1549.

John, prefident of the council, the earls of Warwick, Southampton, and Arundel, with five counsellors more, met at Ely-Houfe; and af fuming to themselves the whole power of the council, began to act independent of the proOctob. 6. tector, whom they pretended to confider as the author of every public grievance. They wrote letters to the chief nobility and gentry of England, informing them of the present measures, and requiring their affiftance. They fent for the mayor and aldermen of London, and enjoined them to concur in their measures, which they reprefented as the only means of faving the nation. The next day feveral others of the council joined the feceding members; and the protector now began to tremble, not for his authority, but his life.

He had no fooner been informed of thefe tranfactions, than he fent the king to Windsor, and armed the inhabitants of Hampton, and Windfor alfo for his fecurity. But finding that no man of rank, except Cranmer and Paget, adhered to him, and that the people did not rife at his fummons, perceiving that he was in a manner deferted by all, and that all resistance was fruitless, he refolved to apply to his enemies for pardon. This gave fresh ftrength and confidence to the par

ty.

ty of Warwick; they affured the king, with the humbleft profeffions of obedience, that their only aim was to put the council on the fame footing on which it had been ordained by the will of their late fovereign, and to rescue his authority from the hands of a man who had affumed all power to himself. The king, who never much cared for Somerset, gave their address a favourable reception; and the protector was fent to the Tower, with fome of his friends and partizans, among whom was Cecil, afterwards earl of Salisbury, Mean while the council ordered fix lords to act as governors to the king, two at a time officiating alternately. It was then, for the firft time, that the earl of Warwick's ambition began to appear in full splendour; he fet himself forward as the principal promoter of the protector's ruin, and the other members, without the least oppofition, permitted him to affume the reins of govern

ment.

It was now fuppofed that Somerfet's fate was fixed, as his enemies were numerous, and the charges against him of the most heinous nature. The chief article of which he was accused, was his ufurpation of the government, and the taking all power into his own hands; feveral others of a flighter tint were

added to invigorate this accufation, but none of them could be faid to amount to the crime of high treason. In confequence of these, a bill of attainder was preferred against him in the house of lords; but Somerset contrived, for this time, to elude the rigour of their fentence, by having previously, on his knees, confeffed the charge before the members of the council. This confeffion, which he figned with his own hand, was alleged and read against him at the bar of the house, who once more fent a deputation to him, to know whether the confeffion was voluntary or extorted. Somerset thanked them for their candour; owned that it was his voluntary act, but ftrenuously infifted, that he had never harboured a finifter thought against the king or the commonwealth. In confequence of this confeffion, he was deprived of all his offices and goods, together with a great part of his landed eftate, which was forfeited to the ufe of the crown. This fine on his eftate was soon after remitted by the king, and Somerset once more, contrary to the expectation of all, recovered his liberty. He was even re-admitted into the council; happy for him, if his ambition had not revived with his fecurity.

The

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 breaft; and to that he was refolved to facrifice all others. He foon gave instances of his difregard in religious points, by his permitting Gardiner to un dergo the penalties prescribed against disobedience. Many of the prelates, and he among the reft, though they made fome compliances, were still 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 strike a terror into the reft. He had been now for two years in prifon, for having refufed to inculcate the duty of obedience to the king during his minority; and the council took this opportunity to fend him feveral articles to fubfcribe, among which was one, acknowleging the juftice of the order for his confinement. He was likewise to own, that the king was fupreme head of the church; that the power of making and dispensing holidays was a part of the prerogative; and that the Common Prayer Book was a godly and commendable form. GarC 4 diner

diner was willing to put his hand to all the articles, except that by which he accused himfelf, which he refused to do, justly perceiving that their aim was either to ruin or difhonour him. For this offence he was deprived of his bishopric, committed to clofe cuftody; his books and papers were feized; all company was denied him; and he was not even permitted the ufe of pen and ink. This feverity, in fome meafure, countenanced thofe which this prelate had afterwards an opportunity of retaliating when he came into power.

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 fomething more advantageously, by facrificing the most confiderable share of their ecclefiaftical revenues. Not only the revenues of the church, but the libraries also, 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 devaltation was made even in ufeful literature. Many vo

lumes