by the number of criminals who found fanctuary and protection there. This privilege the clergy affumed as their undoubted right; and thofe places of pretended fanctity were now become the abode of murderers, robbers, and confpirators. Witches and magicians were the only perfons that were forBid to avail themselves of the security thefe fanctuaries afforded; and they whofe crimes were only fictitious, were the only people who had not the benefit of fuch a retreat. Henry ufed all his intereft with the pope to get these sanctuaries abofifhed; but was not able to fucceed. All that he could procure was, that if thieves, murderers, or robbers, registered as fanctuary men, should fally out, and commit fresh offences, and retreat again, in fuch cafes they might be taken out of the fanctuary, and delivered up to juftice.

Henry was not remifs in abridging the pope's power, while, at the fame time, he profeffed the utmoft fubmiffion to his commands, and the greatest refpect for the clergy. The pope at one time was fo far impofed upon by his feeming attachment to the church, that he even invited him to renew the crufades for recovering the Holy Land. Henry's anfwer deferves to be remembered. He affured his holiness that no prince in Christendom would be more forward to undertake fo glorious and neceffary an expedition; but as his dominions lay very diftant from Conftantinople, it would be better to apply to the kings of France and Spain for their affiftance; and in the mean time he would go to their aid himself, as soon as all the differences between the Chriftian princes should be brought to an end. This was at once a polite refutal, and an oblique reproach.

But while he thus employed his power in lowering the influence of the nobles and clergy, he

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was using every art to extend the privileges of the people. In former reigns they were fure to fuffer on whatever fide they fought, when they were unsuccessful. This rendered each party defperate in a declared civil war, as no hopes of pardon remained, and confequently terrible flaughters were foon to enfue. He therefore procured an act, by which it was eftablished, that no perfon fhould be impeached or attainted for affifting the king for the time being, or, in other words, the fovereign who fhould be then actually in poffeffion of the throne. This excellent ftatute ferved to reprefs the defire of civil war, as several would naturally take arms in defence of that fide, on which they were certain of lofing nothing by a defeat; and numbers would thus ferve to intimidate rebellion. Thus the common people, no longer maintained in vicious idlenefs by their fuperiors, were obliged to become induftrious for their fupport. The nobility, instead of vying with each other in the number and boldness of their retainers, acquired by degrees a more civilized fpecies of emulation; and endeavoured to excel in the fplendour and elegance of their equipages, houfes, and tables. In fact, the king's greatest efforts were directed to promote trade and commerce, because this naturally introduced a fpirit of liberty among the people, and difengaged them from all dependence, except upon the laws and the king. Before this great æra all our towns owed their original to fome ftrong caftle in the neighbourhood, where fome powerful lord generally refided. These were at once fortreffes for protection, and prifons for all forts of criminals. In this caftle there was ufually a garrifon armed and provided, depending entirely on the nobleman's fupport

support and affiftance. To thefe feats of protection, artificers, victuallers, and fhop-keepers, naturally reforted, and fettled on fome adjacent fpot to furnish the lord and his attendants with all the neceffaries they might require. The farmers alfo and the husband men in the neighbourhood, built their houses there to be protected against the numerous gangs of robbers called Robertfmen, that hid themselves in the woods by day, and infested the open country by night. Henry endeavoured to bring the towns from fuch a neighbourhood, by inviting the inhabitants to a more commercial fituation. He attempted to teach them frugality and a juft payment of debts, by his own example: and never once omitted the rights of the merchant, in all his treaties with foreign princes.

But it must not be concealed, that from a long contemplation upon the relative advantages of money, he at laft grew into a habit of confidering it as valuable for itfelf alone. As he grew old his avarice feemed to predominate over his ambition; and the method he took to encrease his treasures, cannot be juftified by his moft ardent admirers. He had found two minifters, Empfon and Dudley, perfectly qualified to fecond his avaricious intentions. They were both lawyers; the first of mean birth, brutal manners, and an unrelenting temper; the fecond better born, and better bred, but equally fevere and inflexible. It was their ufual practice to commit, by indictment, fuch perfons to prifon as they intended to oppress; from whence they feldom got free, but by paying heavy fines, which were called mitigations and compofitions. By degrees, as they were grown more hardened in oppreffion, the very forms of law were omitted; they determined in a fummary

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way upon the properties of the fubject, and cenfifcated their effects to the royal treafury. But the chief inftruments of oppreffion employed by these minifters were the penal ftatutes, which, without confideration of rank, quality, or fervices, were rigidly put in execution against all men.

In this manner, was the latter part of this active monarch's reign employed in fchemes to ftrengthen the power of the crown, by amaffing money, and extending that of the people. He had the fatisfaction A. D. about that time of completing a marriage between Arthur, the Prince of Wales, 1500. and the Infanta Catharine of Spain, which had been projected and negociated during the courfe of feven years. But this marriage proved, in the event, unprofperous. The young prince fickened and died in a few months after, very much regretted by the whole nation; and the princefs was obliged fhortly after to marry his fecond fon Henry, who was created Prince of Wales in the room of his brother. The prince himself made all the oppofition which a youth of twelve years of age was capable of; but as the king perfifted in his refolution, the marriage was, by the pope's difpenfation, fhortly after folemnized.

The magnificence of thefe nuptials was foon after eclipsed by the accidental arrival of Philip, the arch-duke of Caftile, with Joan his confort. Thefe perfonages had embarked for Spain during the winter feafon, in order to take the advantage of an invitation which the people of that country had offered to place them upon the Spanish throne. Meeting, however, with a violent tempeft in their voyage, they were obliged to take shelter in Weymouth harbour, where they were honourably received by Sir John Trenchard, a gentleman of authority in the county of Dorfet. The king foon

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1506.

after being informed of their arrival, fent in all hafte the earl of Arundel to compliment them on their fafe escape ; and to inform them that he intended fhortly paying them a vifit in perfon. Philip knew that this was but a polite method of detaining him; and, for the fake of difpatch, he refolved to anticipate his vifit; and to have an interview with him at Windfor. Henry received him with all the magnificence poffible, and with all feeming cordiality; but was refolved to reimburse himself for the expence of his pageants, by advantages that would be more fubftantially conducive to his own interefts, and those of the nation. There had been fome years before a plot carried on against him by the earl of Suffolk for which Sir James Tyrrel, and Sir James Windham, had been condemned and executed, while Suffolk, the original contriver, had made his escape into the Low-Countries, where he found protection from Philip. But he was now given up to Henry's request, and being brought over to England, he was imprifoned in the Tower. A treaty of commerce was alfo agreed upon between the two fovereigns; which was at that time of the greatest benefit to England, and continues to remain as the groundwork of all other commercial treaties to this days

Henry having thus feen England in a great meafure civilized by his endeavours, his people paying their taxes without conftraint, the nobles confefling. a juft fubordination, the laws alone inflicting punifhment, the towns beginning to live independent of the powerful, commerce every day encreafing, the fpirit of faction extinguifhed, and foreigners either fearing England or feeking its alliance, he began to perceive the approaches of his end. He then refolved to reconcile himself to heaven; and by diftributing alms, founding religious houfes, and

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