of Stoke, 1487, and Simnel, proving but a tool in abler hands, subsided into a scullion in the king's kitchen. 127. War with France, 1492.-After the annexation of Brittany to France, Henry made a pretence of invading that country. By the Treaty of Estaples he withdrew his forces for 149,000l. He had before levied a benevolence upon his subjects in aid of the war, and so made money by friend and foe. 128. The Insurrection of Perkin Warbeck, 1492-1499.— Another claimant to the crown appeared in the person of Perkin Warbeck, who declared himself to be that younger brother of Edward V. who had been murdered with him in the Tower. He also found many adherents and believers; was recognised by the dowager Duchess of Burgundy, Edward IV.'s sister, as her nephew; and enlisted the sympathies of James IV. of Scotland, who, on his account, unsuccessfully invaded the north of England, in 1496. In 1497 Warbeck landed in Cornwall, but, at the king's approach, deserted his followers, and took refuge in the monastery of Beaulieu, in the New Forest. On Henry's promising to spare his life, he gave himself up, and was confined in the Tower; but attempting subsequently to concert a plan of escape with the young Earl of Warwick, his fellow-prisoner in that fortress, he was hanged at Tyburn in 1499. Warwick was beheaded on Tower Hill a few days later. His death is said to have been instigated by Ferdinand of Spain, who refused to give his daughter Catherine (see p. 37, s. 131) to Henry's son, Arthur, while any male descendant of the Yorkist line was in existence. The Scotch king's invasion of England in 1496 was made the pretext for levying a subsidy to meet the expenses of a war with Scotland. This tax caused an insurrection in Cornwall. The rebels advanced into Kent, and were defeated by the king's troops at the Battle of Blackheath, 1497. 129. Statute of Drogheda, or Poynings's Act, 1495.—This derives its name from Sir Edward Poynings, deputy of Ireland, where it was passed. By this law no bill could be brought into the Irish Parliament without the previous approval of the English Council. Until the time of the Union, it formed the basis of the government of Ireland. 130. Marriage of Margaret, daughter of Henry VII., with James IV. of Scotland, 1502.- From this marriage sprang the claim of the Stuarts to the English crown, James I. of England being the great-grandson of the pair. 131. HENRY VIII., 1509–1547.-Second son of Henry VII.; married six wives, viz.: (1) Catherine of Arragon (1509), divorced after a period of eighteen years, ostensibly because Henry's conscience would not allow him to live with the widow of his brother, Arthur, in reality because he desired to marry Anne Boleyn; (2) Anne Boleyn (1533), executed on a charge of infidelity, but actually because Henry had found her successor; (3) Jane Seymour (1536), who died in giving birth to Edward VI.; (4) Anne of Cleves (1540), divorced for her want of beauty, and involving in her downfall Thomas Cromwell, the minister who had suggested the marriage, and was beheaded shortly after; (5) Catherine Howard (1540), beheaded for alleged incontinence previous to her marriage; and (6) Catherine Parr (1543), who survived her husband. On his accession, Henry was one of the most popular of English monarchs. He was handsome, affable, and prepossessing; but the unrestrained indulgence of a despotic temper afterwards caused him to be feared and detested as the most capriciously cruel tyrant of modern times. 132. Execution of Empson and Dudley, 1510.-One of Henry's first concessions to popularity was to imprison Empson and Dudley, two extortionate ministers of the late king, who had shamelessly pandered to his avarice, and cruelly oppressed the people. "They were executed on Tower Hill for alleged high treason. 133. Battle of Spurs or Guinegate, 1513.—Henry had joined Austria and Spain in a war with France. Aided by the Emperor Maximilian, he took the towns of Terouenne and Tournay, and gained a victory over the French at Guinegate, generally called the 'Battle of Spurs,' on account of the alacrity with which the French fled on that occasion. 134. Battle of Flodden Field, 1513.-James IV. of Scotland espoused the French cause, and invaded England. He was defeated and killed at Flodden by the Earl of Surrey. Scott's 'Marmion' contains a well-known account of this battle, in which the flower of the Scotch nobility perished with their king. A peace was concluded with France in 1514, and Louis married Henry's sister. 135. Field of the Cloth of Gold, 1520.-The site of a meeting which took place between Henry VIII. and Francis I. of France, in consequence of the death of the Emperor Maximilian, for whose crown the French king was a competitor. The field lay between Ardres and Guisnes, and received its name from the luxurious magnificence of Cardinal Wolsey's preparations. (See WOLSEY, p. 118.) 136. Defensor Fidei, 1521.—Henry wrote a Latin book on the Seven Sacraments against Martin Luther, whose doings were now engaging the attention of Europe. For this, Leo X., to whom he sent a copy, gave him the title of Defender of the Faith, which our sovereigns still use, and which is still, in an abbreviated form, impressed upon our coinage. 137. Commencement of the Reformation in England, 1532.-The abuses of the Papacy, and the extended knowledge of the Bible, had gradually paved the way for the separation of England from Rome. It was accomplished in 1534, by the opposition of Pope Clement VII. to the divorce of Catherine of Arragon, when Henry threw off the Papal yoke, and was constituted by Parliament 'Supreme Head of the English Church.' At the same period statutes were passed prohibiting appeals to Rome, and abolishing the tribute of 'Peter's pence' claimed by the Pontiff. 138. Execution of Sir Thomas More, 1535.-Cardinal Wolsey, who had risen to an extraordinary eminence during the earlier years of Henry's reign, had fallen into disgrace from the views he held in the matter of Catherine of Arragon's divorce. He was succeeded as Lord Chancellor by Sir Thomas More, who was now executed for refusing to recognise Henry as Head of the Church, and acknowledge the validity of his marriage with Anne Boleyn. 139. The Pilgrimage of Grace, 1536.—One of Henry's next steps was the dissolution of the smaller monasteries. The result was a serious insurrection in Yorkshire, called the 'Pilgrimage of Grace,' the object of which was to restore the Church and suppress heresy. The insurgents were ultimately dispersed, and many of them suffered the penalty of death. The dissolution of the smaller monasteries was followed, in 1539, by the suppression of the larger ones, and the country was inundated with beggars. The hanging of these, the burning of heretics, and the beheading of traitors, made up a tale of death far more formidable than that of any succeeding or preceding reign. 140. The Statute of Six Articles, 1539.-These six articles were:-(1) Transubstantiation; (2) Communion in one kind; (3) Celibacy of the Clergy; (4) Vows of Chastity; (5) Private Masses; and (6) Auricular Confession. Denial of these was punished by burning or other severe penalty. This law was a concession of Henry to the Papacy and to the popular discontent at the suppression of the monasteries, the revenues of which had chiefly fallen into his hands. It greatly retarded the reformers' cause. 141. Battle of Solway Moss, 1542.-James V. of Scotland, a zealous Catholic, renewed war with England. His army was totally defeated at the Battle of Solway Moss, by a small body of English horse. This disaster broke his heart, and the crown passed to his infant daughter, Mary, Queen of Scots. 142. EDWARD VI., 1547-1553.--Son of Henry VIII. and Jane Seymour. He was a youth of promising qualities, but died too early for great performances. During his minority the kingdom was governed by a Protector-his uncle, the Duke of Somerset. 143. Battle of Pinkie, 1547.—-To enforce, if possible, the wish of Henry VIII., that Edward VI. should marry Mary, Queen of Scots, the Protector (Somerset) invaded Scotland and gained a great victory at Pinkie. No advantage resulted, however, from this success. Mary was sent to France, where she subsequently married the Dauphin. 144. The Protectorate of the Duke of Northumberland, 1550.—This nobleman, then Earl of Warwick, obtained the deposition of Somerset, and became Protector. 145. Execution of the Duke of Somerset, 1552.-Resulted from the intrigues of Northumberland, who subsequently endeavoured, by his influence over the young king, to procure the succession for 146. Lady Jane Grey, 1553.-This lady was the granddaughter of Mary, sister of Henry VIII., and was married to Lord Guildford Dudley, Northumberland's son. Edward was induced to bequeath the crown to her; and, at his death, in 1553, she reigned for a few days. She had no claim to the crown. 147. Progress of the Reformation in this reign.—The Statute of Six Articles was repealed, a new Prayer Book prepared, and a new Communion service composed. A set of Homilies were issued to be read from the pulpit, the marriage of priests was permitted, and all images were removed from churches. These changes gave rise to some insurrections among the people; but in the main the Reformation may be said to have been completed. 148. MARY I., 1553-1558.-A cruel and bigoted Roman Catholic, commonly called 'Bloody Mary.' She was the daughter of Henry VIII., by Catherine of Arragon. She married Philip of Spain in 1554. 149. Sir Thomas Wyatt's Insurrection, 1554.-This attempt to regain the crown for Lady Jane Grey had its origin in the general dislike to the proposed marriage of Mary and Philip of Spain. It proved fatal to Lady Jane, Dudley, and Wyatt, who were executed. Northumberland suffered death as a traitor in 1553. 150. The Marian Persecutions, 1555.—At Mary's accession Popery was restored and the acts of Edward for the time reversed. ln 1555 commenced a persecution of the Reformers, which marks the rest of her reign with blood. Latimer, Ridley, Hooper, Cranmer, and more than 250 men, women, and children, were burned at the stake. 151. Taking of Calais by the French, 1558.-Mary had pressed England into Philip's war with France. The combined forces gained a victory over their opponents at the Battle of St. Quentin, 1557; but the English share of glory was dearly bought by the subsequent loss of Calais, which was attacked suddenly and taken by the Duke of Guise. This disaster, with other mortifications, is said to have caused the death of the queen. (See p. 24, s. 84.) 152. ELIZABETH, 1558–1603.-Daughter of Henry VIII., by Anne Boleyn. She was never married, although to the close of her life she encouraged suitors, and was entangled in her old age in a real affection for the handsome Earl of Essex, grief for whose death is said to have hastened her own. She was of the true mascula proles. She rode, shot, jested, and drank beer,' and, on many occasions, showed a kingly appreciation of her position. Her good qualities and better councillors make her reign illustrious in English annals. Shakspeare and his The time was besides fertile in great men. splendid school of dramatists, Spenser and Walsingham, Raleigh, Drake, Hawkins, Cavendish and Frobisher, added their lustre to the Elizabethan age. At Elizabeth's accession the Protestant religion was re-established, and Acts of Uniformity and Supremacy were passed (1559). The first made the use of Edward's Liturgy compulsory; the second obliged clergymen holding livings, and laymen holding crown offices, to deny the authority of the Pope. To this reign also we owe the first effective Poor Law Act (1601). 153. Battle of Langside, 1568.-Mary, Queen of Scots, had returned to Scotland in 1561, on the death of her first husband, Francis II. (See p. 39, s. 143.) After the death of her second husband, Darnley, in 1567, and her subsequent marriage to the Earl of Bothwell, she was imprisoned by her subjects in the Castle |