royal sufferer were willing to shrink. proached his bed, and leaning over the king, explained to him that all help from human aid was now vain; that it was meet for him to think over his past life, and seek for God's mercy through Christ. Contrary to expectation, he thanked him for his fidelity, and expressing much contrition for his many and aggravated sins, declared his hope of pardon through Christ. It was then suggested, that he should confer with some divines, and Henry replied," With no other but Archbishop Cranmer, and not with him as yet. Let me repose a little, and as I find myself, I will determine." After an hour's sleep he awoke, and becoming faint, commanded that Cranmer, who was then at Croydon, should be sent for with all haste. By the time he arrived the sovereign was speechless, yet he knew him, and taking him by the hand, appeared to hear the words of the archbishop, who earnestly exhorted him to place all his hopes of salvation in God's mercy through his Saviour, and besought him, if not in words, at least by some sign, to testify his hope. The king upon this regarded him steadily for a moment, wrung his hand, and expired.*
It may be doubted whether, in the wide range of English history, there is to be found any monarch whose moral features, upon minute examination, become more harsh and repulsive than Henry the Eighth. Vain, capricious, profligate, and tyrannical, he seems, even in the generous season of youth, to have exhibited but few indications of a better mind; and these promises soon withered under the influence of that greatest curse of princes, the early possession of supreme power. It was this that acted Godwin, p. 207. Rapin, p. 102.
so fatally upon a heart, from the first intensely selfish, never disciplined by misfortune, and which, experiencing no check to unlimited enjoyment, became early the abject slave of its passions. It is this same omnipotence of his own will, fostered in an extraordinary degree by the subserviency of his parliaments, the servility of his nobles, and the timid acquiescence of his people, which produced, as he advanced in years, that portentous combination of sensuality and intolerance, from which the mind painfully and instinctively recoils.
Turning from the prince to the people, to the power of its great legislative assembly, the consideration possessed by the Upper House, or the protection enjoyed by the citizens, we find the retrospect equally mortifying. Reasoning from what they did to what they might have done, it may be questioned whether any outrage upon the law, or any infringement, however gross, upon the property and liberty of the subject, was not likely, under this reign, to have found a sanction in Parliament and on the bench. It is not indeed to be forgotten, that the law itself was, in many respects, in a degraded state-often unjust, loose, informal, and affording an easy handle to tyranny, without being perverted from its established course; yet, even with this allowance, the history of the period affords repeated examples to corroborate the remarks here made.
But perhaps the most striking feature in those times is the contrast presented between the great results which were brought to pass by Divine Providence, during the course of this reign, and the character of the instruments employed to work out these beneficent designs. If we look to the most eminent and powerful men of the age, we
[1547. find in most of them a lamentable contradiction between their profession and their practice; in their letters, the purest expositions of revealed truth; in their actions, a reckless disregard of it, little or no value set on human life, a familiarity with conspiracy; encouragements held out to assassination, and a full admission of that flagrantly-wicked principle, that the end justifies the means. Yet by these persons it was that the ancient strongholds of error and superstition were successfully assailed; by their efforts that the despotism of Papal infallibility was shook off; the Scriptures communicated to the people in their own language, and the light of Divine truth let in upon the cold and comfortless twilight which covered the human mind.
Religion had rather convinced the reason than converted the heart of the age; upon which some of the worst features of feudalism were yet discernible in fresh and prominent relief. It remained, alas! it still remains for us to see its blessed effects, in the dissemination of that universal charity which is the fulfilment of the law,-which, once established in its sweet and all-pervading influences, would convert this world from an arena, stained with the blood of contending sects, and ringing with the din of spiritual polemics, into that blessed retreat of peace and love, to which angels might delight to come on their errands of mercy, and where man might enjoy some little antepast of Heaven.
ADRIAN, tutor to Charles V. page
103. Elected Pope, by the title of
Adrian VI. 147. His death, 178.
Annats, or First Fruits, abolished by
Parliament, 318.
Anne, Princess, of Cleves, arrives in
England,417. Is married to Henry,
418; and afterwards divorced, 426.
Arran, Earl of, made Regent of
Scotland, 437.
Arthur, Prince, Henry's elder bro-
ther, is married to the Princess Ca-
therine of Spain, 10. His death, 14.
Aske, Robert, heads a rebellion in
Yorkshire, 389.
Askew, Mrs Anne, is tried, and con-
demned to be burnt, 453-455.
Barnes, Dr, his dispute with Bishop
Gardiner, 419. Is committed to
the Tower, 420.
Barton, Andrew, is killed in a naval
action with the English, 46.
Barton, Elizabeth, called the Holy
Maid of Kent, her imposture, 338.
Is tried and executed, 339.
Bayard, Chevalier, is made prisoner
by the Constable Bourbon, 61. His
interview with Henry and Maxi-
milian, ib. Falls in the battle
of Rebec, 176.
Beaton, Cardinal, 431, 436. He per-
secutes the Reformers, 438, 448.
Seizes and condemns Wishart,449.
Plot formed against him; his as-
sassination, ib.
Bible, every church to be provided
with a copy for the use of the peo-
ple, 411. Only to be read by gen-
tlemen and gentlewomen, 439.
Bilney, Thomas, is burnt at Smith-
field for heresy, 315.
Boleyn, Anne, 237. Her first ap-
pearance at court, and attractive
accomplishments, 238. Henry be-
comes enamoured of her, 240.
Her influence with the king ex-
erted against Wolsey, 273. Is cre-
ated Marchioness of Pembroke,
and attends the king to Boulogne,
320. Her marriage to him, 327;
and coronation, which is accom-
panied by magnificent pageants,
330-335. Gives birth to a prin-
cess, 337. Her premature delivery
of a male child, 368. Is basely ac-
cused, ib.; and committed to the
Tower, 369. Her touching letter
to Henry, 370. Cruelty with which
she is treated, 373. Is arraigned
on a charge of high treason, 374.
Her trial and eloquent defence,
375. Is pronounced guilty,376. Her
execution, 381. Reflections, 382.
Bonner, Bishop,sent envoy to Rome;
his audience of the Pope, 335.
Bourbon, Constable of France, his de-
fection, and character, 172. Gains
the battle of Rebec, 176. His plans
for placing the crown of France
on Henry's head, 183, 191. Invades
France, but is obliged to retreat,
184. Takes Francis I. prisoner
in the battle of Pavia, 185. Slain
in the assault upon Rome, 221.
Buckingham, Duke of, his quarrel
with Wolsey, 125. His character,
126. His trial and execution,
127-129.
Cabot, Sebastian, his voyage of dis-
covery in 1517, 84.
Campegio, Cardinal, is appointed the
Pope's legate, and conjoined with
Wolsey to decide in the divorce,
251. His arrival in England, and
meeting with Henry, ib. He art-
fully prolongs the proceedings,
266; which are closed by adjourn-
ing the cause, 268. His departure
from England, 271.
Catherine, Princess, of Spain, her
marriage to Prince Arthur, 10;
after his death to Henry VIII.
22. Her conduct on occasion of
the meditated divorce, 255. In-
terview with Campegio and Wol-
sey, 257. Appears in court; her
pathetic address to Henry, 262.
Firm reply to his message, 315.
Final sentence pronounced in the
cause of the divorce, 328. Her
deportment on the occasion, 330.
Her death, 364.
Cavendish accompanies Wolsey to
France, 231. His description of
the manners of the times, 232.
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Carries the tidings of Wolsey's
death to Henry, 289.
Charles the Fifth, his character, abi-
lities, and vast ambition, 101-107.
Elected emperor, 110. Visits Eng-
land, 117. His reception by Henry,
118. His political address, 125.
Again visits England; reception
by Wolsey and Henry, 148. Is en-
tertained with jousts and pageants,
149. Conduct after the battle of
Pavia, and capture of Francis I.
188. Letter to the Pope and to the
college of cardinals, 226. Con-
cludes a treaty with France, 447.
Church of England is finally sepa-
rated from that of Rome, 336.
Church-lands, sale of, to laymen;
evils of lay-impropriators, 407.
Clement VII., Pope, is forced to flee
to the castle of St Angelo, 221. He
recovers his liberty, 248. Appoints
Wolsey and Campegio to decide in
the divorce, 249-251. Revokes the
commission of the legates, and re-
serves the cause to be tried in his
own court, 267. His letter to
Henry, 317. Annuls Cranmer's
judgment in the divorce, and pub-
lishes his Bull of excommunication
against Henry, 335. Pronounces
sentence against the divorce, 336.
His death, 355.
Clergy, the, proceedings against,
309. They acknowledge the king's
supremacy, 311, 341. Their al-
leged treason pardoned by Hen-
ry, 313. Immense revenues, 359.
Colet, Dean, founds St Paul's School,
13, 33. His history and character,
34. His public lectures and inter-
view with Henry, 36. Bold ser-
mons against the Romish clergy,
38. He improves the system of
education, 40. His death, 112.
Courtenay, Marquis of Exeter, Sir
Edward Neville, and Sir Nicholas
Carew, are tried for treason, and
executed, 399.
Coverdale, Miles, publishes the first
English translation of the whole
Bible, 411.
Cranmer, Thomas, rise of, 293. Is
consulted by Henry on the divorce,
294. His early history and theo-
logical studies, 295. Is appointed
royal chaplain, 297. Accompanies
the Earl of Wiltshire to Rome,
300. His consecration as Archbi-
shop of Canterbury, 324. Holds a
convocation, and pronounces final
sentence in the divorce; also, a
court at Lambeth,and confirms the
king's marriage with Anne Boleyn,
329, 330. His letter to Henry,
interceding for Anne Boleyn, 373.
Second letter, 377. Pronounces
the king's marriage invalid, 378.
His opinion as to the disposing of
the wealth of the monasteries, 406.
Exertions for the diffusion of the
Sacred Scriptures, 413. Letter to
Henry, in favour of Cromwell,
424. Plot against him,-Henry
warns him of his danger, 441.
second plot, 442. The king again
makes him aware of it, 443.
called before the council, 444. He
triumphs over his enemies, 445.
Croke, Richard, his knowledge of the
Greek language, and efforts for its
advancement, 207.
Cromwell, Thomas, his early pur-
suits and character, 305. Inter-
view with Henry, 307. Appointed
vicar-general, 357. Proposes a dis-
solution of the monasteries, 358.
Iniquitous conduct, 400. Views re-
garding the revenues of the mo-
nasteries, 405, 407. Negotiates a
marriage between Henry and the
Princess Anne of Cleves, 417.
Created Earl of Essex; his disgrace
and fall, 422, 423. His supplicating
letter to the king, 424. Attainder
and execution, 424, 425. His cha-
racter, 425.
D.
Dacre, Lord, his intrigues with the
Scottish nobles, 169.
Edward VI. birth of, 390.
Elizabeth, Princess, birth of, 337.
Empson and Dudley are tried and
condemned to the pillory, 25.
England, revival of classical learn-
ing in, 13, 30-33. Discontent and
resistance of the people, 169, 193,
388. State of religious parties, 394.
Erasmus, his picture of Henry at
school, 11. His character of Arch-
bishop Warham, 17. Is invited to
England by Henry; reception at
court, 30. Description of the state
of education; attachment to Sir
Thomas More, 353.
Erudition for a Christian Man, or
the King's Book, 439.
Europe, state of, in 1510, 26. Revival
of literature, 43, 86. State of, in
1521 and 1526, 138, 220. Public
opinion on the subject of the Pope-
dom, 243.
Ferdinand of Arragon, death of, 80.
Field of the Cloth of Gold, 121.
Fisher, Bishop, his bold speech in
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