HENRY. 
fi 
which he had been unjultly deprived. 
peace, and his favourite purfuit was 
in 
peafe the upbraidings of his mind by the ufual methods, 
then reforted to, of alms, religious foundations, and other acts 
ofatonement. He even directed reftitution to t Je to f 
whom he had injured. He reigned 24 years, and greatly in- 
creafed the trade and commerce of the country. He died in 
a 
my 
have been the conftant aim of ry, 
efeéted by the ftatute which allowed of the breaking of en- 
tails, and alienation of landed eftates. 
Henry VIII. fucceeded his father at the age of 18, 
ftances. He hada full treafury, an undifputed title, fubjects 
friendfhip with all the 
counfellors. He ‘ce’ 
rine oO n; but a great difparity of years and 
difpofition rendered it an ill union. The emperor. 
‘aximilian and pope Julius II. having le again 
France, perfuaded Henry to join them ; and he accordingly: 
vaded that kingdom, where he made fome conquefts, and 
might probably have carried his arms to Paris had he purfued 
s advantages, inftead o' h ed his. time in be- 
France on condition of his retaining Tournay, and receiving 
a large payment of money, part of which was to be returned 
"as a portion, with the princefs Mary, Henry’s -fifter, whom 
Lewis efpoufed, notwithftanding a great inequality of age. 
That king furvived his marriage only three months, and his 
widow afterwards united herfelf to the duke of Suffolk, her 
Henry fet no bounds to the 
his high chancellor. The ambition of this prieft kept pace 
with the honours beftowed on him; and while appargntly 
fubfervient to the will of the king, his influence dire all . 
a ed all. - Francis I. had fucceeded te the crown 
thought, by Englifh ¢ 
termined, if poffible, to gain the friendfhip of Hen y 
proper applications to Wolfey he induced him to perfuade 
his maiter to refign, for a fum of money, the conqueft of 
Tournay, and enter into an amicable correfpondence. In 
between Guifnes and Ardres, the 
olfe 
while it was a further foes of the minifter’s influence, ag- 
gravated that general odium under which he began to labour. 
At this period the principles of the reformation were making 
progrefs, to the great alarm of the votaries of the Roman 
Catholic church. Ambitious of glory of every kind, Henry 
wrote a book int the tenets of the reformer, which he 
prefented to pope Leo X. and was, in return, honoure Li 
_ the title of « Defender of the Faith,’? which-is {till pref 
by his Proteftant fucceffors. . Luther publifhed a reply, 10 
which he treated his antagonift with very little ceremony- 
Henry’s attachment to the Roman fee was of no long dura- 
tion; for, having conceived an affection for Ann Boleyn, he 
determined to divorce Catharine, to whom he had been 
married 18 years. His plea for the divorce was, that Cac 
tharine was his brother Arthur’s widow. The pope refufed 
to grant him his wifhes, and Henry, ftung with the refufal, 
married privately, and affumed the title of Supreme t#¢a! 
‘of the Englith church, put down all monatteries, and alienated 
int 
ment of an era of comparative light and reafon. ugh 
| t ttended h queen, who was attached to the opini 
more fuccefs. TV. of Sc had invaded England, fell under the fufpicion of infidelity 
and was completely defeated at Flodden field, where the king means of the ill offices of her 
and his principal nobility pe nry immediately ‘Tower, tried, and conviéted. 
granted peace to the queen his fifter, declared regent, < were in vain, and her fate was haftened by the kin 
an hich rendered his kingdom fecure 
uence 
en that fide. In the following year Henry made peace with 
yn was executed, _ 
