tained their doctrines openly, in preaching and teaching, even while the laws against them continued in full force. The protector had long been regarded as the fecret partizan of the reformers; and, being now freed from reftraint, he fcrupled not to express his intention of correcting all the abufes of the antient religion, and of adopting ftill more the doctrines propagated by Luther. His power was not a little ftrengthened by his fuccefs against an incurfion of the Scotch, in which about eight hundred of the Scotch were flain; and the popularity which he gained upon this occafion, feconded his views in the further propagation of the new doctrines. But the character of Somerfet did not ftand in need of the mean fupports of popularity acquired in this manner, as he was naturally humble, civil, affable, and courteous to the meaneft fuitor, while all his actions were directed by motives of piety and honour.

The protector, in his fchemes for advancing the reformation, had always recourse to the counfels of Cranmer, who, being a man of moderation and prudence, was averfe to violent changes, and determined to bring over the people by infenfible innovations to his own peculiar fyftem. The perfon who oppofed with the greatest authority any farther advances towards reformation, was Gardiner, bishop of Winchester, who, though he had not obtained a place at the council board, yet from his age, experience, and capacity, was regarded by moft men with fome degree of veneration. Upon a general vifitation of the church, which had been commanded by the primate and protector, Gardiner defended the ufe of images, which was now very openly attacked by the proteftants; he even wrote an apology for holy water; but he particularly alleged, that it was unlawful to make any change in religion during the king's minority.

minority. This oppofition of Gardiner drew on him the indignation of the council; and he was fent to the Fleet prifon, where he was ufed with much harshness and feverity.

These internal regulations were in fome measure retarded by the war with Scotland, which ftill continued to rage with fome violence. But a defeat, which that nation fuffered at Muffelborough, in which above ten thousand perished in the field of battle, induced them to fue for peace, in order to gain time; and the protector returned to settle the bufinefs of the reformation, which was as yet only begun. But, though he acquired great popularity by this expedition, he did not fail to attract the envy of feveral noblemen, by procuring a patent from the young king his nephew, to fit in parliament on the right hand of the throne, and to enjoy the fame honours and privileges which ha i ufually been granted to the uncles of kings of England. However, he still drove on his favourite fchemes of reformation, and gave more confiftency to the tenets of the church. The cup was reftored to the laity in the facrament of the Lord's fupper; private maffes were abolished; the king was empowered to create bishops by letters patent. Vagabonds were adjudged to be flaves for two years, and to be marked with a red hot iron: an act commonly supposed to be levelled against the ftrolling priests and friars. It was enacted alfo, that all who denied the king's fupremacy, or af ferted the pope's, fhould, for the first offence, forfeit their goods and chattels, and fuffer imprifonment during pleafure; for the fecond offence, they were to incur the pain of premunire; and for the third offence, to be attainted of treafon. Orders were foon after iffued by the council, that candles fhould no longer be carried about on Candlemas day, afhes on Afh Wednesday, or palms

on Palm Sunday. These were deemed ancient fuperftitious practices, which led to immoralities that it was thought proper to restrain. An order alfo was iffued for the removal of all images from the churches, an innovation which was much defired by the reformers, and which alone, with regard to the populace, amounted almost to a change of the eftablished religion. The people had for fome time been extremely diftracted by the oppofite opinions of their preachers; and as they were totally incapable of judging the arguments advanced on either fide, and naturally regarded every thing they heard at church, as of the greateft authority, much confufion and fluctuation refulted from this uncertainty. The council first endeavoured to remove the inconvenience by laying fome reftraints upon preaching; but finding this expedient fail, they impofed a total filence upon preachers, which, however, was removed by degrees, in proportion as the reformation gained ground among the people.

But thefe innovations, evidently calculated for the good of the people, were not brought about without fome ftruggles at home, while the protector was but toobufily employed against the Scotch, who, united with, and feconded by France, ftill pufhed on their inroads with unremitting animofity. Befides, there was ftill an enemy that he had yet to fear more than any of the former; and this was his own brother, lord Thomas Seymour, the admiral, a man of uncommon talents, but proud, turbulent, and untractable. This nobleman could not endure the diftinction which the king had always made between him and his elder brother; fo that they divided the whole court and the kingdom by their oppofite cabals and pretenfions. By his flattery and addrefs, he had fo infinuated himfelf into the good graces of the queen dowager, that, forgetting her ufual prudence and decency,

fhe

the married him immediately upon the deceafe of the late king. This match was particularly dif pleafing to the elder brother's wife, who now faw that while her husband had the precedency in one place, he was obliged to yield it in another. His next step was to cabal and make a party among the nobility, who, as they hated his brother, fo mented his ambition. He then bribed the king's domeftics to his intereft; and young Edward frequently went to his houfe, on pretence of vifiting the queen. There he ingratiated himfelf with his fovereign by the moft officious affiduities, particularly by fupplying him with money to diftribute among his fervants and favourites, without the knowledge of his governor. In the protector's abfence with his army in Scotland, he made it his business to redouble all his arts and infinuations; and thus obtained a new patent for admiral, with an additional appointment. Sir William Paget perceiving the progrefs he daily made in the king's affection, wrote to the protector on the fubject, who finished the campaign in Scotland with all poffible dispatch, that he might return in time to counter work his machinations. But before he could arrive in England, the admiral had engaged in his party feveral of the principal nobility, and had even prevailed on the king himself to write a letter to the two houses of parliament with his own hand, defiring that the admiral might be appointed his governor; but the council being apprifed of his fchemes, fent deputies to affure him, that if he did not defift they would deprive him of his office, fend him prifoner to the tower, and profecute him. on the last act of parliament, by which he was fubject to the penalty of high treafon, for attempting to difturb the peace of the government. It was not without fome fevere ftruggles within himself, and fome menaces divulged among his creatures,

that he thought proper to submit, and defired to be reconciled to his brother. Yet he still nourifhed the fame defigns in fecret; and his brother, fufpecting his fincerity, employed fpies to inform him of all his private tranfactions.

But it was not in the power of perfuafions or menaces to shake the admiral's unalterable views of ambition. His fpoufe, the queen-dowager, had died in child-bed; and this accident, far from repreffing his fchemes, only feemed to promote 'them. He made his addreffes to the princefs Elizabeth, afterwards fo revered by the English; and it is faid that he liftened to his infinuations, contrary to the will of her father, who had excluded her the fucceffior, in cafe she married without the consent of council. The admiral, howcver, it is fuppofed, had projects of getting over that objection; and his profeffions feemed to give reafon to believe that he intended aiming at regal authority. By promifes and perfuafions he brought over many of the principal nobility to his party; he neglected not even the most popular perfons of inferior rank; and he computed that he could, on Dccafion, command the fervice of ten thousand men among his fervants, tenants, and retainers. He had already provided arms for their use and having engaged in his interefts Sir John SharringA. D. ton, mafter of the mint at Bristol, a very corrupt man, he flattered himself that mo1548. ney would not be wanting.

Semerfet being well apprifed of all the fe alarming circumstances, endeavoured by every expedient that his power or his near connection could fuggeft, to draw him from his defigns. He reafoned, he threatened, he heaped new favours upon him; but all to no purpose. At laft he re - folved to make ufe of the last dreadful remedy, and to attaint his own brother of high treafon. In confequence