They elected their own priors, and were absolute proprietors of their own estates. The former had long been the objects of the jealousy of the English government, on account of their sending out of the country a large proportion of the revenues. In the fourth year of Henry V., when he was at war with France, an act was passed by which all the alien priories were suppressed, and their estates vested in the crown.

X. 3.

License granted by the pope to Cardinal Wolsey, to dissolve several of the smaller Monasteries.

To the attacks, which were made upon monasteries by Henry the eighth, Wolsey preluded, by the license, which, in 1525, he obtained from the pope, to dissolve several of the smaller communities. The pope had attached to this license a condition, that no monastery should be dissolved without the previous consent of the king, and its founders. The consent of the king was readily obtained. What arrangements were made with the founders, or their representatives, does not appear. The suppressed houses, and their possessions, became the property of Henry. He conferred them, by new grants, on the cardinal; who annexed some of them to the college at Oxford; and others, to the college at Ipswich, which he had founded. The former is called Christ Church; the latter, immediately after the decease of the cardinal, was neglected, and fell to ruin.

X. 4.

The Dissolution of the remaining smaller Monasteries.

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HENRY determined on the general dissolution of all the monasteries within his realm, soon after he had assumed the title of supreme head of the church. His first attack was levelled at the smaller institutions, or those, whose yearly income did not exceed two hundred pounds. With this view, he appointed Thomas Cromwell,-(who, from a very low situation, had raised himself by his talents, to the rank of secretary of state),—to be his vicargeneral, and vicegerent; with authority to visit all ecclesiastical persons, and communities, within his dominions; to rectify and correct all abuses; and, generally to do every thing that the king could do, as supreme head of the church. Henry also authorised him to delegate to others, any portion of the authority thus conferred upon him. Cromwell, accordingly, signed several commissions, authorising the persons named in them to visit all churches, monasteries, and priories, both of men, and women; and to inquire into the conduct of archbishops, bishops, and other dignitaries; as well as into the conduct of all superiors of religious houses, both in spirituals, and temporals; with directions to make their reports to him on all these circumstances. The visitors, probably, in conformity to the injunctions given to them by Cromwell,-abstained from interfering with the secular clergy: but made a general visitation of all the religious houses. With some

exceptions, the report was, in the highest degree, unfavourable to them. The smaller monasteries were said to be the most irregular. The king, already determined on their destruction, dissolved, by an act of the thirty-seventh year of his reign, all the houses of monks, canons and nuns, which had not above two hundred pounds yearly revenue; and which did not contain more than twelve members; vesting, at the same time, in himself, all their real and personal property. The number of houses, dissolved by this act, was three hundred and seventy-six. Their annual revenue was computed at thirty-two thousand pounds; their personal effects, at one hundred thousand pounds.

X. 5.

The Dissolution of the greater Monasteries. IN 1537, the king ordered a visitation to be made of the remaining, or greater houses. The commissioners were directed to inquire into the practices, by which the religious, as it was alleged, had deceived the people; and nourished superstition, to enrich themselves.

Many of the monks were so much alarmed at the report of this visitation, that they surrendered their houses, and possessions to the king, without waiting the arrival of the visitors." The chief employ"ment of the visitors, in this, and the two following years," says Doctor Henry*, "seems to have

History of Great Britain, vol. vi. p. 443.

"been settling the surrenders of the monasteries, "and the pensions of the abbots, priors, and monks; 66 making surveys of their estates; taking possession "of their relics, jewels, and plate, which in some "houses was of great value: selling their furni"ture, pulling down their churches, and such of "their other buildings, as were only suited, and "useful, to monastics; disposing of their bells, "lead, and other materials. It is incredible how many magnificent churches, cloisters, libraries, "and other buildings, which had been erected at an "immense expense of money and labour, were un

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roofed and ruined in the short space of three "or four years. To this dreadful havoc, Henry, "and his courtiers were prompted, partly by their "avarice, and partly to prevent the re-establish"ment of monasteries. To finish this great affair, a parliament was called, which met at Westminster, April 28th, in the year 1540. On the "13th of May, a bill was brought into the house, "for granting to the king, his heirs, and succes

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sors, all the houses, lands, and goods, of all the "abbeys, priories, nunneries, chantries, hospitals, " and religious houses, that had been already sur"rendered, or suppressed; or that should there"after be surrendered, or suppressed. The bill

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passed both houses, with much less opposition "than might be expected; and, in consequence of "it, all the possessions of six hundred and forty"five convents, ninety colleges, two thousand three “hundred and seventy-four chantries, and free chapels; and one hundred and ten hospitals,

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"were annexed to the crown. The yearly rent "of their lands was estimated at one hundred and sixty thousand pounds. The jewels, plate, fur

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niture, and other goods, must have amounted to "a prodigious sum, of which no computation can "now be made."

A very small proportion only of the property of the convents was appropriated to the service of the public. The whole was soon distributed by the monarch, with a prodigal hand, among his courtiers. The best account of this extraordinary event, which has come to the hands of the writer, is given in Mr. Collier's Ecclesiastical History. He sheds a generous tear, over the sufferers; and, while he admits the criminality of some individuals, and the disorders of some houses, he honourably and successfully advocates the general integrity of the body.

In the opinion of the writer of these pages, the report of the commissioners is wholly unworthy of credit. We have seen, how little attention to truth, and how gross a violation of justice, were shown, even in the proceedings of the parliament, and in the highest courts of justice, against the most exalted and distinguished personages, whom the king wished to oppress; and whom all, except the king, wished to save. How much less, then, must naturally have been the attention paid, either to truth or justice, where monks and nuns were to be persecuted? Where obscure individuals were appointed to report upon their conduct; where the king was determinately bent upon their ruin; where his courtiers