But the reformers did not ftop here: the rapacious courtiers, never to be fatisfied, and giving their violence an air of zeal, deprived in the fame manner, Day, Bishop of Chichester, Heathe of Worcester, and Voify of Exeter. The Bishops of Landaff, Salisbury, and Coventry came off something more advantageously, by facrificing the most confiderable fhare of their ecclefiaftical revenues. Not only the revenues of the church, but the libraries alfo, underwent a dreadful fcrutiny. The libraries of Westminster and Oxford were ordered to be ranfacked, and purged of the Romish miffals, legends, and other fuperftitious volumes; in which fearch great devastation was made even in ufeful literature. Many volumes clafped in filver were destroyed for the fake of their rich bindings; many of geometry and aftronomy were fuppofed to be magical, and met no mercy. The univerfity, unable to ftop the fury of these barbarians, filently looked on, and trembled for its own fecurity.

Warwick was willing to indulge the nobility with thefe humiliations of the church; and perceiving that the king was extremely attached to the reformation, he supposed that he could not make his court to the young monarch better than by a feeming zeal in the cause. But he was ftill fteadfastly bent on enlarging his own power; and as the last earl of Northumberland died without iffue or heirs, Warwick procured for himself a grant of his ample poffeffions, and obtained the title alfo of duke of Northumberland. The duke of Somerset was now the only person he wished to have entirely removed; for though fallen as he was by his late fpiritlefs conduct, yet he ftill preferved a fhare of popularity that rendered him formidable to this afpirer. Indeed Somerfet was not always upon his guard against the arts of Northumberland;

thumberland; but could not help now and then burting out into invectives, which were quickly carried to his fecret enemy. As he was furrounded by Northumberland's creatures, they took care to reveal all the defigns which they had themfelves firft fuggefted; and Someriet foon found the fatal effects of his rival's refentment. He was, by Northumberland's command, arrefted with many more, accused of being his partizans; and he was, with his wife the dutchefs, alfo thrown into prifon. He was now accufed of having formed a defign to raise an insurrection in the North; of attacking the train-bands on a mufter-day; of plotting to fecure the Tower, and to excite a rebellion in London. Thefe charges he ftrenuously denied; but he confeffed one of as heinous a nature, which was, that he had laid a project for murdering Northumberland, Northampton, and Pembroke, at a banquet, which was to be given. them by lord Paget. He was foon after brought to a trial before the marquis of Winchester, who fat as high-steward on the occafion, with twentyfeven peers more, including Northumberland, Pembroke, and Northampton, who were at once his judges and accufers. He was accused with an intention to fecure the perfon of the king, and reaffume the administration of affairs, to affaffinate the Duke of Northumberland, and raise an insurrection in the city. He pleaded not guilty to the first part of the charge, and of this he was accordingly acquitted; but he was found guilty of confpiring the death of a privy counsellor, which crime had been made felony in the reign of Henry the seventh; and for this he was condemned to be hanged. The populace feeing him re-conveyed to the Tower without the axe, which was no longer carried before him, imagined that he had been intirely acquitted; and in repeated shouts and ac

clamations

fters, at that time in the council, Dudley, earl of Warwick, was the most artful, ambitious, and unprincipled. Refolved at any rate to poffefs the principal place under the king, he cared not what means were to be used in acquiring it. However, unwilling to throw off the mafk, he covered the moft exorbitant views under the fairest appearances. Having affociated himself with the earl of Southampton, he formed a strong party in the council, who were determined to free themselves from the controul the protector affumed over them. That nobleman was, in fact, now grown obnoxious to a very prevailing party in the kingdom. He was hated by the nobles for his fuperior magnificence and power; he was hated by the Catholic party for his regard to the Reformation; he was difliked by many for his feverity to his brother; befides the great eftate he had raised, at the expence of the church and the crown, rendered him obnoxious to all. The palace which he was then building in the Strand, ferved alfo by its magnificence, and still more by the unjuft methods that were taken to raise it, to expose him to the cenfures of the public. The parish church of St. Mary, with three bishops houses, were pulled down to furnish ground and materials for the structure. Several other churches were demolished, to have their stones employed to the fame purpose; and it was not without an infurrection, that the parishioners of St. Margaret's, Westminster, prevented their church from being pulled down to make room for the new fabric.

Thefe imprudencies were foon exaggerated and enlarged upon by Somerset's enemies. They reprefented him as a parricide, a facrilegious tyrant, and an unjust ufurper upon the privileges of the council and the rights of the king. In confequence of this, the lord St. John, prefident of the

council,

The catholics were extremely elevated at the protector's fall; and they began to entertain hopes of a revolution in their favour. But they were mistaken in their opinion of Warwick, who now took the lead, as ambition was the only principle in his breast; and to that he was refolved to facrifice all others. He foon gave inftances of his difregard of religious points, by his permitting Gardiner to undergo the penalties prefcribed againft difobedience. Many of the prelates, and he among the reft, though they made fome compliances, were ftill addicted to their ancient communion. A refolution was therefore taken to deprive them of their fees; and it was thought proper to begin with him, in order to ftrike a terror into the relt. He had been now for two years in prifon, for having refused to inculcate the duty of obedience to the king during his minority; and the council took this opportunity to fend him several articles to fubfcribe, among which was one, acknowledging the juftice of the order for his confinement. He was likewife to own, that the king was fupreme head of the church; that the power of making and dispensing with holidays was a part of the prerogative; and that the Common Prayer Book was a godly and commendable form. Gardiner was willing to put his hand to all the articles, except that by which he accufed himself, which he refufed to do, juftly perceiving that their aim was either to ruin or dishonour him. For this offence he was deprived of his bishopric, committed to close cuftody; his books and papers were feized; all company was denied him; and he was not even permitted the use of pen and ink. This. feverity, in fome measure, countenanced thofe which this prelate had afterwards an opportunity of retaliating when he came into power.

But

But the reformers did not ftop here: the rapacious courtiers, never to be fatisfied, and giving their violence an air of zeal, deprived in the fame manner, Day, Bishop of Chichester, Heathe of Worcester, and Voify of Exeter. The Bishops of Landaff, Salisbury, and Coventry came off something more advantageoufly, by facrificing the moft confiderable fhare of their ecclefiaftical revenues. Not only the revenues of the church, but the libraries alfo, underwent a dreadful fcrutiny. The libraries of Westminster and Oxford were ordered to be ranfacked, and purged of the Romish miffals, legends, and other fuperftitious volumes; in which fearch great devaftation was made even in ufeful literature. Many volumes clafped in filver were destroyed for the fake of their rich bindings; many of geometry and aftronomy were fuppofed to be magical, and met no mercy. The univerfity, unable to ftop the fury of thefe barbarians, filently looked on, and trembled for its own fecurity.

Warwick was willing to indulge the nobility with thefe humiliations of the church; and perceiving that the king was extremely attached to the reformation, he fuppofed that he could not make his court to the young monarch better than by a feeming zeal in the cause. But he was ftill fteadfastly bent on enlarging his own power; and. as the laft earl of Northumberland died without iffue or heirs, Warwick procured for himself a grant of his ample poffeffions, and obtained the title alfo of duke of Northumberland. The duke of Somerset was now the only person he wished to have entirely removed; for though fallen as he was by his late fpiritlefs conduct, yet he ftill preferved a fhare of popularity that rendered him formidable to this afpirer. Indeed Somerset was not always upon his guard against the arts of Northumberland;