Henry VIII

Chapter XIII

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THE CRISIS.

It was the personal eminence of the victims rather than the merits of their case that made Europe thrill with horror at the news of their death; for thousands of others were sacrificing their lives in a similar cause in most of the countries of Christendom. For the first and last time in English history a cardinal's head had rolled from an English scaffold; and Paul III. made an effort to bring into play the artillery of his temporal powers. As supreme lord over all the princes of the earth, he arrogated to himself the right to deprive Henry VIII. of his kingdom; and he sent couriers to the various courts to seek their co-operation in executing his judgment. But the weapons of Innocent III. were rusty with age. Francis denounced the Pope's claim as a most impudent attack on monarchical dignity; and Charles was engaged in the conquest of Tunis. Thus Henry was able to take a high tone in reply to the remonstrances addressed to him, and to proceed undisturbed with the work of enforcing his royal supremacy. The autumn was occupied mainly by a visitation of the monasteries and of the universities of Oxford and Cambridge; the schoolmen, Thomas Aquinas, Duns Scotus and others were deposed from the seat of authority they had held for so many centuries, and efforts were made to substitute studies like that of the civil law, more in harmony with the King's doctrine and with his views of royal authority.

Notes in this chapter

Note 1 · Henry's title as Supreme Head of the Church was incorporated in the royal style by letters patent of 15th January, 1535,[933] and that year Note 2 · The more boldly Henry defied the Fates, the more he was favoured by Fortune. "Besides his trust in his subjects," wrote Chapuys in 1534, "he Note 3 · A week later, the Reformation Parliament met for its seventh and last session. It sat from 4th February to 14th April, and in those ten week Note 4 · The way for this great revolution had been carefully prepared during the previous autumn and winter. In virtue of his new and effective supr Note 5 · On the other hand, the lax state of monastic morality does not depend only upon the visitors' reports; apart from satires like those of Skel Note 6 · Probably the staunchest champion of monasticism would acknowledge that in the reign of Henry VIII. there was at least a plausible case for m Note 7 · Their dissolution is probably to be connected with Cromwell's boast that he would make his king the richest prince in Christendom. That was Note 8 · Intimately associated as they were in their lives, Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn were not long divided by death; and, piteous as is th Note 9 · Two days before Anne's death her marriage with Henry had been declared invalid by a court of ecclesiastical lawyers with Cranmer at its head Note 10 · On the day that his second queen was beheaded, Henry obtained from Cranmer a special licence to marry a third.[969] He was betrothed on the Note 11 · The disgrace of Anne Boleyn necessitated the summons of a fresh Parliament to put the succession to the crown on yet another basis. The Long Note 12 · Henry's position had been immensely strengthened alike by the death of Catherine of Aragon and by the fall of Anne Boleyn; and on both occas Note 13 · Henry had been driven by fear of Charles in the previous year to make further advances than he relished towards union with the German prince Note 14 · Henry was thus left to deal with the great domestic crisis of his reign without intervention from abroad. The dissolution of the monasteries Note 15 · Towards the end of the summer rumours[988] were spread among the commons of the North that heavy taxes would be levied on every burial, wedd Note 16 · The Lincolnshire rebels, however, had not dispersed when news arrived of a much more serious rising which affected nearly the whole of Yorks Note 17 · Norfolk apparently had no option. An armistice was accordingly arranged on the 27th of October, and a deputation came up to lay the rebels' Note 18 · A conference was held at Doncaster in December,[994] and towards the end of the year Aske came at Henry's invitation to discuss the complain Note 19 · With one aftermath of the Pilgrimage of Grace he had yet to deal. The opportunity had been too good for Paul III. to neglect; and early in 1 Note 20 · He came too late to do anything except exhibit his own and the papal impotence. The rebellion was crushed before his commission was signed. Note 21 · The culminating point in his good fortune was reached in the following autumn. On the 12th of October, 1537, Queen Jane gave birth to a son.