An Account of the Fall and Death of Cardinal Wolsey. From Galt's Life and Administration of that Cardinal.

THIS

HIS account commences after Wolsey had received orders to retire from London to his archiepiscopal see of York. As he approached Caywood Castle, "a great conflu of people, drawn together by curiosity, waited to see him; among whom were the clergy of the diocese, who welcomed him with the reverence due to his pontifical dig. nity. The castle, having been long untenanted, required extensive repairs, which the cardinal immediately commenced: for nature and habit made him decisive and prompt in all circumstances. The short period of his residence in this ancient mansion was, perhaps, the happiest of his life. He appeared delighted with the composure of rural affairs; and, by the equity of his demeanour, and a mild condescension, which belied the reports of his haughtiness, he won the hearts of his diocesans. He professed himself a convert from ambition; and having suffered the perils and terrors of shipwreck, he was thankful that at length he had cast anchor in a calm and pleasant haven, with the expectation of safety and rest.

As he had never been installed in the archiepiscopal see,

he gave orders to prepare the cathedral for the ceremony, and a day was appointed for the celebration. On this occasion the arrangements were unusually simple, and indicated the altered frame of his mind.

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The Monday after All-souls day was fixed for the installation but on the preceding Friday, as he was sitting at dinner, the Earl of Northumberland, who, while Lord Percy, had been educated in his house, and whose intended marriage with Ann Bullen the cardinal had been the means of frustrating, accompanied by a privy-counsellor and a large retinue, arrived at the castle. He was received with a paternal and a cheerful welcome, and conducted by Wolsey into his own apartments; where they had not, however, exchanged many words, when the earl became agitated, and, in a low and troubled voice, declared him arrested for high treason. Astonished by a charge so unexpected, Wolsey, for some time, was unable to speak, but, recovering his spirits, he requested Northumberland to show the warrant, protesting that otherwise he would not surrender himself; for, as a member of the college of cardinals, he was exempted from the jurisdiction of all secular princes. At this moment the privy-counsellor entered the room. Wolsey, on seeing him, observed

that, as a counsellor of the king, he was sufficiently commissioned to take him into custody, and immediately intimated that he was their prisoner. "I fear not," added he, the cruelty of my enemies, nor a scrutiny of my allegiance; and I take heaven to witness, that neither in word or deed have I injured the king, and will maintain my innocence face to face with any man alive."

When it was known in the "neighbourhood that he was to be conveyed to London, a great crowd assembled round the castle; and as he came out on his mule, guarded, the people began to exclaim, "God save your grace, and foul evil overtake them that have taken you from us!" With these and other testimonies of popular affection, he was followed to a considerable distance.

On the evening of the third day, after leaving Sheffield park, he approached Leicester. The appearance of nature accorded with the condition of the prisoner. The end of the year was drawing nigh, and the cardinal beheld for the last time the falling leaf and the setting sun.

When the cavalcade reached the monastery, the day was shut in; and the abbot and the friars, apprized of his coming, waited with torches, at the gate to receive him. But the honours of this world had ceased to afford him pleasure, and as he passed towards the bottom of the stairs, he said to the brotherhood, "I am come to lay my bones among you." Being supported into a chamber, he immediately went to bed, and languished, with increas ing signs of dissolution, all the next day. The following morning,

Cavendish, his usher, and afterwards historian, as he was watching near him, thought that he perceived the symptoms of death. The cardinal, noticing him, inquired the hour, and was told eight o'clock; "that cannot be," he replied, "for at eight o'clock you shall lose your master. My time is at hand, and I must depart this world." His confessor, who was standing near, requested Cavendish to inquire, if he would be confessed. "What have you to do with that?" answered he angrily; but was pacified by the interference of the confessor. Continuing to grow weaker and weaker, he frequently fainted during the course of the day. About four o'clock the following morning he asked for some refreshment; which having received, and made confession, Sir William Kingston entered his room, and, . inquired how he felt himself. "Sir," said Wolsey, "I tarry but the pleasure of God, to render up my poor soul into his hands;" and, after a few other words between them, he resumed, have now been eight days toge ther troubled with a continual flux and fever, a species of disease, which, if it do not remit its violence within that period, never fails to terminate in death. I pray you commend me humbly to the king; and beseech him, in my behalf, to call to his princely remembrance all matters that have passed between him and me, particularly, in what respects the business of the queen, and then he must know whether I have given him any offence. He is a prince of a most, royal nature, but rather than want any part of his pleasure, he will endanger

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the half of his kingdom. Often have I knelt before him for three hours together, endeavouring to persuade him from his will and appetite, and could not prevail. Had I served God as diligently as I have done the king, he would not have given me over in my grey hairs." He then continued for a short time to give Sir Wil. liam some advice, in case he should ever be called to the privy council, and adding a few general observations on the revolutionary temper of the times, concluded by saying, "Farewell; I wish all good things to have success. My time draws fast on. I may not tarry with you. Forget not what I have said; and when I am gone, call it often to mind.” Towards the conclusion he began to falter and linger in the articulation of his words. At the end, his eyes became motionless, and his sight failed. The abbot was summoned to administer the extreme unction, and the yeomen of the guard were called in to see him die. As the clock struck eight he expired."

It will be, we trust, distinctly understood, that we do not approve of all the books from which we at any time make extracts. The pretended liberality and freedom of many Protestant writers, and Mr. Galt among the rest, whose information is neither new, nor his book well written, exhibits some shocking instances of that profanity to which the boasted principle of the right of private judgment has introduced and encouraged even among religious writers. In one place, for instance, he says, "the Cardinals at Rome, after spending fifty days

implicated, or had any concern in fomenting, encouraging, oraiding the rebellion; nay, certain it is, that they abhorred, detested, and shuddered at it, as the most wicked, scandalous, and abomi. nable event, which they had ever witnessed." He farther adds; "I have good cause to know and to declare to the world, that if the parish-priests of the County of Wexford had possessed that degree of authority or influence attributed to them, there would have been no rebellion in this county."

The Bishop further says, when stating the reception he met with from General Lake, "Some of the King's troops came in on Thursday evening or night; General Lake and his corps came in on Friday morning; and without the honour of being known to him, I had the confidence to wait on him on Saturday morning, to introduce myself and to explain

disguise. He received me, as I shall ever gratefully acknowledge, with politeness, and, I must say, with kindness; for he gave me and the Clergy of the town protections for our persons, properties, places of worship, and for the exercise of our religious functions:-God bless and preserve him!"

The following authentic letters

from the Lord Lieutenant, Marquis Cornwallis, addressed

to

Doctor Troy, the Catholic Archbishop of Dublin, must necessarily be considered as complete evidence, both of the loyalty of Bishop Caulfield, and of his Lordship's reprobution of Sir Richard Musgrave's History.-The following are authentic copies of these letters.