Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

after took place, and only two years later, a second French war was declared, and the country was devastated up to Paris.

Henry became tired of his wife, Catherine of Arragon, whom he had married after the decease of his brother Arthur; and he applied to the pope for a divorce on the ground that his marriage had been illegal. Cardinals Wolsey and Campeggio were appointed to try the cause, but Henry became so dissatisfied with Wolsey's action that the favourite fell into disgrace; he was deprived of his offices, and died at Leicester on his way for trial on a charge of treason.

Cranmer took the place of Wolsey as adviser to the king, having been first introduced to his notice by his suggestion that the king should place the question of the legality of his marriage before the universities of Europe, which was accordingly done.

Henry was all the while desirous of marrying Anne Boleyn, maid of honour to Catherine, and chafed at the delay in the matter of the divorce. But there were many parties to consult,-Catherine was aunt to Charles V., Emperor of Germany, and the pope was under the power of Charles. Cromwell now rose intc favour with Henry by suggesting that the king should place his own supremacy over the Church in lieu of that of the pope, which was accordingly done in 1534. First fruits were forbidden to be paid to Rome and appeals to Rome also; while Anne Boleyn was "viewed in open as the Queen."

Now came a period of persecution to both Protestants, for denying Roman Catholic doctrines, and to Roman Catholics for denying the king's supremacy and the legality of Henry's marriage with Catherine of Arragon. Thus Fisher, Bishop of Rochester, and the learned Sir Thos. More perished as Roman Catholics.

In 1536 the smaller monasteries were suppressed for alleged abuses, and also because the regular clergy had opposed the recent alterations; and in 1539 the larger monasteries met the same fate. Six new

bishoprics were founded out of the spoils, besides colleges and grammar schools, and the erection of fortified posts such as at Deal, Southsea, &c.; the rest ministering to the luxuries of Henry and his courtiers. Five different versions of the Bible were made in this reign, Tyndal's Testament, 1526; Coverdale's 1535; Matthew's 1537; Cranmer's 1539; Taverner's Bibles, 1539.

In 1539 appeared the notorious Statute of Six Articles or "whip with six strings," enforcing the Roman Catholic doctrines of Transubstantiation, Clerical Celibacy, Auricular Confession, Private Masses, use of the Cup only in Communion, and Vows of Chastity.

In 1536 Wales was united to England, and English laws every where enforced, Wales sending 24 members to the Parliament. In this year also both Catherine of Arragon and Anne Boleyn ended their lives, the latter on the scaffold for alleged unfaithfulness to the king, who had been pleased with the new face of Jane Seymour whom he married the day following Anne Boleyn's execution.

In 1536 occurred the Pilgrimage of Grace, a rising of 40,000 men under Aske in the northern counties, headed by priests, against the changes in religion. Jane Seymour died in giving birth to Prince Edward, 1537; and Cromwell, as a stroke of Protestant policy, brought about a marriage between the king and Anne of Cleves, whose picture had pleased the king. But when the king saw her in person he would have nothing to do with her, but procured a divorce and married Catherine Howard; beheading Cromwell really for his part in the transaction, Catherine, however, soon lost her head for her proved want of virtuous living before marriage, and Henry married his last wife, Catherine Parr, who survived him.

In 1542 war arose between Scotland and England, the Scots fled at the appearance of the English horse at the "Rout of Solway," losing 1,000 men; and James died broken-hearted, leaving the infant Mary Queen of Scots a week old.

War also broke out with France, the ally of Scotland, and Boulogne was captured but released on ransom of 2,000,000 crowns.

In this year, also, Ireland was reduced to a more complete dependence on England by means of conciliatory measures towards the chieftains.

EDWARD VI. 1547-1553.

Edward was 10 years old on the death of his father, and the government was vested in the king's uncle, Seymour, brother of Jane Seymour, Lord Protector, assisted by a council-Henry's executors, whom he had appointed for this purpose.

The first year of the reign was marked by a war with Scotland, and at the battle of Pinkie, near Musselburgh, 10,000 Scots were slain; but nothing more was done, and the original cause of dispute, the claim of Mary Queen of Scots' hand in marriage to Edward, was abandoned, the young queen marrying the dauphin of France; the great objection having been, as wittily said by one, "I dislike not the match but the manner of wooing."

A great deal of this reign was spent in plotting and counter-plotting by the members of the council-the most troublesome spirits being the President, Seymour, and his brother, Admiral Lord Seymour, who had married Catherine Parr; the latter was at length executed, 1549, on a charge of treason. Quarrels then arose between the Protector and the Earl of Warwick (Dudley), on the alleged ground of the rapacity of the former, who had pulled down religious edifices for material for his palace, Somerset House in London, but a hollow peace was patched up by Warwick's son marrying the Protector's daughter. In 1551 Warwick contrived that Somerset should be sent to the Tower, and executed on the charge of conspiracy aganist himself.

Edward VI. favoured the Reformation, and through Cranmer, Latimer, Ridley, and Somerset, (the Protector), the Statute of 6 Articles was repealed, a Prayer

Book was drawn up 1549 and 1552, an Act of Uniformity 1549 passed, the "Articles" were compiled, and the English Bible was placed in every church. Many remaining chantries-and other Roman Catholic foundations were also suppressed; and though, in a few cases, the revenues were diverted to the Grammar schools, yet much became the booty of those about the court.

Of course these changes were not palatable to all since there remained a considerable number, headed by Bishop Gardiner (who was cast into prison), who adhered to the old faith; and two were burnt at the stake for refusing to conform to the opinions of the majority; these were Joan Boacher, a maid of Kent, and George Parre.

Moreover, those who had formerly depended on the bounty of the monasteries, suppressed in the previous reign, became vagrants, and there was no poor law till the next reign, so that considerable discontent arose which was increased by the high prices of food, the illegal enclosure of commons by the upper classes to the robbing of the poor, and the frightfully severe laws against vagrancy. Rebellions accordingly took place in the west (Devon and Cornwall), where Exeter was besieged by the rebels who demanded the restoration of the old worship. A political rising took place against the recent encroachments on Common rights, and this was headed by Ket, a tanner, who with 20,000 followers at first defeated the royal troops, but subsequently was taken prisoner and executed with many of his followers;-Lord Lieutenants being henceforth appointed to prevent any more popular outbreaks for the future.

The reins of government fell into the hands of Warwick on the death of Somerset, and he set himself to persuade Edward VI. to set the princesses Mary and Elizabeth aside from the succession as favouring the Roman Catholic religion, and being illegitimate; and to appoint Lady Jane Grey heiress to the throne. This estimable lady was descended from Mary, sister

of Henry VIII., but of course had no valid title to the throne-she had been married to Dudley, Warwick's son, and hence his zeal on her behalf, and, against her own wishes: within a few days of Edward's consent to the alteration of the succession, Edward VI. died-not without suspicions of having had his end hastened, as is alleged, by Northumberland.

MARY. 1553-1558.

Mary had been brought up in the school of adversity and this did not tend to improve the sweetness of her disposition; she had been declared illegitimate on account of the divorce of her mother, Catherine of Arragon, and had been much persecuted for her faith in the late reign. On her very accession, also, she found a rival to the throne, and next year was cruelly disappointed where she had most set her hopes-in her marriage with Philip of Spain, who cared nothing for her.

On the death of Edward Northumberland proclaimed the beautiful and learned Lady Jane Grey, then 16 years of age;-her brief reign of 13 days was soon ended, Northumberland was executed for treason, and she herself, with Cranmer, cast into prison.

The first act of the new reign and the main purpose of Mary's brief sway was the restoration of the Roman Catholic faith; her promise to the mayor of London, "that she meant not to compel or strain men's consciences," being soon forgotten in religious zeal.

The Roman Catholic Bishops, Gardiner, Bonner, and Tunstall, were released from prison, as was the Duke of Norfolk; and Protestant prelates took their places there; and the recent religious enactments of Edward VI. were repealed-celibacy was enforced on the clergy, grants of tenths and first fruits were made to the pope's legate, Cardinal Pole; in consequence many clergy and others took refuge on the continent, chiefly at Frankfort and Geneva, and against those that remained the fires of the Marian persecution broke out in Smithfield in 1555,-among them that

« AnteriorContinuar »