ders in the most ordinary occurrences of life; but The best apology for the arbitrariness of his the end was public order, and their own good. And government is the disposition of his master, who, if he levied heavy loans and benevolences, and im- relieved by his death from one that “kneeled beposed taxes without the consent of parliament, it fore him for three hours together, to persuade him was to prevent his great designs for the general from his will and appetite,” became daily more feweal from being abandoned before their bene- rocious, tyrannical, and blood-thirsty, affording a ficial results were made manifest.

striking contrast in favour of Wolsey's ascendenIn this spirit have his more zealous admirers en- cy and administration. Had the cardinal had the deavoured to vindicate his conduct, forgetful that inestimable advantage of a sound moral education, the same sort of reasoning would furnish an apo- and, as a consequence, had his ambition been dilogy for the foulest outrages upon the rights of a rected by a spirit more worthy of the true dignity free people that are recorded in history. The best of human nature, his labours might have conferapology that can be offered for the personal vices red incalculable benefits on his country; for he of Wolsey was his lowly origin and defective mo- lived in an age which his enlightened views far ral education, and consequent absence of true dig- outstepped, and which presented an ample and nity of character. To these may be ascribed his fruitful soil for the employment of his various and love of ostentatious pomp, and vindictiveness* in splendid abilities. To him, however, England is his prosperity, his meanness in the reverse of his indebted for the first notion of a vigorous policefortunes, and the absence of the

of a simple and regular administration of justice. High disdain from sense of injured merit,” The superiority of her navy also is much indebtand of the

ed to his sagacity in directing the attention of Hen“ Unconquerable will,

ry VIII. to the “empire of the sea;" and, notwithAnd courage never to submit or yield,” standing his questionable principles of economy, which have flung somewhat of the glory of the

his name should be held in respect as one of the Archangel ruined” over the fall of the haughty

earliest cultivators of our commercial pre-emiStrafford.

In him literature and learned men ever

found a generous and a munificent patron; and * His treatment of sir Amias Paulet, and his allow

the College of Physicians to this day bears testiing his resentment to aid in causing the death of Buck- mony to his well-intentioned zeal in the improveingham, are in themselves examples of the vindictive- ment of medical science, and through it of the ness of Wolsey's temper. But there are others of a

general well-being. still more ignoble cast, such as the unrelenting rigour with which he persecuted the poet-laureate Shelton,

To conclude, had the moral man been less defecfor inditing of some stupid satirical lines on the cardi- tive, Wolsey might have been regarded as a benenal's birth and pompous bearing and his imprisonment factor of his species; as it is, regard to truth of one John Roo, the author of a disguising” enacted by the young lawyers of Gray's Inn, which,

compels us to say, in the words of his biographer though written upwards of twenty years, gave offence

“Here is the end and fall of pride and arru10 Wolsey by its allusion to state affairs.

gancy."

nence.

C R A N MER.

1489—1555.

Thomas CRANMER, the first archbishop of Canterbury that “made a defection from the papal chair,” was the son of a gentleman of “ right ancient family*" in Nottinghamshire, and was born in Aslacton, in that county, on the 2d of July, 1489. He received his early education at what we may call the grammar-school of his native village, under a “rude and severe parish clerk, of whom he learned little, and endured much;” a circumstance that may help to explain to us much of the timid flexibility of his character in after-life. At the age of fourteen he was entered of Jesus College, Cambridge, of which he in time became a fellow, and

Strype's Memorials of T. Cranmer, which we have chiefly followed in the text.

where he continued for sixteen years, a laborious student in the learning usually taught in the un. versities, and in the classic and sacred literature, which, by means of the lately invented art of printing, and the zeal of Erasmus, were just then making their way into our schools and colleges. Though he had devoted three years of this course of reading the study of the Scriptures, it should seem that he was not originally intended for the church;

for he is said to have excelled in the more profane accomplishments of a gentleman of that age, such as hunting and hawking; and he forfeited his fellowship by marrying shortly after he had taken his degree of master of arts. The Reformation had not yet received such countenance

a

which he was mainly indebted for his promotion proof of his conviction of the scriptural validity of soon afterwards to the see of Canterbury.

the religious tenets and practices of the reformers Nothing could be more inopportune, both as to been one less involving his personal gratification. time and place, to Clement than this embassy. As a catholic clergyman,-he was archdeacon of He had just been with the emperor at Bologna, Taunton,-he was bound by a vow of celibacy; successfully treating for the restoration of those and though the study of the gospel soon taught possessions, part of the patrimony of St. Peter, him that this obligation was unwarranted, as being which had been held by the imperial troops since unscriptural, he should not have violated it withthe memorable sack of Rome. Fear as well as

out an explicit renouncement of all allegiance to policy forbade his exciting the anger of Charles, the see of Rome. But the permission to marry whose pride made him indignantly hostile to the

seems to have been the great lure to many of the intended outrage upon the honour of his family.

clergy at this time to adopt the principles of the On the other hand, he was well disposed towards reformation, and to have been eagerly embraced Henry; and but for his terror of the emperor's by them as a compensation for the loss of their arms, would gladly have adopted any expedient

extravagant wealth and privileges. Cranmer that might relieve both from their anxiety and married a kinswoman of his friend Osiander ; an embarrassments. As it was, he received the am- act of rebellion to the papal jurisdiction, which, bassadors most graciously, and promised to act as being unavowed, exposed him in the sequel to favourably in their master's affair as his conscience

many unworthy shifts and equivocations. The first would permit

. Cranmer he complimented by of these was consequent upon his consecration as appointing him his penitentiary for England and

archbishop of Canterbury. Ireland. The ambassadors next proceeded to ex- While Cranmer was advocating the king's plain their business personally to the emperor, but divorce to the German divines, and fitting himselt were still more unsuccessful.

Charles's anger

to be the guardian of the reformation in his native burst forth at the sight of the father of her whom

country, it was notified to him that the judgment he conceived to be the immediate cause of his or the partiality of his sovereign had appointed aunt's intended degradation. To Cranmer alone him to the metropolitan see of England, then vacant would he pay the least attention, haughtily impos- by the death of archbishop Warham. Many ing silence on the earl of Wiltshire. ' Stop, sir,”

circumstances united in recommending him thus said he ; " allow your colleagues to speak ;-you signally to the favour of Henry ; none, perhaps, are a party in the cause.” Through his threats

more influentially than his zeal and boldness in and influence, Clement soon after issued an inbi

maintaining the royal cause at Rome and in the bitory brief on the whole proceedings ; the proxi- continental universities, and the friendship of Anne mate occasion, as the reader is aware, of the over- Boleyn and her family. The first announcement, throw of the papal supremacy in England. however, of his new dignity alarmed more than it

Cranmer did not return to England with the gratified him. By his marriage he had, to all inearl of Wiltshire, but proceeded to Germany, tents and purposes, rebelled against the pope's auwhere he resided for nearly two years, endeavour- thority; and yet, as the king had not yet determined ing to convince the Lutheran divines of the nullity on severing for ever the English connection with of the king's marriage with his brother's widow;

Rome, as archbishop of Canterbury, he should and conducting embassies with the elector of

solicit the usual bulls of consecration, and take the Saxony and other protestant princes. But he seems usual oath of canonical obedience to the chair of to have made but a slight impression on those St. Peter; acts, moreover, implying an observance theologians ; chiefly, it is said, because they had of his vow of celibacy. He hesitated : he perhaps strong doubts of the purity of Henry's motives, resolved upon declining the proffered honour. and of the sincerity of his alleged scruples. They,

“ He would be great; however, were more successful in imbuing him

Was not without ambition ; but without with their principles of religion, and in preparing The illness should attend it. What he would highly, him for the sacred office of head of the protestant

That would be holily." church of England. Though a spark of the flame He knew that to announce his marriage to Henry which Luther and the other reformers had kindled would be fatal to his election ; for that monarch in Saxony and Switzerland had reached him in continued till his last breath to enforce the obhis cloister at Cambridge, prompting him to make servance of clerical celibacy with the stake and the Holy Volume the standard and the source, the halter. On the other hand, rebel as he was in beginning and the end, of his faith ; it was to his heart and deed to the usurped authority of the conferences at this time with the German divines, bishops of Rome, how could he reconcile it to his particularly Osiander and Bucer, that he was in- conscience to swear canonical obedience to that debted (not at once, but by degrees,) for a rule of authority, and thereby proclaim either the nullity belief, scriptural in its basis, ånd unalloyed by of his marriage or the violation of his vow? In papal superstition.

this dilemma he had recourse to an artifice, which, The reputation of Cranmer would have been as bishop Burnet justly remarks, “agreed better more pure and unquestioned, had the first decided with the maxims of canonists and casuists than VOL. III.--7

193

with Cranmer's sincerity and integrity ;" namely, former illegitimate, and that of the latter, as a a protest made in the Chapter House of St. Stephen, matter of course, to be lawfully begotton in wedbefore four “authentica persona, el testibus fide lock. A convocation was then sitting upon the dignis," before consecration,-in the absence and two main questions involved in the intended diwithout the knowledge of the party most interested, vorce. Cranmer took his seat as head of the ec--that he did not intend, by his oath to the pope, clesiastical body in England, and demanded the “ to restrain himself from any thing to which he votes. The result was favourable to the king by was bound by his duty to God or the king, or large majorities. The archbishop then craved from taking any part in any reformation of the the royal permission to examine and determine the English church which he might judge to be re- great cause of the divorce; stating that his conquired.” Having, in an inner apartment, made this science impelled him to the step, to avoid the evils protestation, he was publicly consecrated, took

of a scandalous marriage, and of a consequently the oath of canonical obedience, and received the doubtful succession. Herry, with farcical solempapal pallium. The title of archbishop of Canter- nity, made a virtue of acceding to the request; at bury was changed, after Henry had assumed to

the same time reminding the primate that he was himself the ecclesiastical supremacy, to that of nothing more than the principal minister belonging primate and metropolitan of all England.

to the spiritual jurisdiction of the crown, and that It is not necessary to dwell upon the moral the sovereign had no superior on earth, and was character of this transaction. If such a protest be not subject to the laws of any earthly creature. invested with any validity, oaths cease to bind, The subsequent proceedings, as narrated by our and truth and sincerity in the affairs of life are no historians, are well known. We shall, therefore, longer attainable. It cannot be alleged, in palli- merely quote Cranmer's own account of them, in ation of this first deviation from the strict path or a letter (published by Mr. Ellis in the first series rectitude, that it was the unavoidable result of of his historical collection), to the English ambascircumstances ; for Cranmer was not, and could sador at the court of Charles, which, besides benot, be forced into the archiepiscopal chair ; and

ing less known to the general reader, contains other therefore voluntarily entailed upon himself all the interesting particulars. moral consequences of his elevation. The truth

After some prefatory complimentary remarks, is, want of firmness was the “vicious mole” in

he goes on :-“And fyrste as towchyng the small Cranmer's character. He was from nature vir

determynacion and concludyng of the matter of tuously inclined and candid ; but he would be

devorse betwene my lady Kateren and the kyngs great, and could not resist the opportunity. Such

grace, whyche said matter after the convocacion conduct produced its inevitable results: it destroy- in that behalf hadde determyned, and agreed aced that consciousness of inflexible dignity of pur- cordyng to the former consent of the vniversities, pose which is at once the offspring and the safe

yt was thought convenient by the kyng and his guard of moral integrity. Cranmer felt that he

learnyd councell that I shoulde repayre unto Duncould not stand erect in the independence of an

stable, whyche ys within iïj myles vnto Amptell, uncompromising spirit before his sovereign, and

where the said lady Kateren kepeth her howse, was thereby reduced into an unworthy compliance and there to call her before me, to hear the fynall with all the caprices and vicious mandates of that

sentence in this said mateir. Notwithstanding she sovereign's will. Hence the equivocations and

would not att all obey thereunto, for whan she was shifts, and even persecutions, in which he was

by doctour Lee cited to appear by a daye, she utmade most unwillingly instrumental during the

terly refused the same, sayinge that inasmoche as remainder of Henry's reign. And thus

her cause was before the pope she would have none 66 The stamp of one defect

other judge ; and therefore would not take me for Being nature's livery, or fortune's star His virtues else (be they as pure as grace,

her judge. Nevertheless the vith day of Maye, As infinite as man may undergo).

according to the said appoyntment, I came vnto

I Shall, in the general censure, take corruption, Dunstable, my lorde of Lyncolne beying assistante From that particular fault.”

vnto me, and my lorde of Wyncehester, &c. with Henry had, at the instigation of Cromwell, on diuerse other lernyd in the lawe beying councilthe failure of his hopes of obtaining the papal lours in the lawe for the king's parte: and soe sanction for his divorce, renounced all allegiance these at our commyng kept a courte for the apto the see of Rome, and consticuted himself su

perance of the said lady Kateren, when were expreme head of the church of England. It was, amyned certeyn witnes whyche testified that she therefore, truly gratifying to him to possess a pri- was lawfully cited and called to appere, whome mate so much after his own heart-so far as re- for fawte of apperance was declared contumax; nouncing the pontifical authority was concerned procedyng in the said cause agaynste her in pænam --as Cranmer. He now resolved to make the

contumacium, as the processe of the lawe thereune new archbishop, in virtue of his ecclesiastical of- to belongeth ; whyche contynewed xv dages after fice, pronounce the marriage of Catharine null, our cummyng thither. And the morrow after Asand that which he had lately concluded in private sension daye I gave finall sentence therein, howe with Anne Boleyn valid; and the issue of the that it was indispensable for the pope to lycense