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turn, feemed to be an inconvenience ftill more danger- CHA P. ous; and the king and parliament, foon after the pub- XXXII. lication of the Scriptures, retracted the conceffion, which they had formerly made; and prohibited all but gentle- 1542. men and merchants to peruse them G. Even that liberty was not granted, without an apparent hesitation, and a dread of the confequences: Thefe perfons were allowed to read, fo it be done quietly and with good order. And the preamble to the act fets forth," that many feditious "and ignorant perfons had abused the liberty granted "them for reading the Bible, and that great diversity of "opinion, animofities, tumults, and fchifms had been "occafioned by perverting the fenfe of the Scriptures." It seemed very difficult to reconcile the king's model for uniformity, with the permiffion of free enquiry.

THE mafs book also passed under the king's examination; and little alteration was yet made in it: Some doubtful or fi&titious faints only were ftruck out; and the name of the pope was erazed. This latter precaution was likewife ufed with regard to every new book that was printed, or even old book that was fold.. The word, pope, was carefully omittted or blotted out H; as if that precaution could abolish the term from the language, or as if fuch a perfecution of it did not rather imprint it more strongly in the memory of the people.

THE king took care about this time to clear the churches of another abufe, which had crept into them. Plays, interludes, and farces were there often acted, in derifion of the former fuperftitions; and the reverence of the multitude for antient principles and modes of worfhip, was thereby gradually effaced. We do not hear, that the catholics attempted to retaliate by employing this powerful engine against their adverfaries, or endeavoured by like arts to expofe that fanatical fpirit, by which it appears, the reformers were generally actuated. Perhaps the people were not difpofed to relish a jeft on that fide: Perhaps the greater fimplicity and the more spiritual abftra&t worship of the proteftants, gave less hold to ridicule, which is commonly founded on fenfible representations. It was, therefore, a very agreeable conceffion,

O 2

Which met on the 22d of January, 1543. G 33 Hen.
Parliamentary hiftory, vol. iii. p. 113.

VIII. c. I.

1 Burnet, vol. i. p. 318.

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CHAP. ceffion, which the king made the catholic party, to fup-
XXXII. prefs entirely thefe religious comedies.

THUS Henry laboured inceffantly, by arguments, 542. creeds, and penal ftatutes, to bring his fubjects to an uniformity in their religious fentiments: But as he entered, himself, with the greatest earnestness, into all these scholaftic difputes, he encouraged the people, by his example, to apply themselves to the study of theology; and it was in vain afterwards to expect, however prefent fear might restrain their tongues or pens, that they would cordially agree in any fet of tenets or opinions prescribed to them.

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paign in France. A Parliament.

France and Scotland.

the earl of Surrey.

Perfecutions. Execution of
Attainder of the duke of Nor-

folk. Death of the king.— -His character..

His laws.

H

1542. War with

Scotland,

ENRY being determined to avenge himself on CHA P. the king of Scots for flighting the advances, which XXXIII. he made for his friendship, would gladly have obtained a fupply from the parliament, to enable him to prosecute that enterprize; but as he did not think it prudent to difcover his intentions, the parliament, conformably to their frugal maxims, would understand no hints; and the king was disappointed in his expectations. He continued, however, to make preparations for war; and fo foon as he thought himself in a condition to invade Scotland, he published a manifefto, by which he endeavoured to justify his hoftilities. He complained of James's difappointing him in the promised interview; which was the real ground of the quarrel *: But in order to give a more fpecious colouring to the enterprize, he mentioned other injuries; that his nephew had given protection to fome English rebels and fugitives, and had detained fome territory, which, Henry pretended, belonged to England. He even revived the old claim of the vassalage of Scotland, and he fummoned James to do homage to him as his liege lord and fuperior. He employed the duke of Norfolk, whom he called the fcourge of the Scots, to command in the war; and though James fent the bishop of Aberdeen, and Sir James Learmont of Darfay, to appease his uncle, he would hearken to no terms of accommodation. While Norfolk was affembling his army at Newcastle, Sir Robert Bowes, attended by Sir Ralph Sadler, Sir Ralph Evers, Sir Brian Latoun, and others, made an incurfion into Scotland, and advanced towards Jedburgh,

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Buchanan, lib. 14. Drummond in James the fifth.

CHA P. Jedburgh, with an intention of pillaging and deftroying XXXIII. that town. The earl of Angus, and George Douglas,

his brother, who had been to inany years banished their 1542. country, and had fubfifted by Henry's bounty, joined the English army in this incurfion; and the forces, commanded by Bowes, exceeded four thousand men. James had not been negligent in his preparations for defence, and had pofted a confiderable body, under the command of the earl of Huntley, for the protection of the borders. Lord

Hume, at the head of his vaffals, was haftening to join Huntley, when he met with the English army; and a 24th Aug. battle immediately enfued. While they were engaged, the forces under Huntley began to appear; and the English, afraid of being furrounded and overpowered, took to flight, and were purfued by the enemy. Evers, Latoun, and tome other perfons of diftinction, were taken prifoners. A few only of fmall note fell in this fkirmish L,

THE duke of Norfolk, mean while, began to move from his camp at Newcastle; and being attended by the earls of Shrewsbury, Derby, Cumberland, Surrey, Hertford, Rutland, with many others of the nobility, he advanced to the borders. His forces amounted to above twenty thousand men; and it required the utmost efforts of Scotland to refift fuch a formidable armament. James had affembled his whole military force at Fala and Sautrey, and was ready to advance fo foon as he should be informed of Norfolk's invading his kingdom. The Englifh paffed the Tweed at Berwic, and marched along the banks of the river as far as Kelfo; but hearing that James had gathered together near thirty thousand men, they repaffed the river at that village, and retreated into their own Country M. The king of Scots, inflamed with a defire of military glory, and of revenge on his invaders, gave the fignal for purfuing them, and carrying the war into England. He was furprized to find, that his nobility, who were in general difaffected on account of the preference, which he had given the clergy, oppofed this refolution, and refused to attend him in his projected enterprize. Enraged at this defection, he reproached them with cowardice, and threatened vengeance; but ftill refolved, with the forces. which adhered to him, to make an impreffion on the enemy's country. He fent ten thousand men to the western borders, who entered England at Solway firth; and M Ibid.

L Buchanan, lib. 14.

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1542.

he himself followed them at a small distance, ready to CHA P. join them upon occafion. Difgufted, however, with the XXXIII. refractory difpofition of his nobles, he fent a meffenger to the army, depriving lord Maxwel, their general, of his commiffion, and conferring the command on Oliver Sinclair, a private gentleman, who was his favourite. The army was extremely difpleafed with this alteration, and was just ready to difband; when a fmall body of English appeared, not exceeding 500 men, under the command of Dacres and Mufgrave. A panic feized the Scots, who immediately took to flight, and were purfued by the ene- 24th Nov. my. Few were killed in this rout; for it was no action; Victory at but a great many were taken prisoners, and fome of the Solway. principal nobility: Among these, the earls of Caffilis and Glencairn; the lords Maxwel, Fleming, Somerville, Oliphant, Grey, who were all fent to London, and given in cuftody to different noblemen.

THE king of Scots, hearing of this difafter, was confounded; and being naturally of a melancholy difpofition, as well as endowed with a high fpirit, he lost all command of his temper on this difinal occafion. Rage against his nobility, who, he believed, had betrayed him; shame for a defeat by fuch unequal numbers; regret of the paft, fear of the future; all thefe paflions fo wrought upon him, that he would admit of no confolation, but abandoned himself wholly to defpair. His body was wafted by fympathy with his anxious mind; and even his life began to be thought in danger. He had no iffue living; and hearing that his queen was fafely delivered, he asked whether she had brought him a male or a female child? Being told, the latter; he turned about in his bed: "The crown came with a woman," said he, " and it will go "with one: Many miferies await this poor kingdom: "Henry will make it his own either by force of arms or "by marriage."

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A FEW days after, he expired, in the flower of his 14th Dec. age; a prince of confiderable virtues and talents; well Death of fitted, by his vigilance and personal courage, for repref- James the fing thofe diforders, to which his kingdom, during that fifth. age, was fo much expofed. He executed juftice with the greatest impartiality and rigour; but as he fupported the commonalty and the church against the rapine of the nobility, he escaped not the hatred of that order. The protestants also, whom he repreffed, have endeavoured to

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