lady connected with the most noble families of the kingdom, yet far more distinguished by her beauty and accomplishments than by her rank. Having been appointed one of the queen's maids of honour, she was frequently in the company of Henry, and soon attracted his notice by the charms of her person, and the captivating vivacity of her conversation. The result of these interviews was a passion, which, in his warm temperament, quickly became predominant; and as he found her virtue proof against all licentious advances, he conceived an irresistible desire to gratify his wishes by raising her to the throne. * From this period, the reign

* From the frequent murder or divorce of his wives, to make room for others, it has been strangely supposed that Henry entertained some scruples about concubinage, and that an aversion to libertinism at least may be accounted among his virtues. How far this opinion is well founded will appear from the following passage in the history of his life, which seems to have been overlooked by modern writers :-" One of the liberties which our king took at his spare time was to love. For as all recommendable parts concurred in his person, and they, again, were exalted in his high dignity and valour; so it must seem less strange, if, amid the many fair ladies which lived in his court, he both gave and received temptation. Among whom, because Elizabeth Blunt, daughter to Sir John Blunt, knight, was thought, for her rare ornaments of nature and education, to be the beauty and mistress-piece of her time, that entire affection passed betwixt them, as at late she bore him a son. This child proving so equally alike to both parents, that he became the best emblem of their mutual affection, was called Henry Fitzroy by the king, and so much avowed by him, that, having now attained the age of six years, he was made a knight publicly, and

ing object of his mind was to procure the dissolution of his marriage with Catharine. He applied to the pope to annul the dispensation which had been granted by his predecessor, a request with which Clement VII. who then held the apostolic chair, had many weighty reasons to comply; and although his terror of the emperor's displeasure made him invent many pretences to delay a final decision, yet his promises and professions led Henry to look with confidence to a favourable result.

While things continued in this undetermined state, the king, anxious that the opinion of his subjects should coincide with his in a point where their support might become indispensably necessary, exerted himself to gain over to his side the persons of most influence in the nation, and was especially

the same day created Earl of Nottingham, Duke of Richmond and Somerset, and Lieutenant-General beyond the Trent, and WardenGeneral of the Borders of Scotland, and, shortly after, Admiral of England. After which he was first bred up together with Henry, Earl of Surrey, in the Castle of Windsor, which the earl elegantly describes in a sonnet extant in his works; from whence, November 1532, they went both together to study at Paris; which acquaintance and friendship was endeared again by a match of the said duke with Mary, the earl's sister, by whom he yet had no issue. Howbeit, I find he was very personable, and of great expectation, insomuch that he was thought, not only for ability of body, but mind, to be one of the rarest of his time; for which reason also, he was much cherished by our king, as also because he had no issue male by the queen, nor did, perchance, expect any." Herbert, p. 137.

of More,

solicitous that his divorce should have the sanction of More. The high estimation in which the talents, and still more the integrity of this minister, were held at home and abroad, rendered his voice of much importance. All felt that his penetration and judgment, experienced as he was in intricate discussions of law and theology, were not likely to be led astray; and all were convinced, that no opinion different from his real sentiments could be drawn from him either by fear or complaisance. But, in the present instance, his decision was by no The opinion means favourable to the views of the monarch. contrary to the king's He probably looked on the laws prohibiting mar- wish. riage between near degrees of kindred as founded merely on expediency, and capable of being laid aside, without moral turpitude, when interfering. with the welfare of nations, or the security of governments; and he seems to have thought that the pope, whose power he accounted extremely salutary in regulating the affairs of religion and morality, was fully competent to authorize this departure. At the same time, he foresaw many great evils which might ensue from the king's divorce. To an amiable and meritorious queen, the loss of her husband and her throne was an act of cruel injustice; and while her daughter suffered no less severely from the deprivation of her rights of succession, her disputed title (for many could never be brought to acquiesce in the proposed measure)

would scarcely fail at some future period to throw the nation again into civil convulsions. Nor was it only at home that the country was likely to suffer from the prosecution of the divorce; the emperor, then the most powerful prince in Europe, would probably avenge the degradation of his aunt by open hostilities.

From a mature consideration of these circumstances, the opinion which More formed was decidedly in favour of the legitimacy of the marriage, and the impropriety of a divorce; nor could Henry, either by private conversations, or by the assistance of able men, prevail on him to alter his sentiments. Yet he listened to their arguments with so much attention, replied to them with so much calmness, and maintained his dissent with such unaffected mildness, that even the impetuous and violent Henry was mortified without being displeased at his want of success. More entreated

the king to consider his refusal to sanction the marriage as proceeding from conviction, and not from any want of inclination to promote the pleasure of his sovereign. If he abandoned his integrity to serve an occasion, he should be unworthy of the confidence with which he was honoured ; that, however, he by no means considered his own opinion as the standard of truth, or to be depended on in opposition to those of so many wise and learned men; and that his Majesty would readily

find, among his other counsellors, persons whose sentiments coincided with his views, and who were better qualified, by their opinions and influence, to promote them. Henry, moved by the candour and moderation of this address, declared that More should retain his opinions unmolested, and, although not permittted, by his conviction, to serve him on this occasion, should continue to enjoy his favour unabated. *

The delays which the pope studiously interpos. ed, to prevent the question of the divorce from being brought to a decision, at length ruined the credit of Wolsey, whom the king had entrusted with the conduct of this affair. The high opinion of his abilities, with which this favourite had inspired the monarch, made Henry attribute his present failure to want rather of inclination than of power; and the influence of Anne Boleyn, who looked upon him as her principal enemy, precipitated his fall. He was stript of his offices and wealth; and after a career of authority and grandeur almost too great for a subject, was made to feel how worthless are the highest honours which depend on the caprice of an arbitrary prince.

Chancellor,

About this time More, having acted his part in Created the negociations at Cambray so much to the king's satisfaction, had returned to court; and Henry