This Will (fays Fiddes) of Robert Wolfey of Ipfwich is dated September the 21ft, in the Year 1496, and the Reference in it to his Son Thomas, who is fuppofed to have been bred a Scholar, and defigned for a Prieft, renders it not fo much probable as a Matter paft all Doubt, (if we may judge from the Circumftance of Time and Place, and from the Agreement of Names and perfonal Characters) that this Robert was, in Fact, the Father of Thomas, afterwards Cardinal Wolfey; who, as he had no Eccle'fiaftical Preferment till the Time of his being inftituted

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tuted to the Rectory of Lymington in the Year 1500, may very well be prefumed to have taken Orders fhortly after the Date of this Will, being at the Time when it was executed in the 25th Year of his Age; befides, had there been any other Wolfey defigned for holy Orders, of the fame Name, Place, and Age with the Cardinal, it is highly credible fome Account of him would have been preferved in Hiftory, or by Tradition, by reason of his having 'at least fome diftant Relation in these feveral Refpects to fo very eminent a Perfon; in all Probability he had neither Brother nor Sifter then living, there being no mention of other Children, nor the leaft Provifion made in the Will for any."

It is now generally believed, from what Dr. Fiddes has advanced, that this Robert was Wolfey's Father; if fo, and we reflect that he was feized of feveral Eftates, which, at that Time in the Poffeffion of a Plebeian, were very confiderable, we may infer, Wolfey's Father was not fo poor and mean as reprefented, nor do we find any one good Authority that proves him a Butcher's Son; for, if we compare the Accounts of feveral Authors, that have wrote concerning Wolfey's Original (fome of which we have before mentioned) with what we have tranfcribed from Dr. Fiddes, it feems reafonable to believe, that thofe Authors have taken up their Accounts one from the other, without examining into the Juftnefs of the Relation. In fine, upon a new and ftrict Enquiry, feveral Gentlemen in Suffolk are of Opinion, that Wolfey's Father was in truth a reputable Grazier in the Town of Ipfwich, and not a Butcher, and poor, as many have afferted,

But could the Relators, who have reported Wolfey as a poor Butcher's Son, fupport what they have alledged by fome good Authority, it was highly commendable in his Father, that he encouraged his Son's Inclination for Learning, by fending him to School,

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instead of putting him to a mean Trade, the latter being the most natural to be expected from a Perfon in fo low a Station.

However it is agreed, after Wolfey had been at a Grammar School, he was fent to Oxford, and placed in Magdalen College, famous for breeding Men of found Learning. Here Wolfey, at Fifteen, was made Batchelor of Arts, and from thence called the Boy Batchelor; he was foon diftinguished in that University for the extraordinary Progrefs he had made in Logick and Philofophy, nor was he less remarkable for his Learning in Divinity, which he principally acquired by early reading the Works of Thomas Aquinas.

For the prefent, we shall leave Wolfey at Oxford to purfue his Studies, and lay before the Reader the Hiftory of the Affairs of Europe from the Death of Edward the IVth, interspersed with Wolfey's Life to the End of the Reign of Henry the VIIth; and from that Period we intend to continue the Remainder of the Work, by way of Annals, to the Cardinal's Death.

1483. Affairs of England. Edward the Vth.

Edward the IVth died on the 11th of April, 1483, and was fucceeded by his eldeft Son Edward the Vth, at the Age of twelve Years, but was never crowned, being foon removed by the wicked Practices of his ambitious Uncle Richard, furnamed Crouchback, Duke of Gloucester. As he had only two Nephews, this King, and Richard his Brother, in the way to bar him of the Crown, he immediately formed a Project to get rid of them both. First, he got the Protectorship from the Lord Rivers, the King's Uncle by the Mother's Side, whom he seized, and fent him, with the Lord Grey and two Knights, Prifoners to Pontefract Castle, and placed his own Creatures about the King. Next, he got into his Clutches Richard, the King's Brother. (It is true, the Queen his Mother with great Reluctancy parted with him.) Having thus far fucceeded in his wicked Defign, to blind the People,

People, he forthwith gave Orders for the King's Coronation. In the mean time he secretly contrived with the Duke of Buckingham to fix the Crown upon his own Head, and for that Purpose he took care to difmifs all the old Minifters from their Pofts, except the Lord Haftings, who was continued Lord Chamberlain, tho' he believed him to be a faft Friend to the King. After he had modelled the Council to his Liking, he prevailed on them to confent, that the Earl of Rivers, and the reft of the Prisoners at Pontefract Castle fhould lofe their Heads: Accordingly an Order was fent down to Sir Richard Radcliffe, the Governor, to fee the Execution performed.

A few Days after, Richard called a fecret Council of his Creatures, who agreed in Opinion, that the Protector would more eafily fucceed in his Project, in cafe he could draw the Lord Haftings from the King's Interefts; but, he being found immoveable, his Ruin was refolved on, and effected in the following Manner. A Council was held on the 13th of June in the Tower, where Haftings attended, and Gloucefter came to them about Nine in the Morning, feemed extremely merry, and foon left the Room, defiring they would proceed in their Confultations without him. About an Hour after he returned frowning, and a time remained filent; and when he spoke, he demanded in an angry Tone, What Punishment they deferved, who had confpired against his Life? It was anfwered, They ought to be punished as Traytors. Gloucester then named the Queen and Shore's Wife as the principal Parties concerned. Haftings (who had taken the latter to his Bed) replied, If they had been guilty of such Practices they deferved to be feverely punished.-Doft thou answer me with Ifs and Ands? fays the Protector. I tell thee they are guilty, and that I will make it good upon thy Body, Trayter ! Gloucefter had no fooner uttered the laft Expreffion, than a Cry of Treafon was heard without, and a Company of armed Men rushed into the Council Chamber,

ber, one of whom wounded the Lord Stanley. Then the Protector ordered Haftings, Stanley, the Archbifhop of York, and the Bishop of Ely, to be taken into Cuftody, and, leaving the Council Chamber abruptly, declared, He would not dine till Haftings's Head was ftruck off. In brief, he was hurried to the Towergreen, and, being allowed only Time to make a short Confeffion to a Prieft, was there beheaded, at the very Inftant the Earl of Rivers, the Lord Grey, and others, were execured at Pontefract, in the fame illegal Manner; to whofe Deaths the Lord Haftings had confented, which occafioned Sir Walter Raleigh to say, That a greater Judgment than this upon Haftings he had never obferved in Story.'

Gloucefter, the better to put a Colour upon the barbarous Murder of Haftings, as foon as he had dined, fent in all Hafte for feveral fubftantial Citizens to come to him in the Tower; and, against their Coming, he and his Agent Buckingham harneffed themfelves in old rufty Armour, as tho' fome fudden and imminent Danger had neceffitated them thereunto for their own Defence: When the Citizens were introduced, he told them, That the Lord Haftings, and others of his Party had formed a Plot, to deftroy him and Buckingham that Forenoon as they fat at Council; that he had not the leaft Notice of it till Ten of the ▾ Clock the fame Day; and, to prevent fo dangerous a Confpiracy taking place, he had caufed Haftings's Head to be ftruck off.' The Citizens were greatly furprized at hearing what his Highness related, expreffed their Joy to find him fafe, and congratulated him upon his difcovering the Confpiracy: Which Gloucefter received with many Thanks; afterwards they retired to their refpective Houfes. Richard, the better to perfuade the People into a Belief of the Confpiracy, caufed an Herald at Arms to proclaim it through the City, and commanded the Sheriffs of London to repair to Jane Shore's House, and difpoffefs

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