« abroad, and died in that unhappy Condition, some “ Time after he returned to England.' The Cardinal's Many Authors relate, that the ReveEnemies endea- nues of the Cardinal accruing from the vour ftill more Privileges of his Visitorial Power, of to defame bim. making Abbots, proving Wills, granting Faculties, Licences, and Dispensations ; from his Pensions, Preferments, and other visīble Advantages, were thought at this Time to be equal to the Revenues of the Crown; but, it seems, the above Article did not contribute fo much to enrich him, as his Chaplain, John Allen; who, Hall says, was a Man of more Learning, than Virtue or good Conscience : And whose Manner of Proceeding, according to Fiddes, “ was to ride, accom panied with a great Train, in a perpetual Progress " from one religious House to another, and draw from " them very large Sums for his Master's Service. How true this may be we cannot say, nothing of it appearing in the Letters from the Principals of the religious Houses, now to be seen in the Exchequer Record-office, which are filled with high Encomiums on the Cardinal's Merit, but make no mention of either Money or Gifts sent to him: But it was otherwise, when Cromwell (the Cardinal's Solicitor) came into the Ministry, who scarce received a Letter that did not advise him of some Gift or Present. How stance to be found, that can be Proof of his having neglected relied on, why he should do him the true Interest of his Country, any ill Office: And, if we re- or that he had in any manner flect on the great Trust that Wol- betrayed the Confidence Wolfey Jey always reposed in Pace, from had, in several important Afthe first Beginning of his Know- fairs, placed in him. ledge of him, it seems incon- * Allen was a Judge of the fiftent to think, that he would Cardinal's Court, and made Archdo him any Prejudice, for whom bishop of Dublin in 1528 ; but he had, upon many Occasions, was soon barbarously murdered expresied so much Regard ; and by James Fitzgerald, the Earl of more especially, as there is no Kildare's eldest Son, However, upon the whole, Lord Herbert and other Authors say, that what had been transacted gave so much Offence, that heavy Complaint was made thereof to the King, which had like to have proved fatal to the Cardinal; (but their Accounts were chiefly taken from Wolley's inveterate Enemy, Polydor Virgil) for his Majesty was so well satisfied with the Charges brought against his Primier, that he reprimanded him in fo sharp a Manner, the Cardinal thought it best to excufe himself with much Submission, and to promife to be more careful for the future ; at the same Time, to paliate the King's Refentment, assuring him he had made his Will, and therein left him great Part of his Estate, which in fome measure foftened his Majesty's Anger : And, to shew that he was before really out of Temper with Wolsey, Lord Herbert introduces a Letter from the King to him. “ As touching the Matter of Wilton, feeing The King's Letter to “ it is in no other Strain than you write of, the Cardi“ and you being also so suddenly (with the nal. “ Falling Sickness of your Servants) afraid “ and troubled, I marvel not it overslipped you as it “ did ; but it is no great Matter, standing the Cafe as “ it doth; for it is yet in my Hand, as I perceive “ by your Letter, and your Default was not so great, “ seeing the Election was but conditional. Where“ fore, My Lord, seeing the Humbleness of your Sub mission, though the Case was much more heinous, “ I can be content to remit it, being right glad, that, “ according to my Intent, my Monitions and Warn".ings have been benignly and lovingly accepted in your Behalf, promising you, that the very Affection “ I bear you caused me thus to do. “ As touching the Help of Religious Houses to the building of your College, I would it were more, so “ it were lawful; for my Intent is none but that it " should appear to all the World, and the Occasion “ of all their Mumbling might be secluded and put away; away; for surely there is great Murmuring of it “ throughout the whole Realm. Both Good and Bad say, that all that is gotten is bestowed on the College, and that the College is the Cloak for cover ing all Mischiefs ; this grieveth me to hear it spoken " of him whom I do entirely love : Wherefore I “ thought I could do no less than thus friendly to 16 admonish you. “One thing more I perceive by your Letter, which a little, methinks, touches Conscience, and that is, you have received Money from the Exempts, for having of their old Visitors. Surely this can hardly “ be with Conscience: For, were they good, why “ should you take Money ? and if they were ill, it were a sinful Act. Howbeit your Legacy: herein might peradventure apud Homines be a Cloak, but not apud Deum. Wherefore you are thus monished by him who entirely loveth you, and I doubt not you will desist not only from this, if Conscience will not bear it, but from all other Things which shculd “ entangle the same ; and in so doing you will sing, “. Te laudant Angeli atq; Archangeli, Te laudat: omnis Spiritus : And thus an End I make of this tho' “ rude yet loving Letter, desiring you as benevolently “ to take it as I mean it; for I ensure you, and I pray you think it so, that there remaineth at this Hour no spark of Displeasure towards you in my « Hcart. And thus fare you well, and be you no “ more perplexed. Written with the Hand of your “ loving Sovereign and Friend, « HENRY R, The Affair of Wilton was said to be this: The Cardinal had caused to be elected a Person to be Priorefs of the Nunnery there, with whom the King was not pleased. From * The Prioress of the Nun.. of Shaftsbury, Barking, and St. nery of N’ilton was a Baroness' Mary's in Winchester, all very by her Title, as were also those mous in their Time. fa By what the Cardinal met with from the King it is not to be doubted, but he was fully convinced of his Master's Disposition, and saw what he might in Time expect, should any Affairs arise, in which he would not go the utmost Length to serve him. After his Majesty had thus opened the And pubScene, by shewing fome Dislike to Part of lijf Libels against his Conduct, his Enemies began to pub- him. lish Libels against him ; and Skelton, the Poet Laureat, called the Conceited Poet, was one of the first who discovered his Spleen, by falling on Wolsey's Design of founding his College ; fome Part of which, for the Singularity of the Verse, we here present the Reader with. The Goods that he bath thus gaddered, In Causes nothinge expedient ; A grett Part thereof is spent. Of Marvellous Foundation ; Of prevy Houses of Baudry, He bath made a Stues openly, Endued with large Exhibition. " Again, Gapying in every Man's Face. In their Honds, steade of a Mace. P Then followeth My Lorde on his Mule, In everey Poynts most curiously ; Poretendynge some byd Mystery. ve Notwithstanding this quaint Poet's forced Wit, all that he mentions was no more than common in those Days, and were, according to the Custom of Rome, allowed to every Legate a Latere, as to the Pope himself. The Pillars here mentioned were, according to the learned Mr. Anstis's Opinioni, not unusual Ensigns in those Days. And we find our celebrated Chaucer, in the Plowman's Tale, where he sets forth the Duty of a Clergyman, uses the Word, Ver. 2044. And Usin none Yerthly Honours, Ne Croune, ne curious Covertours ; Ne Pillar, ne other proud Pall, &c. No one fure will charge the Cardinal's riding on a Mule as a Mark of his Haughtiness ; nor' was it This extraordinary Poet's had Scholarship enough, and Christian Name was John, born, Wit too much : Ejus Sermo (faith as we imagine, in Norfolk, and Pitz) Sallus in Mordacem, Riwhat makes it more probable jus in Oprobrium, focus in Amais, that there was not only an ritudinem ; But by others he was antient Family of this Name in accounted a meer Rimer. Duthat County, but he had a Bene- ring his Restraint in the San&tufice at Dis, fituate therein. arg he met with much Respect Erasmus, in his Letter to King from Abbot Islip, where he died Henry, stileth Skelton, Britannica. on the 21it of June, 1529, and rum Literarum lumen & decus. was buried in St. Margaret's It is said by another, That he Chapel with this Epitaph : J. SKELTONUS, VATES PIERIUS, HIC SITUS EST. |
