66 T * His Speech to the Fudges. HE King's Highness knoweth whether I have offended his Majefty or no, in ufing my Prerogative Legatine, for which I am profecuted I had the "King's Licence in my Coffers under his Hand and "Broad Seal, for the exercifing and ufing thereof "in the largest wife, the which now are in the Hands "of mine Enemies: Therefore, because I will not "stand in Question with the King in his own Cause, "I will here presently confefs before you the In"formation, and put me wholly to the Grace and Mercy of the King; trufting that he hath a Confcience, and a Difcretion to confider the Truth, and 66 my humble Submiffion and Obedience, wherein I might right well ftand to the Trial thereof by "Juftice: But thus much you may fay to his High"ness, that I am wholly under his Obeifance, and will "and do fubmit myself to all Things that fhall be his 66 66 princely Pleasure, whofe Will and Commandment "I never difobeyed or repugned, but was always con"tented or glad to please him before Gon, whom "I ought moft chiefly to have obeyed, the which "now makes me repent. To this the Judges made no other Reply than, "That they would report his Anfwer to his Majefty;" and, upon their Return to London, Judgment was figned: Notwithstanding this, the Cardinal had before received Affurances from his Majefty, that he would not proceed to the utmoft Rigour of the Law, Q9 2 *It is very likely from this Speech, that the Cardinal would have put himself upon Trial by his Country, if his Books, Writings, and Papers had not been arbitrarily taken from him,which fhews the Happiness we enjoy at this Time, when every Man Upon has, by Law, the Privilege of having his Papers reftored to him, in order to make his Defence, before he can be compelled to appear in any of our Courts of Justice to abide a Trial: A Privilege we hope our Country will always enjoy, Upon the Judgment's being figned, the Cardinal's whole Eftate, both real and perfonal, was forfeited to the King, himself out of the King's Protection, and his Perfon fubject to Imprisonment, the ufual Sentence incurred on a Premunire: And, as he was now entirely under Difgrace, we may look upon him hereafter as a kind of Prifoner at large in his Refidence at Eber. The Writer of the Church History with great Truth fays, "That it is not only from the Cardinal's "Words, that we are affured he exercised the Le"gatine Power by Royal Authority; feveral publick "Records exprefly make mention of it: There is "the King's Letters Patent confirming the Pope's "Bull to that Purpofe; and the 28th Article, which was exhibited in Parliament against him, charges "him not with the Ufe, but the Abufe of his "Power." Fish, one that bad abused the Cardinal, re ceived into Fa Four. As the Cardinal was now in Difgrace, Simon Fish, who was afterwards a zealous Man for the Reformation, was fent for back to England, and kindly receiv ed by the King. He had before quitted his Country upon the Account of a Play that was wrote by one Roe, one of the Parts in which highly reflected upon the Cardinal; and, on endeavouring to get it acted, it was refufed by feveral Perfons, but when he applied to this Fish, he fell in readily with his Requeft. Fib had had a good Academical Education, was for fome time a Student in Gray's-Inn, and his being introduced into the King's Favour was upon this Occafion. When he was Abroad, he fell into Company with the famous William Tyndal; who, on his acquainting him with the Reafon that obliged him to quit his Country, put him upon Writing a little Book, calculated to defame the Cardinal and the Clergy, which they entitled, The Supplication of Beg gars. gars. It begins with a lamentable Complaint of the Mifery of the Times, &c. and enters into bitter Reflections upon the Cardinal, Bishops, Priors, Monks, Friars, &c. a Copy of this Book (after the Affair of the Divorce was commenced, the Proceedings thereon not pleafing the Court) he fent to the Lady Anna Bulleyn, who, as foon as fhe had perufed it, believing it might answer the End of defaming the Cardinal still more, gave it to his Majefty, who received it with a feeming Approbation. This emboldened Fish's Friends to caufe divers Copies of it to be fcattered up and down London. Of this Ufage Wolfey complained to the King, but no notice was taken of it: On the contrary, Fish was more and more countenanced by the Partizans against the Cardinal. After his Return to England he tranflated, from the Dutch into English, a Piece, entitled, The Sum of the Scriptures, which was alfo well approved of: But at last he died of the Plague in the Year 1531, and was buried in the Church of St. Dunstan in the Weft, London. The Cardinal's Behaviour under bis Misfar tunes. The Cardinal, however, bore up under his Misfortunes as well as the Circumstances of his Affairs would admit of: For on All-Saints Day, after Divine Service, there dined with the Cardinal several of his Chaplains and other Ecclefiafticks, who had an immediate Dependance upon him; and, among the reft, Thomas Cromwell, his Chief Sollicitor. In the Dif courfe that happened at Table, Mr. Cromwell took the Liberty to mention the Fidelity of moft of his Eminence's Servants, who had not deferted him in his Troubles, nor had they any Likelihood of being confidered. After Dinner the Cardinal, being in private with Cromwell, enter. ed upon the fame Subject, when Cromwell propofed a Way in fome measure to provide for them, but not without fome tart Reflections upon the Cardinal's Chaplains, who poffeffed very large Revenues thro' his Eminence's Means. Means. Soon after this Conference the whole Houfe affembled in the Hall, by the Cardinal's Order, where he prefented himself in his Pontifical Attire, and, having viewed his Domefticks as they were ranged on both Sides of the Room, he turned towards the Window, to wipe away the Tears, which he could not refrain from fhedding at the Sight of fo many old and faithful Servants, whom he was not able to reward according to their Merits. They, on the other hand, could not behold fo kind a Master with dry Eyes, whom he endeavoured to comfort with a moving Speech, (which Cavendish gives us at length) and concluded it with protesting, That he had nothing left to diftribute among them, befides the Garments be wore, which he was willing to strip himself of, and divide among them. Mr. Cromwell took hold of that Motion, and contributed fomewhat out of his Pocket, which induced the Chaplains to make a Collection among themselves, proportionable to their Re venues; by which Means the Cardinal was enabled to discharge his Servants, and allow them several Months Subfiftance; fome of whom returned to their Families or Friends, but others ftaid with the Cardinal to fee the Iffue of his Misfortunes. Mr. Cromwell ing) and, if Sir John Ruf fell attends the The next Day Mr. Cromwell fet out for London to attend both his Master's and his own Affairs, having firft declared, be would mar all, or make all, (his ufual Sayhe fucceeded, he would be back again in About 12 o'clock at Night, after Mr. Cromwell had left Efber, Sir John Ruffell arrived there, being fent privately by the King, then refiding at Greenwich, whofe Bufinefs was to affure the Cardinal, that he was ftill in the King's Favour, in Token whereof his Majefty had fent him with another Ring, fet with a Turkish Stone, with Orders to tell him, "That he was forry he had given fo much Credit |