confequence of this refolution, and fecretly advifed to it by Dudley, earl of Warwick, a wicked ambitious man, who expected to rise upon the downfal of the two brothers, he deprived him of his office of high admiral, and figned a warrant for committing him to the tower. Yet ftill the protector fufpended the blow, and fhewed a reluctance to ruin one fo nearly connected with himfelf: he offered once more to be fincerely reconciled, and give him his life, if he was contented to spend the remainder of his days in retirement and repentance. But finding himself unable to work on the inflexible temper of his brother by any methods but severity, he ordered a charge to be drawn up against him, confifting of thirty-three articles; and the whole to be brought into parliament, which was now become the inftrument by which the administration ufually punished their enemies. The charge being brought first into the house of lords, feveral peers, rifing up in their places, gave an account of what they knew concerning lord Seymour's conduct, and his criminal words and actions. There was more difficulty in managing the profecution in the houfe of commons: but upon receiving a moflage from the king, requiring them to proceed, the bill paffed in a very full houfe, near four hundred voting for it, and not above nine or ten against it. The fentence was foon after executed, by beheading him on Tower-Hill, His death, however, was, in general, difagreeable to the nation, who confidered the lord Seymour as hardly dealt with, in being condemned upon general allegations, without having an opportunity of making a defence, or confronting his accufers. But the chief odium fell upon the protector; and it mult be owned that there was no reafon for carrying his feverity to fuch a length as he did. A 5 This This obftacle being removed, the protector went on to reform and regulate the new system of religion, which was now become the chief concern of the nation. A committee of bishops and divines had been appointed by the council to frame a liturgy for the service of the church; and this work was executed with great moderation, precifion, and accuracy. A law was alfo enacted, permitting priests to marry; the ceremony of auricular confeffion, though not abolished, was left at the difcretion of the people, who were not difpleafed at being freed from the fpiritual tyranny of their inftructors; the doctrine of the real prefence was the laft tenet of popery that was wholly abandoned by the people, as both the clergy and laity were loth to renounce fo miraculous a benefit, as it was afferted to be. However, at laft, not only this, but all the principal opinions and practices of the Catholic religion, contrary to what the fcripture authorizes, were abolished; and the reformation, fuch as we have it, was almost entirely completed in England. With all these innovations A. D. the people and clergy in general acquief1549 ced; and Gardiner and Bonner were the only perfons whofe oppofition was thought of any weight; they were, therefore, fent to the Tower, and threatened with the king's further displeasure in cafe of disobedience. But it had been well for the credit of the reformers, had they ftopt at imprifonment only. They alfo refolved to become perfecutors in turn; and although the very fpirit of their doctrines arose from a freedom of thinking, yet they could not bear that any should controvert what they had been at fo much pains to establish. A commiffion was granted to the primate and fome others, to fearch after all anabaptifts, heretics, or contemners of the new liturgy. Among the number of thofe thofe who were supposed to incur guilt upon this occafion, was one Joan Boucher, commonly called Joan of Kent, who was fo extremely obftinate. that the commiffioners could gain nothing upon her. She had maintained an abftrufe metaphyfical fentiment, that Chrift, as man, was a finful man; but as the Word he was free from fin, and could be fubject to none of the frailties of the flesh with which he was cloathed. For maintaining this doctrine, which none of them could understand, this poor ignorant woman was condemned to be burnt to death as an heretic. The young king, who it feems had more fenfe than his minifters, refufed at first to fign the death warrant; but being at last preffed by Cranmer, and vanquifhed by his importunities, he reluctantly complied; declaring that if he did wrong, the fin fhould be on the head of those who had perfuaded him to it. The primate, after making a new effort to reclaim the woman from her opinions, and finding her obftinate against all his arguments, at laft committed her to the flames. Some time after, one Van Paris, a Dutchman, being accufed of an herefy called Arianifm, was condemned to the fame punishment. He fuffered with fo much fatisfaction, that he hugged and careffed the faggots that were confuming him; and died exulting in his fituation.. Although these measures were intended for the benefit of the nation, and in the end turned out entilely to the advantage of fociety; yet they were at that time attended with many inconveniencies, to which all changes what foever are liable. When the monafteries were fuppreffed, a prodigious nu.nber of monks were obliged to earn their fubfiftence. by their labour, fo that all kinds of business were overstocked. The lands of the monafteries, alfo, had been formerly farmed out to the common people, '; 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 these lands being poffeffed by the nobility, the rents were raised; and the farmers perceiving that wool was a better commodity than corn, turned all their fields into pafture. In confequence of this practice, the price of meal arose, to the unspeakable hardship of the lower clafs of people. Befides, as few hands were required to manage a pasture farm, a great number of poor people were utterly deprived of fubfiftence, while the nation was filled with murmurs and complaints against the nobility, who were confidered as the fources of the general calamity. To add to these complaints, the rich proprietors of lands proceeded to enclose their eftates; while the tenants, regarded as an ufelefs burden, were expelled their habitations. Even cottagers, deprived of the commons on which they formerly fed their cattle, were reduced to mifery; and a great decay of people, as well as a diminution of provifions, was obferved in every part of the kingdom. To add to this picture of general calamity, all the good coin of the kingdom was hoarded up or exported abroad; while a bafe metal was coined at home, or imported from abroad in great abundance; and this the poor were obliged to receive in payment, but could not difburfe at an equal advantage. Thus an univerfal diffidence and ftagnation of commerce took place; and nothing but loud complaints were heard in every quarter. The protector, who knew that his own power was to be founded on the depreffion of the nobility, efpoufed the caufe of the fufferers. He appointed comm flioners to examine whether the poficflors of the church-lands had fulfilled the condi tions on which thofe lands had been fold by the crown; and ordered all late enclosures to be laid open on an appointed day. As the object of this commiffion was very difagreeable to the gentry and nobility, they called it arbitrary and illegal; while the common people, fearing it would be eluded, and being impatient for redrefs, rose in great numbers, and fought a remedy by force of 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 Wiltshire, were difperfed by Sir William Herbert; thofe of Oxford and Gloucefter, by lord Gray of Wilton; the commotions in Hampshire, Suffex, Kent, and other countries were quieted by gentle methods; but the disorders in Devonshire and Norfolk were the moft obftinate, and threatened the greatest danger. In the firft of thefe counties, the infurgents, amounting to ten thousand men, were headed by one Humphry Arundel, an experienced foldier; and they were ftill more encouraged by fermons, which gave their revolt the air of a religious confederacy. They accordingly fent a fet of articles to court, which, in general, demanded an abolition of the ftatutes lately made in favour of the reformation; but the miniftry 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 were now too far advanced to recede; and fill encouraged by the monks, who were with them, they laid fiege to Exeter, carrying before them croffes, banners, holy-water, candleiticks, and other implements of their ancient fuperftition; but the town was gallantly defended by the inhabitants. In the mean time, lord Ruffel had been sent aga nft them with a fmall body of forces; and being reinforced by lord Gray and others, he attacked, and |