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THE

PREFACE

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E cannot but think ourselves under the Obligation of acknowledging, firft, the Good-will of our Friends in particular, and next, the Clemency of the Publick in general, for the kind Encouragement they have given to our firft Publication, and hope we fhall equally merit their Favour in this, and the two others that are to follow with as much Difpatch as can be conveniently made.

In our firft Volume we traced the CARDINAL from his Birth, through his Education, Advancement in Learning and first Preferments, to his Entrance and growing in Favour at Court. In this we have attended him, from his first Rife at Court, through the various Steps of Dignity that conveyed him to be Archbishop, Lord High Chancellor, Cardinal, and Legate a Latere, all which he enjoyed at once; but how well he acquitted himself in those high Trufts, we shall leave our READERS to fee for themselves, which, we hope, they will not be discouraged

from

from the Pursuit of, notwithstanding a Reverend Gentleman's jejune, trite, and ungenerous Summary of his Life, (in his Lives and Characters, accompanying the Heads of Eighty Illuftrious Perfons of Great Britain) which is fo far from anfwering the Title, or the grand Picture of the Cardinal, that he has rather made him a fitter Companion for a NERO or a CALIGULA, than any thing that çan be called truly Illuftrious.

'One thing more may not be amiss to mention, that it has occasionally fell in our Way to touch on the Pedigree or Defcent of a great Number of our noble, antient, and worthy Families, both of Great Britain and Ireland, apprehending that they could not be of any Differvice, if of no real Advantage to many of their prefent Succeffors. And we must here obferve, that we have omitted to relate that the Right Hon. Sir Wil liam Yonge is defcended from the elder Brother of Dr. Yonge, who was Master of the Rolls in Henry the VIIIth's Time, and a great Favourite of the Cardinal's. See Fol. 331, of this Volume.

*Engraved by the ingenious Meff. HOUBRAKEN, and VERTUE,

THE

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W

Hen. VIII afcends the

Throne.

1509.

E concluded our Firft. Vo-
lume of thisHistory with the
Death of Henry the VIIth.
who was fucceeded in the
Throne by his only Son, Henry the
VIIIth, then about Eighteen Years of
Age, April the 22d..

Great Care had been taken of this King's His Edu Education, by inftructing him in all Parts of cation. Learning neceffary for a Prince defign'd for

an Ecclefiaftick, if his Brother Prince Arthur had lived. Having in his Youth, as Lord Herbert afferts, applied himself much to Learning, fo that he made a good VOL. II. B

Pro

1509

Progrefs in the Sciences; and herein he was greatly forwarded by Mr. Wolfey, Dean of Lincoln; infomuch, that, as Hiftorians agree, for. feveral Years in the beginning of his Reign, no Affairs diverted him from converfing with learned Men, and encouraging Learning, which feems to appear by the Choice of his Counsellors.

Lord Stafford ar-
refted, but foon
difcharged.

The Day the King afcended the Throne, the Lord Stafford, Brother to the Duke of Buckingham, was committed to the Tower, but was foon after discharged. Lord Herbert seems to think there was no Colour for his Commitment, because he was immediately created Earl of Wiltshire, made one of the Knights of the Garter, and continued to his Death in great Favour with his Majefty, which happened about fourteen Years after his Confinement, when he died without Iffue.

His Majefty early took Care to settle His Majefty fet his Privy Council; the Chief of which tles bis Prity

Council,

were,

1. William Warham, Archbishop of

Canterbury, and Lord High Chancellor.

2. Richard Fox, Bishop of Winchester, and Lord Privy Seal.

3. Thomas Howard, Earl of Surry, Lord High Treasurer..

4. George Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, Lord High Steward of the King's Houthold.

5. Thomas Ruthal, foon after made Bishop of Dur

bam.

6. Lord Herbert, of Gower, &c. Lord Chamberlain.

7. Sir Edward Poynings, Knight of the moft noble Order of the Garter, Comptroller of the King's Houfhold.

8. Sir Thomas Lovell, Mafter of the Wards, and Conftable of the Tower.

Dean

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