that a new translation of the Scriptures might be made by authority and set up in churches. It was dissolved on the 18th of July, 1536, after having sat for the then unprecedented period of six years. Events now set in a new current. The month of May of this year witnessed the trial and execution of Queen Anne-in less than six months after the death of her predecessor, Catherine of Aragon-and the marriage of the brutal king, the very next morning, to Jane Seymour, the new beauty, his passion for whom must be regarded as the true motive that had impelled him to the deed of blood. Queen Jane dying on the 14th of October, 1537, a few days after giving birth to a son, was succeeded by Anne, sister of the duke of Cleves, whom Henry married in January, 1540, and put away in six months after-the subservient parliament, and the not less subservient convocation of the clergy, on his mere request, pronouncing the marriage to be null, and the former body making it high treason by word or deed to accept, take, judge, or believe the said marriage to be good.'

ever.

Meanwhile the ecclesiastical changes continued to proceed at as rapid a rate as In 1536 Cromwell was constituted a sort of lord-lieutenant over the church, by the title of vicar-general, which was held to invest him with all the king's authority over the spiritualty. The dissolution of the monasteries in this and the following year, as carried forward under the direction of this energetic minister, produced a succession of popular insurrections in different parts of the kingdom, which were not put down without great destruction of life, both in the field and afterwards by the executioner. In 1538 all incumbents were ordered to set up in their churches copies of the newly-published English translation of the Bible, and to teach the people the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and the Ten Commandments, in English; the famous image of our Lady at Walsingham, and other similar objects of the popular veneration, were also under Cromwell's order removed from their shrines and burnt. In 1539 the parliament, after enacting (by the 31 Henry VIII., c. 8) that the proclamation of the king in council should henceforth have the same authority as a statute, passed the famous act (the 31 Henry VIII., c. 14) known by the name of the Six Articles, or the Bloody Statute, by which burning or hanging was made the punishment of all who should deny that the bread and wine of the sacrament was the natural body and blood of the Saviour-or that communion in both kinds was not necessary to salvation-or that priests may not marry—or that vows of chastity ought to be observed-or that the mass was agreeable to God's law-or that auricular confession is expedient and necessary. This statute, the cause of numerous executions, proceeded from a new influence which had now gained an ascendancy over the fickle king, that of Gardiner, bishop of Winchester, the able leader of the party in church and state opposed to Cranmer and Cromwell. This new favourite was not long in effecting the ruin of the rival that was most in his way; Cromwell, who had just been created earl of Essex, and made lord chamberlain of England, was in the beginning of June, 1540, committed to the Tower on a charge of treason, and beheaded in a few weeks after.

On the 8th of August this year Henry married his fifth wife, the Lady Catherine Howard, whom he beheaded, 13th February, 1542. During this interval he also rid himself by the axe of the executioner of a noble lady whom he had attainted and consigned to a prison two years before on a charge of treason, Margaret, countess dowager of Salisbury, the daughter of the late duke of Clarence, and the last of the York Plantagenets. Her real crime was that she was the mother of cardinal Pole, who had offended the tyrant, and who was himself beyond his reach.

In the latter part of the year 1542 war was declared by Henry against Scotland, with a revival of the old claim to the sovereignty of that kingdom. An incursion made by the duke of Norfolk into Scotland, in October, was followed the next

month by the advance of a Scottish army into England; but this force was completely defeated and dispersed at Solway Moss, a disaster which is believed to have killed king James, who died a few weeks after, leaving his crown to a daughter, the unfortunate Mary Stuart, then only an infant seven days old. The failure of the efforts of the English king to obtain possession of the government and of the young queen, owing to the successful resistance of cardinal Beaton and the Catholic party, led to a renewal of hostilities in the spring of 1544, when Scotland was invaded by a great army under the earl of Hertford, which penetrated as far as Edinburgh, and burned that capital with many other towns and villages. In the preceding year also Henry had concluded a new alliance with the emperor against the French king; and in July, 1544, he passed over with an army to France, with which he succeeded in taking the town of Boulogne. On this however the emperor made a separate peace with Francis; and on the 7th of June, 1546, Henry also signed a treaty with that king, in which he agreed to restore Boulogne and its dependencies in consideration of a payment of two millions of crowns.

He had some years before found a sixth wife, Catherine Parr, the widow of the Lord Latimer, whom he married 10th July, 1543. As the infirmities of age and disease grew upon him, the suspiciousness and impetuosity of his temper acquired additional violence, and the closing years of his reign were as deeply stained with blood as any that had preceded them. One of his last butcheries was that of the amiable and accomplished Henry Howard, earl of Surrey, who, being convicted, after the usual process, of treason, was executed on the 19th (other accounts say the 21st) of January, 1547. Already Henry, says Holinshed, 'was lying in the agonies of death.' Surrey's father, the duke of Norfolk, was also to have suffered on the 28th; but was saved by the death of the king at two o'clock on the morning of that day.

The children of Henry VIII. were: 1. and 2. by Catherine of Aragon, two sons who died in infancy; 3. Mary, afterwards queen of England; 4. by Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth, afterwards queen; 5. a son still-born, 29th February, 1535; 6. by Jane Seymour Edward, by whom he was succeeded on the throne.

154. THE FIELD OF THE CLOTH OF GOLD.

HALL'S CHRONICLE.

The 10th day of October the king came to Dover, and on the 11th day in the morning, being Friday, at three of the clock, he took shipping in Dover road, and before ten of the clock the same day, he, with the lady marchioness of Pembroke, landed at Calais, where he was honourably received with procession, and brought to Saint Nicholas Church, where he heard mass, and so to his place called the Exchequer, where he lodged. And on the Sunday after came to Calais, the Lord Roche Baron, and Monsieur de Mountpesat, messengers from the French king, advertising the king of England, that the French king would repair to Abbeville the same night, marching towards Boulogne, of which tidings the king was very glad, but suddenly came a messenger, and reported that the Great Master of France, and the Archbishop of Rouen, with divers noblemen of France, were come to Sandifeld, intending to come to Calais, to salute the king, from the king their master. He being thereof advertised, sent in great haste the 15th day of October, the Duke of Norfolk, the Marquis of Exeter, the Earls of Oxford, Derby, and Rutland, the Lord Sands, and the Lord Fitzwater, with three hundred gentlemen, which honourably received the French lords, at the English pale, and so brought them to the king's

presence in Calais, which stood under a rich cloth of estate of such value that they much mused of the riches. The King (as he that knew all honour and nature) received the French lords very lovingly and amiably, and with them took a day and place of meeting: these lords were highly feasted, and after dinner departed to Boulogne.

While the king lay thus in Calais, he viewed the walls, towers, and bulwarks, and devised certain new fortifications, for the maintenance and defence of the town. The town of Calais had at this season twenty-four hundred beds, and stabling for two thousand horses, beside the villages adjacent.

The 20th day of this month, the king being advertised that the French king was come to a village called Marguison, nigh to the English pale, marched out of Calais the next day after, accompanied with the Dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk, and with the Marquises of Dorset and Exeter, the Earls of Arundel, Oxford, Surrey, Essex, Derby, Rutland, Huntingdon, and Sussex, and divers viscounts, barons, knights of the Garter, and gentlemen, freshly appareled and richly trimmed, and so passed toward the place appointed for the interview, leaving behind them the greatest part of the yeomen in Calais, because that Boulogne was too little for both the trains. For the Frenchmen said their train was twenty thousand horse, which caused the Englishmen to cast many perils, and especially because it was bruited abroad, that the French king should say, the king of England was once his enemy, and maintained the Emperor and the Duke of Bourbon against him, and now he was become his most friend. The rehearsing of these old grudges, many Englishmen suspected, and very loath that the king should go to Boulogne, but the king continued still in his journey, and came to Sandingfeld, and a little from that place in a valley, was the French king nobly accompanied, with three hundred horse, and not much more. The king's train waved on the left hand, to give the French king and his train the right hand likewise did the French part, to give the Englishmen the right hand; so the two kings with all lovely honour met with bare heads, and embraced other in such fashion, that all that beheld them rejoiced. The king of England was appareled in a coat of great riches, in braids of gold laid loose on russet velvet, and set with trefoiles, full of pearl and stone. The French king was in a coat of crimson velvet, all to cut, lined with slender cloth of gold plucked out through the cuts. The noblemen on both parties were richly appareled; and, as was reported, the French king said openly to the king of England: Sir, you be the same person that I am most bound to in the world, and sith it hath pleased you in person to visit me, I am bound in person to seek you, and for the very friendship that I have found in you, I am yours and will be, and so I require you to take me, and with that put off his bonnet: the king of England soberly answered, If ever I did any thing to your liking I am glad, and as touching the pain to come hither to see you, I assure you it is my great comfort, yea, and I had come farther to have visited you. Then the kings embraced the lords and estates, as the French king the lords of England, and the king of England the lords of France, and that done they set forward toward Boulogne, and in riding they cast of hawks called sakers to the kites, which made to them great sport, and in a valley beyond Sandingfeld the king of Navarre met the kings, and there they alighted and drank, and after that they mounted on horseback, and with hawking and other princely pastime, they came near to Boulogne, where on a hill stood ranged in a fair band, the number of five hundred men on horseback, of whom the chief were, the French king's three sons, the Dauphin, the Duke of Orleans, and the Duke of Angouleme, and on them gave attendance, the Admiral of France, and three Cardinals, with divers other nobles of France: these three princes marched forward, and welcomed the king of England, which them well beheld, and lovingly them received, as he that could as

much nurture, as any prince that ever was. Then the French king said to his children openly: My children, I am your father, but to this prince here you are as much bound, as to me your natural father, for he redeemed me and you from captivity: wherefore on my blessing I charge you to be to him loving always. The king of England ceased the French king's tale, and embraced the young princes each after other all their three apparels were black velvet, embroidered with silver of damask. Then all these noble company came to Boulogne, where was a great shot of artillery, for on the one side they shot great pellets, which made a great noise then these two princes offered at Our Lady of Boulogne, and the French king brought the king of England to his lodging in the Abbey, directly against his own lodging, where the king of England had divers chambers, the outer chamber was hanged with fair arras, and another chamber was hanged with green velvet, embroidered with vignettes of gold, and fret with flowers of silver, and small twigs of wreathen work, and in the middle of every pane or piece was a fable of Ovid in Metamorphoses embroidered, and a cloth of estate of the same work, valunced with frets, knotted, and langettes tassaled with Venice gold and silver and in this chamber was hanged a great branch of silver percell gilt, to bear lights. Then was there an inner chamber, hanged with rich cloth of gold of tissue, and the roof siled with the same. The fourth chamber was with velvet, and hatchments of arms, and devices of needlework very cunningly wrought. Every man was appointed to his lodging (which there was very strait) according to his degree, and great cheer was made to all the Englishmen; the poultries, larders, spiceries, and cellars of wine were all open, and likewise hay and litter, and all other things, ask and have; and no man durst take any money, for the French king paid for all.

The French king caused two gowns to be made of white velvet pricked with gold of damask, and the capes and vents were of frets of whipped gold of damask very rich, which two gowns he sent to the king of England, praying him to choose the one and to wear it for his sake, which gladly took it, and so that Tuesday, the two kings were both in one suite: the same night the French king made to the king of England a supper in his chamber, which was hanged with arras, and siled over with rich silk, and two cloths of estates were set up, one at the one end, and the other at the other end; the one cloth was embroidered with the image of an old man, and a woman with a naked child in her arm, and the woman gave the old man suck of her breast, and about was written in French: Better it is children wantonly to weep, than old men for need to perish. On the other cloth of estate, was embroidered the sun going down of fine gold, and a beast thereon, the head covered with a helm, and a coronal of a duke's estate; the beast's body was all pearl, and the cloth was crimson satin. A rich cupboard was set up of plate, with a great number of pieces of the new fashion. Four great branches hung in the chamber all of silver and gilt, which bare torches of white wax, all the gentlemen of France made the Englishmen great cheer, and served them of delicate viands.

In the church of Boulogne was a traverse set up for the French king, open on every side, saving it was siled with blue velvet, embroidered with fleur de lises gold; the pillars were hanged with the same work. On the French king's right hand was another traverse siled, and cortened all of white satin, embroidered with cables cast, of cut cloth of gold, embroidered and gilted after the fashion that mariners cast, their ropes: this traverse was valanced of like work, and fringed with fine gold. Daily the kings heard their masses in these traverses, and commonly they went together to mass. Divers times the kings communed together in council, and sometime in the morning, or the princes were stirring, their councils met, and sat together a great while.

While the king of England lay thus at Boulogne, the French king to show himself loving to the noblemen of England, the 25th day of October, called a Chapter of the Companions of his Order, called Saint Michael, of whom the king of England was one, and so there elected Thomas Luke of Norfolk, and Charles Duke of Suffolk, to be Companions of the said Order, which were brought into the Chapter, and had there collars delivered to them, and were sworn to the statutes of the Order, their obeisance to their sovereign lord always reserved: which dukes thanked the French king, and gave to the officers of arms two hundred crowns apiece. All this season the French king and his court were fresh, and his guard were appareled in frocks of blue, crimson, and yellow velvet. With the French king was the king of Navarre, the Dauphin of Vien, the Dukes of Orleans, Angouleme, Vendôme, Guise, Longville, the Earls of Saint Paule, Nevers, Estampes, Lavalle, and many other earls and barons, and the Prince of Mellfe, four Cardinals, and eleven Bishops with their trains and resort, which surely was a great company: so continued these two kings at Boulogne, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and on Friday the 25th day of October, they departed out of Boulogne to Calais: the French king's train was twelve hundred persons, and so many horse or more: and without Calais two mile, met with them the Duke of Richmond, the king's bastard son of England, a goodly young prince, and full of favour and beauty, with a great company of noble men, which were not at Boulogne, so the duke with his company embraced the French king, and so did other noblemen; then the lords of England set forward, as the Dukes of Richmond, Norfolk and Suffolk, the Marquis of Exeter, the Earls of Arundel, Oxford, Surrey, Derby, Worcester, Rutland, Sussex, and Huntingdon, the Viscounts of Lisle and Rocheford, the Bishops of London, Winchester, Lincoln, and Bath, the Lord William Howard, the Lord Matravers, the Lord Montacute, the Lord Cobham, the Lord Sands, the Lord Bray, the Lord Mordaunt, the Lord Leonard Grey, the Lord Clinton, and Sir William Fitzwilliam, knight, treasurer of the king' house, and Sir William Paulet, comptroller of the same, with a great number of knights, beside the lusty esquires and young gentlemen. These noble personages and gentlemen of England accompanied the French lords to Newnam Bridge, where as Thomas Palmer, captain of the fortress, with a fair company of soldiers, saluted the kings, and so they passed toward Calais: where at their coming, that what out of the town and the castle, and what out of Ricebank, and the ships in the haven, the French men said they never heard such a shot: And when they were entered the Mille gate, all the soldiers of the town stood on the one side, appareled in red and blue, and on the other side of the streets stood all the serving men of England, in coats of French tawney, with their lords and masters devices embroidered, and every man a scarlet cap and a white feather, which made a goodly show thero were lodged in Calais that night, beside the town dwellers, eight thousand persons at the least. The king of England brought the French king to his lodging, to the Staple inn, where his chamber was hanged with so rich verdure, as hath not been seen the ground of it was gold and damask, and all over the taffs and flowers were of satin, silk, and silver, so curiously wrought that they seemed to grow ; every chamber was richer and other: the second chamber all of tissue, with a cloth of estate of needle-work, set with great roses of large pearl. The third was hanged with velvet, upon velvet pearled green and crimson, and embroidered over with branches of flowers of gold bullion, and garnished with arms and beasts of the same gold, set with pearl and stone. If the French king made good cheer to the king of England and his train, at Boulogne, I assure you he and his train were requited at Calais, for the plenty of wild fowl, venison, fish, and all other things which were there, it was marvel to see, for the king's officers of England had made

PP