treachery and misconduct, his whole reign was a scene of war and conteft, both abroad and at home. We meet with very few tranfactions relative to learning or religion. There were however many religious foundations built and endowed in the troublesome reign of King Stephen; as the monaftery of St. Mary de Pratis, founded by Robert, Earl of Leicester; the hospital of St. Catherine, near London, founded by Maud, wife of King Stephen; and St. Stephen's chapel at Westminfter, founded by himfelf; as alfo the Ciftertian monaftry at Feversham, with an hospital near the Weft-gate at York, &c.

He died after a fhort illness in 1154. His character is that of humane and generous: he seems to have been poffeffed of many great qualities; and, had he lived in happier times, he might probably have been reckoned one of the moft illuftrious monarchs that ever filled the English throne.

HENRY II. A. D. 1154.

Henry came to the crown with an indisputable title. He was a prince, wife, valiant, and generally fortunate: Soon after his acceffion to the throne, he chose a privy-council of clergy and temporality, and refined the common laws. He parcelled England into fix divifions, and appointed three judges to every circuit. He erafed many of the caftles to the ground, as he found they were held by perfons in a kind of independence of the crown, and derogatory to the anthority of it. These regulations feem firft and principally to engrofs his attention, but he afterwards found others to demand his concern. The grofs impofitions of the Pope highly threatened the diminution of his royal prerogatives; fo that he difclaimed the Pope's authority, refufed to pay Peter-pence, and interdicted all appeals to Rome. But he only, or chiefly, regarded his temporal prerogatives; for had not they been invaded

vaded by the prelates, under the direction of the Pope, they might have continued their influence in the church in all spiritual affairs. However, the King was not fufficiently upon his guard in the choice of his favourites.

Thomas Becket, doctor of canon law, was, by the King, made chancellor of England; and four years after he was, by the King, made archbishop of Canterbury; and this, in procefs of time, proved highly prejudicial to his majefty's authority. One of the firft matters of difpute was, that the King having commanded that justice should be impartially executed upon all men in his court, Becket infifted on the clergy being exempt from the jurifdiction of the civil magiftrate, and judged in the ecclefiaftical court. This incensed the King against him. To adjust matters of importance, the King called a parliament at Clarenden, to confirm the antient laws and cuftoms; to which Becket and the rest of the bishops confented, and subscribed to them; but Becket afterwards recanting, renounced the fame.

The fame year, A. D. 1160, the King required. that the law should be put in execution for fome crimes committed by the clergy, which the archbishop would not permit; and, without the King's knowledge, determined to repair to Rome and lay the affair before the Pope. And this was a matter of debate for fome years.

Matthew Paris recites a variety of letters between this Pope and the King, and between the Pope and the King of France. By the mediation of the latter, Becket had leave to return to England; however the King ftill retained his temporal authority.

Upon Becket's return to England, he excommunicated several Bishops. The next year he excommunicated lord Sackville, who had been appointed by the King vicar of the church of Canterbury, as he had

derogated,

derogated, as he called it, from the rights of the church to please the King.

The King being then in Normandy, complained greatly, to fome of his domeftics, of the infolent behaviour of Becket, whom he had raised from abject circumftances to fuch dignity, and yet by fuch unparalleled ingratitude became the continual difturber of his government. Authors vary greatly in their conjectures, and hiftory affords us nothing certain with refpect to the motives of the perfons who came over to affaffinate Becket. Whether they were incited to it by the King, and received any promifes of reward for fo rafh an action; or whether they were animated by principle only, and a regard to the tranquillity of the nation; be this as it will, William de Tracy, Reginald Fitzurfe, Hugh de Moreville, and Richard Brito, mutually engaged to revenge the King's quarrel. They withdrew from court, and taking fhipping at different ports, arrived in England, and met at the caftle of Saltwode, within fix miles of Canterbury. The next day they went to Canterbury, and advanced to Becket's apartment, where they warmly expoftulated with him about the rafhnefs and infolence of his conduct in his ftation as chancellor, and more especially as archbishop; which making no impreffion upon him, it is faid, they retired to put on their armour, and foon returned to execute the affaffination, which they did with many circumstances of cruelty.

Collier fays*, That, upon the news of the archbishop's death, the King and the people were extremely troubled; though it may be eafily conjectured to proceed from different motives. The King was apprehensive that the archbishop's murder would occafion reflection and difhonour to his highness; and fo, in fact, it did foon. The King of France wrote to his holiness, in which he made no fcruple to charge him as culpable in that act; and intimated, that the Pope should

* Collier's Ecclef. Hift. vol. I. p. 375.

draw

draw St. Peter's fword against King Henry, and even to think of fome new and exemplary punishment for a crime in which the univerfal church was concerned, This was likewife followed with another from the Earl of Blois, and another from the archbishop of Sens, in which he moves for an interdict upon his dominions.

King Henry protefted his innocence, and fent an embaffy to Rome, upon his arrival in England, about that time, to compromise matters; and either from a consciousness of his fault, or motives of policy, agreed to purchase his abfolution upon very fevere terms. The Pope enjoined him to fuffer appeals from England to Rome; to quit his right and claim to inveftitures; to keep 200 men in arms for the holy war; and to pay forty thousand marks of filver, and five thoufand of gold. Some add, that he fubmitted to strip himself naked at Canterbury, and to he lashed by divers monks, fome of whom gave him five, others three ftripes. This was in A. D. 1179, and the Pope canonized Becket for a faint.

During this reign, a confiderable number of Germans came over to England, to attempt a reformation from fome of the grofs errors of Popery. Authors differ as to their number. The fentiments and character of these men but agree in this, that they were feverely treated, by branding them with hot irons, and by other methods of cruelty; fome were even put to death, which they bore with great fortitude.

The reign of Henry abounds with many acts which redound to his honour, notwithstanding his foibles, which derogate from it. He was educated with high notions of the kingly prerogative, for which he manifefted the mott inviolable attachment; and he guarded the liberties of his fubjects by many excellent laws and regulations. So that, upon the whole, he is ranked among the most powerful and illuftrious of the English monarchs.

End of the FIRST VOLUME.

N. B. As the fubjects of the INTRODUCTION are various, and of an interefting nature, I find it will take more than two numbers: for which reason I have begun it in the last half-fheet of this, and shall finish it in the tenth number, which completes VOL. I.

The next volume will begin with the reign of RICHARD I. In which, and the fubfequent reigns to the time of the Reformation, the exorbitant claims of the Romish Church, and the prevailing errors of that religion, amply evince the neceffity of a reformation; which, with the progrefs of it, abroad and at home, will come under confideration.