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the Tower. The duke prepared for death, the following morning was to be his laft; but an event of greater confequence to the kingdom intervened, and prevented his execution.

The king had been for fome time approaching faft towards his end; and for feveral days all thofe about his perfon, plainly faw that his speedy death was inevitable. The diforder in his leg was now grown extremely painful; and this, added to his monstrous corpulency, which rendered him unable to ftir, made him more furious than a chained lion. He had been ever ftern and fevere; he was now outrageous. In this ftate he had continued for near four years before his death, the terror of all, and the tormentor of himself; his courtiers having no inclination to make an enemy of him, as they were more ardently employed in confpiring the death of each other. In this manner, therefore, he was fuffered to ftruggle, without any of his domeftics having the courage to warn him of his approaching end, as more than once during this reign, perfons had been put to death for foretelling the death of the king. At laft, Sir Anthony Denny had the courage to difclofe to him this dreadful fecret; and, contrary to his ufual cuftom, he received the tidings with an expreffion of refignation. His anguifh and remorfewas at this time greater than can be expreffed : he defired that Cranmer might be fent for; but before that prelate could arrive, he was fpeechless. Cranmer defiring him to give fome fign of his dying in the faith of Chrift, he fqueezed his hand, and immediately expired, after a reign of thirtyfeven years and nine months, in the fifty-fixth A. D. year of his age. Some kings have been

tyrants from contradiction and revolt; 1547 fome from being mifled by favourites, and fome from a spirit of party. But Henry was

cruel

cruel from a depraved difpofition alone; cruel in government, cruel in religion, and cruel in his family. Our divines have taken fome pains to vindicate the character of this brutal prince, as if his conduct and our reformation had any connexion with each other. There is nothing fo abfurd as to defend the one by the other; the most noble defigns are brought about by the moft vicious inftruments; for we fee even that cruelty and injuftice wer ethought neceffary to be employed in our holy redemption.

But

With regard to foreign ftates, Henry made fome expeditions into France, which were attended with vaft expence to the nation, and brought them no kind of advantage. However, he all along maintained an intercourfe of friendship with Francis, which appeared disinterested and fincere. Against the Scotch he was rather more fuccessful; his generals having worfted their incurfive armies on feveral occafions. They particularly gained a fignal advantage, befides that already related of Flodden-field, at a place near Pinkey-Houfe, in which near ten thousand Scots were flain. that which gave England the greateft afcendancy over that nation, was the spirit of concord which foon after feemed to prevail between the two kingdoms; and that feemed to pave the way for their being in time united under the fame fovereign. There were ten parliaments fummoned in this reign, and twenty-three feffions held; but the whole time in which these parliaments fat, during this long reign, did not exceed three years and an half. The foreign commerce of England, during this age, was moftly confined to the Netherlands. The merchants of the Low-Countries bought the English commodities, and diftributed them into the other parts of Europe. These cammodities,

N4

modities, however, were generally little more than the natural productions of the country, without any manufactures; for it must be obferved at this time that foreign artificers much furpaffed the Englifh in dexterity, induftry, and frugality; and it is faid that at one time not lefs than fifteen thousand artizans of the Flemish nation alone were fettled in London.

INDE X.

A.

ACHAMBER, John, heads a rebellion, 204; taken prifoner, and put to death, 205

Acon, in Paleftine, the Siege of, raised, 3

Alban's, St. first battle of, 160; fecond battle of, 164. Alençon, count de, flain in the battle of Creffy, 72 Ardevelt, James, account of, 65

Arras, treaty of, 135

Arthur, prince of Wales, married to Catherine of Spain, 222; his death, ib.

Artillery, ufed by Edward III. at the battle of Creffy, 70 Afkew, Anne, put to the torture, 289; condemned to the flames, ib.

Alfaffins, who, 3; their detefted character, 4; undertake to murder prince Edward, ib. difappointed, and their emiffary flain, ib.

Audley, lord, joins the Cornifh infurgents, 212; taken and executed, ib.

Aumerle, duke of, detrays a confpiracy formed against Henry IV. 113

Azincourt, baitle of, 131

B

BAINHAM, James, burnt for his religion, 260

Baliol, John, claims the Scotifh throne, 14; acknowledges the fuperiority of Edward, 15; renews his oath of fealty, 16; placed on the throne of Scotland, ib. is fummoned to appear at Westminster, ib. revolts from Edward, ib. enters into a treaty with Philip, ib. fummoned to appear before the parliament of England, 17; is affigned a council of twelve noblemen, ib, makes his peace with Edward, 18; refigns

N 5

his

his crown into that prince's hands, ib. carried prifo-
ner to London, 19; banished to France, and dies in a
private station, ib.

Baliol, Edward claims the crown of Scotland, 60; is
fupported by Edward III. ib. gains a confiderable vic-
tory, ib. crowned at Scone, 61; defeated by Archi-
bald Douglas, ib. takes refuge in England, ib. rein-
ftated by Edward, 62

Banifter, betrays his benefactor, the duke of Bucking-

ham, 190

Banockburn, battle of, 45

Bards, the Welfh, maffacred, 13
Barnet, battle of 171

Beaufort, Henry, bishop of Winchefter, oppofes the
duke of Gloucefter, 152; gains the afcendant, 153;
is accused of the death of that nobleman, 154; his
death, ib.

Becket, Thomas, his fhrine demolished, 264; his name
ftruck out of the breviary, ib.

Bedford, duke of, brother to Henry V. appointed protec-
tor of England, 141; totally defeats the dauphin, 142;
retires into England, ib. caufes Henry VI. to be
crowned at Paris, 147; burns the maid of Orleans at
Rouen, 149; his death, 150

Bible, tranflated into English, 265

Bigod, Roger, refufes the command of an army, 24
Bilney, Thomas, burnt for fupporting the protestant te-
nets, 260

Bloreheath, action of, 161

Bloody Statute, what, 265

Bobun, Humphry, refufes to take the command of an
army, 24

Henry de, killed by Bruce, 45

Boleyn, Anne, account of, 249; privately married to
Henry VIII. 257; favours the reformation, 259;
confined to her apartment, 267; accused of inconti-
nence, ib. fent to the Tower, ib. her letter to the king,
269; tried by a jury of peers, 271; her noble de-
fence, ib. her proteftations of innocence, 272; her
execution, ib.
Bosworth-field, battle of, 192

Boxley,

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