displeased at these hints, he informed his master of the probability he discovered of bringing the matter to a happy conclusion, and he received full powers jointly with John de Sylva and Thomas Bohier for negociating the treaty, and to bind the king of France' to pay to the king of England one million of crowns, partly as arrears due on several accounts, and partly as a testimony of his great esteem for that prince. Another commission was given to the same persons to treat of the marriage of Lewis with the princess Mary. As both parties were equally desirous of peace and alliance, all the stipulations were agreed on in five days, and the treaty was signed at London, August 7th, 1514.

During that negociation Henry was informed that the archbishop of York, his ambassador at Rome, had died, and that the pope, at his request, had promised not to appoint a successor to his see till he knew his majesty's pleasure. The king immediately recommended Wolsey, and in the mean time granted him the custody of the arch-bishopric with all its revenues, which, added to those of the bishoprics of Tournay and Lincoln, the administration of the bishoprics of Worcester, Hereford and Bath, with several rich abbeys and other benefices, raised the fortune of that ambitious prelate nearly as high as that of the king himself. The pope complying with Henry's recommendation, appointed Wolsey archbishop of York, on account of his extraordinary learning, piety, and virtue.

In consequence of the late treaty, Lewis XII. espoused the princess Mary by his proxy the duke of Longuevelle, August 13th, after which the princess assumed the title of queen of France. In the beginning of October following, the Duke of Norfolk, with a splendid retinue, conducted her to Abbeville, where she was met by her royal consort,

and their nuptials were celebrated October 9th ; but Lewis died in less than three months after the marriage, to the extreme regret of the French nation, from which he had deservedly obtained the honourable appellation of the father of his people.

Francis I. who had married Lewis's elder daugh ter, succeeded him on the throne. This young prince had been a great admirer of the charms of the English princess, and even during his predecessor's life-time, had paid her such assiduous court, that some of his friends represented to him, that by indulging this passion he might probably exclude himself from the throne. He thanked them for the hint, and forbore all further addresses. The young dowager married soon after secretly the duke of Suffolk, one of the handsomest and most accomplished nobleman of the age; and as Henry was thus prevented from forming any powerful alliance by means of his sister; Francis interposed his good offices in reconciling him to the marriage, which had been made without waiting for his consent. The queen and her husband returned to England, were well received by Henry, and publicly married May 13th, 1515.

Ann 1515 1516, 1517.

A new parliament was assembled February 5th': sir Thomas Neville was chosen by the house of commons for their speaker, and acquitted himself of his functions so much to the satisfaction of the king and both houses that he was made a knight of the garter in full parliament, " an honour," says the Journals (vol. i. p. 20.) "that had not been conferred on any mortal man."

Henry having been obliged to declare war against the Scots, who had made great depredations on the English; and Francis L. having resolved to enforce by

all means in his power the claims of the kings of France on the duchy of Milan; these young monarhs were equally desirous of a solid peace between the two nations; therefore the treaty, lately concluded with Lewis XII. was confirmed or renewed almost verbatim April 5th. Wolsey, who had the principal direction of the transaction, took advantage of the opportunity to forward his ambitious views. Having reached the pinnacle of riches and power, he could only rise in dignity, and the rank of cardinal was, at that time, the object of his most ardent wishes. Both the kings of France and England condescended to write in his favour to Rome; and the pope, who knew Wolsey's absolute sway over the mind of his royal master, readily complied with the demand of their majesties. When the cardinal's hat was brought to Wolsey, he caused the bearer of it to be met at Blackheath, and conducted through London with as much pomp as if the pope himself had made his entry, and his reception of it in Westminster Abbey resembled the coronation of a king. Many of the king's wisest counsellors seeing themselves so much eclipsed and so little regarded, resolved to retire from court. Warham, Archbishop of Canterbury, resigned his office of chancellor, and the seal was immediately committed to Wolsey, who may be said to have been, during the fourteen succeeding years, the real sovereign, while Henry was little more than the nominal king of England. A strict administration of justice took place during his chancellorship, and none of his predecessors ever discovered greater impartiality in his decisions, deeper sagacity, or more enlarged knowledge of law and equity.

The king had retained Tournay for the only purpose of insuring the revenues of the bishopric to his favourite; but the French bishop elect, Lewis Gaillart was making ever since the most strenuous efforts to obtain, the possession of his see, and Francis L

now solicited the pope for a bull in his favour. Wolsey incensed at this information, given him by his spies at Rome, persuaded Henry to violate the treaty he had made with Francis a few months before, and to form a new confederacy against France with Maximilian and Ferdinand, who had so often deceived him. A council was held in the king's presence to take this measure into consideration. The ancient counsellors argued strongly against it as highly imprudent, dishonourable and unjust. The cardinal made a violent speech against Francis's ambition, and maintained that there was a necessity for England to prevent the increase of his power. The counsellors under Wolsey's influence were of the same opinion. Henry declared that he was determined to put a stop to the progress of the French arms in Italy, but that he hoped to do so without an open war, by supplying the emperor with money. An ambassador was sent accordingly to the emperor, furnished with a large sum of money, and bills for a still greater sum on Italian bankers, to engage him to march an army into Italy, to recover Milan from the French and give it up to Francisco Sforza, who engaged to pay Wolsey an annual pension of ten thousand ducats, and Wolsey promised to secure to him the perpetual friendship and protection of the king of England. Maximilian took the bills and money, and after a feeble attempt upon Milan, disbanded his army, giving for his excuse that the Italian bankers had become bankrupts and could not pay their bills.

The hostile plan adopted against Francis I. was not even mentioned in the parliament that met November 12th, the day to which it had been prorogued; therefore there was no pretence to demand a supply but the king's treasure being much exhausted by his inordinate expences at home, and his remittances into Germany, a bill was brought to

the house of peers for a subsidy to be granted to the king, and being read once, was carried by the lord chancellor to the house of commons, where it probably met with an unfavourable reception, as the parliament was dissolved next day December 22d.

In the month of February 1516, the queen lost her father, Ferdinand king of Spain, and was delivered of a daughter, who was named Mary. Ferdinand was succeeded by his grand-son Charles, already sovereign of all the territories of the house of Burgundy, and heir to the house of Austria, which came soon after into his possession with the empire of Germany. Henry, actuated by his inclination to gratify the resentment of his favourite against Francis I. gave him a commission to negociate with the plenipotentiaries of the empire and the new king of Spain a league and confederacy in defence of the church, and to restrain the unbridled ambition of certain princes, meaning the king of France. This pretended holy league, of which the pope was declared the head, was concluded at London, October 29th, 1516; but its execution was inde finitely postponed on account of the cardinal having soon after obtained the object he had so much at heart.

Ann. 1518, 1519.

The great power of Henry and the influence of cardinal Wolsey in all the councils of England, were now so well established, that the greatest monarchs courted his friendship. The pope revoked the bull he had granted in favour of Lewis Galliart, appointed Wolsey administrator of the bishopric of Tournay, and soon after his general collector in England. The young king of Spain granted him a pension of three thousand pounds a year. Francis