Hen. 8. is a fnare to many good people; as well as a difappointment to all. The times are troublesome, but Cromwel calm and quiet, and watchful over occurrences; infurrection giving him an advantage of a new fettlement. He takes down the occafions and ornaments of idolatry, images, fhrines, pilgrimages, &c. and then the thing it felf: take off the paint of Rome, and you undo her. As the laws. and injunctions, fo the alliance of England muft fecure its intereft: a proteftant queen must be married to the reformed king; the duke of Cleve's fifter muft woo the king, that Effex might have that whispered in the king's bofom abed, where he was beft difpofed, which he infinuated into his ear at the council-table where he was worst. But the king was not fo well pleased with her beauty, as Cromwel was with her religion which Stephen Gardiner (who hated her for her religion, and Cromwel for his greatnefs) obferving, fhewed the king's loose affections, at once how to be rid of his match, and, which he was as weary of, his matchmaker. The queen is divorced (being never known by Henry, who difliked her at firft view, and kept her rather in policy, to oblige the German princes, than of pleasure to fill his own bed.) Cromwel is arrested for prefuming to act in fome matters of state without the king's privity or commiffion, and attainted by a procedure he had invented; dying as cunningly as he had lived, for fome ambiguous words which Power interpreted to his Ruine. * His * As when one faid he was accufed for disloyalty to the king, he faid, he would ftab him with his dagger, if he were. His laft words were fo wary, that they might Hen. 8. become Bellarmine and Luther at once; that the proteftants call them his confeffion of faith, and the papifts his old religion. And neither is he to be blamed, unless his troublesome adverfaries will accufe him, as the quarrelsome Roman did his antagonist, Because he would not receive bis weapon fairly with his whole Body: for confeffing his offences against God and the king, in his many employments, he faid he died in the Catholique Faith. Some will fay the protestants think no great gain to have him, and the papists no lofs to part with him; yet we must needs confess that he was a Wife Man, because he always confulted the learned in the laws about all his proceedings. He was a Good Man, witness Frefcobald, whofe mean perfon he took notice of, whose small kindness he acknowledged, whofe fervices he condefcended to, whofe wants he relieved, and whofe debts he recovered: he was a Noble-Man, because he refufed another man's coat of arms who was of his name, saying, What shall I do with it? for he may pull it off my back at pleasure. In a word, he was fo mean before he rofe, fo worthy afterwards, that no times had raised but those more troublesome, none ruined him but those most loofe of Henry the viii. Some referved mens parts he compared to meat in a great Colchester oyster, which would hardly requite the pains of opening.---But infinitely was he taken with thofe who were (as he called them) like the Statues of Apollo, had a launce in one hand, and an harp in another ; that is refolution to awe on the one fide, and sweetness to oblige on the other.---Being much pleafed Hen. 8. pleafed likewife with the reflecting man, who needs not the dull way of Perfia, to keep a boy behind him, to bid him remember what he is, and what he ought to do; and with the devout courtier for as the ennamel, which adorneth the dove's neck, never fhines fo clear and glorious, as when the fun looks upon it; fo great men are never fo full of majefty themselves, as when they own the majefty of God; never more Gods among men, as when humble men before God; who [as St. Lewis of France once affirmed] boweth the hearts of men to a fubjection to them, who kneel in adoration to him. He loved not the men that pedantically boasted their reading, but that rationally made use of it; not ridiculously upon all occafions vaunting the fhreds of it, but fkilfully to good purposes couching the refult and fubftance of it. --So the admirable old man Epictetus, as Lucian calls him that famed ftoick, whofe lamp was preferved as a relique, and fold for three thoufand drachmas, would fay, [Enchier c. 16] that sheep bring not their grafs to their shepherd, to fhew him how much they have eaten, but concocting their meat inwardly do bring forth wool and milk.---True learning is the improvement of other mens ftudies and experiences by our own meditation, adding to that frame by confideration, which they had built from the ground by many ages obfervation. The The Lord Herbert's Character of CROM WE L. AND to this end came Cromwel, who from being but a Black-fmith's Son, found means to travel into foreign Countries, to learn their Languages, and to fee the Wars (being a Souldier of Bourbon at the taking of Rome ;) whence returning, he was received into Cardinal Wolfey's fervice: to whom he fo approved himself by his fidelity and diligence, that the King after his fall, voluntarily took him for his fervant; in which place he became a Special inftrument for diffolving the abbeys and other religious boufes, and keeping down the clergy; whom, in regard of their oath to the pope, be ufually termed the king's half fubjects: and for expelling the monks, he faid it was no more than a reftoring them to the first inftitution, of being lay and labouring perfons: neither did it move him that fo much fritnefs and aufterity of life was enjoyned them in their feveral orders, fince, he faid, they might keep it in any condition. But as these reasons again were not admitted by divers learned and able perfons, fo he got him many enemies, who at last procured his fall, but not before he had obtained fucceffively the dignities of master of the rolls, baron, lord privy feal, vicegerent to the king in spiritualities, knight of the garter, earl of Effex, great chamberlain of England, &c. He was much noted in the exercifes of his places of judicature, to have ufed much moderation; and in bis greatest pomp to Hen. 8. Hen. 8.bave taken notice and been thankful to mean perfons of his old acquaintance; and therein had a virtue which his mafter the cardinal wanted. As for his other defcriptions, I leave them to be taken out of Cranmer's letter formerly mentioned, with fome deduction; for it seems written to the king in more than ordinary favour of his antient fervice. Arch-Bishop Cranmer's Character of Cromwel, in a Letter to King Henry the Eighth. WHO cannot be forrowful and amazed, that be fhould be a traitor against your majefty? be that was fo advanced by your majesty, be whofe furety was only by your majesty, he who loved your majesty (as I ever thought) no less than God; he who studied always to fet forwards whatsoever was your majesties will and pleasure; be that cared for no man's difpleasure to ferve your majefty; be that was fuch a fervant in my judgment, in wisdom, diligence, faithfulness and experience, as no prince in this realm ever had: he that was fo vigilant to preserve your majesty from all treafons, that few could be fo fecretly conceived, but be detected the fame in the beginning. If the princes of noble memory, king John, Henry II, and Richard II. had had fuch a counsellor about them, I fuppofe they should never have been fo traiterously aban |