Upon this Simon Rice, Mercer, was chofen, who refused to ferve the Office: Then was one George Robinfon elected, who fwore 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 Difpenfation from ferving the Office of Sheriff for a Year, feeing the Commotions that were likely to enfue, rofe up and spoke to the Citizens, Gentlemen, although my Time is not come to ferve the Office of Sheriff; yet, for the Quiet of the City, if you will chufe 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 reforms the Houfhhold of the King. 1526.

As fome Abufes had crept into the King's Houthold, the Cardinal in the Month of October, came to the King's Court, which was held at Eltham, and took Orders for reforming and fettling the State of his Majefty's Houfhold; when many Officers, and other Servants who were grown old in the Service, were discharged and allowed Penfions during their Lives; 64 Yeomen of the Guard, who were likewife grown old, were alfo difcharged and allowed Half-pay. He alfo fettled the Houfholds 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.

* A like Cafe happened a few Years fince, the City of London being again fomewhat put to it for a fit Perfon to ferve the faid Office, when a Name- fake of this worthy Alderman's was prevailed on to take that Truft upon him, which alfo contributed much towards preferving the

Hall

Peace of the City: This was done by that generous Gentleman, Daniel Lambert, Efq; who has fince not only been elected Alderman, but filled the Chair, as Lord Mayor, in the Year 1741, with great Reputation; and is now one of their worthy Reprefentatives 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 "feveral Years after called the Statutes of Eltham; " and, as fome faid, were more profitable than ho"nourable." Ill will speaks well of no Body.

The King, by the Advice of his Council, iffued a Proclamation against unlawful Gaming, and Commiffions 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 "fo diffatisfied, that they took to Drinking, others "to ftealing Rabits and Deer in Parks, and other "Unthriftinefs."

Is intrufted

with the Care of the Coin.

It being obferved, that great Quantities of Silver were carried out of the Kingdom, his Majefly was pleased to raife the Noble from 6s. 8d. 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 propofed, on account that the Value of Money was ftill raised beyond Sea; wherefore the King granted to the Cardinal a difcretional Power to alter the Valuation thereof from time to time, as he should fee Caufe, 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 clandeftinely Abroad.*

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

*In Edward the IIId's Time, Perfons attended at Dover, tó receive the Paffengers Money, to exchange it for foreign Specie, which prevented the current Coin's being carried out of the Kingdom: And it has

at

been remarkable, that the Turks, Perfians, and Ruffians, by keeping their Exchanges above the Valuation of their Money, acted a more politick Part than we have done upon feveral Occafions.

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 Wolfey's different Preffes, each of which bear the Cardinal's Hat, with the initial Letter of his Name.

And greatly encourages Trade and Navigation.

The Cardinal, befides his great Paffion for the encouraging of Learning, likewife 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 flow; and therefore he advised his Majesty to fend out Ships, in order to make new Discoveries in the then unknown Parts of the World; which induced the King to fend an Exhortation to Robert Thorn, who had been for fome 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 fucceeding Reigns: So that we may justly reckon the Cardinal among the Worthies that were inftrumental in beginning the British Empire in America, from which we, at this Day, reap fo great Benefit.

The Cardinal oppofed, upon bis fuppreffing the leffer Monafteries.

Wolfey, in his Proceedings to fupprefs the leffer Monafteries, according to the Power he was intrufted with, both from the See of Rome and the King, was oppofed. When the Monaftery of Bogham in Effex was on the Point of being fuppreffed, certain People, who appeared in a strange and frightful Difguife, after the Canons were removed out of the Monaftery, waited upon them and conducted them back in a pompous Manner, and, according to their Form, reinftated them in the Monaftery, and withal promised to come at any Time to their Relief, upon the Signal of ringing the Abbey-bell, in

cafe

cafe of Interruption from any one. However, they were foon disappointed in their Projects; for the King, receiving Intelligence of their refractory Behaviour, fent for the Canons, who were fo ftrictly examined in Council, that they at laft confeffed who they were that had appeared and undertaken this Oppofition whereupon they were fecured and punished, and this Monaftery shared the fame Fate with the others, whofe Revenues were appropriated for the Purpose before-mentioned.

This Matter had not long been quieted, but a Female Impoftor, call* ftarted ed The Holy Maid of Kent,

*Elizabeth Barton, Servant Maid, of Aldington in Kent, was vifited with a tedious Sickness, which in time threw her into Convulfion Fits, and those into a Sort of Trance, in which fhe uttered many frantick Expreffions, that would very often bear prophetical Conftructions: Of these the Parish Priest made a Handle, and immediately carried an improved Report thereof to Archbishop Warham, who liftened to it, and ordered the Parfon to watch well what she might further say. With this Incouragement, Mafter, for that was the Priest's Name, returned to the Girl, and took no fmall Pains to inftruct and perfuade her to fet up for a new Prophetefs, and become a Nun in St. Se pulchre's in Canterbury, which the accordingly did. After he had acted her Part there awhile, the pretended to be very ill, and, at Mafter's Inftigation, gave out, that the Virgin Mary had appeared and revealed to her, that the never should recover till she had VOL. IV.

The Affair releting to the Holy Maid of Kent.

up,

vifited our Lady's Chapel in Aldington Parish: This was fhrewdly calculated to answer Parfon Mafier's Defign of drawing Pilgrims to vifit the fame. Purfuant to her Requeft fhe was carried thither, where she foon feemingly recovered, which made a very great Noise abroad. At length her first Tutor, joined with one of his Concerts, worked her into fuch a dexterous Knack of deceiving, that the gained great Credit for her Sanctity, and became ftill more famous, infomuch that Archbishop Warham, Sir Thomas More, Bishop Fisher, as well as many of the lower Clafs of Ecclefiafticks, and Numbers of the Laity, were led away by her Agitations and prophetick Sayings: Nay, fhe had the Subtilty and Affurance to join with the Cry of the Times, inveighing bitterly not only against common Vices, but fpared not the King and his Favourite, Anna Bulleyn, by foretelling his utter Deftruction, in cafe he pursued his intended Separation and Diо

vorce,

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