rendered her the admiration of the most learned men in Europe, and the intellectual model of the ladies of England, were calculated to lend a charm.

Lord Latimer was so strenuous a catholic that he became one of the leaders of the Northern insurrection, on account of the suppression of the monasteries, and the sequestration of the church property by Cromwell, in 1536. This revolt, though chiefly proceeding from the miseries of a starving population, who found themselves suddenly deprived of the relief of conventual alms in seasons of distress, assumed the tone of a domestic crusade against the enemies of the olden faith, and was called the pilgrimage of grace. Forty thousand rustics in Yorkshire, alone, appeared in arms, bearing white banners with the image of the Saviour on the cross, and the chalice and host depicted thereon. Their nominal general was Robert Aske, a gentleman of mean condition, and a mysterious personage entitled the earl of Poverty, but an enthusiastic junto of nobles, knights, and ecclesiastics, at the head of whom was the archbishop of York, lord Neville, lord Darcy, and the husband of Katharine Parr, were allied with these adventurers.' They were knit together with oaths of compact, and they compelled the inhabitants of every village or town through which they passed to take this oath, and to join the pilgrimage. They became so formidable in a short time that the duke of Norfolk, who was empowered by the king to put down the rebellion, considered it more desirable to negotiate than to fight; and a peaceable conference was appointed between the royal commissioners and a chosen number of the leading men among the insurgents at Doncaster. Lord Latimer was one of the delegates nominated by the pilgrims for the perilous service of laying their grievances before the sovereign, and stating

1 Speed.

their demands.

Four pledges were given by the Duke for the safe return of the delegates.

They demanded, among other things, the restoration of the monastic establishments and the papal supremacy, the suppression of heretical books, especially the writings of Wycliff, Luther, Melancthon, and others whom they specified. That the heretical bishops might be condemned to the flames, or else compelled to do battle in single combat with certain valiantly disposed pilgrims, who would take upon themselves the office of champions for the church. militant. There were also many legal and statistical reforms required, but the most extraordinary demand of the northern democracy was, "that the king should expel from his council all men of vileyn blood, especially Cromwell, Rich, and others who had risen from a humble station in society."

In every era of our history it may be noted that the lower classes have disliked the elevation of persons of their own degree to the exercise of authority in the state. Such is the inconsistency of popular pride.

The king was much offended at the manifesto of the pilgrims, and took upon himself the task of compounding a reply, in which he expressed his astonishment,

that ignorant people should go about to instruct him in matters of theology, who somewhat had been noted to be learned in what the true faith should be." In this, his majesty, with all the pride of authorship, evidently designs to recal to the memory of the more polite members of the confederacy, his own book against Luther, which had procured for him from the pope the title of "defender of the faith." He also angrily complains "of their presumption in wanting to mend his laws, as if after being their king eight-and-twenty years he did not know

1 Speed; Lord Herbert.

2 Ibid. Speed; Herbert; Lingard.

3 Ibid.

how to govern the realm. He rejected all their petitions, but offered to pardon them for appearing in arms against him, if they would give up their ringleaders; and concluded by bidding them admire the benignity of their sovereign."

The pilgrims declined the royal grace under such conditions, recalled their delegates, and made them ready for battle. The wise and conciliating policy of the duke of Norfolk prevented the collision which appeared almost inevitable. He prevailed upon the insurgents to lay down their arms, on condition of receiving free pardon from the king, with a promise that their grievances should be discussed in parliament; and with some difficulty he induced the king, who was very peevish with him about it, to publish the amnesty without exceptions.

The general pardon was dated December 9th, 1536. In February, the insurrection broke out again, but lord Latimer did not join it. The prudent counsels of Katharine possibly deterred her lord from involving himself a second time in so rash an enterprise. It is certain that, by remaining quiescent, he escaped the tragic fate of his northern neighbours and late confederates, the lord D'Arcy, sir Robert Constable, sir Stephen Hamerton, and upwards of seventy others, on whom the royal vengeance inflicted the extreme penalty of the law. The only daughter of sir Stephen Hamerton was betrothed to Katherine's youthful kinsman, Walter Strickland, and not only this family connexion, but the execution of several of the Nevilles after the second rising must have rendered this period a season of fearful anxiety to lord and lady Latimer. It was probably about this time that sir John Russell, the lord privy seal, took the opportunity of requesting a very inconvenient favour for one of his friends, of lord Latimer; namely, that his lordship should oblige this person with the loan of his fine mansion in the churchyard of the Chartreux, now called the

their demands.

Four pledges were given by the Duke for the safe return of the delegates."

They demanded, among other things, the restoration of the monastic establishments and the papal supremacy, the suppression of heretical books, especially the writings of Wycliff, Luther, Melancthon, and others whom they specified. That the heretical bishops might be condemned to the flames, or else compelled to do battle in single combat with certain valiantly disposed pilgrims, who would take upon themselves the office of champions for the church militant. There were also many legal and statistical reforms required, but the most extraordinary demand of the northern democracy was, "that the king should expel from his council all men of vileyn blood, especially Cromwell, Rich, and others who had risen from a humble station in society."

In every era of our history it may be noted that the lower classes have disliked the elevation of persons of their own degree to the exercise of authority in the state. Such is the inconsistency of popular pride.

The king was much offended at the manifesto of the pilgrims, and took upon himself the task of compounding a reply, in which he expressed his astonishment, "that ignorant people should go about to instruct him in matters of theology, who somewhat had been noted to be learned in what the true faith should be." In this, his majesty, with all the pride of authorship, evidently designs to recal to the memory of the more polite members of the confederacy, his own book against Luther, which had procured for him from the pope the title of "defender of the faith." He also angrily complains "of their presumption in wanting to mend his laws, as if after being their king eight-and-twenty years he did not know

1 Speed; Lord Herbert.

2 Ibid. Speed; Herbert; Lingard.

3 Ibid.

how to govern the realm. He rejected all their petitions, but offered to pardon them for appearing in arms against him, if they would give up their ringleaders; and concluded by bidding them admire the benignity of their sovereign."

The pilgrims declined the royal grace under such conditions, recalled their delegates, and made them ready for battle. The wise and conciliating policy of the duke of Norfolk prevented the collision which appeared almost inevitable. He prevailed upon the insurgents to lay down their arms, on condition of receiving free pardon from the king, with a promise that their grievances should be discussed in parliament; and with some difficulty he induced the king, who was very peevish with him about it, to publish the amnesty without exceptions.

The general pardon was dated December 9th, 1536. In February, the insurrection broke out again, but lord Latimer did not join it. The prudent counsels of Katharine possibly deterred her lord from involving himself a second time in so rash an enterprise. It is certain that, by remaining quiescent, he escaped the tragic fate of his northern neighbours and late confederates, the lord D'Arcy, sir Robert Constable, sir Stephen Hamerton, and upwards of seventy others, on whom the royal vengeance inflicted the extreme penalty of the law. The only daughter of sir Stephen Hamerton was betrothed to Katherine's youthful kinsman, Walter Strickland, and not only this family connexion, but the execution of several of the Nevilles after the second rising must have rendered this period a season of fearful anxiety to lord and lady Latimer. It was probably about this time that sir John Russell, the lord privy seal, took the opportunity of requesting a very inconvenient favour for one of his friends, of lord Latimer; namely, that his lordship should oblige this person with the loan of his fine mansion in the churchyard of the Chartreux, now called the