ledged, with other prelates, that they held their appointments at the royal pleasure. Ridley was appointed his successor. A large part of the revenues of this bishopric, as of most others that became vacant, was appropriated by the courtiers; but Ridley was charitable and liberal to the utmost of his power: in particular, he supported Bonner's mother and sister, placing the former at the head of his table, even when visitors of rank were present. Bonner returned evil for good.

Latimer, and other able divines, were sent forth to preach through the kingdom; superstitious processions were forbidden; images were to be removed; texts of Scripture were inscribed upon the church walls. The Latin mass services, and prayers in an unknown tongue, were done away, and an English service was set forth in 1549, very nearly resembling the present liturgy as it now stands; much of it being collected from Scripture, the rest chiefly from ancient liturgies; retaining, however, some forms and expressions introduced by the church of Rome in the days of error, though her worst corruptions were wholly expunged. One main feature of the Reformation was the encouragement given to preaching the gospel. The importance of listening to "God's word opened," instead of trusting to the services of others, or to the observance of superstitious ceremonials, was strongly urged by all the leading Reformers. There was a pulpit, or preaching place, in the palace garden at Whitehall, where Latimer and others regularly preached on Sundays and holidays, to the king and the protector, while many of all ranks resorted thither. Several of Latimer's sermons before the king are preserved: they present a singular mixture of anecdote, forcible argument, and clear doctrinal sentiment, in language frequently uncouth to our ears, but well calculated to make a deep impression on the hearers of that day. Small books, setting forth the doctrines of truth, were extensively circulated.

Cranmer had considerable intercourse with the foreign Reformers. The free use of the English Scriptures was permitted; thirty-four editions of the whole Bible, or New Testament, in English, were printed during this short reign. The marriage of priests was declared lawful. Abstinence from flesh during Lent, and the use of fish for food at that season, were enjoined, but not from obedience to the church of Rome; it was from a mistaken fear of a scarcity of flesh meat, and in order to encourage the fisheries. Two days in the week throughout the year were fast days, when all ranks were commanded to use fish diet. Even bishop Hooper was forced to apply for the king's permission to eat flesh on those days, for himself and one of the elders of Gloucester, on account of their health. The Reformation was much retarded by the characters of those who then mostly filled the priest's office. The benefices were, in many instances, held by persons absent from their cures, sometimes laymen, while the services were discharged by ignorant men, most of whom were papists at heart. Lever openly reproved these proceedings in public sermons; he describes them thus: "He ministereth God's sacraments, he saith his service, he readeth the homilies, as you find flattering courtiers, which speak by imagination, term it. But the rude lobs of the country, which be too simple to paint a lie, speak foully and truly as they find it, and say he ministereth God's sacraments, he slubbereth up his service, and he cannot read the homilies." Dean Turner remonstrated in strong terms against giving a benefice as a reward for services, when it was endowed by payments from others, as a recompence for pains taken, and to be taken, in feeding their souls.

The inferior ecclesiastics, as well as the bishops already noticed, who opposed the Reformation, were, for the most part, treated with lenity; of this, Underhill, one of the king's guards, complained, when Cranmer discharged the vicar of Stepney, who had silenced the licensed preachers. He said, "If ever it come to

their turn, they will show you no such favour." Cranmer replied, "If God so provides, we must abide it." Pole was active in exciting rebellion in England; he became more eager, on being disappointed in his plan of procuring himself to be recalled and employed in the government under Edward. Various causes combine to excite popular discontent. There had been insurrections in Germany; some of the agents being driven from thence, took refuge in England, disseminating wild notions of levelling the ranks of society. Other idle, dissolute characters, no longer finding refuge in the monasteries, nor employed in war, were let loose upon society, and excited tumults in the hope of profiting thereby.

There was also, at this time, considerable pressure on the lower classes throughout Europe. The influx of gold and silver from America, the dissolution of monasteries, the extension of trade, and the increase of arts and manufactures, all tended to a general rise in the prices of commodities, especially articles of food. The woollen trade, also, by rendering the growth of wool, for a time, more profitable than the raising of corn, caused large tracts of tillage to be converted into sheep walks. Many were now acquiring wealth from new sources, and with unaccustomed rapidity; but with the evil spirit of covetousness, innate in the hearts of men, they sought their own enjoyment, or to accumulate property, and the less successful mass of the people were heavily affected by the change. While villains, or serfs to the soil, the lowest classes were in effect slaves, but they had a maintenance provided, such as it was, except in times of famine, when they perished by hundreds. When the feudal and monastic systems were done away, the lower classes were liberated from bondage; they became free labourers; the industrious and enterprising were no longer kept down from rising in civil society. The history of this country affords many examples of such elevations. But that dissolution of feudal bonds, which permitted free labourers to rise

in society, also left the indolent and unfortunate in a more helpless state of pauperism. Into that degraded, suffering state those must fall, who, from improvidence or other causes, do not earn a sufficiency for their support. As yet no public provision had been made for this class, who, from the alterations above-mentioned, engaged public attention more than formerly. Any rapid transition in a country is productive of considerable suffering; this naturally excites complaints, which the evil-disposed and weak-minded raise into undue clamour; the one seeking to gain their selfish ends, the other apprehensive of they know not what; while the points upon which they come into collision, are not so much the real causes of the grievance, as those which happen to excite party discussions and popular attention at the time.

Pole and his abettors availed themselves of the general uneasiness, which was manifested by public actions. In several places the populace broke down the fences of new inclosures, and hindered other measures of improvement, which the ignorance of that age accounted injurious to the state, although in reality they benefited the country at large. More violent proceedings followed. On Whit-Monday, 1549, the people in Cornwall and Devonshire arose in revolt. Ten thousand men were soon assembled, and moved forward. The opinions of the band of rebels were shown by carrying the Romish host, or sacramental bread, at the head of their forces, with the other popish accompaniments of crosses, consecrated candlesticks, banners, and holy water. It is to be observed, that although severe laws had been passed at the beginning of this reign to repress pauperism, yet they are not even alluded to in any statements of the causes of these insurrections. The sentiments of the leaders were declared in their list of grievances, among which they reckoned the doing away of the mass. The real origin of this movement was further declared by the demand, that Pole should be recalled from his banishment, and made one of the