such a council, published the following reasons, and it was moved that the convocation should give an opinion upon it:-"That as nothing was better instituted by the ancient fathers, for the establishment of the faith, the extirpation of heresies, the healing of schisms, and the unity of the Christian church, than general councils, gathered in the Holy Ghost, and duly called to an indifferent place, on the other hand, nothing could produce more pestiferous effects than a general council called upon private malice, or ambition, or other carnal respects. It ought therefore to be considered, first, who had authority to call one. Secondly, if the reasons for calling one were sufficiently weighty. Thirdly, who should be the judges. Fourthly, what should be the manner of proceeding. Fifthly, what things should be treated of in it. As to the first of these, it was stated that neither the pope, nor any one prince, of what dignity soever, had authority to call one, without the consent of all other Christian princes, especially such as had entire and supreme government over all their subjects." This was signed by lord Cromwell, Cranmer, archbishop of Canterbury, fourteen bishops, and forty abbots, priors, and clerks, of the convocation of Canterbury.

The king published a spirited protest against the council at Mantua, proving that the pope has no power to call a general council,-that the power which in former times was vested in the emperor to call a general council was now ex

tended to all Christian princes,-that a free general council could not be held while a war was carrying on between the emperor and the French king,that the pope had no jurisdiction in England, consequently could summon none of this nation to such a meeting,-that it would be very unsafe for any Englishman to go to Mantua, as no dependence could be placed on the pope's safe conduct, their oaths and promises of protection having so frequently been broken,-that for three years past the pope had been exciting all Christian princes against him, and employing all possible means to raise rebellion among his subjects. He positively declared that he would not attend any council called by the bishop of Rome; but that, when there was a general peace among Christian princes, he would most gladly hearken to the motion of a true general council, and in the mean time he would preserve all the articles of the faith in hi kingdom, and sooner lose his life and his crowns than suffer any of them to be violated.

After the suppression of the smaller monasteries, great numbers of monks and friars wandered through the country, publicly haranguing the people, and inflaming their minds against the king and his measures, until they had fomented two formidable insurrections. The one that broke out in Lincolnshire was happily quelled without the shedding of blood; but that in Cumberland was attended with the loss of many lives. The treacherous conduct of the monks furnished the king with a

favourable pretext for suppressing the rest of the monasteries. Commissioners were appointed, and particular instructions given how they were to proceed in every visitation. They had liberty to examine on oath the governor or any of the household officers, in order to ascertain how many religious persons there were in the house, what number of priests, how many would take capacities and go into the world,-to estimate the value of the house and premises,-to deposit the seal and writings of the convent in a sure place,-to take an inventory of all the plate and moveables, &c., &c.

To prevent a further exposure of the base impositions and corruptions of the church of Rome, the reports made by these commissioners were all erased out of the records in the reign of queen Mary. The fact is almost incredible that, in the short space of two years, all the possessions of six hundred and forty-five convents, ninety colleges, two thousand three hundred and seventy-four chantries and free chapels, and one hundred and ten hospitals, were annexed to the crown. The yearly revenues of their lands was estimated at £160,000, which, in the opinion of bishop Burnet, was little more than a tenth part of their real value. The jewels, plate, &c., belonging to these houses must have amounted to an immense sum. In many of the richer monasteries, their vestments were made of gold cloth, silk, and velvet richly embroidered; their crucifixes, images, candlesticks, &c., were of gold and silver. The gold taken from

the shrine of Thomas à Becket at Canterbury filled two chests, which contained as much as eight strong men could carry. A considerable portion of the jewels and plate was conveyed away from some of the monasteries before their dissolution, and probably some of it was secreted by those who had charge of it, but, after all, immense quantities came into the king's treasury.

The abolition of the monastic orders in England, and the alienation of their property, was a bold measure, the propriety and justice of which have often been called in question. But, while this circumstance marks the determined character of the king, it exhibits with equal clearness the superior abilities and wisdom of his vicegerent Cromwell, in clearing the nation of those nurseries of idleness, vice, and superstition, in which were fostered such powerful impediments to the Reformation.

A very spirited pamphlet appeared about this time, addressed to the king, entitled, "The Supplication of Beggars." It was written by a Mr. Fish, who, to avoid the violent proceedings of the lord chancellor, Sir Thomas More, fled to the continent, where his book was published, and a great number of copies were sent into England, to be distributed at the procession in Westminster on Candlemas-day. One of these books was read to the king, who after hearing it made a long pause, and then said, "If a man should pull down an old stone wall, and begin at the lower part, the upper part might chance to fall upon his head."

The king was so far from being displeased with the writer that he took him under his protection; and it is probable that the statements in this book, as will appear from the following extracts, might furnish Henry with arguments for suppressing the monasteries.

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The book purports to be the prayer of the needy, impotent, blind, lame, and sick beggars," who bitterly complain that there is another sort, "not of impotent, but of strong and counterfeit holy, and idle beggars and vagabonds," who are increased not only into a great number, but into a kingdom. "These are not the shepherds, but ravenous wolves in sheep's clothing, devouring the flock,-bishops, abbots, priors, deacons, archdeacons, suffragans, priests, monks, canons, friars, pardoners, and sumners. These, having laid aside all labour, have begged so importunately that they have gotten into their own hands more than a third part of all your majesty's realm! The best lordships, manors, lands, and territories are theirs. Besides this, they have the tenth part of all the corn, meadow, pasture, grass, wood, colts, calves, lambs, pigs, geese, and chickens; also, the tenth part of every servant's wages, the tenth part of wool, milk, wax, cheese, and butter; and so strictly do they look after their profit that the poor wife must furnish them with every tenth egg, or she will not get her rights at Easter, and will be treated as an heretic. What money they pull in by probates of testaments, privy tithes, by