require. The farmers also, and the husbandmen, in the neighbourhood, built their houses there, to be protected against the numerous gangs of robbers, called Robertsmen, that hid themselves in the woods by day, and infested 'the open country by night. 13. Henry endeavoured to bring the towns from such a neighbourhood, by inviting the inhabitants to a more commercial situation. He attempted to teach them frugality, and a just payment of debts, by his own example; and never once omitted the rights of the merchant, in all his treaties with foreign princes. 14. Henry having seen England, in a great measure, civilized by his endeavours, his people pay their taxes without constraint, the nobles confessing subordination, the laws alone inflicting punishment, the towns beginning to live independent of the powerful, commerce every day increasing, the spirit of faction extinguished, and foreigners either fearing England or seeking its alliance, he began to see the approaches of his end, and died of the gout in his stomach, (A. D. 1509), having lived fifty-two years, and reigned twenty-three. The reign of Henry VII. produced so many beneficial changes in the condition of England, and the manners of its people, that many historians have attributed to the monarch a larger share of wisdom and virtue than is justly his due He was a faithless friend, a bitter enemy, a cruel husband to an amiable consort, an undutiful son to his venerable mother, a careless father, and an ungenerous master. He maintained peace because his avarice disinclined him to the expenses of war; he increased the power of the people through jealousy of the nobles, and he checked the papal encroachments, because they interfered with his taxes. ordinate love of money and unrelenting hatred of the house of York* were his ruling passions, and the chief sources of all his vices and all his troubles. In *The pretensions of Perkin Warbeck, the last who claimed the crown m right of the house of York, will naturally occur to the reader's mind, and some anxiety will be felt to learn whether he was really an unfortunate prince or a crafty impostor. The latter opinion seems to have prevailed principally on the authority of Shakspeare and lord Bacon, certainly the two greatest names in our literature, but as certainly witnesses wholly unworthy of credit in the present instance. They wrote to please queen Elizabeth, who was naturally anxious to raise the character of her grandfather Henry VII. and depreciate that of his rival Richard III. 'The first point to be ascertained is the fact of the murder of the two young princes, and this, which would at once have decided the pretensions of Warbeck, was so far from being proved, that the inquisition taken and published by Henry's command is so full of contradictions and palpable Questions for Examination. 1. Where next did the young adventurer try his fortune? and what was his success? 3. After his disappointment in Scotland, what was Perkin's future scheme of opposition? 4. What title did Perkin assume? 5. What was his conduct afterwards? 6. In what manner did Henry treat him? 7. Of what nature was his confession? and what his fate? 8. From what cause proceeded Henry's severity? What was his usual preface to his treaties? 9. What were the two points which Henry had always in view? and what plan did he pursue to attain them? 10. How did he abridge the power of the pope? 11, 12. Before this era, what was the state of the towns in England? 13, 14. By what means did Henry civilize his country? When did the king die? and what was his character? absurdities, that Henry himself never made use of it in any of his later declarations. Besides, the persons who were said to have confessed the murder were never brought to trial for the crime. The next evidence brought forward on the side of Henry is the confessio extorted from Warbeck after he was made prisoner. Like the former, it bears internal evidence of its own falsehood, though the unfortunate young man is said to have repeated it at the time of his death. On the other side, we have the evidence of the dutchess of Burgundy, who could have had no possible motive for joining in such a foul conspiracy against the husband of her own niece; and to say nothing of a host of friends of the house of York, we have the negative evidence of the dowager-queen, whom Henry kept in close confinement from the moment of Warbeck's ap pearance. To have brought him into her presence would at once have set the question at rest, for surely the mother would have known whether it was her son or not that stood before her. But Henry took especial care to prevent such an interview, and the inference is, that he had just reason to read that its consequences would be a confirmation of Warbeck's pretet. ions.-T. * Till this period, Spain had been divided into three different governments, VIZ. Leon, Castile and Arragon, under distinct sovereigns; but by the mar riage of Ferdinand and Isabella, heiress of Castile and Arragon, the whol vas united in one kingdom EMINENT PERSONS. John Morton, Henry Chicheley, Thomas Langton, archbishops of Canter sury. Margaret, countess of Richmond, mother of the king. Cardina. Morton, lord chancellor. Fox, bishop of Winchester. Sebastian Cabot, a great navigator. Empson and Dudley, extortionate ministers of the king. CHAPTER XXIII. HENRY VIII. Born 1491. Ded January 28, 1547. Began to reign April 22, 1509. SECTION I. Now Henry reigns, to learning much inclin'd, But of strong passions, and a savage mind. Egerton. 1. (A.D. 1509.) No prince ever came to the throne with a conjuncture of circumstances more in his favour than Henry the Eighth, who now, in the eighteenth year of his age, undertook the government of the kingdom. As he was at the head of a formidable army, fifty thousand strong, and as a war with France was the most pleasing to the people, he determined to head his forces for the conquest of that kingdom. 2. But France was not threatened by him alone; the Swiss, in another quarter, with twenty-five thousand men, were preparing to invade it; while Ferdinand of Arragon, whom no treaties could bind, was only waiting for a convenient opportunity of attack on his side to advantage. Never was the French monarchy in so distressed a situation; but the errors of its assailants procured its safety. 3. After an ostentatious but ineffectual campaign, a truce was concluded between the two kingdoms; and Henry continued to dissipate, in more peaceful follies, those immense sums which had been amassed by his predecessor for very different purposes. 4. In this manner, while his pleasures on the one hand engrossed Henry's time, the preparations for repeated expeditions exhausted his treasures on the other. As it was natural to suppose the old ministers, who were appointed to direct him by his father, would not willingly concur in these idle projects, Henry had, for some time, discontinued asking their advice, and chiefly confided in the counsels of Thoinas, afterwards cardinal Wolsey, who seemed to second him in his favourite pursuits. 5. Wolsey was a minister who complied with all his master's inclinations, and flattered him in every scheme to which his sanguine and impetuous temper was inclined. He was the son of a private gentleman, at Ipswich. He was sent to Oxford so early, that he was a bachelor at fourteen, and at that time was called the boy bachelor. He rose by degrees, upon quitting college, from one preferment to another, till he was made rector of Lymington by the marquis of Dorset, whose children he had instructed. 6. He was soon recommended as chaplain to Henry the Seventh; and being employed by that monarch in a secret negotiation respecting his intended mar riage with Margaret of Savoy, he acquitted himself to the king's satisfaction, and obtained the praise both of diligence and dexterity. 7. That prince having given him a commis sion to Maximilian, who at that time resided at Brussels, was surprised in less than three days to see Wolsey present himself before him; and, supposing he had been delinquent, began to reprove his delay. Wolsey, however, surprised him with an assurance that he had just returned from Brussels, and had successfully fulfilled all his majesty's com mands. 8. His despatch on that occasion procured him the deanery of Lincoln; and in this situation it was that he was introduced by Fox, bishop of Winchester, to the young king's notice, in hopes that he would have talents to supplant the earl of Surry, who was the favourite at that time; and in this Fox was not out in his conjectures. Presently after being introduced at court, he was made a privy counsellor; and as such had frequent opportunities of ingratiating himself with the young king, as he appeared at once complying, submissive, and enterprising. 9. Wolsey used every art to suit himself to the royal temper; he sung, laughed, and danced with every libertine of the court; neither his own years, which were nearly forty, nor his character as a clergyman, were any restraint upon him, or tended to check, by ill-timed severities, the gayety of his companions. To such a weak and vicious monarch as Henry, qualities of this nature were highly pleasing; and Wolsey was soon acknowledged as the chief favourite, and to him was intrusted the chief administration of affairs 10. The people began to see with indignation the new fa vourite's mean condescensions to the king, and his arro gance to themselves. They had long regarded the vicious baugntiness and the unbecoming splendour of the clergy with envy and detestation; and Wolsey's greatness served to bring a new odium upon that body, already too much the object of the people's dislike. His character, being now placed in a more conspicuous point of light, daily began to manifest itself the more. 11. Insatiable in his acquisitions, but still more magnificent in his expense; of extensive capacity, but still more unbounded in enterprise; ambicious of power, but still more desirous of glory; insinuating, engaging, persuasive, and at other times lofty, elevated, and commanding; haughty to his equals, but affable to his dependants; oppressive to the people, but liberai to his friends; more generous than grateful; formed to take the ascendant in every intercourse, but vain enough not to cover his real superiority. 12. In order to divert the envy of the public from his inordinate exaltation, he soon entered into a correspondence with Francis the First, of France, who had taken many methods to work upon his vanity, and at last succeeded. In consequence of that monarch's wishes, Henry was persuaded by the cardinal to an interview with that prince. This expensive congress was held between Guisnes and Andres, near Calais, within the English pale, in compliment to Henry for crossing the sea. Questions for Examination. 1. What combination of circumstances favoured Henry the Eighth on com ing to the throne? 3. What was the conduct of Henry after the truce with France? 4. In what counsels did Henry chiefly confide? 5 Whose son was cardinal Wolsey? 6 What disgraceful circumstance happened to Wolsey? 7,8. What circumstances led to Wolsey's advancement? 9 What were the arts used by Wolsey to please the king? 10. What were the consequences? 11 In what manner did Wolsey's character now manifest itself? 12 With whom did he enter into a correspondence? I (A.D. 1520.) SOME months before, a defiance had been sent by the two kings to each other's court, and through all the chief cities of Europe, importing that Henry and |