198 A TOPOGRAPHICAL 



celebrated Cardinal Pole was born in this castle in 1500. His 

 descent was illustrious, being a younger son of Richard Pole, 

 Lord Montague, cousin-german to Henry the Seventh. His mo- 

 ther was Margaret, daughter of George, Duke of Clarence, brother 

 to Edward the Fourth. The early part of this prelate's education 

 was conducted by a private tutor, from whose charge he was re- 

 moved, at a proper age, to Magdalen College, Oxford. Having 

 finished his studies here, he went into orders, and soon after pro- 

 ceeded abroad to attend the foreign universities; during which 

 time he was allowed a very handsome pension from Henry the 

 Eighth, who likewise conferred upon him several benefices in com- 

 mendam. In 1525 he returned to England, and was received by 

 the king with distinguished marks of favour. His court influence, 

 however, was but of short duration ; for having vigorously op- 

 posed the divorce of Catharine of Arragon, he became so obnox- 

 ious to Henry, that he was compelled to seek shelter in Italy, 

 where he wrote his celebrated piece, intituled " De Unitate Eccle- 

 siastical This work exasperated the English monarch so highly, 

 that he not only deprived him of all his preferments, but even 

 caused an act of attainder to be passed against him. He did not 

 however sustain very material loss by this harsh conduct of his 

 kinsman ; for the court of Rome immediately preferred him to se- 

 veral benefices in Italy, and raised him to the dignity of a cardi- 

 nal. Upon the death of Pope Paul the Third he was twice elected 

 to the vacant throne, but declined the honour, because one elec- 

 tion was too hasty, and the other made in the night-time. This 

 truly commendable delicacy so much disobliged his friends, that 

 they no longer afforded him their support, and in consequence the 

 bishop of Paletrina obtained the papal see. Immediately after 

 the bigotted Mary had ascended the throne of England, the at- 

 tainder against the cardinal was repealed, and he returned with 

 distinguished honour to his native country. His first act, upon 

 his arrival, was to absolve the kingdom from the papal inderdict, 

 under which it laboured on account of the apostacy of Henry the 

 Eighth. He was now advanced to the archbishoprick of Canter- 

 bury; but enjoyed this dignified station only a few months, having 

 died on the 17th of November 1558, the same day on which Jhe 

 Queen herself expired.* 



Stourton Castle was garrisoned during the Civil Wars, and sur- 

 rendered to the King in 1644 : it is now tenanted. 

 * Gen. Biog. Diet. 





