holpen. Therefore, set your hearts at rest, there shall no such alteration be made while I live "." It is, indeed, evident when the necessary expences of Cranmer's station are considered, that very moderate means of providing for a family could have been placed within his reach. He was, besides, liberal beyond the unavoidable calls of his elevated post, as numerous learned foreigners experienced. The Reformation of the national Church also, which graced his primacy, compelled him to entertain almost constantly persons to assist him in his labours. Nor is there any reason to doubt, from the noble sympathy which he evinced at one of his residences in Kent, for the wounded soldiers returning from Boulogne, that he was beneficent in a very high degree. His resources, however, did not equal those of his predecessors, having been compulsorily curtailed to a serious extent during the late reign. So far, therefore, was it from being in his power to accumulate wealth, that it Relation made by Morice, Cranmer's secretary, for the use of Abp. Parker. (Strype, Mem. Cranm. 623. Foxe, 1692.) The alteration meant by the King, was a plan then agitated among his mercenary courtiers, to deprive the prelates of their landed properties, and to assign them pensions for their main tenance. • "Almost for the space of sixteen years together, his house was never lightly unfurnished of a number both of learned men and commissioners from time to time, appointed for deciding of ecclesiastical affairs." Foxe, 1692. d Strype, Mem. Cranm. 648. • Hist. Ref. under King Henry VIII. II. 594. may readily be supposed, as he wrote to Cecil, he could not compare his income and expenditure together, without a painful feeling of anxiety. But under Edward's rule he had escaped pillage. Hence such mercenary persons as possessed political influence represented him as unbecomingly rich, and longed to make him their prey. The practice of acquiring fortunes from the Church's patrimony had, indeed, arisen to such a shameful height, that every unsated expectant appears to have considered an ecclesiastical estate as lawful plunder. Whenever a see fell vacant, a large sacrifice of income was invariably demanded of the new possessor. The bishopric of Westminster was not suppressed until the bulk of its revenues had come into the disposal of the crown'. Worcester was holden in commen "The lands of Westminster so dilapidated by Bishop Thirlby, that there was almost nothing left to support the dignity for which good service he had been preferred to the see of Norwich. Most of the lands invaded by the great men of the court; the rest laid out for reparation to the church of St. Paul; pared almost to the quick in those days of rapine. From hence first came that significant bye-word, as is said by some, of Robbing Peter to pay Paul." (Heylin, Hist. Ref. 121.) "The Lord Wentworth, being a younger branch of the Wentworths of Yorkshire, had brought some estate with him to the court, though not enough to keep him up in equipage with so great a title. The want whereof was supplied in part by the office of Lord Chamberlain, now conferred upon him; but more by the goodly manors of Stebunheath, commonly called Stepney, and Hackney, bestowed upon him by the King, in consideration of his good and faithful services before performed. For so it happened, that the dean and chapter of St. Paul's, lying at the mercy dam with Gloucester for the sake of admitting spoliation. Holbeach was hardly settled in the see of Lincoln, when he alienated to the crown six and twenty highly valuable estates". Poynet surrendered several noble estates, immediately after he had taken possession of Winchester ". Other prelates, being suspected of secretly favouring Romanism, were compelled to purchase a freedom from molestation by great sacrifices of revenue. Bishop Salcot alias Capon, of Salisbury, granted long leases of some of the best of the times, as before was said, conveyed over to the King the said two manors; on the the 12th day after Christmas now last past, (1549,) with all the members and appurtenances thereunto belonging. Of which, the last named was valued at the yearly rent of 41l. 9s. 4d. The other at 140l. 8s. 11d. And being thus vested in the King, they were by letters patent bearing date the 16th of April, then next following, transferred upon the said Lord Wentworth. By means whereof he was possessed of a goodly territory, extending on the Thames from St. Catharine's, near the Tower of London, to the borders of Essex, near Blackwall; from thence along the river Lea to Stratford le Bow: and fetching a great compass on that side the city, contains in all no fewer than six and twenty townships, streets, and hamlets, besides such rows of building as have since been added in these latter times." (Ibid. 85.) What would Heylin have said if he had seen the manors of Stepney and Hackney in their present state? Bp. Holbeach was elected to the laborious see of Lincoln on the 9th of August, 1547. The immense alienation recorded above was effected on the 26th of the following month. Godwin. de Præsul. 300. Note. b Some of these estates were subsequently recovered for his see by Bishop Gardiner, when Lord Chancellor. Heylin, Hist. Ref. 101. i Ibid. 100. farms and manors appended to his see. Bishop Sampson supplied chiefly from the property belonging to his see of Lichfield and Coventry, a baronial estate for Lord Paget'. By Kitchen, alias Dunstan, was alienated nearly the whole patrimony settled upon the see of Landaff, which was thus rendered, though lucrative before, probably the poorest in England". Voysey, alias Harman, a prelate of considerable merit, but a staunch Romanist, who long filled the see of Exeter, dissipated to an immense extent the property which had descended to him from his predecessors. He took possession of twenty-two manors, and fourteen mansions handsomely furnished. He left on his resignation only seven or eight of the worst manors, and even these not unburthened, together with a single residence wholly stripped of furniture". From these statements, and more such might easily be subjoined, it is evident, that the reports of episcopal opu "Known afterwards most commonly by the name of Capon's feathers." 'Ibid. Paget was born of obscure parentage in London, and educated at St. Paul's School. Part of the fine fortune which he accumulated in Staffordshire for himself and his descendants, was obtained from the dean and chapter of Lichfield. This eminent stateman's career of splendid gratifications was somewhat chequered by his expulsion from the order of the Garter: a mortification inflicted on him as being born a gentleman neither paternally nor maternally. King Edward's Journal, 72. m Fundi nostri calamitas, is the feeling description by which Kitchen's successor, Bishop Godwin, introduces that eminent dilapidator to the notice of his readers. De Præsul. 612. "Ibid. 416. engaged in examining both sides of the matters under discussion. In truth German affairs could evidently be retained for no great length of time in their existing posture. Although Charles had succeeded pretty completely in forcing men to receive the Interim; yet it was only by means of diplomatic intrigues, or military violence. He clearly had not attained hitherto the means of crushing finally the civil and religious liberties of Germany. He had made, however, apparently such important advances towards that consummation of his policy, that he might calculate not unreasonably upon rendering his acquisitions permanent, if his views were forwarded by the papal court. Hence he was urgent with Julius for the reassembling of the Trentine council. Nor when he found mere instances fail of working upon his Holiness, did the Imperial dissembler hesitate to compromise decidedly his own character. He wrote a letter to Julius engaging, that, if the Trentine fathers were allowed to meet again, they should proceed upon no business offensive to the Roman see". On receiving this gratifying docu • This important fact came to light from the letters written by Vargas, to Granville, Bishop of Arras, and afterwards a cardinal. Vargas was a Spanish doctor of laws, who was appointed to attend the Imperial ambassadors at Trent. He wrote regularly to Granville an account of what was done in the remarkable congress assembled there. By some accident these letters remained in the hands of one of Granville's secretaries, and they ultimately came into the possession of Mr. William Trumbull, envoy at Brussels from King James I. There can be no doubt, that Mr. Trumbull obtained this valuable collection under a promise of |