1 Popularity of the new king His minifters Pu -- nishment of Empfon and Dudley King's marriage Foreign affairs — Julius II. Var with France Deceit of Ferdinand. League of Invafion of France Battle of Flouden THE Peace with France. -- War HE death of Henry VII. had been attended cHAP. with as open and visible a joy among the people XXVII. as decency would permit; and the acceffion and coronation of his fon, Henry VIII. fpread univer 1502. 1 XXVII. 1509. of the new king. CHA P. fally a declared and unfeigned fatisfaction. Inftead of a monarch, jealous, fevere, and avaricious, who, in proportion as he advanced in years, Popularity was finking ftill deeper in thofe unpopular vices; a young prince of eighteen had fucceeded to the throne, who, even in the eyes of men of fenfe, gave promifing hopes of his future conduct, much more in thofe of the people, always enchanted with novelty, youth and royal dignity. The beauty and vigor of his perfon, accompanied with dexterity in every manly exercife, was farther adorned with a blooming and ruddy countenance, with a lively air, with the appearance of fpirit and activity in all his demeanour'. His father, in order to remove him from the knowledge of public bufinefs, had hitherto occupied him entirely in the purfuits of literature; and the proficiency which he made, gave no bad prognoftic of his parts and capacity. Even the vices of vehemence, ardor, and impatience, to which he was fubject, and which afterwards degenerated into tyranny, were confidered only as faults, incident to unguarded youth, which would be corrected, when time had brought him to greater moderation and maturity. And as the contending titles of York and Lancaster were now at last fully united in his perfon, men justly expected from a prince, obnoxious to no party, that impartiality of administration, which had long been unknown in England. 1509. His minif ters. THESE favorable prepoffeffions of the public CHA P. were encouraged by the measures which Henry XXVII. embraced in the commencement of his reign. His grandmother, the countefs of Richmond and Derby, was ftill alive; and as she was a woman much celebrated for prudence and virtue, he wifely fhowed great deference to her opinion in the eftablishment of his new council. The members were, Warham, archbishop of Canterbury, and chancellor; the earl of Shrewsbury, fteward; lord Herbert, chamberlain; Sir Thomas Lovel, mafter of the wards and conftable of the Tower; Sir Edward Poynings, comptroller; Sir Henry Marney, afterwards lord Marney; Sir Thomas Darcy, afterwards lord Darcy; Thomas Ruthal, doctor of laws; and Sir Henry Wyat'. These men had long been accuftomed to bufinefs under the late king, and were the least unpopular of all the minifters employed by that monarch. BUT the chief competitors for favor and authority under the new king, were the earl of Surrey, treasurer, and Fox, bishop of Winchester, fecretary and privy feal. This prelate, who enjoyed great credit during all the former reign, had acquired fuch habits of caution and frugality as he could not eafily lay afide; and he ftill oppofed, by his remonftrances, thofe fchemes of diffipation and expence, which the youth and pasfions of Henry rendered agreeable to him. But Surrey was a more dexterous courtier; and though 'Herbert, Stowe, p. 456. Hollingfhed, pag. 799. 1509. CHAP. few had borne a greater fhare in the frugal politics XXVII. of the late king, he knew how to conform himfelf to the humor of his new mafter; and no one was fo forward in promoting that liberality, pleasure, and magnificence, which began to prevail under the young monarch. By this policy he ingratiated himself with Henry; he made advantage, as well as the other courtiers, of the lavish difpofition of his mafter; and he engaged him in fuch a courfe of play and idlenefs as rendered him negligent of affairs, and willing to intrust the government of the ftate entirely into the hands of his minifters. The great treasures amaffed by the late king, were gradually diffipated in the giddy expences of Henry. One party of pleasure fucceeded to another: Tilts, tournaments and caroufals were exhibited with all the magnificence of the age: And as the prefent tranquillity of the public permitted the court to indulge itself in every amufement, ferious bufinefs was but little attended to. Or if the king intermitted the course of his feftivity, he chiefly employed himself in an application to music and literature, which were his favorite purfuits, and which were well adapted to his genius. He had made fuch proficiency in the former art, as even to compofe fome pieces of churchmufic which were fung in his chapel'. He was initiated in the elegant learning of the ancients. And though he was fo unfortunate as to be feduced into a ftudy |