XXX. $534. his heirs, or to endeavour depriving them of their CHAP. dignities or titles. They gave him a right to all the annates and tithes of benefices, which had formerly been paid to the court of Rome. They granted him a subsidy and a fifteenth. They attainted More and Fisher for mifprifion of treafon. And they completed the union of England and Wales, by giving to that principality all the benefit of the Eng lish laws. THUS the authority of the popes, like all exorbitant power, was ruined by the excefs of its acquifitions, and by ftretching its pretenfions beyond what it was poffible for any human principles or prepoffeffions to fuftain. Indulgences had in former ages tended extremely to enrich the holy fee; but being openly abused, they ferved to excite the first commotions and oppofition in Germany. The prerogative of granting difpenfations had alfo contributed much to attach all the fovereign princes and great families in Europe to the papal authority; but meeting with an unlucky concurrence of circumftances, was now the cause why England feparated herself from the Romish communion. The acknowledgment of the king's fupremacy introduced there a greater fimplicity in the government, by uniting the fpiritual with the civil power, and preventing difputes about limits, which never could be exactly determined, between the contending jurifdictions. A way was alfo prepared for checking the exorbitances of fuperftition, and breaking thofe fhackles by which all human reafon, policy, and induftry had fo long been encumbered. The prince, it may be fuppofed, being head of the religion, as well as of the temporal jurifdiction of the kingdom, though he might fometimes employ the former as an engine of government, had no intereft, like the Roman pontiff, in nourishing its exceffive growth; and, except when blinded by his own ignorance or bigotry, would XXX. 3534. CHAP. would be fure to retain it within tolerable limits, and prevent its abufes. And on the whole, there followed from this revolution many beneficial confequences; though perhaps neither forefeen nor intended by the perfons who had the chief hand in conducting it. WHILE Henry proceeded with fo much order and tranquillity in changing the national religion, and while his authority feemed entirely fecure in England, he was held in fome inquietude by the ftate of affairs in Ireland and in Scotland. THE earl of Kildare was deputy of Ireland, under the duke of Richmond, the king's natural fon, who bore the title of lieutenant; and as Kildare was accufed of fome violences against the family of Offory, his hereditary enemies, he was fummoned to answer for his conduct. He left his authority in the hands of his fon, who hearing that his father was thrown into prison, and was in danger of his life, immediately took up arms, and joining himself to Oneale, Ocarrol, and other Irish nobility, committed many ravages, murdered Allen archbishop of Dublin, and laid fiege to that city. Kildare meanwhile died in prifon, and his fon, perfevering in his revolt, made applications to the emperor, who promifed him af fiftance. The king was obliged to fend over fome forces to Ireland, which fo haraffed the rebels, that this young nobleman, finding the emperor backward in fulfilling his promifes, was reduced to the neceffity of furrendering himfeif prifoner to lord Leonard Gray, the new deputy, brother to the marquis of Dorfet. He was carried over to England, together with his five uncles; and after trial and conviction they were all brought to public juftice; though two of the uncles, in order to fave the family, had had pretended to join the king's party. THE earl of Angus had acquired the entire afcendant in Scotland; and having gotten poffeffion of the king's XXX. 1534. king's perfon, then in early youthi, he was able, by CHAP. means of that advantage, and by employing the power of his own family, to retain the reins of government. The queen-dowager, however, his confort, bred him great difturbance. For having separated herself from him, on account of fome jealoufies and difguits, and having procured a divorce, fhe had married another man of quality, of the name of Stuart; and he joined all the discontented nobility who oppofed Angus's authority. James himself was diffatisfied with the flavery to which he was reduced; and by fecret correfpondence he incited firft Walter Scot, then the earl of Lenox, to attempt by force of arms the freeing him from the hands of Angus. Both enterprifes failed of fuccefs; but James, impatient of reftraint, found means at laft of efcaping to Stirling, where his mother then refided; and having fummoned all the nobility to attend him, he overturned the authority of the Douglaffes, and obliged Angus and his brother to fly into England, where they were protected by Henry. The king of Scotland, being now arrived at years of majority, took the government into his own hands; and employed himself with great fpirit and valour in repreffing thofe feuds, ravages, and diforders, which, though they difturbed the courfe of public juftice, ferved to fupport the martial spirit of the Scots, and contributed by that means to maintain national independency. He was defirous of renewing the ancient league with the French nation; but finding Francis in clofe union with England, and on that account fomewhat cold in hearkening to his proposals, he received the more favourably the advances of the emperor, who hoped by means of such an ally to breed difturbance to England. He offered the Scottish king the choice of three princeffes, his own near relations, and all of the name of Mary; his fifter the dowager of Hungary, his niece a daughter of Portugal, or his coufin the daughter of XXX. 1534. CHAP. of Henry, whom he pretended to difpofe of unknown to her father. James was more inclined to the latter propofal, had it not upon reflection been found impracticable; and his natural propenfity to France at laft prevailed over all other confiderations. The alliance with Francis neceffarily engaged James to maintain peace with England. But though invited by his uncle Henry to confer with him at Newcastle, and concert common measures for repreffing the ecclefiaftics in both kingdoms, and fhaking off the yoke of Rome, he could not be prevailed on, by entering England, to put himself in the king's power. In order to have a pretext for refufing the conference, he applied to the pope, and obtained a brief, forbidding him to engage in any perfonal negotiations with an enemy of the holy fee. From these measures Henry easily concluded, that he could very little depend on the friendship of his nephew. But thofe events took not place till fome time after our present period. CHAP. XXXI. Religious principles of the people-of the king-of dinal Pole. Car HE ancient and almoft uninterrupted oppo- CHAP. Tfition of interefts between the laity and clergy XXXI. 1534. in England, and between the English clergy and the court of Rome, had fufficiently prepared the nation Religious for a breach with the fovereign pontiff; and men principles had penetration enough to difcover abufes, which of the people. were plainly calculated for the temporal advantages of the hierarchy, and which they found deftructive of their own. Thefe fubjects feemed proportioned to human understanding; and even the people, who felt the power of intereft in their own breaft, could perceive the purpose of those numerous inventions which the interested spirit of the Roman pontiff had introduced into religion. But when the reformers proceeded thence to difpute concerning the nature of |