Upon this Simon Rice, Mercer, was chosen, who refused to serve the Office : Then was one George Robinson elected, who swore he was not qualified. This put the Citizens in the Common Hall into fuch a Fury; that they declared they would have a Mercer for Sheriff. On which Nicholas Lambert, Efq; one of the Aldermen and a Grocer, who had a Dispensation from serving the Office of Sheriff for a Year, seeing the Commotions that were likely to ensue, rose up and spoke to the Citizens, Gentlemen, although my Time is not come to serve the Office of Sheriff ; yet, for the Quiet of the City, if you will chuse me, I am ready to take upon me the Office; which one and all they thankfully did, and by that Means the Peace of the City was preserved. The Cardinal

As some Abuses had crept into the reforms the

King's Houthold, the Cardinal in the Koujhbold of Month of Oɛtober, came to the King's the King:

Court, which was held at Eltham, and 1526.

took Orders for reforming and settling the State of his Majesty's Houshold ; when many Officers, and other Servants who were grown old in the Service, were discharged and allowed Pensions during their Lives ; 64 Yeomen of the Guard, who were likewise grown old, were also discharged and allowed Half-pay. He also settled the Housholds of the Duke of Richmond, and the Princess Mary, which he did in fo regular a Manner, that he gave great Satisfaction to them all.

Hall

*

* A like Cafe happened a few Peace of the City: This was Years since, the City of London done by that generous Gentlebeing again somewhat put to it man, Daniel Lambert, Esqi who for a fit Person to serve the said has since not only been elected Office, when a Name- sake of Alderman, but filled the Chair, this worthy Alderman's was pre- as Lord Mayor, in the Year vailed on to take that Truft up- 1741, with great Reputation ; on him, which also contributed and is now one of their worthy much towards preserving the Representatives in Parliament.

Hall affirms, " That the Cardinal on this Occa

" * fion made many Orders for the better Government “ of all Things committed to his Care, which were

several Years after called the Statutes of Eltham; “ and, as some faid, were nore profitable than ho“ nourable." - Ill will speaks well of no Body.

The King, by the Advice of his Council, issued a Proclamation against unlawful Gaming, and Commisfions were fent into every County for the Execution of the fame : So that in many Places Tables, Dice, Cards, and Bowls were burnt.

But Stow tells us, “ The young Men were “ so disfatisfied, that they took to Drinking, others " to stealing Rabits and Deer in Parks, and other “ Unthriftinefs."

It being observed, that great Quanti- Is intrufed ties of Silver were carried out of the

with the Care

of the Coin. Kingdom, his Majesty was pleased to raise the Noble from 6s. 8 d. to 7s. 4d. and afterwards to 7s. 6d. whereby every Ounce of Sterling Silver was worth 35. 9d. yet it did not answer what was proposed, on account that the Value of Money was still raised beyond Sea ; wherefore the King granted to the Cardinal a discretional Power to alter the Valuation thereof from time to time, as he should see Cause, which had a very good Effect ; for his Eminency took proper Care to keep our Coin upon a Standard with other Nations, and prevented its being carried clandestinely Abroad.*

The Cardinal also, as it is prefumed, with the King's Leave, erected two Mints for Coining of Money, one

at

* In Edward the IIId's Time, been remarkable, that the Turks, Persons attended at Dover, tó Persians, and Ruffians, by keepreceive the Passengers Money, to ing their Exchanges above the exchange it for foreign Specie, Valuation of their Money, which prevented the current acted a more politick Part than Coin's being carried out of we have done upon several Octhe Kingdom: And it has cafions.

courages Trade

at York, and the other at Durham, which were very useful to that Part of the Country; and Dr. Fiddes exhibits at the End of the Introduction to his Work, Prints of certain Coins from Wolsey's different Presses, each of which bear the Cardinal's Hat, with the initial Letter of his Name.

The Cardinal, besides his great PafAnd greatly en

sion for the encouraging of Learning, and Navigation.

likewise took incredible Care, during

the whole Course of his Administration, to promote the Trade and Navigation of the Kingdom, well knowing, that from thence Riches and Plenty naturally low; and therefore he advised his Majesty to send out Ships, in order to make new Discoveries in the then unknown Parts of the World ; which induced the King to send an Exhortation to Robert Thorn, who had been for some Years in the Indies, under his Majesty's Protection and Encouragement, to proceed in his Enterprize, which partly laid the Foundation for those great Discoveries that were afterwards made in the succeeding Reigns : So that we may justly reckon the Cardinal among the Worthies that were instrumental in beginning the British Empire in America, from which we, at this Day, reap so

great Benefit.

The Cardinal

Wolsey, in his Proceedings to suppress opposed, upon

the leffer Monasteries, according to the his suppressing Power he was intrusted with, both from the lesser Mo- the See of Rome and the King, was opnafteries.

posed. When the Monastery of Bogham in Essex was on the Point of being suppressed, certain People, who appeared in a strange and frightful Disguise, after the Canons were removed out of the Monastery, waited upon them and conducted them back in a pompous Manner, and, according to their Form, reinstated them in the Monastery, and withal promised to come at any Time to their Relief, upon the Signal of ringing the Abbey-bell, in

case

case of Interruption from any one. However, they

: were soon disappointed in their Projects; for the King, receiving Intelligence of their refractory Behaviour, sent for the Canons, who were so strictly examined in Council, that they at last confessed who they were that had appeared and undertaken this Opposition ; whereupon they were secured and punished, and this Monastery shared the fame Fate with the others, whose Revenues were appropriated for the Purpose before-mentioned.

This Matter had not long been The Affair relat- . quieted; but a Female Impostor, call- ing to the Holy

Maid of Kent. ed The Holy Maid of Kent,

* started

up, * Elizabeth Barton, Servant visited our Lady's Chapel in AlMaid, of Aldington in Kent, was dington Parith: This was fhrewdvisited with a tedious Sickness, ly calculated to answer Parwhich in time threw her into fon Master's Design of drawing Convulfion Fits, and those into Pilgrims to visit the fame. Pura Sort of Trance, in which she suant to her Request the was uttered many frantick Ex- carried thither, where she foon pressions, that would very often seemingly recovered, which made bear prophetical Constructions:

a very great Noise abroad. At Of these the Parish Priest made length her first Tutor, joined with a Handle, and immediately car- one of his Concerts, worked her ried an improved Report thereof into fuch a dexterous Knack of to Archbishop Warham, who deceiving, that she gained great listened to it, and ordered the Credit for her Sanctity, and beParson to watch well what she

came ftill more famous, info. might further say. With this much that Archbishop Warham, Incouragement, Mafter, for that Sir Thomas More, Bishop Fisher, was the Priest’s Name, returned as well as many of the lower to the Girl, and took no small Class of Ecclesiasticks, and NumPains to instruct and persuade bers of the Laity, were led aher to set up for a new Prophe- way by her Agitations and pratels, and become a Nun in St. Se phetick Sayings : Nay, she had pulchre's in Canterbury, which she the Subtilty and Assurance to join accordingly did.

After she had with the Cry of the Times, inacted her Part there awhile, the veighing bitterly not only against pretended to be very ill, and, at common Vices, but spared not the Master's Instigation, gave out, King and his favourite, Anna that the Virgin Mary had appear- Bulleyn, by foretelling his utter ed and revealed to her, that she Destruction, in case he pursued never should recover till she had his intended Separation and DiVol. IV.

De

up, pretending to be inspired from Heaven in a most extraordinary Manner ; but the whole, when searched

into, vorce, using these Words, That" hoods and Confederacies, but he should not afrer his Divorce « suffered and admitted the fame be a King one Day, nor one to the Blasphemy of AlmighHour, and that he should die a ty God, and to the

great villanous Death ; and further, u ceit of the Prince of the People that there was a Root with three " of this Realm.” Branches, and till they were If any such Charge as this plucked up it should never be could have been brought against merry in England : Interpreting Wolfey, it is easy to guess what the Root to be the Cardinal, Use Polydor Virgil

, Rapin, and and the three Branches the King his other Enemies would have and the Dukes of Norfolk and made of it. Rapin, indeed, tells Suffolk, before England could do us, The Bishop of Rochester,

well. But at last his Majesty, fre- • Thomas Abel,and four more were quently hearing of these repeated : judged guilty of Misprison of Extravagances and Insults, caused • Treason, and to forfeit their her to be apprehended, and she • Goods and Chattels to the was fcon brought with some of King, and to be imprisoned her Confederates to an Examina- during Pleafure; but Bishop tion, Trial, Conviction and Exe- Fisher pleaded in Excuse, that cution. In the 25th of Hen. VIII. • all he did was to try whether an Act of Attainder passed against s her Revelations were true. her and her Accomplices; and · And for his concealing what from the wording of the Act it is • she had told him concerning very probable fome Cenfure would * the King, he thought it needhave gone against Archbishop less to say any thing, because Warham, had he been living at • The, as he said, had told it to that Time, for the Act, after re- the King, herself.' So he repeating Elizabeth Barton's Deal- fused to make any

Submission ings with Master, sets forth, and yet it does not appear that “That for Ratification of her the King proceeded against him “ false, feigned Revelations, Ed- upon this Act made on Purpose, " ward Bockham, by Conspi- as well to confirm the Con

racy between him and the demnation of this notorious and

faid Elizabeth Barton, reveal- uncommon Affair, as to radi" ed the fame to the most Re- cate it out of the Minds of the “ verend William, the late Arch- Populace, into which it had sunk “ bishop of Canterbury, who, by very deep, by means of the con" the false and untrue Surmises, tinual Sermons and Writings “ Tales and Lies of the said E- published by the Creature's Vo. " lizabeth, was allured, brought taries, in Vindication of her Di" and induced to credit them, stractions and wild Speeches ; • and made no diligent Searches tho', one would have thought, “ for the Trial of the said Falf- the Woman's Dying Speech might