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lutations on both sides, Mr. Kingston assured him, in the King's Name, “ That his Majesty had ftill an « entire Affection for him, but he could not help

bringing him to his Trial, such was the Importuco nities of his Enemies, though the King did not " in the least question but he was able to clear him" self, and would come off with Honour: That bis « Örders were to permit him to set out for London, “ when he thought proper, and to take what Time he " pleased upon his Journey.” To this the Cardinal replied, I have a Diftemper which will not

The Cardis permit me to make very much haste; bow

nal's Reply. ever, I will endeavour to be ready for the Journey to-morrow Morning But the Purging was so violent upon him in the Night, that he had near 50 Stools, which obliged him to remain there the next Day. The Morning following he

He leaves the began his Journey, though very weak

Earl of and full of Pain, and by gentle Pro- Shrewstury. . gress reached Hardwicke-ball, another Seat belonging to the Earl of Shrewsbury ; Day he arrived at Nottingham, his Distemper ftill increasing; and the Day following came to Leicefter-abbey, at which Time he could scarce sit on his Mule. The Abbot and all the Convent received him honourably, and bid him welcome with great Reverence: To whom he made only this short but moving Speech, Father Abbot, I am come to

His Speech to lay my Bones among you; and with great the Abbot at Difficulty he difmounted his Mule. Be- Leicester. ing got to his Apartment he went to Bed, and with much Resignation he submitted to the Will of Heaven.

On Monday his Illness was so far increased, that he could not live long. On Tuesday Morning early Mr. Kingston went into his Room, and asked him, How he had rested? The Cardinal devoutly Vol. IV.

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the next

an

His dying answered, I only wait the Pleasure of Words. Heaven to render my poor Soul into the Hands

of my Creator. Upon which Mr. Kingston would have comforted him, but the Cardinal gave him to understand, That he had himself fome Knowledge in Physick, and that his Diftemper being a Flux joined, with a continual Fever, it was imposible for Nature to hold out much longer, considering it had attended him eight Days, and, as he had not during that Time had any Ease, he expeeted nothing but a Dissolution. Mr. Kingston on this intimated, that he feared he wanted Courage to withstand what he might expect. To this his Eminence replied, which Cavendish relates, con

cluding with these Expressions, Mr. KingAnd Death.

ston, farewel, I can no more say, but I wish all Things to have good Success ; my Time draweth on fast. Having uttered these Words his Speech failed him, whereupon the Guards were called in to see him expire ; and about eight of the Clock he died, being asisted in his last Moments with the Prayers of the Abbot and the rest of the Convent; and thus finished his Days this great Prelate and Statesman, November 29, 1530, being Sixty Years of Age, wanting four Months.

As soon as dead he was put into a Exposed to

Coffin, and the next Day laid with his Publick View, tho'privately

Face uncovered, Liberty being given to buried. all Persons to view him, in order to

prevent false Reports, as to his not being really dead : But, if the Cardinals Enemies will have it, that he had taken Poison, though there were no Symptoms of it, It is most probable, (says the Author of the Church History, and Dr. Fiddes) that it was administred by some other Hand.

After he had been publickly viewed for some time, and the Curiosity of the People sufficiently satisfied,

he

ter.

he was, early in the Morning, on St. Andrew's Day, buried in the Middle of a Chapel at the Abbey in Leicester.

Since the Diffolution of the Abbey, His Remains even within these forty Years, great Pains searched afhave been taken to find whereabouts he was buried, several Parts of the Abbey has been dug, but to no Purpose, they having not been able to find his Bones.

Upon the Cardinal's being so privately A Soliloque on buried Bishop Corbet, one of his College, bis private gives us the following Lines,

Burial.
Search, find bis Name, but there is none : 0 Kings !
Remember whence your Power and Vaftness Springs.
If not, as Richard now, so may you be,
Who hath no Tomb but Scorn and Memory.
And, tho' from bis Store Wolsey might have
A Palace, or a College, for his Grave ;
Yet bere be lies interr'd, as if that all
Of him to be remember'd was bis Fall :
Nothing but Earth to Earth, no pompous Weight
Upon him, but a Pebble, or a Quait.
If thou’rt thus neglected, what shall we
Hope after Death, that are but Shreads of thee ?

Polydor Virgil, the Cardinal's impla- Obfervations cable Enemy, when he comes to speak

on Polydor Vir of his Disgrace and End, delivers him. gil's Charakter

of Wolsey. self in the most extravagant Terms, contrary to the Attestation of those who attended him from his Adversity to his Death. Rapin and other Authors, who have danced after Polydor's Pipe, have not been much less virulent, and all this, truly, because he was not to be cajoled into that good Opinion of Polydor he so much laboured for, (after he obtained his Liberty) by writing one of the Yy2

most

most fawning Letters that ever was penned, nay, a very few Degree from Blasphemy, and therein fully acknowledging his Offence; which, wrote in Latin with Polydor's own Hand, is preserved in the Exchequer Record-office, a Translation whereof we have introduced. *

But

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* POLYDOR VIRGIL to Cardinal WOLSEY. • To the most Reverend Lord, my God, the most worthy Cardinal

of York. OST great and most Now the Time approaches

rev. Pontiff, and most ! when our Redeemer, CHRIST, • firm Pillar of the Church of • descended from the Heavens, God, humble Commendations: to reconcile Sinners to GOD

And I your Servant, who ? the Father, vouch safe, moft - ftill' am buried in the Sha

great Prelate, in the fame Mandow of Death, have heard • ner, to take me from the Shades of your extraordinary Fame, " of Death, in this Season of Grace, and with how much Applause by the Right-hand of your • of all Men your most rev. • Clemency, and to restore me

Lordship has been raised to to Holy Light, that, on the • the high Cardinalate Throne : ? Lord's Birth-day, I, being like. So great is your Virtue, that wise, by your Means, regeneyou reflect more Lustre and

• rated, may be able to return « Dignity on that supream • Thanks, and pray to the same • Order, than you receive there • Lord Jesus with Tranquillity

from ; I, among the rest, do • of Mind, and a chearful Heart,

rejoice, and am heartily pleaf- • for your molt rey. Lordship, • ed ; but when it shall be law- I shall constantly do while sful for me, in your Majesty's į Life remains.

Presence, to adore you, then

will my Soul be in Raptures . Therefore, good and most s with thee, O God of my Com- rev, Lord, have Mercy on me

fort! Moft rev. Lord God of speedily, who am afflicted and Forgiveness, God of Pity, at ' in great Distress : Save me, O. length extend your Mercy '

* thou, who can save for ever! on your poor Servant! Your

• Have Mercy, I''say, because Benignity lately forgave my the Season for Mercy and Sal

" , $ Crime, vouchsafe, out of the vation draws near. Amen. & Bowels of God's Mercy to

forgive the Punishment like- Your most rev. Lordship's
wile, that your Gifts may be
as perfe&t as your most rey.

Humble Creature,
Lordship

POLYDOR

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But the Cardinal knew Polydor too well to trust him, or employ him in any Affairs during the whole Course of his Ministry, which leaves us no room to wonder at what Polydor afterwards did, when he thought himself above the Reach of being called to Account for his unjust Reflections on him. We shall now leave this black, ungrateful Author, to attend to the Characters given us by three eminent Writers, a Protestant, a Roman Catholick, and a Player. “ He maintained his Innocence with Mr. Collier's

Character of the “ the highest Solemnities, pressed for a

Cardinal. “ Trial, and desired nothing more than “ to be brought Face to Face before his Enemies : “ These one would think are no great Signs of De" jection or Despair: By the way, this Remark may es serve to clear him in fome measure from the Imputa“ tion of Cowardice, which a learned Historian, (Bishop « Burnet,] has thrown upon him. Fox charges the Car“ dinal with poisoning himself; but, to do him Justice

against Fox, if there was any foul Play, 'tis most likely “ 'twas received from those who had him in Custody, “ The Cardinal was not altogether without his Failings ; so he seems to have affected Pomp and secular Grandeur “ too much ; he held the Offices of Lord Chancellor, " the Bishoprick of Winchester, with the rich Abbey of “ St. Albans, and the Archbishoprick of York all at “one Time; this, without doubt, was being too

great a Pluralist: He appears likewise to have “ been too resigned a Courtier, and over obsequious “ to the King's Pleasure, and this Excess of Com“ plaifance he regretted at his very last Hour ; and

to this sort of Misconduct a high Station lies not “ a little exposed. But then, he had the Mixture “ of many good Qualities : He was a Person of

great Parts and Industry, had deservedly the Reç “ putation of an able Minister, and was courted by the greatest Princes : His Learning is said to have

" lain