convocation, as the King's representative, above the archbishops.

Only a short time, however, before Cromwell's elevation to this important function, an event had taken place which might have proved fatal to the Refor mation, if Henry's hope of plunder (to accrue from the suppression of the monasteries) had not overcome his inward attachment to the Romish faith. Having indulged a passion for Jane Seymour, who would not listen to him upon any other terms than those of ascending the throne, he encouraged an accusation of incontinence against his lately beloved Anne Boleyn, founded solely on some personal levities in her conduct; upon which charge she was rigidly tried, unjustly condemned, and tyrannically put to death May 19, 1536. And, that no doubt might remain of his real motive, he married his new favourite the next day. This revolution revived the hopes of the Popish party, and obliged Lord Cromwell to proceed with great caution in the exercise of the powers of his high office. Yet he ventured, this year, to publish some articles of religion, which differed in many essential points from those of the self-named 'Catholic' Church. The seven sacraments of that communion were reduced to three, Baptism, Penance, and the Eucharist. The Bible, with the Apostolic, Nicene, and Athanasian Creeds, was made the standard of the public religion, and the doctrine of Purgatory was declared to be doubtful. The clergy, likewise, were injoined to preach up the King's supremacy, and to prevent offerings of incense and kneeling to images, lest the people should be led away by idolatry and superstition.

His next care was, to encourage the translation of the Bible into English; and of this, when accom

plished, he ordered a copy, provided in every parish at the expense of the minister and the parishioners, to be placed in the churches for the inspection of persons of every rank, as well laymen as clergy. Parents and guardians of youth were, also, ordered to teach them "the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and the Ten Commandments, in the vulgar tongue.” *

As these measures directly struck at the root of the Romish religion and menaced it's speedy extirpation, a formidable party, headed by the Popish clergy, excited insurrections in different parts of the kingdom; and the rebels of Yorkshire had even the insolence to demand, that Lord Cromwell should be brought to condign punishment, as one of the subverters of the good laws of the realm. But these disturbances were so far from alienating the royal affection, that in 1537 he was constituted Chief Justice in Eyre of all the forests north of the Trent; and, on the twenty-sixth of August in the same year, installed Knight of the Garter, and Dean of the cathedral church of Wells. In the year following, he obtained a grant of the castle and lordship of Okeham in the county of Rutland, and was made Constable of Carisbrook Castle in the Isle of Wight; and in 1539 was farther rewarded, for his instrumentality in pulling down the monasteries, with many noble manors and estates, which had formerly been the property of those dissolved houses, and advanced to the dignities of Earl of Essex and Lord High Chamberlain of England.

These honours drew down upon him an additional` weight of envy and ill-will: for, beside the general

He, likewise, issued some important injunctions upon the residence of the clergy, the keeping of registers, &c.

dislike of the old aristocracy, of the ancient family of Bourchier (the last Earl of Essex, who had broken his neck by a fall from an unruly horse) there still remained several branches, who might justly think themselves entitled to the extinct earldom. The chamberlainship, also, had been for many generations hereditary in the family of the De Veres, Earls of Oxford; and it's members could not but be highly incensed against him, for thus intercepting what their nobler ancestors had so long enjoyed.* On the same day likewise that he was created Earl of Essex, his son Gregory was made. Baron Cromwell of Okeham, and put in commission with others to sell the abbey-lands at twenty years' purchase; a measure, which Cromwell advised the King to adopt, as the surest way to stop the clamors of the people, and to induce their acquiescence in the dissolution of the monasteries.

Hitherto his prosperity had continued uninterrupted; but such is the uncertainty of human events, that his ruin was occasioned by the very precaution, which he took to secure his power! In 1537, died Queen Jane Seymour, two days after the birth of a son, named Edward; and Henry having subsequently overcome his real grief for the loss of this favourite wife, in 1539 began to turn his thoughts to a German alliance; hoping, as the Lutheran princes were extremely disgusted with the Emperor's persecution of their religion, by matching himself into one of their families, to renew an amity which might in future

He had, farther, made himself odious to the friends of law and justice, by his arbitrary proceedings in procuring bills from parliament for the condemnation of persons unheard, on a charge of treason; by which, among others, the Countess of Salisbury and the Marchioness of Exeter, both of the blood-royal, were sentenced to death.

promote his political views. This inclination Cromwell joyfully seconded; and as he perceived that some of his bitterest enemies, particularly Gardiner, Bishop of Winchester, began to be more in favour at court than himself, he exerted his utmost endeavours to bring about a marriage between the King and Anne of Cleves: naturally imagining, that a Queen of his own making would powerfully support his interest at court. Alas! when Henry saw his intended bride, he pronounced her a great Flanders mare,' and declared that he could never bear her any affection. He married her indeed, and for some time continued to her his attentions, seeming even to repose his usual confidence in Cromwell; but, though he exerted this command over his temper, his latent dissatisfaction was ready to break forth the very first opportunity: nor was it long before an occasion offered, which enabled him at once to gratify his resentment, and to ingratiate himself with his subjects.*

The Catholics, who detested Cromwell for his activity in the dissolution of the religious houses, encouraged by the Duke of Norfolk and the Bishop of Winchester, had raised so violent a clamor against him, that Henry, who was now courting their favour with a view of marrying the Duke's niece, Katharine Howard, if by any means he could procure a divorce from the Princess of Cleves, readily resolved to sacrifice his minister to their revenge. This divorce Norfolk and Gardiner undertook to accomplish, if Cromwell were previously removed.

*The nation in general was highly incensed against Cromwell, for his having recently obtained a subsidy of four shillings in the pound from the clergy, and a tenth and a fifteenth from the laity, notwithstanding the immense sums which had flowed into the treasury upon the dissolution of the monasteries.

Accordingly, on the tenth of June 1540, the former obtained a commission to arrest him at the councilboard. From the palace he was carried to the Tower, without knowing either his accusers, or the crimes with which he was charged; though from his first commitment, he entertained no doubt of a design having been laid against his life, as the Duke of Norfolk had always been his professed enemy.

On the seventeenth of the same month, a bill of attainder against him was brought into the House of Lords. He was accused of heresy and treason; of having set at liberty persons convicted of misprision of treason, without the Sovereign's assent; of having received bribes; and of having granted licences to carry corn, money, horses, and other things out of the kingdom, contrary to the royal proclamation. But what fully displayed the spirit of the party, was the charge of his having dispersed many erroneous books, hostile to the belief of the sacraments, among the King's subjects. Several other imputations, equally frivolous, were alleged against him: but though he had established his innocence by letters addressed to Henry during his confinement, when brought to his trial, he was not suffered to speak in his own defence, and the bill of attainder passed both Houses.

"It is plain to perceive," says Burnet," that most of the articles of his impeachment related to orders and directions he had given, for which it is very probable he had the King's warrant. And for the matter of heresy, the King had proceeded so far toward a reformation, that what he did that way was in all probability done by the King's orders: but the King now falling from these things, it was thought they intended to stifle him by such an attainder, that