with which both universities approached the powerful minister.1

Oxford surrendered its statutes into Wolsey's hands to be remodelled by him. The constitutional Warham protested, but Wolsey loved nothing better than to humiliate his brother archbishop. At Fisher's suggestion Cambridge offered him the chancellorship, and when for once he refused a high office Fisher was reelected for life.

The Cardinal founded seven lecturerships at Oxford, namely, Theology, Civil Law, Physics, Philosophy, Mathematics, Greek and Rhetoric, and made excellent appointments to each chair.2 His greatest educational scheme was the joint foundation of Christ Church, Oxford, and the Grammar School at Ipswich.3 Of the school no more need be said than that the foundation was destroyed by Henry after Wolsey's fall. The college remains to this day as one of the noblest educational institutions in England. Convocation wrote to him "not so much as a founder of a college, but of the University itself." This language is gross flattery and unpardonable exaggeration. Wolsey's scheme was magnificent. The corporate body was to consist of a dean and sixty canons, six professors, forty minor canons, thirteen chaplains, twelve clerks, sixteen choristers and a teacher of music. The dean and

1 Erasmus says, "Wolsey clearly reigned more truly than the King himself.”

In 1519 the Venetian ambassador wrote: "This cardinal is the person who rules both the King and the entire kingdom. . . All State affairs are managed by him let their nature be what it may. He is in very great repute, seven times more so than if he were Pope. On my first arrival in England he used to say, His Majesty will do so and so.' Subsequently by degrees he went on forgetting himself, and commenced saying, 'We shall do so and so.' At present he has reached such a pitch that he says, 'I shall do so and so.'

2 Wolsey was the adviser of Henry VIII in the foundation of the Royal College of Physicians in 1518.

3 The first name of the college was "The College of Secular Priests," which name Henry changed to Cardinal College out of compliment to Wolsey. After Wolsey's fall the name was changed once more to King's College, though Henry's part was that of a despoiler rather than founder.

D

canons were to be natives of England. The statutes displayed a large-mindedness and power of administration worthy of Wolsey's great mind. The buildings were to excel all others at both universities in their splendour. Whence then came the wealth required for buildings and endowments? Wolsey himself bestowed many gifts, and persons who wished to propitiate him or who sincerely admired his great scheme added others. But the money for permanent support was obtained by the suppression of twenty-two smaller monastic establishments.1 No act of parliament was sought for the suppression. Clement VII in Clement VII in 1524, at at Wolsey's request, sent a bull authorising it. Wolsey paid the heavy fees charged, the King consented and the deed was done. The Royal licence allowed the college to hold lands in mortmain to the clear annual value of £2,000 (about £25,000 present money). The religious houses protested, but all to no purpose. Writers unfriendly to Wolsey state that the poor wretches were expelled from the dissolved monasteries without compensation. This is not true; they were provided for in other monasteries. These proceedings have been severely criticised. The Church historian, Fuller, says they "made all the forest of religious foundations in England to shake, justly fearing the King would finish to fell the oaks, seeing the Cardinal began to cut the underwood." Others have charged Clement VII and Wolsey with teaching Henry VIII how to lay unholy hands upon monastic property, and thereby to commit sacrilege.2

This subject will come before us in the next lecture, and meantime it is sufficient to say that the principle of using monastic lands for schools and colleges had been accepted at the dissolution of the alien priories in 1414. Much earlier in English history the Knights

were:

1 The religious houses suppressed for the purpose Tyckford, Bradwell, Ravenstone, Daventry, Canwell, Sandwell, Tonbridge, Lesnes or Westwood, Bayham, De Calcets, Wykes, Tiptree, Blackmore, Stanesgate, Horlesley, Thoby, Poughley, Wallingford, Dodenash, Snape, S. Frideswide Oxford, and Littlemore.

2 See "Doom of Sacrilege," Appendix B.

Templars were dissolved by Parliament in 1285, though the King and Lords were declared in 1323 to have no right to retain the property.

With regard to Wolsey's general attitude towards the monasteries, he was far-seeing enough to discern that they had ceased to fulfil their original intention, and he cherished a great and statesmanlike scheme of establishing episcopal sees in some of the larger monasteries and annexing to them smaller monasteries to provide great revenues.1

As regards his college at Oxford it is well known that after his fall Henry VIII appropriated to his own use very much of the munificent provision for endowment. Wolsey in his closing days of sorrow and sickness lamented the ruin of his educational schemes more than his own downfall.2

The Fall of Wolsey.

After interminable arguments before Campeggio and Wolsey, July 23, 1529, was fixed for concluding the course of the divorce. The King's Proctor attended the court and demanded sentence, whereupon Campeggio rose and stated in a Latin speech that it was the custom of Rome to suspend all legal proceedings from the end of July to October 1. "I will therefore," he added, "adjourn this court for this time according to the order of the court of Rome, from whence this court and jurisdiction is derived."

The Duke of Suffolk, the King's brother-in-law, gave a great slap on the table, and said: "By the mass! now I see the old-said saw is true that there was never legate nor cardinal that did good in England." Before the

1 Wilkins's Concilia, vol. iii., p. 715.

2 Writing to Thomas Cromwell in 1530, he said: "I am in such indisposition of body and mind by the reason of such great heaviness as I am in, being put from my sleep and meat for such advertisements as I have had from you of the dissolution of my colleges; with the small comfort and appearance that I have to be relieved by the King's highness in this mine extreme need, maketh me that I cannot write unto you, for weeping and sorrow."

adjournment on July 15 the Pope had revoked the cause. However unpopular the divorce proposals had been in the country, this last step offended the nation. The spectacle of the King on his trial before the two cardinals had excited the resentment of the people, and now their Sovereign had to appear in person before the pope in another country, and in the capacity of an inferior and a vassal.

Henry's pent-up wrath broke forth. On September 19 Campeggio paid a visit to the King before his departure. Instructions were given to search his luggage, for fear he might carry off some of the treasures belonging to the Cardinal of York. Campeggio complained to Henry of the insult to him as Legate, and of the long delay in allowing him to depart. Henry replied, "As to your Legateship, no wrong has been done you by me or mine. Your authority only extended to the termination of my cause. . . . I wonder you are so ignorant of the laws of this country, seeing you are a Bishop here (he was Bishop of Salisbury), and bound to respect my royal dignity, as not to be afraid to use the title of Legate when it has become defunct."

Campeggio sailed on October 26. Meantime the wrath of Henry had fallen upon Wolsey. He was indicted in the court at Westminster on October 9 for praemunire.1 The charge was shameful, though Wolsey in his abject

1 About this time he wrote to the King: "Most gracious and merciful Sovereign Lord, Though that I, your poor heavy and wretched priest, do daily pursue, cry and call upon your Royal Majesty for grace mercy remission and pardon, yet in most humble wise I beseech your Highness not to think that it proceedeth of any mistrust that I have in your merciful goodness nor that I would encumber or molest your Majesty by any indiscreet or importune suit but the same only cometh of an inward and ardent desire that I have continually to declare unto your Highness how that, next unto God, I desire nor covet anything in this world but the attaining of your gracious favour and forgiveness of my trespass. And for this cause I cannot desist nor forbear but be a continual and most lowly suppliant to your benign grace. For surely, most gracious King, the remembrance of my folly, with the sharp sword of your Highness' displeasure, hath so penetrated my heart that I cannot but lamentably cry and say, sufficit; nunc contine, piissime rex, manum tuam.'"-Brewer's Henry VIII, vol. ii., p. 379.

fear signed an indenture acknowledging his guilt, and saying that he deserved imprisonment at the King's pleasure, and forfeiture of all his lands and offices.

It was shameful, because he had exercised his powers as Legate with the knowledge and consent of the King. Henceforth there is neither justice nor clemency in the proceedings. On October 19 the great seal was taken from him. It is true that in his confession he had prayed the King to take into his hands all his temporal possessions, pensions and benefices, but nothing less than this had been determined. Anne Boleyn and her relatives were in the ascendant, and Wolsey left the Court for evera fallen and disgraced minister and bishop. Passing by the proceedings in Parliament and the demonstrations of joy at his fall, we follow him through the remaining thirteen months of his life when the greatness of his character asserted itself in adversity. Wolsey was sacrificed to the papal pretensions in which he had been educated, and of which he was the most conspicuous example in England. Out of his vast possessions very little was left to him. At the King's command he retired to Esher, a manor house belonging to his bishopric of Winchester.

Henry promised at the prorogation of Parliament on December 17 to make some provision for his future course of living, but did nothing.

Wolsey was taken ill at Esher, and his Italian physician (Augustine), of whom we shall hear again, reported the sickness at Court. The royal physician visited him and reported that the sickness was of the heart. "Forsooth, sir, if you will have him dead, I warrant your Grace he will be dead within these four days if he receive no comfort from you shortly and Mistress Anne." "I would not lose him for twenty thousand pounds," said the King, and sent him a ring as a token of comfort. Anne, at the King's request, but certainly with no good will of her own, sent him "very gentle and comfortable words."

When all his possessions had been handed over he received, on February 12, 1530, a full pardon, and two days later he was restored to the possessions of York with