Another victim, whose labors and sufferings deserve mention, was William Tindal. He declared his opinions with such freedom that he was obliged to fly to Antwerp for safety. While there, he labored, in conjunction with some of his companions in exile, to aid the Reformation by translating the New Testament into English. The first impression of this was issued in 1526. The bishop of London, to stop its spread, bought up the larger part of it, and had it publicly burnt at Cheapside. His zeal, however, only increased the evil. The destruction of the sacred volume excited the suspicions of the people, and made them more curious to know its contents. Tindal, who had connived at the bishop's purchase, in order to obtain the money necessary to print a more correct version, soon sent out another and larger edition, which was eagerly sought after and read. One of the agents engaged in circulating the work was brought before the Chancellor, who promised him a pardon, provided he would tell who supported the publishers at Antwerp. "The greatest encouragement they had," the man answered, "was from the bishop of London, who had bought up half of their first impression." Besides his efforts to circulate the Scriptures, Tindal wrote other works in favor of the Reformation. He thus made himself exceedingly obnoxious to the papists, who left no

measures untried to destroy him. They at last succeeded. He was betrayed by one Phillips, and being carried before the Emperor's Court at Brussels, was condemned and burnt.

These were not solitary instances of persecution. Many other eminent men suffered death. Poor mechanics, also, were condemned for heresy; and to own or read the Bible was a capital offence. On one occasion, the Chancellor of the county of Winchester would not allow even the dead to rest. He dug up and burnt the body of one Tracy, because, in making his will, he had deviated from the usual form, and "bequeathed his soul to God through Jesus Christ, in whose intercession alone he trusted, without the help of any other of the saints; and therefore left no part of his goods to have any pray for his soul."

CHAPTER XV.

CHARACTER OF HENRY'S MINISTRY-THE MAID OF KENT- BISHOP FISHER - SIR THOMAS MOREDEATH OF ANNE BOLEYN. 1534-1536.

It has already been hinted that the conduct of Henry VIII., in religious affairs, was shaped by his violent and capricious passions. At one time he favored the principal doctrines of the Church, and persecuted all who called them in question, while at another he denied the supremacy of the Pope, and compelled his subjects, on pain of death, to do so likewise. This arbitrary course on the part of the king, was the cause of sudden and violent changes in the administration of the government. His ministry was composed of men of both religious parties. Cranmer and Cromwel, formerly a secretary of Wolsey, were disposed to countenance a reform, while Gardiner, bishop of Winchester, a shrewd and wicked man, the Duke of Norfolk, and others in connexion with them, were opposed to the Lutheran heresy. Neither of these parties, however, dared to thwart the will of their sovereign, but yielded servilely to his tyrannical measures. As long as Anne Boleyn retained the affections of her husband, the Protestants, to whose opinion she was

inclined, maintained the ascendancy. This fact is visible in the laws which, as before stated, were passed in opposition to Rome. It is also visible in the execution of those laws upon men, whose friends were but lately the agents of a bloody persecution.

The monks, who were averse to the late marriage, tried to prevent it by craft and by an appeal to the superstition of the people. They encouraged Elizabeth Barton, a nun in the county of Kent, who had been subject to fits which threw her body into convulsions, to feign revelations and to utter prophecies. Among other predictions, she asserted that if Henry married another wife he should not be king a month longer, but should die the death of a villain. Many persons were induced to put faith in this declaration; and the plot, the design of which was to alienate the minds of his subjects from the king and to excite them to rebellion, promised to be, to some extent, successful. It was, however, discovered, and some of the principal men in the kingdom, supposed to be concerned in the conspiracy, were cast into prison.

One of these was John Fisher, bishop of Rochester, a prelate of great learning and good character, who had enjoyed the favor of the king. He was conscientious in his adherence to the Romish Church, and had been active in the punishment

of its enemies. Having been suspected of countenancing the treasonable speeches of Elizabeth Barton, he was advised by Cromwel to sue for pardon. This Fisher refused to do, and was, in consequence, stript of his property and otherwise punished. Afterward he was committed to the Tower, charged with denying the supremacy of the king. While he lay in prison, with nothing but rags to cover his nakedness, the Pope proposed to send him a Cardinal's hat; when Henry heard that Fisher would not refuse the offered dignity, he exclaimed in a rage; "Yea? is he so lusty? Well, let the Pope send him a hat when he will. He shall wear it on his shoulders, for I will leave him never a head to set it on." The destruction of the bishop was thus resolved on. Being entrapped into a positive denial of the king's supremacy, he was tried, condemned to death, and beheaded June 22d, 1535, being at that time nearly eighty years of age.

Another individual, who suffered about this time, was Sir Thomas More. This nobleman holds so high a rank among the illustrious men of England, that a brief account of his life and character will not be esteemed an improper digression, especially as the subject of this Sketch compels us to dwell, more than we could other. wise wish, upon the less worthy advocates of the papal system.