ENGLAND. 
to his intereft; and young Edward frequently went to liis 
houfe, on pretence of vifiting the queen. There he in¬ 
gratiated himfelf with his fovereign, by the mod officious 
afliduiries, particularly by fupplying him with money to 
diftribtife among his favourites. His confort, the queen- 
dowager, eagerly fed the natural ambition of her lnifband, 
and fuggefled ideas to lord Seymour, bordering on high 
treafon. In this conjuncture (he died in child-bed, A.D. 
1548 : but this accident, far from reprefiing his ambitious 
fchemes, only ferved to promote them. He now made 
his addrelfes to the princefs Elizabeth ; and it is faid fhe 
liftened to his infinuations, notwithftanding her father 
had excluded her the fucceflion, in cafe (he married with¬ 
out the confent of council. Seymour, however, had 
projects of getting over that objection ; and his plans 
feemed to indicate an attempt to feize the crown. By 
promifes and perfuafions he brought over many of the 
principal nobility to join his party ; he negleCted not 
even the mod popular perfons of inferior rank; and he 
computed that he could command ten thoufand men 
among his fervants, tenants, and retainers. He had al¬ 
ready provided arms for their life; and having engaged 
in his interefts fir John Sharrington, mafter of the mint 
at Briftol, he flattered hitnfelf that money would not be 
wanting. 
Somerfet, the protector, being informed of thefe alarm¬ 
ing circumftances, endeavoured, by every expedient in 
his power, to draw him from his defigns. He reafoned, 
he threatened, he heaped new favours upon him ; but to 
no purpofe. At laft he refolved to make ufe of a dread¬ 
ful remedy, to attaint his own brother of high treafon. 
In confequence of this refolution, he deprived him of his 
office of high-admirat, and flgned a warrant for commit¬ 
ting him to the Tower. Yet (till the proteCfor fufpended 
the blow, and {hewed reluCtance to ruin one fo nearly 
connected in the tie of blood. He offered once more to 
be fincerely reconciled, and give him his life, if he would 
be contented to fpend the remainder of his days in retire¬ 
ment. But finding it impoflible to work on the inflexible 
temper of his brother, he ordered a charge to be drawn 
up againft him, confiding of thirty-three articles ; and the 
whole to be brought before the parliament. The charge 
being firft adduced in the houfe of lords, feveral peers 
gave an account of what they knew concerning lord Sey¬ 
mour’s conduCt, and his criminal intentions. In the 
houfe of commons the bill paffed on a divifion, near four 
hundred voting for it, and not above nine or ten againft 
it. The fentence was executed, by beheading him bn 
Tower-hill, A. Di 1549. 
This obftacle being removed, the proteCtor went on to 
reform and regulate the new fyftem of religion, which 
was now become the chief concern of the nation. A 
committee of biftiops and divines had been appointed to 
frame a liturgy for the fervice of the church ; -and this 
work was executed with great moderation and accuracy. 
A difpenfation was alfo paffed, permitting priefts to 
marry ; the ceremony of auricular confeffion, though not 
abolifhed, was left at the difcretion of the people; but 
the doCtrine of the real prefence was the laft tenet of 
popery that was wholly abandoned by the people, as 
both the clergy and laitv were unwilling to renounce fo 
miraculous a benefit as it was affected to be. However, 
not only this, but all the principal opinions and prac¬ 
tices of the catholic religion, contrary to what the fcrip- 
tures authorize, ivere at laft abolifhed ; and the reforma¬ 
tion, fuch as we have it, was almoft entirely completed 
in England, A. D. 1549. It had been well for the credit 
of the reformers, had they ftopt here; inftead of which, 
they refolved to become perfecutors in their turn; and 
though their own doctrines had been founded on a true 
fpirit of toleration, yet they could not bear that any 
fttould controvert what they had been at fo much pains 
to eftablifh. Among the number of thofe who were 
luppofed to incur guilt upon this occafion, was Joan 
Boucher, commonly called Joan of Kent; and Van Paris, 
2 
643 
a Dutchman; both of whom, principally at the inftiga- 
tion of Cranmer, and contrary to the king’s exprefs de- 
fire, were committed to the flames. 
Although meafures had been taken for the benefit of 
the nation, and to the advantage of fociety, yet they were 
attended with many inconveniences, to which all hidden 
changes are liable. When the monafteries were fup- 
preffed, a prodigious number of their dependants were 
obliged to earn their fubfiftence by labour; fo that all 
kinds of bufinefs were overftocked. The lands of the 
monafteries too had been farmed out to the common 
people, fo as to employ a great number of hands; and 
the rents being moderate, they were able to maintain 
their families on the profits of agriculture. But now 
thefe lands being pofteffed by the nobility, the rents were 
advanced ; and the farmers, perceiving that flieep and 
wool were a better commodity than corn, turned all their 
fields into pafture. In confequence of this praftice, the 
price of bread rofe, to the unfpeakable hardlhip of the 
lower clafs of people. To add to the general calamity, all 
the gold coin of the kingdom was hoarded up, or exported 
abroad, while a bafe metal was coined in great abundance ; 
and this the poor were obliged to take, but could not dif- 
burfe at an equal advantage. Tims an univerfal ftagna- 
tion of commerce took place; and nothing but murmurs 
and complaints were heard in every quarter. The pro¬ 
tector generoufly efpoufed the caufe of the fufferers. He 
appointed commiflioners to examine whether the pofTefTors 
of the church-lands had fulfilled the conditions on which 
thofe lands had been fold by the crown; and ordered all 
encroachments on the commons to be laid open for the 
benefit of the poor. As the objedt of this commiflion 
was very offenfive to the nobility, they called it arbitrary 
and illegal ; while the common people, fearing it would 
be eluded, and being impatient of redrefs, rofe in great 
numbers, and reforted to arms. The rifing began at once 
in feveral parts of England, as if an univerfal confpiracy 
had been formed among the people. The rebels in Wilt- 
fliire were difperfed by fir William Herbert; thofe of Ox¬ 
ford and Gloucefter, by lord Grey of Wilton ; the com¬ 
motions in Hampfhire, Suffex, and Kent, were quieted 
by gentle methods; biit the diforders in Devonfhire and 
and Norfolk were the 1110ft obftinate, and threatened the 
greateft danger. In Devonfhire, the infurgents, amount¬ 
ing to ten thoufand men, were headed by Humphry Arun¬ 
del, an experienced foldier ; and they were (till more en¬ 
couraged by fermons, which gave their revolt the air of 
a religious confederacy. They accordingly fent a fet of 
articles to court, which required an abolition of the fta- 
tutes made in favour of the reformation ; but the council 
rejected their demands with contempt, at the fame time 
offering a pardon to all that would lay down their arms, 
and return to their habitations. But the infurgents, en¬ 
couraged by the monks who were with them, laid fiege 
to Exeter, carrying before them crucifixes, banners, holy 
water, and other implements of their ancient ftiperftition; 
but the town was gallantly defended by the inhabitants. 
Lord Rulfel was tent to relieve the city; and, being 
joined by lord Grey and others, he attacked and drove 
the infurgents from their entrenchments. Great (laughter 
was made upon thefe deluded creatures, both in the ac¬ 
tion and the purfuit. Arundel, their leader, and feveral 
others, were fent to London, where they were condemned 
and executed. 
The fedition in Norfolk appeared more formidable. 
The infurgents there amounted to twenty thoufand men; 
and, as their forces were numerous, their demands were 
exorbitant. They required the fuppreflion of the nobi¬ 
lity, the placing new counfellors about the king, and the 
eftablifhment of their ancient rights. One Ket, a tanner, 
had affumed a priority among them ; he erected his tri¬ 
bunal near Norwich, under an oak, which was termed 
the Oak of Reformation. He undertook the fiege of Nor¬ 
wich, which having reduced, he imprifoned the mayor, 
and fome of the principal citizens. The marquis of 
Northampton 
