CHAP. Cardinal Morton's "fork." His death. of his royal master, who was now bent upon accumulating treasure as if it had been the chief end of government, he resorted to the most culpable expedients for levying money upon the subject. Notwithstanding the law of Richard III. so recently passed, forbidding, in the most express and emphatic language, any taxation without authority of parliament, and more particularly the tax called "a Benevolence," on pretence of a French war, he issued a commission for levying a "Benevolence" on the people according to their pecuniary ability;—and that none might escape, he ingeniously instructed the commissioners to employ a dilemma in which every one might be comprehended: "If the persons applied to for the benevolence live frugally, tell them that their parsimony must necessarily have enriched them; if their method of living be hospitable, tell them they must necessarily be opulent on account of their great expenditure." This device was by some called "Chancellor's Morton's fork," and by others his "crutch." Notwithstanding some discontents, there was perfect internal tranquillity during the administration of Morton, with the exception of the rebellion caused by the imposture of Lambert Simnel, which was wisely terminated by making the pretended Plantagenet a scullion in the King's kitchen. In 1494, Morton's dignities were further increased by his being elected Chancellor of the University of Oxford. But he became much broken by age and infirmities, and after a lingering illness he died on the 13th of September, 1500, leaving behind him, notwithstanding some arbitrary acts of government, which should be judged of by the standard of his own age, a high character for probity as well as talents. His munificence was great, and he was personally untainted by the vice of avarice which disgraced the Sovereign. Not only did he liberally expend money in raising early strawberries in Holborn, but the great cut or drain from Peterborough to Wisbech, now known by the name of Morton's Leame, was made entirely at his expense while he was Bishop of Ely. His literary attainments reflect still greater splendour upon him, and he is to be considered the author of the first classical prose composition in our language, XXV. if the supposition be well founded that the English Life of CHAP. Richard III., usually attributed to Sir Thomas More, was written by his predecessor Chancellor Morton. More had, when a youth, been brought up in his family as a page, and his introduction to the Utopia has left us a very interesting, though rather flattering, character of his patron. "I was then much obliged to that reverend prelate, John Morton, Archbishop of Canterbury, Cardinal and Chancellor of England, a man who was no less venerable for his wisdom and virtue than for the high reputation he bore. He was of a middle stature, in advanced years, but not broken by age: his aspect begot reverence rather than fear. He sometimes took pleasure to try the mental qualities of those who came as suitors to him on business, by speaking briskly though decorously to them, and thereby discovered their spirit and selfcommand; and he was much delighted with a display of energy, so that it did not grow up to impudence, as bearing a great resemblance to his own temperament, and best fitting men for affairs. He spoke both gracefully and mightily; he was eminently skilled in the law; he had a comprehensive understanding, and a very retentive memory; and the excellent talents with which nature had furnished him were improved by study and discipline. The King depended much on his councils, and the government seemed to be chiefly supported by him; for from his youth he had been constantly practised in affairs, and having passed through many changes of fortune, he had, at a heavy cost, acquired a great stock of wisdom, which when so purchased is found most serviceable."* Sir Thomas racter of More's cha him. 1500. The day after the death of Cardinal Morton, the King sent Sept. 14. messengers with a warrant to Knoll in Kent, where he ex- HENRY pired, to bring the Great Seal to him at Woodstock.† His DEANE, Bishop of Majesty received it from them there on the 19th of September, and kept it in his own custody till the 13th of October following-much puzzled as to how he should dispose Utop. lib. i. The seal is stated to have been found "apud Knoll, infra Hospicium dei nuper Cardinalis, in quadam alta camera ibidem vocat. Le Rake chamber, in quadam baga de albo corio inclusum." Rot. Cl. 16 Hen. 7. Salisbury, Lord Keeper. CHAP. Distinguished at of it. He wished to pay the compliment to the church of having an ecclesiastic for Chancellor, and there was no one at that time in whom he could place entire confidence as he had done in Morton, the companion of all his fortunes. He at last fixed upon HENRY DEANE, Bishop of Salisbury, as a safe if not very able man, and to him he delivered the Great Seal, but with the title of Keeper only.* I do not find any trace of Deane's origin, or any account the Univer- of him till he was at New College, Oxford. Here he was a diligent student, and before he left the University he took the degree of S. T. D. sity. His subse In 1493, he was made Prior of Llanthony Abbey, in quent rise. Monmouthshire; but he resided very little there, liking better to push his fortune at the court of Henry VII. He continued to make himself useful to Cardinal Morton, by whose interest, in September, 1495, he was made Lord Chancellor of Ireland. I have not been able to find how his appointment was received in that country, or how he conducted himself there; but more lucky than some of his successors, he held the office for two years, and only resigned it for a piece of preferment which brought him back to this island,— the Bishop of Bangor. From that see he was translated, in 1500, to Salisbury. The experience he had had as Chancellor in Ireland, was supposed to be the reason for his new elevation. Conduct as Lord He continued to hold the Great Seal of England as keeper during two years, decently discharging the duties of his office, but not rising in favour with the King, nor gaining much reputation with the public. During this time no parliament sat. Instead of the good old custom of the Plantagenets to call these assemblies yearly, or oftener "if need was," the rule now laid down was to avoid them, unless for the purpose of obtaining money. The King was at first occupied with his inglorious French war, which, although he did once carry an army across the sea, he used as an instrument of extorting a pecuniary supply from the King of France, who was willing to Rot. Cl. 16 Hen, 7. buy him off on any terms, to be at liberty to prosecute his expedition into Italy, and claim the crown of Naples. CHAP. XXV. between The Lord Keeper assisted in negotiating the treaty with Negotiates Scotland, by which, after near two centuries of war, or of marriage truces little better than war, a perpetual peace was concluded the King of between the two kingdoms, one of the articles being the marriage of Margaret, Henry's eldest daughter, with James, the Scottish King, which in another age brought about the union of the whole island under the House of Stuart. But the Court was soon thrown into mourning by the untimely death of Prince Arthur, a few months after the celebration of his marriage with Catherine of Aragon. Scots and the Prin cess Mar garet. Before the question arose respecting Prince Henry's mar- His reriage with his brother's widow, Deane was removed from signation. his office of Lord Keeper, and he escaped the responsibility of that inauspicious measure. In January, 1502, he was advanced to the archiepiscopal see of Canterbury, and feeling himself oppressed by his new duties, and his health declining, he resigned the Great Seal on the 27th of July following. He died at Lambeth, on the 15th of February, 1503, having His death. displayed a mediocrity of talent and of character, neither to be greatly extolled or condemned. The King seems again to have been at a loss how to dispose of the Great Seal, as it was allowed to remain near a month in the keeping of Sir William Barons, the Master of the Rolls, who was a mere official drudge, and was restricted in the use of it to the sealing of writs, and the despatch of routine business. to Arch At last, on the 11th of August, it was given to WILLIAM Great Seal WARHAM, then Bishop of Londont, well known in English delivered history, who retained it during the rest of this reign and bishop the early years of the next, -till, his influence being under- WARHAM. mined by the arts of a greater intriguer, it was clutched from him by the hand of Wolsey. Rot. Cl. 17 Hen. 7. n. 47. This ceremony took place at Fulham, under a warrant from the King then at Langley, in the forest of Wychewoode. Rot. Cl. 17 Hen. 7. CHAP. XXVI. Birth and education. Practises Commons. CHAPTER XXVI. LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP WARHAM, LORD CHANCELLOR OF ENGLAND. WILLIAM WARHAM was born at Okely, in Hampshire, of a small gentleman's family in that county. He studied at Winchester school, and afterwards at New College, Oxford, of which he was chosen fellow in 1475. Having greatly distinguished himself in the study of the civil and canon law, he took the degree of LL.D., and practised as an advocate in the Court of Arches in Doctors' Commons. Following in in Doctors' the footsteps of Morton, he attracted the notice and gained the patronage of this prelate, who recommended him for employment to Henry VII. He was accordingly sent on a very delicate mission to the court of Burgundy, to remonBurgundy, strate against the countenance there given to Perkin Warbeck, the pretended duke of York, younger son of Edward IV. The Duchess of Burgundy, sister of Edward IV., had a deep dislike to Henry as a Lancastrian, and having formerly patronised Lambert Simnel, now professed to receive Perkin as her nephew, and "the White Rose of England." His embassy to Duke of Speech to Hollinshead gives us an account of a speech supposed to have been delivered by the ambassador on his arrival at Bruges, in the presence of the Duchess as well as of the Duke; but, from its very uncourtly terms, it must surely be the invention of the chronicler. "William Warram made to them an eloquent oration, and in the later end somewhat inveighed against the Ladie Margaret, not sparing to declare how she now, in her later age, had brought foorth (within the space of a few yeares together) two detestable monsters, that is to saie, Lambert and this same Perkin Warbecke; and being conceived of these two great babes, was not delivered of them in 8 or 9 moneths, as nature requireth, but in 180 months, for both these, at the best, were fiftene yceres of age yer she would be brought in bed of them, and shew them openlie; and when they were newlie crept out of hir wombe, they were no infants, but lustie yoonglings, and |