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was condemned in a Premunire, he was, during the whole Sitting of the Parliament, liable to the Penalties of it; therefore could not fit in the Houfe.

Mr. Salmon's
Account.

Mr. Salmon fays, "That the Cardi"nal's Enemies procured a Bill to be "brought into the House of Lords, and "on the 1st of Dec. had Interest enough to get it "passed in that House, without affording his Emi"nence an Opportunity of making his Defence, ei"ther in Perfon or by Counfel: That this Bill was "founded upon 44 Articles, which, being debated "in the Houfe of Commons, were fhewn to have no "Treason in them by the celebrated Cromwell, for"merly a Dependant of the Cardinal's; and, to his everlasting Honour, had Courage and Addrefs to "defend his old Mafter against the Fury of the "new Ministry, and the whole Body of Peers, "and occafioned the rejecting this Bill of Attainder by the Commons."

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The Parliament diffolved.

*

On the 17th of December, the Parliament was prorogued to the 27th of April following, and fome time after

it was diffolved.

The D. of Nor

folk vifits the Cardinal.

As foon as Judgment was figned against the Cardinal, in the Court be low upon the Premunire, the Duke of Norfolk paid him a Vifit, when they had a long Conference together, in which the Duke promised him, in the King's Name, that all his Servants fhould be taken care of, whofe Fidelity to their Master he highly commended. The Cardinal returned him Thanks for the Concern he had for his diftreffed Family; but at the fame time could not forbear telling him, That his Grace was one of the chief Inftruments of his Ruin.

Herein we cannot agree with Mr. Salmon, because it was but a very inconfiderable Par

The

ty that appeared against him, as is evident by the Names, fub fcribed to the Articles.

Judge Shelley King Yorkdemands for the place.

The next Day Judge Shelley* was fent to Efher to demand, in his Majesty's Name, the Surrender of York-boufe, producing a Deed of Refignation, which the Cardinal was defired to fign. This Demand very much moved the Cardinal; and he alledged, "That, as York-house + belonged to his See, it was 66 not

* From one of this Judge's Family Sir John Shelley, Bart. is defcended. See English Baronettage.

When the King was thus poffeffed of this magnificent Palace, he caufed to be erected a ftately Manfion at St. James's, and, for the Service of it as well as for that of York-place, afterwards called Whitehall, inclofed a Spot of Ground, and converted it into a beautiful Park, which was no fooner accomplished, than he caused the prefent ftately Gate near the Treasuries to be erected, to which he added a magnificent Gallery for the Accommodation of the Royal Family, Nobility, &c. to fit in to behold the feveral Juftings, and other military Exercifes, in the Tilt-yard, which was fo denominated from the Tiltings therein practifed.

Soon after Henry erected, for other Diverfions, contiguous to the aforefaid Gate, a Tenniscourt, Cock-pit, and Places to bowl in; the former of which only remains, the reft being converted into Dwelling-houfes and Offices, for the Privy-council and Secretaries of State.

And the prefent ftately and

VOL. IV.

.

magnificent Fabrick, called the Banqueting Houfe, was erected by King James the Ift, being the only Part of his intended fpacious Palace that was built, which, if it had been finished according to the Plan of the whole, would probably have excelled all the Edifices that are or ever were upon Earth. But the Civil Wars immediately enfuing put a Stop to the great Work, and left the Execution thereof to fome fucceeding magnanimous Prince to accomplish; but what was worse, at laft it fuffered the fame Fate as the Old Palace at Westminster had done, being reduced to Ashes in the Reign of the late King William and Queen Mary, and has remained neglected ever fince; only that our crowned Heads have made Grants of feveral Pieces of Ground, (whereon Cardinal Wolfey's Palace ftood) to divers Noblemen, partly as a Reward for the Services they had done the Crown at different Times; and among other Perfons of Quality, that have fplendid Houses there now, are his Grace Charles D. of Richmond, his Grace John Duke of Montagu, and the Rt. Hon. the Earl of Pembroke, &c.

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not his to difpofe of; and told him, he hoped the Judges would not expofe their Reputation, by putting "his Majefty upon any illegal Methods; but, if the King infifted upon it, let the Sin lie at his Door." To this the Judge made Anfwer, "That the King in"fifted upon it:" Whereupon the Cardinal figned the Deed; and the Judge pofted with it to Court. See Cavendish's Hiftory.

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The King quite

mercenary.

As foon as this Matter was fettled the King, being determined to get all the Cardinal was poffeffed of into his Hands,

fent him the following Letter.

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"Moft Rev. Father in God,

RIG

IGHT Trusty and right Well-beloved, we greet you well, and fend unto you, at this "Time, by our trufty and well-beloved Chaplain, "Dr. Incent, your Vicar-general, a Commiffion touch"ing the Gift of Benefices and Offices within your "Diocefs of Winchester, being, at our Denomination "and Appointment, devised by our Council: Where"fore we will and defire you to fubfcribe the fame "Commiffion, and to feal it with your Seal; and

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thereupon deliver the fame to the faid Vicar-ge"neral, which he fhall use none otherwife, but according to our Commandment and Pleasure.

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"Given under our Signet, at our Manor of "the Moor, the 29th Day of March.”

Madam Ann becomes the only Favourite.

This Request Wolfey was obliged to comply with, and accordingly figned what the King demanded. Madam Ann had got fo far the Affcendant over the King, that nothing was now to be gained from him but through her Interpofition; yet the King himself had fome Remorfe in refpect to his Proceedings against Wolfey; for, after he had reduced him as low as he thought neceffary to break his great Spi

rit,

rit, in order to make him fome Amends, he would at times fend him a comfortable Meffage; and Madam Ann too, at the King's Entreaty, after fhe had contributed all she could to ruin him, once fent the Cardinal a Prefent of a Tablet of Gold, that used to hang by her Side. This put Wolfey upon thinking, that fome Service might be done him, through the Interpofition of this Lady; therefore he writ not only to her, but to Cromwell; and, in his Letter to that Gentleman, intreats him to follicit the King to be gracious unto him, and to practise fo as that the Lady Ann might mediate for him. Cromwell, in Answer to the Cardinal's Letter, fays, "Mr. Page delivered the Letter "to the Lady Ann, but there is yet no Answer: She gives kind Words, but will not promise to speak "to the King for you." And, in another Letter to a third Perfon, Cromwell writes, "None dare fpeak to the King on the Cardinal's Part, for fear of "Madam Ann's Displeasure."

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66

The Cardinal reflects on his Disappointment.

After he found himself deceived, and that there was a further Intention of depriving him of the Revenues of the Bishoprick of Winchester, the Cardinal faid, God be my Judge, I never thought, and fo I was affured at the making of my Submiffion, to depart from any of my Promotions for the Rigour of the Law; for any Offence that can be attested against me deferveth no fuch Punishment, and fo, trusting to the King's Goodness, I am come to this Point. I hope his Grace will confider the fame accordingly. I have had fair Words, but little comfortable Deeds. Thofe Noblemen did otherwife promise to me, upon their Honour, upon the Trust whereof I made the frank Gift of my whole Eftate. The Cardinal further hints in a Letter, "That, "when he submitted and made a free Gift of all "that he had to the King, which he did at the Per"fuafion of divers Noblemen, it was promised him, "that

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"that the King would make an Order for the Payment "of his Debts, and Maintenance of his Eftate; yet now he is in great Want of Relief."

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Still receives

Court.

Cromwell's

Letter to him.

He still received frequent Meffages Melages from from the Court, but more of them afflicting than confolatory, his Enemies ufing all poffible Artifices, having greatly reduced him, to crush him entirely. As the King had feized all his Estate and Effects, befides his Colleges both at Oxford and Ipfwich, they laboured to prevail on him to convert thefe Colleges to fome other Purpose, which was fo fenfible a Mortification to Wolfey, that he defires Cromwell to be a Friend to his Colleges, and not fuffer the Lands, applied thereto, as well by the Pope's as the King's Affent, to be converted to profane Ufes. To this Cromwell anfwered, "As "touching your Colleges the King is deter"mined to diffolve them, and that new "Offices fhould be found for all the Lands belonging "to them, to intitle his Highness thereto, which he had already drawn for that Purpose; but whether his Highness, after the Diffolution of them, means to revive them again, and found them in his own "Name, I know not; wherefore I entreat your Grace "to be content, and let your Prince execute his Plea"fure." Wolfey, taking the Suppreffing and Dismembering of his Colleges very heavily, again earnestly follicited Cromwell to endeavour to prevent the making void what had been authentically confirmed by the greateft Authority on Earth, faying, " If fuch a Thing was "done, it would be against the Laws of God and "Man." And he did not stop here, for he wrote to the King on that Head, ufing thefe Expreffions, "I humbly, and on my Knees, recommend to your Grace's Charity and Goodnefs the poor College of Ox"ford:" And ordered, that this Letter fhould be prefented to the King by the Dean and Canons of the faid College; but it appears, that, notwithstanding

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