yielding to Delay

(October) Wolsey deprived of the Great Seal;
ings against him

(July) Clement had removed the Suit to Rome; Suspicion
of Wolsey's secret Understanding with the Papal Court 165
Wolsey convicted of receiving Bulls from Rome; in Feb-
ruary 1530 pardoned and restored to the See of Win-
chester; (September) arrested for Treason; (30th of
November) His Death

166 (June) Henry procures a Letter to be sent from several of the English Nobility to the Pope, praying him to hasten the Determination of the Suit England at this Time prepared for Resistance to the Papacy, but not for Separation from the Romish Church 168 (23d of May) Cranmer as Primate and Legate pronounces the Marriage void

169, 170

The King had been married to Anne Boleyn before the
Sentence was pronounced; (1st of June) Her Coronation 170
In Petitions from the Clergy Henry is styled "Supreme
Head of the Church of England" whence it crept into
Acts of Parliament

New Administration of Dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk, Sir F. More and Thomas Cromwell The only Measure hitherto adopted against the Romish See was the Stoppage of Annates 1533, 1534. The Church of England withdrawn from Obedience to Rome by a Series of Statutes passed in these Years The King expressly declared Supreme Head of the Church of England

1534.

. 171

171

The Marriage with Anne recognised by Parliament
Singular Passiveness of the Clergy during the Revolu-
tion in Religion
Holy Maid of Kent

A. D.

1535.

Fisher, Bishop of Rochester, attainted for countenancing
her and executed

Page

- 177

Sir Thomas More marked out for Destruction; his Cha-
racter; his Writings

(7th of May) His Trial and Conviction

(7th of July) Beheaded, aged 55

178

- 180, 181

183, 185

Account of Margaret Roper, his favourite Daughter 183 General Indignation throughout Europe at these Atrocities

186

CHAP. VII.

HENRY VIII. — continued.

PROCEEDINGS AGAINST ANNE BOLEYN, AND HER EXECUTION.

1536.

1535-1536.

The Execution of More marks the Moment of the Trans-
ition of Henry's Government from Joviality and Pa-
rade to atrocious Tyranny

(29th of January) The Death of Catherine seems to leave
Anne in undisturbed Possession of the Throne
But the King at this Moment becomes alienated from her,
either from Jealousy or from a new Passion for Jane
Seymour

(24th of April) Commission of Enquiry issued against her
(her own Father being one of the Commissioners); She
is sent to the Tower

(6th of May) Four Commoners found Guilty at West-
minster of improper Intercourse with the Queen, and
executed

(15th of May) Trial and Condemnation of Anne and her
Brother Rochford

(17th of May) Nullity of her Marriage with Henry judi-
cially pronounced by Cranmer
(18th of May) Her Execution

Reflections

198

TO THE DEATH OF HENRY.

1536-1547.

In rejecting the Papal Jurisdiction Henry had become a
Schismatic; he had not by any Rejection of Catholic
Doctrine become a Heretic

His Assumption of Supremacy intentionally somewhat
ambiguous at first (Stat. 25. Hen. 8.)
Sanguinary Law against Heresy in Doctrine
The Act of 1536. Stat. 26. Hen. 8. is more openly Hostile
to the Roman See

Attack on the religious Houses; corrupt State of the
monastic Orders at this Time

210

- 211

- 213

- 214 214, 215

. 216

1536.

1537.

The Parliament dissolve and grant to the King all reli-
gious Houses of less than 2001. per Annum
Discontent of the People at the loss of the Alms distri-
buted by the Monks

(October) Insurrection in Lincolnshire

(9th of December) The Rebels submit on receiving a ge-
neral Pardon
Visitation of Monasteries; Shrines, Relics, &c., made
available for Purposes of Revenue
Many Monasteries yielded up voluntarily to the Crown;
the Abbots who adopt this Course are rewarded by Pen-
sions

216

- 218

What is the just Principle involved in the Confiscation of
the Ecclesiastical Property? the Question is, not what
the Legislature has Power to do, but what it can do
morally or righteously, what it would be enjoined to do
if a just Superior could be found
219, 220
The sacredness of the Life Estate is an essential Condi-
tion of the Justice of any Change: but beyond the
Point where Habits or Plans of Life have been formed
in Expectation of the Property, the Legislature may
apply to it to Purposes which it deems better than the
Original

1536, 1537. Sanguinary Persecution of those who went farther than the King in Alienation from Rome

221

223

(April) "Act for abolishing Diversity of Opinions " The Variations of Policy in this Reign have generally some Connection with domestic Revolutions in the Palace; Jane Seymour had favoured the Protestants (October) She dies in Child-bed of Edward VI. Marriage with Anne of Cleves; the King's Repugnance to her

223

224

225

225

1540.

1541.

(July) Henry seeks a Divorce on the Ground of Pre-contract; the Question is referred to the Convocation, who declare the Marriage null; Bill passed by Parliament to that Effect; Anne retires quietly on a Pension of 30002.

226

226

(8th of August) Henry married to Catherine Howard
(June) Attainder of Cromwell; and Execution 227, 228
Excesses of Cromwell's Administration; Fate of Courtney
Marquis of Exeter, Lord Montague, Sir Edward Ne-
ville, Margaret Pole, and others
229, 250
(14th of February) Catherine Howard executed on the
ground of dissolute Life before Marriage
230