great and renowned Prelate and Statesman, by his Will gave To his Church of Ely a moft valuable Crofier, and a Silver Mitre gilt; founded a Chantry in the • Church of Beor, and left Exhibitions to be divided between twenty poor Scholars in Oxford and Cambridge. To his Church of Canterbury he was a very great Be'nefactor, prefenting it with eighty Copes for Priefts, Deacons, and Sub-deacons, richly embroidered with Gold, with this Motto wrought in them, Deo fit gratiarum actio; he likewife gave a Hearfe-cloth of black Biffe embroidered with Gold, and was at great Expence in partly building the Lanthorn-tower in the middle of the Church.' His Grace built great Part of Lambeth Palace, befides laying out large Sums in repairing the other Palaces belonging to his See, which were very much decayed; and intended further Acts of Munificence, had he not been prevented by Death in a good old Age. He was buried in the Cathedral Church of. Canterbury, where a magnificent Shrine is erected to his Memory, and fucceeded by Dr. Dean, Bishop of Bangor. Hiftorians agree, that Cardinal Morton was a wife Man, and an excellent Orator, tho' morofe and haughty in his Nature, but much admired and applauded by the King. It may be for this Reafon only, fays one of them, that he was envied by the Nobility, ' and hated by the People, who feldom or ever love a Favourite.' On the other hand, it has been juftly observed by a learned Gentleman, That Power, without Politeness and Complacency, is at beft diftafteful, often hated; ' amiable when it knows how to condefcend. It is thus that Men in high Stations avoid Envy from fuch as ftand below them; he who cannot rife to their Heighth, finds a fort of Retaliation, and • Amends in their coming down to him. No Man is pleafed with a Behaviour that renders him contemptable. To make us think well of ourselves, by another's fhewing us we are well thought of by him, is a generous and artful Civility, a Leffon 'which stately and rebuking Men want to learn. A mean Man of great Quality and Figure (for fuch Incongruities we often meet with) teaches others to fcorn him, by his fhewing he fcorns them. Affability therefore, accompanied with good Sense, which always guards it from exceeding, is the Art of keeping great Splendor from growing offenfive 6 to the rest of the World.' 、 These Sentiments are certainly very pithy and juft. Tho' feveral Objections were raised both against the Cardinal and his Administration, it is allowed by his Enemies, that (Empson and Dudley, who the King employed after his Death, continuing fuch a Scene of Oppreffion) the People in general wifhed Morton alive again: They then faw, when it was too late, the Difference between a Minifter who attempered the King's Nature, and kept him as much as he could from extorting Money of his Subjects, and from those whofe only Study it was to devife new Ways for raifing Loans, without refpect to Perfons. 6 Thus obferves the above Author, That Men do not easily discern good Qualities and Intentions in one to whom they do not wifh well. All Men, even thofe of the most unexceptionable Characters, are apt to form their Judgment over-haftily, when their Paffions are warmed; and from this Cause it has often proceeded, that the inevitable Misfortunes ⚫ of Times and Accidents have been charged upon fuch, whofe Intereft and Study it was to prevent ' them. This is one of the Evils and Uneafineffes infeparably attending every Adminiftration. When a State is under heavy Burthens and Difficulties, the Means to fupport it will be almost always proportionably heavy And as whatever proves heavy, however neceffary, is eafily called Oppreffion; fo G g the ⚫ the Hand which adminifters a Remedy may, meerly because it is felt, be as eafily ftiled oppreffive.' 4. Thomas Juan, Bishop of Norwich, died on the 2d of November; but we do not find any Thing remarkable in relation to this Prelate, who was fucceeded in his See by Richard Nieu. 5. Thomas Langton, Bishop of Winchester, alfo died in this Month: The chief Prefent he made to the Church was a fine Silver Cup gilt, with a Latin Infcription, weighing fixty-feven Ounces; and he was fucceeded by that great Divine and Statesman,. Fox,. then Bishop of Durham. Lord Dawbeney, Lord High Treasurer, alfo died in December following, and was fucceeded by the Earl of Surry, who was then got fo greatly in the King's Efteem, that there arose an Emulation between this Nobleman and Bishop Fox, which should gain most the King's Favour. The Lofs of these Prelates, and a Lord High Treasurer were not the only Misfortunes that attended England this Year; for we find two others, the one was the burning down the Palace of Sheine, fituate on the Bank of the Thames, in which a large Quantity of rich Furniture was confumed; but the King foon raised a magnificent one out of its Ruins, and gave it the Name of Richmond, from the Honour of that Name in Yorkshire, with which, when Prince, he was invested. This Palace Henry the VIIIth gave Wolfey for his Residence, on the Cardinal's prefenting his Majefty with that noble Structure he had built at Hampton-court. There is now little more of the old Palace remaining, than what is inhabited by a moft accomplifhed Nobleman, the Right Honourable the Earl of Cholmondeley, and Lewis Way, Efq; and a Gate-way, over which still appears the Arms of England. The fine Green before it was railed in at the Expence of the late renowned Queen Caroline. Here |