Chapter X. A SCENCE IN THE KING'S GALLERY.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume II, Issue 89, 9 January 1875, Page 13

Chapter X. A SCENCE IN THE KING'S GALLERY.

The slow progress of the commissioners did, not satisfy the eager rapacity either of the king or his satellites. In the year 1536, a bill was introduced and hurried, not without opposition, through the houses. This bill gave to the king and his heirs all monastic establishments, the clear yearly value of which did not exceed two hundred pounds, with the property belonging to them both real and personal, vesting the possession of the buildings and lands in the hands of those persons to whom the king should assign them by letters patent, but obliging the grantees, under a penalty of ten marks per month, to keep on them an honest house and household, aUd to plough the same number of acres which had been ploughed on an average for the last twenty years. It was calculated that by this act about 'three hundred and eighty communities would be dissolved, and that an addition of

thirty-two thousand pounds would be made to the annual revenue of the crown, besides the present receipt of one hundred thousand in money, plate, and jewels. «"«••» The higher value of money, too, in those days must be remembered ; it would have been more than double the sum at the present This atrocious bill was not passed even by a cowardly Tudor parliament without delay and opposition. ' The rapacious tyrant fretted at the delay. Nor were his needy courtiers less impatient. Among these last was one, Sir Everard Tilney, an English gentleman who had **?! Se TeeT cc of Francis, King of France ; and who had been introduced to Henry by the French king, when he and that monarch hada. meeting at Boulogne; and he took Anne Boleynwith him as Marchioness of Pembroke.

Much sorrow, it was whispered, had been Sir Everard'B portion in his youth, troubles which had caused his exile from hisnative land, and his traversing the continent a mere soldier of fortune for

A chance, however, perhaps the first fortunate chance which had everbefalleu him, had introduced Sir Everard to the French King. Whatever might have been the distresses of his youth they had not divested him of the graces of an accomplished courtier. He could sing, play, dance, natter, and add to all there these trivial merits, he had the undisputed fame of a gallant soldier. If occasionally a frown would darken his broad brow; or there was a ring of sarcasm in his voice, what then ? Whatever mieht have been the suffering, or wrong, which Sir Everard Tftne* had StSedhis n<>t broken hia heaxt > how ever much it had emGay, reckless, daring, and insinuating, he was a universal favorite. The mingled dash and fascination of his manner, his excellence, not only in all courtly accomplishments, but in athletic sports, charmed Henry; and Francis, to whom the fafifeht hadf made known his earnest desire to return to his native land, recommended him to the service of the English monarch. His preferment in the court of Henry was rapid ; and as whatever the mind of the king might be, such also was the mind of Sir .fciverard, he maintained the favor of the royal weathercock With the eagerness of personal malice, he entered into the scheme for the dissolution of the monasteries. ffis prompthtes— and he certainly possessed the ear of the knigi^rarpassed in rapacity and vindictiveness those of Cromwell himself. This man, Henry had made one of his private secretarie, in order to ensure the constant society of one who could alike relieve his jaded spirits by his hilarity and wit, and feed his self-iove.vet never diverge into gross and fulsome flattery. The bill for the dissolution of the religious houseß lagged. Ks we have said, m the House of Commons. «B8«»»* «•» By the advice of Sir Everard, Henry one day commanded that a certain number of the members should assemble in a gallery neJr •thth P CntS> Wherehe ' the would haVTa%eeoh

When he entered the gallery he was accompanied by Sir Everard Tilney, upon whose arm he leaned with that friendly familiarity which he was accustomed to exhibit towards those who, for the time, shared his capricious favor. Both the king and the knight were magnificently attired. The kings doublet of purple velvet was so adorned with embroidery of gold that little of the texture, wich as it w2£ <3

> a ? he £? ts of his s^ ord aad da SS er w*e literally crusted with b JuJrubies W ° re * ° e^alds, arid round his cap a circlet of

siaJSi slf ai J. was aps-yed in a rich suit of murry-colored velvet, slashed with white satin, and elaborately enriched with gold lace. About his neck he wore a collar of diamond*, and aifagrlflfrot wSchh^Sd^sieftUf 6 PLline ***-™X* inflnSSySJSg'SiSf 7 "— *»* deteriorating uffder the «n«2SJ"I becoming corpulent. His fine complexion which at one time a lady might have envied, was becoming coarse, andteb deeply charged with red; and his once frank and lclea7biu?e^ S£ SSnts^olltntdt by «- "^SSafc Though still in the flower of youth, deep lines were craven on The last sunbeams gilded the clear sharp atmosphere of a. 18^ « ii«Sss3£*Bb paced theS V 'alte casSi anmg . on the arm of Sir Everard, ferocious that it made the vaulted roof ring-T W W lo * a m^

" So, my masters ! my worshipful Commons ! we hear that ye murmur, and make mouths, at passing our bill for dissolving those nests of laziness and license inhabited by the droning monks! Choose \my merry masters, choose ! The bill passed without cavil ! *— the bill, or your heads !"

Neither the wit nor the savagery of Henry could add any more pithy matter to this speech. So he took the arm of Sir Everard, who had helped in its compilation, and left the honorable members of the House of Commons to think over the matter. They did think over it, and preferred passing the bill to losing their heads.