The History of England in Three Volumes, Vol. I., Part C.: From Henry VII. to Mary — David Hume — John Shaqi
The History of England in Three Volumes, Vol. I., Part C.: From Henry VII. to Mary
David Hume · en
The people saw every day new instances of the uncontrolled authority of
this minister. The duke of Buckingham, constable of England, the first
nobleman both for family and fortune in the kingdom, had imprudently
given disgust to the cardinal; and it was not long before he found
reason to repent of his indiscretion. He seems to have been a man
full of levity and rash projects; and being infatuated with judicial
astrology, he entertained a commerce with one Hopkins, a Carthusian
friar, who encouraged him in the notion of his mounting one day the
throne of England. He was descended by a female from the duke of
Glocester, youngest son of Edward III.; and though his claim to the
crown was thereby very remote, he had been so unguarded as to let fall
some expressions, as if he thought himself best entitled, in case the
king should die without issue, to possess the royal dignity. He had not
even abstained from threats against the king’s life; and had provided
himself with arms, which he intended to employ, in case a favorable
opportunity should offer. He was brought to a trial; and the duke
of Norfolk, whose son, the earl of Surrey, had married Buckingham’s
daughter, was created lord steward, in order to preside at this solemn
procedure. The jury consisted of a duke, a marquis, seven earls, and
twelve barons; and they gave their verdict against Buckingham, which
was soon after carried into execution. There is no reason to think the
sentence unjust;[*] but as Buckingham’s crimes seemed to proceed more
from indiscretion than deliberate malice, the people, who loved him,
expected that the king would grant him a pardon, and imputed their
disappointment to the animosity and revenge of the cardinal.
* Herbert. Hall. Stowe, p. 513. Holingshed, p. 862.
The king’s own jealousy, however, of all persons allied to the crown,
was, notwithstanding his undoubted title, very remarkable during the
whole course of his reign; and was alone sufficient to render him
implacable against Buckingham. The office of constable, which this
nobleman inherited from the Bohuns, earls of Hereford, was forfeited,
and was never after revived in England.
CHAPTER XXIX
HENRY VIII.