benignity had endeared More so much to all, that his death was deplored, as that of a father, or a brother. "I, myself," says Erasmus, "have seen it bewailed "with tears by several, who had neither seen, nor "had the slightest intercourse with him."

An account of his trial is published in the second volume of the State Trials. The indictment, on which he was tried, has not been discovered. From his speech on the trial, it appears, that the principal charges against him were, that he had disapproved the king's second marriage; had denied his spiritual supremacy; had confederated against it, with bishop Fisher; and, (this was particularly urged against him),—had called the law, by which the supremacy was conferred upon his majesty, a two-edged sword, -as, by consenting to it, he would endanger his soul; and, by rejecting it, lose his life. To prove the three first of these charges, no evidence was produced. On the contrary, it appeared, that, when Rich, the solicitor-general, was sent to him, during his confinement in the Tower, he put this question to More," If there was an act of parliament, that "the realm should take me for king, would you "take me for king? Yes; sir," replied More, "that would I."

۴

With respect to the expression, that the law against the supremacy was like a two-edged sword, the proof of this rested upon the single testimony of Mr. Rich, who swore, that, in a casual conversation with him, in the Tower, sir Thomas had used this expression. Sir Thomas denied his having used the words, in the sense affixed to them by

"the reward," he called it, " of their days spent "in strait, penitential, and painful life.”

It is remarkable, that the denial of the king's spiritual supremacy was first made a capital offence by an act passed in the twenty-eighth year of his reign. The acts in force, when the individuals mentioned were executed, were those of the 25th and 26th of his majesty; which carried the punishment for the denial of the supremacy no higher than præmunire, and misprision of treason. Thus, even in those cases, where the offence was proved by legal evidence,-(and such cases were, certainly, very few), the offenders were sentenced to a punishment, which the law did not inflict.

CHAP. IX.

MONASTIC INSTITUTIONS.

THE dissolution of monastic establishments, within the realm, is one of the most important events in the history of the Reformation of England. An attempt will be made, in this chapter, to present the reader with some account, I. Of the origin of the monastic institution; and its principal orders, 1st. the Benedictines; 2d. the Canons Regular of St. Augustine; 3d. the Mendicant Orders; 4th. the corresponding orders of Nuns; 5th. and the Military Order of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem.

II. Of the advantages derived from the monastic institution; 1st. by the state; 2d. by the persons, by whom their lands were given; 3d. by the general body of the public, from their hospitality; 4th. from their support of the poor; 5th. from their being general seminaries for the education of the youth of both sexes; 6th. from their agricultural labours; 7th, from their encouragement of architecture, sculpture, and other arts; 8th. from their cultivation of sacred and profane literature; 9th. and from their care in preserving and transmitting to us the sacred word of God.

IX. 1.

Origin of the Monastic Institution; and its principal Orders.

THE monastic state originated in the east. Towards the middle of the fourth century, St. Anthony, after having spent many years in perfect solitude, in a desert, in Upper Egypt, permitted a uumerous body of men to live in community with him, and lead, under his direction, a life of piety, and manual labour, sanctified by prayer. St. Pachomius was the first, who composed a written rule for the conduct of the monks.

1. About two hundred years after this, St. Benedict, an Italian monk, framed his religious rule for the government of a convent at Mount Casino, between Rome and Naples, over which himself presided. He adopted the whole of the spirit, and

most of the observances, of the rule of St. Pachomius. In consequence of the general devastation, and confusion, occasioned in Italy, by the Lombards; in Spain, by the Saracens; in France, by the wars among the descendants of Charlemagne; and, in England, by the irruption of the Danes,-the Benedictine monks fell from their original fervour into great disorder. But, towards the middle of the eleventh century, several eminent members of the order arose; and endeavoured to restore it to its ancient purity. While each added some new statute, or custom, to the original rule, each became the founder of a congregation, or secondary order, adhering, in essentials, to the order of St. Benedict, but differing from it in particular observances. Such were the Carthusians, Celestines and Premonstratenses.

2. The Canons Regular of St. Augustine derive their origin from certain respectable ecclesiastics, who, in the eighth century, formed themselves into a kind of middle order, between the monks and the secular clergy. They adopted so much of the monastic discipline, as to have in common, the church, and the table; and to assemble at stated hours, for the divine service. But they made no vows; and often discharged the functions of the ministry in churches, committed to their care. Thus, they rendered essential service to religion. By degrees, they too degenerated: But, in the twelfth century, a considerable reformation was introduced among them, under the auspices of pope Nicholas the second. Some, carrying the reformation further,

renounced their worldly possessions, and all private property; and lived in a manner, resembling the austerity and discipline, of a monastic life. This gave rise to the distinction between the secular and regular canons.

3. For many centuries, the Benedictines, the congregations, which emanated from them, and the canons of St. Augustine, constituted the only monastic orders of the west. In the thirteenth century, the Mendicant Orders arose. These were the Franciscan and Dominican friars, the Carmelites, and the Hermits of St. Augustine.

The Franciscan friars were founded by St. Francis, the son of a merchant of Assissium, in the province of Umbria. They were divided into Conventuals, who admitted some mitigations into their practice of their rule; and Observantines, who practised a stricter observance of it.

The Dominican friars were founded by St. Dominic. He adopted the rule of St. Francis for the groundwork of his institute, but, introduced into it so many alterations, as made it, almost, a new order.

The Carmelites professed to derive their origin from hermits, who, from the time of Elias to the time of Christ and the apostles, and thence, by a regular succession, till the irruptions of the Saracens, inhabited Mount Carmel.

The Hermits of St. Augustine derived their institute from a bull of Alexander the fourth. This pontiff collected several hermits into one order, to which he gave the above appellation; and prescribed