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time　of　that　great　cardinal's　fall；　attracted　the　special　notice　of

the　King；　who　made　him　royal　secretary　in　the　House　of　Commons。　　He

made　his　fortune　by　advising　Henry　to　declare　himself　Head　of　the

English　Church；　when　he　was　entangled　in　the　difficulties　growing

out　of　the　divorce　of　Catharine。　　This　advice　was　given　with　the

patriotic　view　of　making　the　royal　authority　superior　to　that　of

the　Pope　in　Church　patronage；　and　of　making　England　independent　of

Rome。



The　great　scandal　of　the　times　was　the　immoral　lives　of　the　clergy；

especially　of　the　monks；　and　the　immunities　they　enjoyed。　　They

were　a　hindrance　to　the　royal　authority；　and　weakened　the　resources

of　the　country　by　the　excessive　drain　of　gold　and　silver　sent　to

Rome　to　replenish　the　papal　treasury。　　Cromwell　would　make　the

clergy　dependent　on　the　King　and　not　on　the　Pope　for　their

investitures　and　promotions；　and　he　abominated　the　idle　and

vagabond　lives　of　the　monks；　who　had　degenerated　in　England；

perhaps　more　than　in　any　other　country　in　Europe；　in　consequence　of

the　great　wealth　of　their　monasteries。　　He　was　able　to　render　his

master　and　the　kingdom　a　great　service；　from　the　powers　lavished

upon　him。　　He　presided　at　convocations　as　the　King's　vicegerent；

controlled　the　House　of　Commons；　and　was　inquisitor…general　of　the

monasteries；　he　was　foreign　and　home　secretary；　vicar…general　and

president　of　the　star…chamber　or　privy…council。　　The　proud

Nevilles；　the　powerful　Percies；　and　the　noble　Courtenays　all　bowed

before　this　plebeian　son　of　a　mechanic；　who　had　arisen　by　force　of

genius　and　lucky　accidents；too　wise　to　build　a　palace　like

Hampton　Court；　but　not　ecclesiastical　enough　in　his　sympathies　to

found　a　college　like　Christ's　Church　as　Wolsey　did。　　He　was　a　man

simple　in　his　tastes；　and　hard…working　like　Colbert；the　great

finance　minister　of　France　under　Louis　XIV。；　whom　he　resembled　in

his　habits　and　policy。



His　great　task；　as　well　as　his　great　public　service；　was　the

visitation　and　suppression　of　monasteries。　　He　perceived　that　they

had　fulfilled　their　mission；　that　they　were　no　longer　needed；　that

they　had　become　corrupt；　and　too　corrupt　to　be　reformed；　that　they

were　no　longer　abodes　of　piety；　or　beehives　of　industry；　or

nurseries　of　art；　or　retreats　of　learning；　that　their　wealth　was

squandered；　that　they　upheld　the　arm　of　a　foreign　power；　that　they

shielded　offenders　against　the　laws；　that　they　encouraged　vagrancy

and　extortion；　that；　in　short；　they　were　dangerous　to　the　realm。



The　monks　and　friars　opposed　the　new　learning　now　extending　from

Italy　to　France；　to　Germany；　and　to　England。　　Colet　came　back　from

Italy；　not　to　teach　Platonic　mysticism；　but　to　unlock　the

Scriptures　in　the　original；the　centre　of　a　group　of　scholars　at

Oxford；　of　whom　Erasmus　and　Thomas　More　stood　in　the　foremost　rank。

Before　the　close　of　the　fifteenth　century；　it　is　said　that　ten

thousand　editions　of　various　books　had　been　printed　in　different

parts　of　Europe。　　All　the　Latin　authors；　and　some　of　the　Greek；

were　accessible　to　students。　　Tunstall　and　Latimer　were　sent　to

Padua　to　complete　their　studies。　　Fox；　bishop　of　Winchester；

established　a　Greek　professorship　at　Oxford。　　It　was　an　age　of

enthusiasm　for　reviving　literature；which；　however；　received　in

Germany；　through　the　influence　chiefly　of　Luther；　a　different

direction　from　what　it　received　in　Italy；　and　which　extended　from

Germany　to　England。　　But　to　this　awakened　spirit　the　monks

presented　obstacles　and　discouragements。　　They　had　no　sympathy　with

progress；　they　belonged　to　the　Dark　Ages；　they　were　hostile　to　the

circulation　of　the　Scriptures；　they　were　pedlers　of　indulgences　and

relics；　impostors；　frauds；　vagabonds；　gluttons；　worldly；　sensual；

and　avaricious。



So　notoriously　corrupt　had　monasteries　become　that　repeated

attempts　had　been　made　to　reform　them；　but　without　success。　　As

early　as　1489；　Innocent　VII。　had　issued　a　commission　for　a　general

investigation。　　The　monks　were　accused　of　dilapidating　public

property；　of　frequenting　infamous　places；　of　stealing　jewels　from

consecrated　shrines。　　In　1511；　Archbishop　Warham　instituted　another

visitation。　　In　1523　Cardinal　Wolsey　himself　undertook　the　task　of

reform。　　At　last　the　Parliament；　in　1535；　appointed　Cromwell　vicar

or　visitor…general；　issued　a　commission；　and　intrusted　it　to

lawyers；　not　priests；　who　found　that　the　worst　had　not　been　told；

and　reported　that　two　thirds　of　the　monks　of　England　were　living　in

concubinage；　that　their　lands　were　wasted　and　mortgaged；　and　their

houses　falling　into　ruins。　　They　found　the　Abbot　of　Fountains

surrounded　with　more　women　than　Mohammed　allowed　his　followers；　and

the　nuns　of　Litchfield　scandalously　immoral。



On　this　report；　the　Lords　and　Commonsdeliberately；　not　rashly

decreed　the　suppression　of　all　monasteries　the　income　of　which　was

less　than　two　hundred　pounds　a　year；　and　the　sequestration　of　their

lands　to　the　King。　　About　two　hundred　of　the　lesser　convents　were

thus　suppressed；　and　the　monks　turned　adrift；　yet　not　entirely

without　support。　　This　spoliation　may　have　been　a　violation　of　the

rights　of　property；　but　the　monks　had　betrayed　their　trusts。　　The

next　Parliament　completed　the　work。　　In　1539　all　the　religious

houses　were　suppressed；　both　great　and　small。　　Such　venerable　and

princely　retreats　as　St。　Albans；　Glastonbury；　Reading；　Bury　St。

Edmunds；　and　Westminster；　which　had　flourished　one　thousand　years；

founded　long　before　the　Conquest；shared　the　common　ruin。　　These

probably　would　have　been　spared；　had　not　the　first　suppression

filled　the　country　with　rebels。　　The　great　insurrection　in

Lincolnshire　which　shook　the　foundation　of　the　throne；　the

intrigues　of　Cardinal　Pole；　the　Cornish　conspiracy　in　which　the

great　house　of　Neville　was　implicated；　and　various　other

agitations；　were　all　fomented　by　the　angry　monks。



Rapacity　was　not　the　leading　motive　of　Henry　or　his　minister；　but

the　public　welfare。　　The　measure　of　suppression　and　sequestration

was　violent；　but　called　for。　　Cromwell　put　forth　no　such

sophistical　pleas　as　those　revolutionists　who　robbed　the　French

clergy；that　their　property　belonged　to　the　nation。　　In　France　the

clergy　were　despoiled；　not　because　they　were　infamous；　but　because

they　were　rich。　　In　England　the　monks　probably　suffered　injustice

from　the　severity　of　their　punishment；　but　no　one　now　doubts　that

punishment　was　deserved。　　Nor　did　Henry　retain　all　the　spoils

himself：　he　gave　away　the　abbey　lands　with　a　prodigality　equal　to

his　rapacity。　　He　gave　them　to　those　who　upheld　his　throne；　as　a

reward　for　service　or　loyalty。　　They　were　given　to　a　new　class　of

statesmen；　who　led　the　popular　party；like　the　Fitzwilliams；　the

Russells；　the　Dudleys；　and　the　Seymours；and　thus　became　the

foundation　of　their　great　estates。　　They　were　also　distributed　to

many　merchants　and　manufacturers　who　had　been　loyal　to　the

government。　　From　one…third　to　two…thirds　of　the　landed　property　of

the　kingdom；as　variously　estimated；thus　changed　hands。　　It　was

an　enormous　confiscation；nearly　as　great　as　that　made　by　William

the　Conqueror　in　favor　of　his　army　of　invaders。　　It　must　have

produced　an　immense　impression　on　the　mind　of　Europe。　　It　was

almost　as　great　a　calamity　to　the　Catholic　Church　of　England　as　the

emancipation　of　slaves　was　to　their　Southern　masters　in　our　late

war。　　Such　a　spoliation　of　the　Church　had　not　before　taken　place　in

any　country　of　Europe。　　How　great　an　evil　the　monastic　system　must

have　been　regarded　by　Parliament　to　warrant　such　an　act！　　Had　it

not　been　popular；　there　would　have　been　discontents　amounting　to　a

general　hostility　to　the　throne。



It　must　also　be　borne　in　mind　that　this　dissolution　of　the

monasteries；　this　attack　on　the　monastic　system；　was　not　a

religious　movement　fanned　by　reformers；　but　an　act　of　Parliament；

at　the　instance　of　a　royal　minister。　　It　was　not　done　under　the

direction　of　a　Protestant　king；for　Henry　was　never　a　Protestant；

but　as　a　public　measure　in　behalf　of　morality　and　for　reasons　of

State。　　It　is　true　that　Henry　had；　by　his　marriage　with　Anne　Boleyn

and　the　divorce　of　his　virtuous　queen；　defied　the　Pope　and

separated　England　from　Rome；　so　far　as　appointments　to

ecclesiastical　benefices　are　concerned。　　But　in　offending　the　Pope

he　also　equally　offended　Charles　V。　　The　results　of　his　separation

from　Rome；　during　his　life；　were　purely　political。　　The　King　did

not　give　up　the　Mass　or　the　Roman　communion　or　Roman　dogmas　of

faith；　he　only　prepared　the　way　for　reform　in　the　next　reign。　　He

only　intensified　the　hatred　between　the　old　conservative　party　and

the　party　of　reform　and　progress。



How　far　Cromwell　himself　was　a　Protestant　it　is　difficult　to　tell。

Doubtless　he　sympathized　with　the　new　religious　spirit　of　the　age；

but　he　did　not　openly　avow　the　faith　of　Luther。　　He　was　the　able

and　unscrupulous　minister　of　an　absolute　monarch；　bent　on　sweeping