1528. King, which he employed to relieve and ranfom the Pope then in Prison, to the impoverishing of his Majesty's Coffers. And, laftly, his fo intolerable Pride, as no less than 1200 for his Retinue, eighty Waggons for his Carriage, and fixty Mules for Sumpter Horfes, attended him into France, when he went thither Ambaffador; but, fie tranfit gloria mundi. He built Whitehall and Hampton-Court. A prodigal and merry conceited Nobleman, having lately fold a Manor of an hundred Tenements, came ruffling into the Court in a new Suit, faying, Am not I a mighty Man that bear an hundred Houfes on my Back? Which Cardinal Woolley hearing, faid, You might have better employed it in paying your Debts. Truth my Lord, faid the Nobleman, you fay well, for my Father owed my Mafter, your Father, Three Half-pence for a Calf's Head; bold, here is Twopence for it. But now whilft the Matter of the King's Marriage hung in Sufpence the Space of Two Years, it happened that Dr. Cranmer faid, That the King's Caufe would eafily be determined by the Law of God; which the King hearing of, put the Doctor upon the Work; who thereupon penned a Treatife, therein proving by Scripture, General Councils, ancients and modern Writers, that the Bishop of Rome had no Authority to difpenfe with the Word of God, fo as contrary thereunto to grant Liberty for a Man to marry his Brother's Wife. This he prefented to the King; which, when the King had well read, he demanded of the Doctor if he would abide to what he had writ? That I will, faid he, by God's Grace, even before the Pope himself, if your Majefty fhall fo appoint. Marry, quoth the King to him, you fhall go.

And accordingly the King fent Themas Bullen Earl of Wiltshire, Dr. Cranmer, and other Divines, to the Pope, who was then at Bononia, But when the Day of Audience was come, and Cranmer prepared to defend what he had writ; on the fudden all was interrupted by an unmannerly Spaniel of the Earl's ; which feeing the Servus Servorum put forth his Foot to be kiffed, got his great Toe in his Mouth, 'tis said. But be it fo, or not, yet this is fure, that there was no Conclufion of the Matter made by the Pope; therefore King Henry refolved to cut the Gordian-knot himself without more ado; and withal began to call in Queftion what Authority the Pope had in his Dominions; which being afterward debated in Parliament, an Act paffed against his ufurped Authority of Supremacy; and all Perfons were prohibited from appealing or making any Payment to Rome, and the King's Marriage with the Queen Catharine diffolved; and that from thenceforth the fhould be called only Princess Dowager. The Parliament made it appear, that in Forty Years laft paft the Court of Rome had received from this Kingdom 160,000 Pounds for Investitures of Bishops.

Whilft the Divorce was under Debate, one Elizabeth Barton (commonly called the Holy Maid of Kent) made a Votrefs in Canterbury, was taught by Booking, a Monk, to counterfeit many Trances; and in the fame to utter many pious Expreffions to the Rebuke of Sin; under which she was heard the more freely against the Doctrine of Luther, and the Scriptures Tranflation then defired by many. Alfo giving forth from God and his Saints, by fundry pretended Revelations, That if the King proceeded in his Divorce and fecond Marriage, he fhould not reign

in his Realm one Month after, nor reft in his Favour one Hour. But the Impostures being detected, fhe and Seven of her Complices were executed at Tyburn for Treason, and others of them fined and imprisoned.

A. D. 1533, and November the Fourteenth, was King Henry married with Anne Bullen, Marchionefs of Pembroke (folemnly fo created at Windfor the Year before) Daughter of Sir Thomas Bullen, Earl of Wilt fire; and June the First she was crowned at Westminster; and on September the Seventh following, the bare into the World that moit excellent Princess Elizabeth, A. D. 1534

And A. D. 1535, January 29, the was again delivered of a Child, but that was dead. Nor had the Queen herself long to live, for fhe was accused of Inceft and Adultery with her own Brother George Rochford, who was beheaded for this Fact on Tower-bill. And May the 19, 1536, this Queen was brought upon a Scaffold erected on the Green within the Tower; where, in the Prefence of many Noblemen, the Lord-Mayor, and others, fhe faid, 'Good Chriftian People, I am come hither to die; for according to the Law, and by the Law, 'I am judged to Death, and therefore will speak nothing againft it: I come hither to accufe no Man, ' nor to speak any Thing of that I 'am accused of, and condemned for. As for my own Offences, 'God knoweth them, and unto God I remit them, befeeching him to have Mercy upon my Soul; and if any Perfon will meddle in 'my Cafe, I defire them to judge 'the best. And fo I take my 'Leave of the World, and of you 'all, and do heartily befeech you to pray for me; and I befeech

Jefus fave my Sovereign and Mafter the King long to live and reign over you, the moft Godlieft, 'Nobleft, and Gentleft Prince that is. Thefe Words fhe utter'd with a fmiling Countenance; which done, fhe kneeled down, and with a fervent Spirit faid, To Jefus Chrift I commend my Soul; Lord Jefus receive my Soul. And repeating these Words very often, fuddenly with a Sword the Executioner fevered her Head from her Body, which were buried in the Choir of the Chapel in the Tower. 'Tis faid, that the Lord Rochford, the Queen's Brother, coming to her Bedfide to folicit a Suit, leaned thereupon to whisper her in the Ear; which the Spials gave forth, that he did fo to kifs the Queen. Moft probable it is, that the Crimes which this Queen was charged withal, were Matters contrived by Popish Inftruments, be caufe fhe gave great Encouragement unto many more publickly and with Boldness to profefs the Reformed Religion, and procured a Toleration for the Proteftant Divines. Moreover, that this Queen's Death was rather fought for than merited by her, feems also very probable, because that the next Day af ter her Death the King was married unto the Lady Jane Seymour, Daughter of John Seymour, Knight, who in October 1537, bare to the King a Son, who was named Edward, and fucceeded his Father; but with that Birth fuffered Death herself in the Travail.

About this Time began to flourish Thomas Cromwell, a Blacksmith's Son of Putney, whom King Henry firft raised to be a Master of the Jewel House, then Baron of Okeham, then Earl of Effex, then Lord Great Chamberlain, and lastly, ordained him Vicar-General over the Spirituality. (Cardinal Woolfey had been

1535. his great Friend; but he, 'tis faid, was an Inftrument of the Cardinal's Fall.) This great Cromwell procured it to be enacted in Parliament, That the Lord's Prayer, Creed, and Ten Commandments fhould be read in the English Tongue. Other Matters alfo, tending to reform the English Church from the Roman Corruptions, were attempted by Cromwell, which did not at all please the Monks and their Party. The Lincolnshire Men began a Commotion under the Leading of one Mackarel a Monk, who named himself Captain Cobler. A Copy of their Grievances they fent to the King; fome of which were, the Suppreffion of many Religious Houfes, whereby the Service of God, they faid, was minifh'd: The King's taking into his Council Men of low Birth, who fought their own Lucre: That there were divers Bifhops lately preferred, that had fubverted the Faith of Chrift: That by Reason of their Lofs of Sheep and Cattle, they were not able to pay the Quindecim, or Tax, granted to the King, &c. But thefe Rioters the King foon pacified with good Words.

In whofe Steads others arofe up immediately, for Forty Thoufand Rufticks affembled in Yorkshire, furnished with Horfe, Armour, and Artillery. Their Pretence was Religion, and Defence of Holy Church. Their Banners were painted with the five Wounds of Chrift, the Chalice, Cake, and other Romish Inventions. This their Rebellion they termed the Holy Pilgrimage. Their General of Foot was one James Diamond, a poor Fisherman, ftiled the Earl of Poverty; their chief Leader was Mr. Robert Aske, a Man it seems of Terror: For when Lancaster, Herald at Arms, was fent to him to declare the King's Meffage, this Aske did fo terribly blufter forth his An

fwers, that the Herald fell before him on his Knees, excufing himself to be but a Meffenger. Many Perfons of great Note were Parties in this Infurrection. And to draw the more into his Side with them, Aske and his Complices fet forth in writing thefe fcandalous Untruths against the King:

Firft, That no Infant fhould be permitted to receive the Bleffed Sacrament of Baptifm, bot onles an trybet to be paid to the King.

Secondly, That no Man under Twenty Pound Lands fhall eyte no Brede made of Wheat, ner Capon, Chekyn, Gois, ner Pig, bot onles to pay a Trybet to the King.

Thirdly, That for every Plough Land the King will have en Trybet, with other extreme urgent Causes, and heartily, Fare ye well.

Their Oath wherein they bound themselves in this League, was the Prefervation of the King's Perfon and Iffue; the purifying of Nobility, and expulfing of Villain Blood, and evil Counsellors; nor for any to enter into their Pilgrimage, or any private Commodity, but for the Common Weal, the Reftitution of the Church, and Suppreffion of Herely and Hereticks. But a great Force being drawn against them, they di peried themselves, upon Promite of Pardon and Redrefs in their jut Complaints; yet notwithstanding this the King's Clemency, fome of the Chief of thefe Actors engaged themselves again in a new Infurrection in fhort Time after this; for which Offence they fuffer'd Death. Of Ecclefiaftical Perfons were put to Death, four Abbots, two Priors, three Monks, seven Priests; also Captain Mackarel; and of Temporal Perfons were executed, Robert Aske, the Lord Dacres, Sir Robert Conftable, Sir Francis Bigod, Palmer, Pierce, Hamilton, Tempeft, and Lumley.

There

Thefe Stirs being ftinted, a Commiffion came forth to purge the Churches of Idols, and to fupprefs the Monafteries to the King's Ufe, granted him by Parliament. When down went the Rood of Boxely in Kent, commonly called the Rood of Grace, which was made with divers Vices to bow down and lift up itfelf, to fhake and ftir both Head, Hands, and Feet, to roll the Eyes, move the Lips, and to bend the Brows, thereby to cheat filly Souls. So likewife the Images of our Lady of Walfingham and Ipfwich, fet with Jewels and Gems; alfo divers others, both of England and Wales, were brought to London, and many of them burnt before the Lord Cromwell, at Chelsea, A. D. 1538. Then down went the Monafteries to the Number of about 645, befides 90 Colleges, and of Chantries and free Chapels 2374. Almost all these were borne down in these boisterous Times to the World's Amazement. Amongst the Shrines, that of Thomas à Becket was defaced, whofe meanest Part was pure Gold, garnifh'd with many precious Stones; the chiefeft of which was a rich Gem of France, offered by King Lewis, who asked and obtained of this prime Saint (believe it who lift) that no Paffenger betwixt Dover and Whitefand fhould perish by Shipwreck. But instead of thefe Impertinencies, the Holy Bible was commanded to be read in English in the Churches, and Regifter-Books of Weddings, Chriftnings, and Burials, to be kept in every of them. If we will credit Tradition, fhameful Villanies were too frequently perpetrated by the Monafticks, as Whoredoms, Incefts, Sodomy, and Murthers. Many Infants Bones, the Products of their Wantonnefs, were found in many of their Reli. gious Houses. The Monafteries

thus diffolved, and the Revenues thereof converted to fecular Ufes, King Henry thereby run in great Obloquy with many Foreign Princes and Potentates, but especially of the Pope. Yea, and home-born Subjects difliking hereof, by fecret working fought to deprive King Henry, and to elevate Reginald Pole to the Regal Dignity, for the which Treafon Henry Courtney Marquess of Excefter, the Lord Mantacute, Cardinal Pole's Brother, and Sir Edward Neville, were beheaded on Tower-Hill.

A. D. 1540. and January the 6th, was King Henry married unto the Lady Anne, Sifter to the Duke of Cleve; but he refrained her Bed, for the Diflike he had to her Perfon; and fhe, good Lady, no other Cause alledged, was divorced by Parliament the June following; when it was alfo enacted, that the fhould no longer be called Queen.

In this Parliament was Cromwell attainted for fetting at Liberty certain Perfons committed for Mifprifion of Treafon and Herefy; for fa vouring and maintaining the Tranflation of heretical Books (fo called) into English; for countenancing and fupporting heretical Teachers; for being an Heretick himself; and for having fpoken great Words for the upholding his faid Religion; to wit, That the King himself fhould not change it, if he would. The Cause why the King fell into Diflike of him, and coníequently of his Ruin, was, because he flood in the Defence of the Lady Anne of Cleve, and fpake not all well of the Lady Catharine Howard, whom the King was minded and did take to Wife. Which Diitafte of the King's against him, his Enemy Stephen Gardiner, Bifhop of Winchester, did improve to Cromwell's Destruction, who was beheaded on Tower Hill, and with him

the

1535. the Lord Hungerford of Heitsbury, for Buggery.

Margaret Countess of Salisbury, Daughter of George Duke of Clarence, and Mother of Cardinal Reginald Poole, being neither arraigned nor tried, but condemned by Parliament as Cromwell had been, was beheaded. And the Lord Leonard Grey, about the fame time, loft his Head for Treafon. And the next Day after his Death, Tho. Fines Lord Dacres of the South, died at Tyburn for killing a Man in a Fray. Nor was the Sword fheathed until the Heads of Queen Catharine Howard, and the Lady Jane Rochford were ftruck off; the former for Adultery, the other for Concealment, as was alledged. The Parties offending with Catharine Howard, were Francis Dereham and Thomas Culpepper ; Dereham before she was Queen, and Culpepper after, who both were executed at Tyburn, December the 10th, and on February the 12th following, Mrs. Catharine Howard, (for so in the Act of Attainder fhe is called) who had been Queen for the Space of a Year and half, with the Lady Jane, Widow of the Lord Rochford, were brought unto the Torver Hill, where in lamentable Paffions they fuffered Death. This Queen protefted, after her Condemnation, to Dr. White, her laft Confeffor, that the was guiltless, having never fo abufed her Sovereign's Bed.

But as thefe in Cafe of Treafon, fo others in Matters of Confcience, were put to Death by Force of the Statutes made under this King: Whereof one was the renouncing the Pope's Supremacy, and owning the King for fupreme Head of the Church in his own Dominions; this concerned the Papifts. The other was the Six Articles; this concerned the Proteftants. Which fix bloody Articles were:

Firft, That after the Words of Confecration there is no other Subftance confifting in the Bread and Wine, befides the Subftance of Chrift, God and Man.

Secondly, That the Communion in both kinds were not neceffary to Salvation, the Flesh only in Form of Bread being fufficient to the Laity.

Thirdly, That Priests might not marry by the Law of God.

Fourthly, That the Vows of Chaftity ought, by God's Law, to be observed.

Fifthly, That private Maffes were neceffary for the People, and agreeable to the Law of God.

Sixthly, That Auricular Confeffion was expedient to be retained in the Church of God.

For offending against the former Law of abjuring the Pope's Supremacy, &c. was John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester, put to Death, and Sir Thomas More, Lord Chancellor; fo merry conceited a Perfon, that he could not forbear his Jefts, though bloody Death ftar'd him in the Face. For when on the Scaffold the Executioner defir'd his Forgiveness, he replied, I forgive thee, but I promife thee thou wilt get no Honour by cutting off my Head, my Neck is ja hort. And when he was to lay his Neck on the Block, he ftroaked out his white Beard, and faid unto the Headfman, I pray let me lay it over the Block, left you should cut it off; for though you have a Warrant to cut off my Head, you have none to cut off my Beard. Befides these two, there were put to Death, for the fame Caufe, many Abbots, Priors, and Friers.

For oppugning the Six Articles, and afferting Gofpel Truths, did many Chriftians of the Reformed Religion fuffer Death in the Flames. Amongst the rest Dr. Robert Barnes

was