Cardinal Wolsey—Famous Statesman And Churchman.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19240, 29 November 1930, Page 17 (Supplement)

Cardinal Wolsey—Famous Statesman And Churchman.

400th Anniversary Celebrated.

Story Of His Rise And Fall.

{Written for the “Stat ” by

J. W. RICHARDS.)

—“ This cardinal Though from a humble stock, undoubtedly Was fashioned to much honour from his cradle. He was a scholar, and a ripe and good Exceeding wise, fair-spoken and persuading-. Lofty and sour, to them that loved him not, But, to those men that sought him, sweet as summer And though he was unsatisfied in getting (Which was a sin), yet in bestowing He was most princely. Ever witness for him Ipswich and Oxford! One of which fell with him, Unwilling to outlive the good that did it; The other, though unfinished, yet so famous, So excellent in art, and yet so rising That Christendom shall ever speak his His overthrow heap’d business upon him; For them, and not till then, he felt himself, And found the blessedness of being little: And, to add greater honours to his age Than man could give him, he died fearing God. —Shakespeare. HUNDRED years ago to-day—-on November 29,1530 —Cardinal Wolsey breathed his last at Leicester Abbey, Before his downfall, Wolsey wielded supreme authority in Church and in State. He was more of a statesman than ecclesiast, as his genius for diplomacy proves. Wolsey did much to further England’s greatness and to exalt the position of King Henry VIII., but that monarch basely turned on Wolsey when he was no longer able to serve his needs. The Cardinal was never understood in his time, and, in the words of Dr Brewer, “No statesman of such eminence ever died less lamented.” Such was the extent of his influence that the King, when issuing his commands, acted merely as the mouthpiece of Wolsey. A Bachelor of Arts at Fifteen. Thomas Wolsey was born at Ipswich, Suffolk, in 1471. It has been proved that his father was a man of good position. Young Wolsey went to Oxford (Magdalen College) at v he earlyage of eleven, and became a Bachelor of Arts at fifteen. His father’s desire was that he should enter the priesthood. After some years spent as a schoolmaster, he was given the living at Lymington, in Somerset. In 1501, when he was thirty years of age, Wolsey was made chaplain to Dean, Archbishop of Canterbury. Five years later he entered the Royal service as chaplain to Henry VII., who, before he died, bestowed upon Wolsey the well-endowed deanery of Lincoln, the beginning of his immense ecclesiastical fortunes. But it is with the accession of Henry VIII., in 1509, when he gained many Royal favours, that the story of W greatness begins. Created a Cardinal. In 101 l he was made a member of the King’s Council, and in the war against France in 1513 Wolsey was entrusted with the work of organisation, and proved himself to be a necessary personage in the King’s household. For his services in the French campaign the King rewarded him with the bishoprics of Tournai and Lincoln, and in 1514 he was made Archbishop of York. He was now clearly marked out as one of the leading personages in England, and indeed, in Europe. Wolsey’s policy was to bring about an alliance between England and France, and tf make the two nations firm allies. The alliance, which was effected by the marriage of Louis XII. of France with Henry VIII.’s younger sister, Princess Mary, in 1514, was not popular in England. It taught the Continental Powers, however, that England was a factor to be reckoned with. The death of the newly-married French King cin January 1, 1515, created difficulties which required all’ Wolsey’s genius in solving. In December, 1515, Wolsey was advanced to the rank of Cardinal, “ and was installed in Westminster Abbey, with circumstances of pomp sel-1 dom exceeded at the coronations of ] kings. About the same time the Great Seal was given to him for life, with the dignity of Chancellor of the Realm.

Henceforth he may be regarded as the dictator of England; for, although the King afterwards appeared personally in every important transaction, the Cardinal had acquired such an ascendancy that the emanations of the Royal will were, in fact, only the reflected purposes of the Minister.” (Galt.) “ More Powerful than the Pope.” Fresh negotiations for an AngloFrench alliance were begun in 1517, and were a masterpiece of diplomatic skill on the part of Wolsey. It had always been his object to exalt his country and his King by peaceful means. In 1517 Pope Leo X. appointed him Cardinal-Legate. Such was the extent of Wolsey’s dominance at this time that a Venetian ambassador wrote of him, “He is seven times more powerful than the Pope.” In 1521 events had .so turned that war between the Emperor Charles of Germany and Francis I. of France seemed inevitable. Wolsey assumed the role of mediator and insisted on the two monarchs meeting in confer-

ence, over which he would preside, to settle their differences in pacific fashion. The conference sat in Calais, but, owing to the obstinacy of . Charles and his Minister, Gattinara, who was in some ways Wolsey’s match, it came to naught. He had laboured hard for peace and had failed. He had championed the cause of peace because he knew that England would not benefit by war. Aspires to the Papacy. At the death of Pope Leo X., on December 1, 1521, it was natural that Wolsey should entertain some hopes of election to the Supreme Head of the Church. In every way he was qualified for the papal dignity. Wolsey’s election was strongly -supported by Henry, but the Emperor Charles, who harboured a resentment against Wolsey, opposed him, and in the end succeeded in getting his own candidate, Adrian of Utrecht, proposed and elected. The English were still hostile to France, and war was declared in May, 1522, England co-operating with the Emperor Charles. Two allied expeditions in France failed. Relations were strained between the ministers of the new allies, Wolsey and Gattinara. Pope Adrian died in September, 1523, and Wolsey again aspired to the tiara, but was again unsuccessful, Cardinal Medici being elected, taking the title, of

Clement VII. Clement ultimately was the cause of the downfall of Wolsey The course of events would have been far different if Wolsey had presided over the destinies of the Church. The King’s Favour Wanes. The French expeditions had been costly, and to Wolsey, as Chancellor, fell the task of replenishing the King’s exchequer. This he was compelled to do b}' asking Parliament to impose heavy taxes on all goods and lands, whiph made him exceedingly unpopular. Commissioners were appointed to assess property, of which one sixth was required- for the King’s needs. It is said that “All people cursed the cardinal and his adherents as subverters of the laws and liberty of England.” The King wanted money, and it devolved on Wolsey to provide it. Wolsey could not help noticing now that he was rapidly losing the King’s favour. Immersed in State affairs as he was, while the King pursued his own pleasures surrounded by friends who were jealous of Wolsey’s influence and did their best to undermine it, Wolsey saw the

cloak of power gradually slipping from him. Such a storm of indignation was raised that the proposed taxation levyhad to be abandoned, and Wolsey was exposed to the King’s bitter criticism of his failure. The rebuffs he had been subjected to and the anxieties consequent thereto affected his health and spirits. Wolsey thus writes to the Council; “Because every man layeth the burden from him, I am content to take it on me, and to endure the fume and noise of the people, for my goodwill towards the King, and comfort of you, my lords and other the King’s councillors; but the eternal God knoweth all.” Charged With High Treason. In the matter of the King’s divorce proceedings against his Queen, Katherine, in 1527, Wolsey was called upon to find a satisfactory solution to a question that took precedence over all others. During the long and unfruitful negotiations that took place Wolsey had to bear the brunt of the royal wrath. His enemies were daily gaining ground, reinforced by the representations of Anne Boleyn, and it was not long before he was abandoned to them, his few friends being powerless to stop events* taking their course. On October 9 a writ of praemunire was issued against Wolsey,

on the ground that his acts done as legate were contrary to the statute. lie was ordered to deliver up the Great Seal, to depart from his palace of York Place and to retire to Esher, an ecclesiastical seat which belonged to him as Bishop of Winchester. Sir Thomas More, author of “ Utopia,” then succeeded to the Chancellorship. While at Esher Wolsey fell ill (Christmas, 1529). Some feelings of remorse must have prompted the King to inquire after Wolsey’s health, and he adds that he “ would not lose him for twenty thousand pounds.” In February, 1530, Wolsey received a full pardon for his offences, and was restored to the Archbishopric of York. He started out on his journey to York, doing it in easy stages and staying some time at each stopping place. He made himself exceedingly popular among the people of the J3ut Wolsey was not capable of political inactivity and needs must indulge in a little harmless and indiscreet intrigue. The Duke of Norfolk obtained some information and laid before the King charges against Wolsey “ that he had written to Rome to be reinstated in his possessions, and to France for its favour; and was returning to his ancient pomp and corrupting the people/’ There was little enough in these charges, but his enemies would not be satisfied until Wolsey’s ruin was complete. The King was angered, and ordered that Wolsey be brought to trial on a charge of high treason. Wolsey was at Cawood, in Yorkshire, when the Earl of Northumberland arrived (October, 1530) to arrest him. The cardinal stood speechless with astonishment. “ I fear not,” said he, “ the cruelty of my enemies, nor a scrutiny of my allegiance; and I take Heaven to witness, that neither in word nor deed have I injured the King, and will maintain my innocence face to face with any man alive.” His Last Journey. On the evening of November 7 Wolsey was ordered to prepare for his journey to London. lie made the journey by easy Mages, and it was when he was the guest of the Earl of Shrewsbury at Sheffield Park that his health broke down. While he was ailing there, the Constable of the Tower, with an escort of Yeomen of the Guard, arrived with orders from the King to bring Wolsey as a prisoner to the Tower. The next day Wolsey resumed his journey, and on the third day reached Leicester Abbey. On the way his suffering increased and he became weak and feverish. It was dark when he arrived at Leicester Abbey, where the Abbot and friars awaited his coming with torches. “ Father Abbot," Wolsey said, “ I am come hither to leave my bones among you.” The Constable of the Tower (Sir William Kingston) had to carry-him upstairs to his bed, which he never quitted again. He continued to grow weaker and weaker and fainted at intervals. On the morning of November 29 Wolsey made his Confession, and said to Kingston, who tried to comfort him, “ Well, well, I see the matter against me how it is framed; but if I had served God so diligently as I have done the King, he would not have given me over in my grey hairs." Wolsey died at. eight o’clock on the same morning, in his sixtieth year. Should Have Served England, Not the King. “ Politics to Wolsey was not a pursuit, it was a passion. He loved it as an artist loves his art, for he found in it a complete satisfaction for his nature. All that was best, and all that was worst, in Wolsey sprang from this exceptional attitude towards statecraft, which he practised with enthusiasm, not in a spirit of cold calculation. He set himself to dominate Europe and was fearless and self-contained. He was, hough he knew it not, fitted to serve ngland, but not fitted to serve the English king. He had the aims of a national statesman, not of a loyal servant. Wolsey’s misfortune was that his lot was cast on days when the career of a statesman was not distinct from that of a royal servant.” (Mandell Creighton.)