Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

lutations on both Sides, Mr. Kingston affured him, in the King's Name, "That his Majefty had ftill an "entire Affection for him, but he could not help "bringing him to his Trial, fuch was the Importu

[ocr errors]

The Cardis

nal's Reply.

He leaves the

Earl of

nities of his Enemies, though the King did not "in the least question but he was able to clear him"felf, and would come off with Honour: That his "Örders were to permit him to fet out for London, "when he thought proper, and to take what Time he pleafed upon his Journey." To this the Cardinal replied, I have a Diftemper which will not permit me to make very much hafte; however, I will endeavour to be ready for the Journey to-morrow Morning. But the Purging was fo 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 began his Journey, though very weak and full of Pain, and by gentle Pro- Shrewsbury. grefs reached Hardwicke-ball, another Seat belonging to the Earl of Shrewsbury; the next Day he arrived at Nottingham, his Diftemper ftill increafing; and the Day following came to Leicefter-abbey, at which Time he could fcarce fit 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 fhort but moving Speech, Father Abbot, I am come to lay my Bones among you; and with great Difficulty he difmounted his Mule. Being got to his Apartment he went to Bed, and with much Refignation he submitted to the Will of Heaven.

1

His Speech to the Abbot at Leicester.

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

Y y

an

His dying Words.

anfwered, I only wait the Pleasure of 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 Phyfick, and that his Distemper being a Flux joined, with a continual Fever, it was impoffible for Nature to hold out much longer, confidering it had attended him eight Days, and, as he had not during that Time had any Eafe, he expected nothing but a Diffolution. 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, concluding with these Expreffions, Mr. Kingfton, farewel, I can no more fay, but I wifh all Things to have good Succefs; my Time draweth on faft. Having uttered thefe Words his Speech failed him, whereupon the Guards were called in to see him expire; and about eight of the Clock he died, being affifted in his laft Moments with the Prayers of the Abbot and the rest of the Convent; and thus finished his Days this great Prelate and Statefman, November 29, 1530, being Sixty Years of Age, wanting four Months.

And Death.

Expofed to Publick View, tho privately buried.

As foon as dead he was put into a Coffin, and the next Day laid with his Face uncovered, Liberty being given to all Perfons to view him, in order to prevent false Reports, as to his not being really dead But, if the Cardinal's Enemies will have it, that he had taken Poison, though there were no Symptoms of it, It is most probable, (fays the Author of the Church History, and Dr. Fiddes) that it was adminiftred by fome other Hand.

After he had been publickly viewed for fome time, and the Curiofity of the People fufficiently fatisfied,

he

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, even within these forty Years, great Pains have been taken to find whereabouts

His Remains fearched af

ter.

he was buried, feveral 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 fo privately buried Bishop Corbet, one of his College, gives us the following Lines.

A Soliloque on bis private

Burial.

Search, find bis Name, but there is none: O Kings!
Remember whence your Power and Vaftness Springs.
If not, as Richard now, fo may you be,
Who bath no Tomb but Scorn and Memory.
And, tho' from his Store WOLSEY might have
A Palace, or a College, for his Grave;
Yet here he lies interr'd, as if that all
Of him to be remember'd was his 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?

Obfervations

on Polydor Vir

gil's Character of Wolfey.

Polydor Virgil, the Cardinal's implacable Enemy, when he comes to speak of his Difgrace and End, delivers himfelf in the most extravagant Terms, contrary to the Atteftation of those who attended him from his Adverfity 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 fo much laboured for, (after he obtained his Liberty) by writing one of the

Y y 2

most

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

But

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

M

of York.

OST great and most

rev. Pontiff, and most firm Pillar of the Church of God, humble Commendations: And I your Servant, who ftill am buried in the Shadow of Death, have heard of your extraordinary Fame, and with how much Applaufe of all Men your most rev. Lordship has been raised to the high Cardinalate Throne : So great is your Virtue, that 6 you reflect more Luftre and • Dignity on that fupream

Order, than you receive therefrom; I, among the reft, do rejoice, and am heartily pleafed; but when it fhall be lawful for me, in your Majesty's Prefence, to adore you, then will my Soul be in Raptures with thee, O God of my Comfort! Moft rev. Lord God of Forgiveness, God of Pity, at length extend your Mercy on your poor Servant! Your Benignity lately forgave my Crime, vouchfafe, out of the Bowels of GOD's Mercy to forgive the Punishment likewife, that your Gifts may be as perfect as your most rev. Lordship.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

Now the Time approaches when our Redeemer, CHRIST, defcended from the Heavens, to reconcile Sinners to GOD the Father, vouch safe, moft great Prelate, in the fame Manher, to take me from the Shades of Death, in this Seafon of Grace, by the Right-hand of your Clemency, and to restore me to Holy Light, that, on the LOR D's Birth-day, I, being likewife, by your Means, regenerated, may be able to return Thanks, and pray to the fame Lord JESUS with Tranquillity of Mind, and a chearful Heart, for your moft rey. Lordship, as I fhall conftantly do while • Life remains.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

6

Therefore, good and moft ( rev, Lord, have Mercy on me fpeedily, who am afflicted and in great Diftrefs: Save me, O thou, who can ft fave for ever! Have Mercy, I fay, because the Seafon for Mercy and Sal⚫vation draws near. Amen.

Your most rev. Lordship's

• Humble Creature
• POLY DOR

But the Cardinal knew Polydor too well to trust him, or employ him in any Affairs during the whole Course of his Miniftry, 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 unjuft Reflections on him. We fhall now leave this black, ungrateful Author, to attend to the Characters given us by three eminent Writers, a Proteftant, a Roman Catholick, and ą Player.

"He maintained his Innocence with "the highest Solemnities, preffed for a "Trial, and defired nothing more than

[ocr errors]

Mr. Collier's
Character of the
Cardinal.

to be brought Face to Face before his Enemies : "Thefe one would think are no great Signs of Dẹjection or Defpair: By the way, this Remark may "ferve to clear him in fome measure from the Imputa"tion of Cowardice, which a learned Hiftorian, [Bishop "Burnet,] has thrown upon him. Fox charges the Car"dinal with poisoning himself; but, to do him Justice

[ocr errors]

against Fox, if there was any foul Play, 'tis most likely " 'twas received from those who had him in Cuftody. "The Cardinal was not altogether without his Failings; "he feems to have affected Pomp and fecular 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

[ocr errors]

great a Pluralift: He appears likewife to have "been too refigned a Courtier, and over obfequious "to the King's Pleafure; and this Excefs of Com"plaifance he regretted at his very last Hour; and "to this fort of Misconduct a high Station lies not

a little expofed. But then, he had the Mixture "of many good Qualities: He was a Perfon of "great Parts and Induftry, had defervedly the Re

[ocr errors]

putation of an able Minifter, and was courted by the greatest Princes: His Learning is faid to have "lain

« ZurückWeiter »