History of the Reformation in the Sixteenth Century, Volume 5: The Reformation in EnglandMerle d'Aubigné, J. H. (Jean Henri)
History
History of the Reformation in the Sixteenth Century, Volume 5: The Reformation in England
Merle d'Aubigné, J. H. (Jean Henri)
Reformation
This was not enough for Wolsey: he desired secular greatness above all
things. Warham, tired of contending with so arrogant a rival, resigned
the seals, and the king immediately transferred them to the cardinal.
At length a bull appointed him legate _a latere_ of the holy see, and
placed under his jurisdiction all the colleges, monasteries, spiritual
courts, bishops, and the primate himself (1519). From that time, as
lord-chancellor of England and legate, Wolsey administered every thing
in church and state. He filled his coffers with money procured both at
home and from abroad, and yielded without restraint to his dominant
vices, ostentation and pride. Whenever he appeared in public, two
priests, the tallest and comeliest that could be found, carried before
him two huge silver crosses, one to mark his dignity as archbishop,
the other as papal legate. Chamberlains, gentlemen, pages, sergeants,
chaplains, choristers, clerks, cupbearers, cooks, and other domestics,
to the number of more than 500, among whom were nine or ten lords and
the stateliest yeomen of the country, filled his palace. He generally
wore a dress of scarlet velvet and silk, with hat and gloves of the
same colour. His shoes were embroidered with gold and silver, inlaid
with pearls and precious stones. A kind of papacy was thus forming in
England; for wherever pride flourishes there popery is developed.
One thing occupied Wolsey more than all the pomp with which he was
surrounded: his desire, namely, to captivate the king. For this
purpose he cast Henry's nativity, and procured an amulet which he wore
constantly, in order to charm his master by its magic properties.[256]
Then having recourse to a still more effectual necromancy, he selected
from among the licentious companions of the young monarch those of the
keenest discernment and most ambitious character; and after binding
them to him by a solemn oath, he placed them at court to be as eyes
and ears to him. Accordingly not a word was said in the presence of
the monarch, particularly against Wolsey, of which he was not informed
an hour afterwards. If the culprit was not in favour, he was expelled
without mercy; in the contrary case, the minister sent him on some
distant mission. The queen's ladies, the king's chaplains, and even
their confessors, were the cardinal's spies. He pretended to
omnipresence, as the pope to infallibility.
[256] He calked [calculated] the king's nativity ... he made by craft
of necromancy graven imagery to bear upon him, wherewith he bewitched
the king's mind. Tyndale's Expositions (Parker Soc.) p. 308.
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