THE LIFE AND ADMINISTRATION OF CARDINAL WOLSEY. BY JOHN GALT, Esq. THIRD EDITION. EDINBURGH: PUBLISHED BY OLIVER & BOYD, TWEEDDALE-COURT ; AND GEO. B. WHITTAKER, LONDON. THE LIFE AND ADMINISTRATION OF CARDINAL WOLSEY. BOOK I. DURING the predominance of the papal authority, all the nations of Europe formed, in reality, but one general state, in which the civil and military institutions were subordinate to the ecclesiastical. The submission yielded to secular superiors was modified by the various tenure of feudal property. No laws existed which the whole community was equally bound to maintain, but such as issued from the apostolical throne. By whatever names the provinces of Christendom were distinguished, empires, kingdoms, or republics, the people and their rulers alike acknowledged themselves subject to the pope. Royalty did homage to superstition; nor was the crown itself allodial, but held of the tiara. II. The means by which the papal power was upheld and exercised were as wonderful as the ex A |