ENGLAND. 217 



fd into a kingdom, and Henry took the title of king instead of lord 

 of Ireland. N 



Edward VI, was but nine years of age at the time of his father's 

 death ; and after some disputes the regency was settled in the person, 

 of his uncle the earl of Hertford, afterwards the protector, and duke 

 of Somerset, a declared friend and. patron of the reformation, and an 

 implacable enemy to the see of Rome. 



The reformation, however, went on rapidly, through the zeal of 

 Cranmer and others, some ol them foreign divines. In some cases, 

 particularly with regard to the princess Mary, they lost sight of jthat 

 moderation which the reformers had before so strongly recommend- 

 ed ; and some cruel sanguinary executions, on account of religion, 

 took place. Edward's youth excuses him from blame $ and his cha- 

 ritable endowments, as Bridewell and St. Thomas's hospitals, and also 

 several schools which still exist and flourish, show the goodness of 

 his heart. He died of a consumption in 1553, in the 16th year of 

 his age, and the 7th of his reign. 



Edward, on his death-bed, from his zeal for religion, had made a 

 very unconstitutional will ; for he set aside his sister Mary from the 

 succession, which was claimed by lady Jane Gray, daughter to the 

 duchess of Suffolk, younger sister to HenryVIII. This lady, though 

 she had scarcely reached her 17th year, was a prodigy of learning 

 and virtue ; but the bulk of the English nation recognised the claim 

 of the princess Mary, and lady Jane was beheaded. Her husband, 

 lord Guildford Dudley, son to the duke of Northumberland, also 

 suffered in the same manner. 



Mary being thus settled on the throne, suppressed an insurrection, 

 under Wyat, and proceeded like a female fury to re-establish popery, 

 which she did all over England. She recalled cardinal Pole from ba- 

 nishment, made him instrumental in her cruelties, and lighted up the 

 flames of persecution, in which archbishop Cranmer, the bishops 

 Ridley, Hooper, and Latimer, and many other illustrious confessors 

 of the English reformed church, were consumed; not to mention a 

 vast number of other sacrifices of both sexes, and all ranks, tha'. 

 suffered through eye^y quarter of the kingdom. 



Mary now married Philip II, of Spain, who, like herself, was an un- 

 feeling bigot to popery ; and* the chief praise of her reign is, that, by 

 the marriage* articles, provision was made for the independency of 

 the English crown. By the assistance of troops which she furnished 

 to her husband, he gained the important battle of St. Quintin : but 

 that victory, was so ill improved, that the French, under the duke of 

 Guise, soon after -took Calais, the only place then remaining to the 

 English in France^ and which had been* held ever since the reign of 

 Edward III. This loss, which was chiefly owing to cardinal Pole's 

 secret connexions with the French court, is said to have broken 

 Mary's heart, who d\ed in 1558, in the 42d year. of her life, and 6th 

 of her reicrn. . - 



Elizabeth, daughter to Henry VIII, by Anne Boleyn, mounted the 

 throne under themost discouraging circumstances both at home and 

 abroad. Popery "was the established religion of England, her title to 

 the crown, on account of the circumstances attending her rhother'r, 

 marriage and death, was disputed by Mary queen of Scots, grandchild 

 to Henry VII's eldest daughter, and wife to the dauphin of France ; 

 and the'qnly ally she had on the continent* was Philip king of Spain, 

 who was the main support of the popish cause, both abroad and in 



Vol. I, ' *A F f 



