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of Bridewell, on Sunday the 8th of November, 1528, before whom he entered into an explanation of his conduct, and the reasons which induced him to have his marriage with Catharine examined into. The speech of the king is given at length in Stow, and is so full of hypocrisy that we give the conclusion, to shew how Harry could dissemble as well as play the tyrant. After noticing the civil wars between the houses of York and Lancaster about the succession of the crown, and the necessity of guarding against such calamities for the future, he touched on the rumours which were afloat doubting the legitimacy of the princess Mary his daughter, in consequence of her mother having been his brother's wife, which, he said, was directly against God's law and his precept. He then goes on,- -" Think you, my lords, that these words touch not my "body and soul; think you that these doings do not daily and hourly "trouble my conscience and vex my spirits: yes, we doubt not but "if it were your own cause, every man would seek remedy, when the peril of your soul and the loss of your inheritance is openly laid to 66 you. For this only cause I protest before God, and in the word "of a prince, I have asked counsel of the greatest clerks in Christen"dom, and for this cause I have sent for this legate, as a man indiffer66 ent, only to know the truth, and to settle my conscience, and for none "other cause, as God can judge. And as touching the queen, if it be 'judged by the law of God that she is my lawful wife, there was never thing more acceptable to me in my life, both for the discharge of my "conscience, and also for the good qualities and conditions which I "know to be in her: for I assure you all, that beside her noble parentage of the which she is descended, (as all you know) she is a woman " of most gentleness, of most humility, and buxomness, yea, and of all "good qualities appertaining to nobility, she is without comparison, as "I these twenty years almost have had the true experiment, so that if "I were to marry again, if the marriage might be good, I would surely "choose her above all other women: but if it be determined by judg"ment, that our marriage was against God's law and clearly void, then "I shall not only sorrow the departing from so good a lady and loving "companion, but much more lament and bewail my unfortunate chance, "that I have so long lived in adultery, to God's great displeasure, and "have no true heir of my body to inherit this realm. These be the sores that vex my mind, these be the pangs that trouble my conscience, "and for these griefs I seek a remedy: therefore I require of you all, as our trust and confidence is in you, to declare to our subjects our 'intent, according to our true meaning, and desire them to pray with "us that the truth may be known, for the discharge of our conscience, "and saving of our soul: and for declaration hereof I have assembled you together, and now you may depart." This speech shewed the king to be as consummate a hypocrite, when he thought he could carry his cause with a plausible share of religion, as he proved a despot and cold-blooded murderer, when he found himself disappointed in these views. What can we think of the man who here made such a parade about conscience, and, his scruples at living with a virtuous woman,、 because she had been married to his brother, but remained a virgin, when he was meditating to be married to a wanton, whose sister he had kept as a mistress. Out upon such a conscience as this. We learn,

however, this fact, from the king and his nobles, that it was then, as it long had been, the belief of the whole kingdom, that the pope was the only legitimate anthority to decide on spiritual questions, which was the case between Henry and Catharine. The king and the people knew that the pope held this authority by divine right, for nothing but a divine commission could have preserved it so long, or extended it so universally as it then was, every monarch and nation in Christendom voluntarily yielding obedience to it.

On recomparing Burnet's abridgment with the account given by the "few plain Christians," we find that the latter have been suppressing many facts related by the former. Now this suppression upon suppression is a very likely way to instruct the people in the "knowledge and "love of the genuine principles of Christianity." It may tend to excite "a hatred of the (supposed) crimes and corruptions of popery," but it cannot convey to the reader the least perception of truth. The account of the "Progress of the Reformation" is a garbled and unfair extraction from a partial historian, and consequently carries with it the design of misleading instead of instructing the people on the important matters under consideration. For example, we have a title of the coming of Campegio into England; but from this circumstance, and the illness of the pope, which we have before noticed, the "few plain Christians" pass over to the "queen's appeal to the pope," leaving out the commencement of the process of divorce, which occasioned the ill-fated Catharine to appeal to the common father of Christendom. By the by, we should have noticed, that the king and his prime minister, Wolsey, left no means untried to obtain the consent of the pope, who as firmly resisted every sinister measure to seduce him from his line of duty. Involved in a dispute with the emperor, money and troops were proffered him, but Clement regarded them not. Threats were then applied with as little success. Even his sick bed was no security to him' from the importunities of the emissaries of Henry, who went so far as to accuse the pontiff of ingratitude to his best friend, and of indifference to the prosperity of the church. "To all their remonstrances," writes Dr. Lingard, "he returned the same answer, that he could not refuse to "Catharine what the ordinary forms of justice required; that he was "devoted to the king, and eager to gratify him in any manner conformably with honour and equity; but that he ought not to require "from him what was evidently unjust, or they would find that when "his conscience was concerned, he was equally insensible to consider"ations of interest or danger." Burnet and the "few plain Christians" may attempt to throw a stigma on the election of popes, but the words and resolution of this head of the church reflect no disgrace upon either the church or himself.

The "few plain Christians," quoting from Burnet, say, "At length "the legates began the process, when the queen protested against "them as incompetent judges. They, however, proceeded according to the forms of law, although the queen had appealed from them to "the pope, and objected both to the place, to the judges, and her lawyers: yet they pronounced her contumacious, and went on to examine "witnesses, chiefly as to the consummation of her marriage with prince "Arthur." This part of the affair is so very interesting, the conduct

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of the oppressed queen so truly heroic, and her appeal so pathetically touching, that we should be doing injustice to the cause of virtue and religion, and leave our readers in the dark, did we not give her defence in full. The same arts practised upon the pontiff were tried upon the queen. Burnet says, (but this passage the "few plain Christians" have omitted) "Endeavours were used to terrify her into some compliance; "it was given out that some had intended to kill the king or the car“dinal, and that she had some hand in it, that she carried herself very disobligingly to the king, and used many indecent arts to be popular; "that the king was in danger of his life by her means, and so could no more keep her company neither in bed nor at board: but (continues Burnet) she was a woman of so resolute a mind that no threatenings "could daunt her." While these intrigues and menaces were carrying on against the queen, Anne Boleyn was gaining a complete ascendency at court, and at length obtained the supreme control of the ministry. Harry allowed her a princely establishment, ordered his courtiers to attend her daily levees, the same as they had done those of the queen, who was now banished to Greenwich.

Seven months had now elapsed since the arrival of Campegio, which time had been spent in fruitless negociations with Rome, when it was deemed necessary that some public proceeding should take place, to bring the question to an issue. Accordingly, a court was held at the Blackfriars, the first session of which, began on the 31st of May, 1529. Wolsey and Campegio, sat as judges, being joint legates of the pope; the chief managers on the part of the king were, Dr. Sampson, Dr. Hall, Dr. Petre, and Dr. Tregonel; those that pleaded for the queen were, Dr. Fisher bishop of Rochester, Dr. Standish bishop of Asaph, and Dr. Ridley, a very learned civilian.-Before this court, the king and queen appeared, but previous to their being called, the bishop of Rochester presented the legates with a book, which he had composed, in defence of the marriage; making therewith a grave and learned speech, in which he cautioned them as to what they did in so important an affair, calling to their minds the many dangers and inconveniences that might ensue, not only to the realm, but to the whole of Christendom, by their decision, The bishop having concluded, the king was called by name, who answered, Here; and repeated in substance, what he had said before the assembly of the nobility.-Then the queen was called, who made no answer, but rising from her chair, she kneeled before the king, and in sight of the legates and the whole court, thus addresed him-" Sir, I beseech you do me justice and right, and take some pity upon me! for I am a simple woman, and a stranger born "out of your dominions, and have no friend but you, who now being "become my adversary, alas! what friendship or assurance of indifferency in my council can I hope to find amongst your subjects? What "have I done? Wherein have I offended you? How have I given you "any occasion of displeasure? Why will you put me from you in this "sort? I take God to be my judge, I have been a true, humble, and faithful wife unto you; always conformable to your will and pleasure : “Wherein did I ever contradict or gainsay whatever you said? When was I discontented at the thing that pleased you? Whom did I love but those whom you loved, whether I had cause or not? I have been

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your wife these twenty years; you have had divers children by me: "when you took me first unto your bed, I take God to be my witness, I was a virgin; and, whether that be true or not, I put it to your conscience. "Now, if there be any just cause that you can allege against me, either " of dishonesty or the like, I am contented to depart the realm, and you, with shame and infamy; but, if there be no such cause, then I pray you let me have justice at your hands. The king your father "was in his time of such an excellent wit, as that for his wisdom he "was accounted a second Solomon; and Ferdinand my father was "reckoned to be one of the wisest princes that reigned in Spain for many "years before his days. These being both so wise princes, it is not to "be doubted but they had gathered unto them as wise counsellors of "both realms, as they in their wisdoms thought most meet; and, as I "take it, there were, in those days, as wise and learned men in both kingdoms, as there are now to be found in these our times, who thought "the marriage between you and me to be good and lawful: but for this I may thank you, my lord cardinal of York, who have sought to make this "dissension between my lord the king and me, because I have so often "found fault with your pompous vanity and aspiring mind. Yet I do not "think that this your malice proceeds from you merely in respect of myself; "but your chief displeasure is against my nephew the emperor, because you could not at his hands attain unto the bishopric of Toledo, which you greedily desired; and after that was by his means put by the chief "and high bishopric of Rome, whereunto you most ambitiously aspired; ઉં whereat being sore offended, and yet not able to revenge your quarrel upon him, the heavy burthen of your indignation must fall upon a fe"male weakness, for no other reason but because she is his aunt. And "these are the manly ways you take to ease your mind: but God-for-* give you! Wherefore, sir, (applying herself to the king) it seems to me to be no justice that I should stand to the order of this court, seeing one of my judges to be so partial; and, if I should agree to stand "to the judgment of this court, what counsellors have I but such as "are your own subjects, taken from your own council, to which they are privy, and perhaps dare not go against it? wherefore I refuse to "stand to their advice or plea, or any judgment that is here, and do "appeal unto the see apostolic, before our holy father the pope; humbly beseeching you, by the way of charity, to spare me, till I may know "what further course my friends in Spain will advise me to: and, if "this may not be granted, then your pleasure be fulfilled."

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Having concluded this tender and moving remonstrace, she rose, and making her obeisance to the king, she left the court, the members of which were extremely affected, many of them shedding tears. After it was discovered that she had taken her centive departure, for it was imagined that she would have returned to her place after a time, the king commanded that she sould be called back again; but she resolutely refused to appear, saying to her attendants,-" This is no place for me to expect equity; for they are all agreee what they will do, and the "king is resolved what shall be done." The king finding that she would not return, and that her address had made a strong impression on the court, delivered himself as follows." Forasmuch as the queen " is now gone, I will declare in her absence, before you all, that she

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a

OF

For's Book of Martyrs,

CRITICAL AND HISTORICAL.

EXPLANATION OF THE ENGRAVING.-The execution of Dr. John Forest, a friar observant, for objecting to Harry's spiritual supremacy. The celebrated Hugh Latimer, then bishop of Worcester, preached a sermon against the friar, who told Latimer that if an angel should come down from heaven and teach any other doctrine than that which he had received, and believed from his youth, he would not now believe him. And that if his body was cut joint after joint, he would not turn from his old profession. So, says Stow, he was hanged and burned, as is shewed, and a huge great image, named Darvell Gathern, having been brought out of Wales to the gallows in Smithfield, was there burned with the said friar Forest.

"hath ever been to me, as true, obedient, and conformable a wife as I "could wish, or any man desire to have, as having all the virtuous qualities that ought to be in a woman of her dignity: she is high "born, (as the quality of her conditions do declare,) yet of so meek a spirit, as if her humility had not been acquainted with her birth; so "that if I sought all Europe over, I should never find a better wife; " and therefore how willingly I would, if it were lawful, continue her "to be my wife till death make the separation, ye may all guess; but conscience, conscience is such a thing,-who can endure the sting "and prick of conscience, always stinging and pricking within his "breast? Wherefore, my lords, this woman, this good woman I may say, sometime being my brother's wife, as ye all know, or have heard, "hath bred such a scruple within the secrets of my breast, as daily

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