“ His Schemes for the Benefit of Learning were « noble and well laid, as appears by his College

at Oxford; he likewise founded a College at “ Ipswich, for the Service of Religion and the “ Poor : He likewise designed the Founding of a

66 So

tyl the

byr of Folks, wych I nowe • & Dyscharge of Confyens, • have, my Howsys ther be in • & to your gret Prayse for • decay, and of evry Thyng the bryngyng of the same to

mete for Howffold unprovyd- épasse for your old Brynger up * yd and furnyshyd. I have and loving Frende Thys Kyndnon Apparell for my How, nes exhibite from the Kyng's

fys ther, nor money to bring Hyghnes íhal prolong my * me thether, nor to lyve wyth Lyff for some lytyl why, tyme of the

• thow yt shal not be long, by • Yeere, shall come to remove • the Meane whereof hys Grace o thether, Thes thyngs con- « Thal take Profytt, & by my • fyderyd, Mr. Secretary, muft • Deth non. What ys yt to hys * nedys make me yn Agony & Hyhnes to give some conve

Hevynes, myn Age ther- nyent Pensions owt of Wyn• with & Sycknes confyderyd, “chester, & Seynt Albons, hys • Alas Mr. Secretary, ye with o- • Grace takyng with my herty • ther my Lords shewyd me, that good wyl the Residew. Res • I fhuld otherwyse be furnysh-member, good Mr. Secretary, • yd & feyn unto, ye knowe in

my poore Degre, & what your Lirnyng & Confyens, Servys I have done, & how

whether i fuld forfet' my nowe approchyng to Deth, I • Spiritualties of Wynchester or • niuft begyn the World ageyn.

no. Alas! the Qualytes of myn 'I besech you therfore, movyd • Offencys confyderyd, with the with Pity & Compaffyon

gret Punishment & Loss of • soker me in thys my Calaa Goodes, that I have sustaynyd ' mite, & to your Power, wych

owt to move pytiful Sutys ; • I knowe ys gret, releve me ; • and the moste nobyl Kyng, . ' & I wyth all myn fhal not to whom yf ytwold please “onely ascrybe thys my Relef

of

your cherytable Good- unto yow, but also praye to nes to shewe the Premises af- • God for the Increase of your

tyr your_accustomable Wys- • Honor, & as my Power shal • dom & Dexteryte yt ys not • increase, so I fhal not fayle

to be dowbtyd, but his High- to requyte your Kyndnes. • nes wold have Confyderatyon · Wryttyn haftely at Afber, with • & Compaffyon, augmentyng • the rude and shackyng Hand • my Lyvyng, & appoyntyng

o of
• such thyngs, as should be con- • Ycur dayly Bedysman,
• venient for my Furniture, wych

And asuryd Frend,
to do fhal be to the Kyng's

"T. CAR.lis EBOR. Highnes Honor, Meryte, Vol. IV.

Zz

• yow

Society in London, for the Civil and Canon Law: “ For this Purpose he projected the building a fine

Stone College : The famous Antiquary, Sir Tho

mas Cotton, saw the Model of this Structure. He “ built the greatest Part of White-hall, and Hampton

court entrely. The Monument of Brass, which " he left imperfect, was a Work of extraordinary “ Curiosity and Expence. 'Tis not certain, whether " he designed this Mausoleum for the King, or him“ felf. He came into the World with no Advantage " of Family, his Father being but a poor Man in

Ipfwich: But Cavendish says nothing of his being a “ Butcher. While the Cardinal fat at the Helm " the Kingdom held on in a Course of Prosperity, " and the publick Motions were steady and strong ; “ but not long after the Government grew perplexed $6 and inacceptable, and the Face of Things were “ much altered both at Home and Abroad; and, to

speak softly, it must be said, The King crushed this “ Minister with a very indifferent Grace.”

“ It is a difficult Matter to give a Church Hif

« Character of this great Man, without fiorian.

displeasing almost all Sorts of Readers ; “ few Writers have done him Justice ; they comKc monly discover both a great deal of Passion and

Prejudice in the Account they give of him ; Ca

66 the

Our renowned Shakespear gives an Account of Wolfey's Death in a Scene, where he introduces Queen Catherine, (whom he calls Catherine Dowager) being sick, led between Griffith, her Gendeman-ufher, and Patience, her Woman,

Grif. How does your Grace ?

Kath. O Griffith! fick to Death!
My Legs, like loaded Branches, bow to the Earth,
Willing to leave their Burdens : Reach a Chair,
Somnow methinks I feel a little Ease.

[Sitting down, Did'it thou not tell me, Griffith, as thou led'st me, That the great Child of Honour,, Cardinal Wolfey, was dead ?

Grif. Yes, Madam ; but I think your Grace, Out of the Pain you fuffer'd, gave no car to't,

Karb.

" tholicks attack him as being the grand Promoter “ of the Divorce ; Protestants inveigh against him

as one of the great Enemies of the Reformation ;

Laymen represent him as a proud Prelate, and “ take an Occasion to wound all the Clergy through “ his Sides; the Clergy exclaim against him for his “ exorbitant Power, which obstructed the ordinary

Jurisdiction of the Episcopal Order ; the Monks were provoked with his Project of alienating so much of their Lands; the Nobility despised him as a Court-meteor of no folid Extraction ; the Cimmon People opened against him as the Author of a great many Taxes, to support the Pride of an

expensive Ministry, and an arbitrary Prince. I “ shall not pretend to determine how far the Car“ dinal was singular or reprehensible in the Cases a“ bove-mentioned: Thus much I dare venture to “ say in general, Never did any Statesman manage a “ Prince with greater Dexterity, and one who threw

so many Riders ; none ever beld the Reins with more

Steadiness; he had a capacious Soul, replenished with " the highest Ideas of Show and Splendid Greatness. “ No Subject ever appeared more like a King, or left

greater Monuments of a princely Genius. As no Prelate polesed larger Revenues, so none em

ployed
Kath. Prythee, good Griffith, tell me how he dy'd,
If well, he itept before me happily,
For my Example.

Grif. Well, the Voice goes, Madam.
For, after the stout Earl of Northumberland
Arrested him at York, and brought him forward
(As a Man forely tainted) to his Answer,
He fell fick suddenly, and grew fo ill
He could not fit his Mule.

Kath. Alas, poor Man!

Grif. At last, with easy Rides, he came to Leicesters
Lodged in the Abbey ; where the rev'rend Abbot,
With all his Convent, honourably receiv'd him ;
To whom he gave these Words. “ O Father Abbot!

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ployed them with greater Credit, both to Church and “ State. He was a Man of prodigious Parts, and was

no less industrious to make them useful to Mankind: “ For he was Master of all those Qualifications, which “ were capable of making him both agreeable and ser« viceable to a Prince. He was perfonable, learned,

eloquent, affable, penetrating, industrious, generous, " and had the Interest of his Country purely at Heart.

Nothing was wanting to compleat bis Chara&ter, bad not this noble Structure been erected upon the Basis

of an ignoble and obscure Birth, which Custom bas “ made a sufficient Consideration to depretiate true and

genuine Merit. If he gathered with one Hand, he as freely bestowed it with the other. He entertained 800

Domef

66

“

“ An old Man, broken with the Storms of State,
• Is come to lay his weary Bones among ye ;
• Give him a little Earth for Charity.”
So went to Bed; where eagerly his Sickness
Pursued him ftill, and three Nights after this,
About the Hour of eight, (which he himself
Foretold should be his last) full of Repentance,
Continual Meditations, Tears, and Sorrows,
He gave his Honours to the World again,
His best Part to Heav'n, and slept in Peace.

Kath. So may he reft, his Faults lie bury'd with him,
Yet thus far Griffith, give me leave to speak him,
And yet with Charity ; he was a Man
Of an unbounded Stomach, ever ranking
Himself with Princes : One that by Suggestion
Ty'd all the Kingdom ; Simony was fair Play :
His own Opinion was his Law. I'th' Presence
He would say Untruths, and be ever double
Both in his words and Meaning. He was never,
But where he meant to ruin, pitiful.
His Promises were, as he then was, mighty ;
But his Performance, as he now is, nothing.
Of his own Body he was ill, and

gave The Clergy ill Example.

Grif Noble Madam ;
Men's evil Manners live in Brass, their Virtues
We write in Water. May it please your Highness
To hear me speak his Good now.

Karb.

“ Domesticks, whereof 9 or 10 were Lords, 15 Knights, “ and 40 Esquires. The Clergy that were preferred “ by him were generally confidered upon Account of their « Parts and Merits ; and the Poor, according to their “ Neceffiies, received more or less. He never engaged “the King into any Alliance that was not for his " Honour and Advantage: The Charakter of Fuft car“ not be denied the Cardinal in all Affairs of publick

Judicature. He laid the Foundation of two of the noblest Colleges in the World, had his idea been parsued. He established seven University Lectures, and “ built the two Palaces of White-hall and Hampton

In fine he was as great Abroad, as be was at Home ; for, while he was Chief Minister, be

court.

* played

Kath. Yes, good Griffith,
I were malicious else.

Grif. This Cardinal,
Though from an humble Stock, undoubtedly
Was fashion'd to much Honour. From his Cradle
He was a Scholar, and a ripe and good one ;
Exceeding wise, fair spoken, and persuading ;
Lofty and four to them that lov'd him not,
But to those Men that fought him sweet as Summer.
And though he were unsatisfy'd in getting,
(Which was a Sin) yet in beltowing, Madam,
He was most princely. Ever witness for him
Those Twins of Learning that he rais'd in you,
Ipfovich and Oxford! one of which fell with him,
Unwilling to out-live the Good he did ir:
The cther, though unfinish'd, yet so famous,
So excellent in Art, and still so rising,
That Christendom shall ever speak his Virtue.
His Overthrow heap'd Happiness upon him;
For then, and not till then, he felt himself,
And found the Blessedness of being little :
And, to add greater Honour to his Age,
Than Man could give him, he dy'd fearing God.

Kath. After my Death I wish no other Herald,
No other Speaker of my living Actions,
To keep mine Honour from Corruption,
But such an honest Chronicler as Griffith.
Whom I most hated living, thou haft made me,
With thy religious Truth and Modesty,
Now in his Alhes, honour. Peace with him !