TÄUNTON PKIORY. 83 



supremacy of the See of Rome. Inasmuch as the Pope 

 refused to sanction the divorce of tlie moiicarch's outraged 

 wife, and to pertnit him to elevate one of her -waiting- 

 "women to her place, Henry, who appeared to think that 

 every thing Avhether of heaven or earth was created solely 

 for his peculiar gratification, resolved to break off all con- 

 nexion with him, and to declare himself pope wlthin his 

 own unhappy dominions. AVe shall entirely mlss the real 

 meaning of the afFair unless we keep this circumstance 

 promlnently in View. It was for his own loathsome pur- 

 poses that his public acts were originated and carried out. 

 The great body of the clergy, who were known to be 

 antagonistic to his wishes, was therefore to be coerced into 

 seeming approval, and the statuta which dcclared the 

 Royal Supremacy was the Instrument by which it was 

 effected. The clauses of the declaration which the Eeli- 

 gious Houses were called upon to make dlstinctly prove 

 that the confirmation of the divorce was the leading result 

 intended, and that the renunciation of the pope was a 

 childish act of mere retaliation for his Opposition to the 

 despot's will. The declaration itself was a carefuUy pre- 

 pared document, a blank form of which was carried to every 

 Community, with spaces left for the Insertion of the name 

 and style of the particular House, and room at the conclusion 

 for the signatures of the brethren. It sets out with some 

 fulsome assertions of thelr duty to the unscrupulous sove- 

 reign who so little regarded his duty to them, and of the 

 sincere, entire, and perpetual devotion, faith, observance, 

 hono)', worship, and reverence which they were prepared 

 most willingly to render to him. It then proceeds to 

 announce that the Heads of the House in question with 

 one mouth, voice, and unanimous consent and assent, 

 profess, attest, and faithfully promise and vow for thcm- 



