may be told to the contrary, understood and wrote Latin fluently; while the laity, on the other hand, understood nothing of Latin, but applied themselves wholly to the French language, when they afpired at the character of a polite education. The clergy, as a body diftinct from the ftate, little interefted themfelves in civil polity; and perhaps they were not displeased to fee the laity, whom they confidered less as fellow-fubjects than rivals for power, weakening themfelves by continual contests, and thus rendering themselves more cafily manageable. In fhort, as there was no knowlege of government among the individuals, but what totally refulted from power, the ftate was like a feverish conftitution, ever fubject to ferment and diforder. France, indeed, had ferved for fome time as a drain for the peccant humours; but when that was no longer open, the disorders of the conftitution feemed daily to encrease, and vented themfelves at laft in all the horrors of a long comtinued civil war.

CHAP.

AFTER

FTER having prefented the reader with A.D. 14856 a frightful train of treafons, ftratagems, murders, and ufurpations, we are now beginning to emerge into a time of greater importance and glory. We are now to view the conduct of a monarch, who, if not the beft, was, at leaft, the most useful of any that ever fate upon the British throne. We are now to behold

T 3

hold a nation of tumult reduced to civil fub. ordination an infolent and factious ariftocracy humbled, wife laws enacted, commerce reftored, and the peaceful arts made amiable. to a people, for whom war alone heretofore had charms. Hitherto we have, only beheld the actions of a barbarous nation, obeying with reluctance, and governed by caprice; but henceforward we may difcover more refined politics, and better concerted fchemes; human wif dom, as if roufed from her lethargy of thirteen hundred years, exerting all her efforts to fubdue the natural ferocity of the people, and to introduce permanent felicity.

Henry's first care upon coming to the throne, was to marry the princess Elizabeth, daughter of Edward the fourth; and thus he blended the interests of the houses of York and Lancafter, so that ever after they were incapable of diftinction. Nevertheless, being apprehensive that the people might fuppofe he claimed the crown in right of this union, he deferred the queen's coronation till two years after, by which he made the priority of his own claim inconteftable. His reign also happily commenced with an obedience to the forms of law, of which England had hitherto feen but few examples. An act had been paffed in the pre

ceding reign for the attainder of his friends. and followers, which continued ftill in force; and the names of many members of that house, by which it was to be repealed, were exprefly mentioned in the attainder. To fuffer these to join in repealing that ftatute, would be admitting them as judges in their own caufe; but to this Henry prudently objected, obliging them to leave the house, till an act was paffed for reverfing their attainder.

Before this reign, it had been usual with any person who was attainted, after his execution, to give away his eftates to any of the court favourites that happened to be most in confidence. Henry wifely perceived that this severity had two bad effects; the cruelty of the measure in the first place excited indignation; and it alfo made the favourite too powerful for fubjection. In order to

medy these inconveniencies, he made a law to deprive those who were found in arms of their eftates and effects, and fequefter them for the benefit of the crown.

A great part of the miseries of his predeceffors proceeded from their poyerty, which was mostly occafioned by riot and diffipation. Henry faw that money alone could turn the scale of power in his favour; and therefore T 4 hoarded

hoarded up all the confifcations of his enemies with the utmoft frugality. From hence he has been accused by hiftorians of avarice; but that avarice which tends to ftrengthen government, and reprefs fedition, is not only excufeable, but praise-worthy. Liberality in a king is too often a misplaced virtue. What is thus given, is generally extorted from the induftrious and needy, to be lavished as rewards on the rich, the infidious, and the fawning, upon the fycophants of a court, or the improvers of luxurious refinement. Henry fhewed himself very different from his predeceffors in these reSpects, as he gave away very few rewards to the courtiers about his perfon; and none except the needy fhared his benefactions. He released all prifoners for debt in his dominions, whofe debts did not amount to forty fhillings, and paid their creditors from the royal coffers. Thus his economy rendered him not only useful to the poor, but enabled him to be just to his own creditors, either a broad or at home. Thofe fums which he borrowed from the city of London, or any of his fubjects, he repaid at the appointed day with the utmost punctuality; and in propor tion as he was esteemed in his own dominions, he became respectable abroad,