The Statesman.
London, England, 1821-03-23 00:00:00

ANNE DOLtilS AND HENRY

We bare long wished la lay • few extract! front
the memoirs recently published by Hiss Benger, be-
fore oar readers, and hare td congratulate them on a
most valuable acquisition to our biographical liters-
ture, in which we hare hitherto been co much stir-
passed by our opposite neighbours. As the style and
wanner of the author speak abundantly for them-
selves, we shall only observe, that site is entitled to
more than ordinary praise fur the liberality of her po-
litical sentiments, which carry a dunble weight when
they proceed frosts a female pen. As we do net pnt-
f. I to oiler a regular critique, for our titbits will not
admit of one, our readers usual he content with a few
specimens taken at random from the rotators before as.
In concluding her account of the state of Est;land
muter the Tartars and daring Henry's reign, the fair
author observes:

"After the revival of letters the clergy, whatever
state they assumed in their stalls, or chapters, were
no longer omnipotent in the minds of the people. The
beneficent invention of printing dissettainated that
knowledge hitherto ingro-sed by the great and the
privileged. With this powerful agent was the dor-
mant energy of than to he awakened ; by this mental
collision was to he eseited that ininintabie principle of
resistance to tyranny and oppression, which can alone
form the character of a generous and ma
people. Over the pleinents of the Reformation, it hicb
emanated from Wickliffe, persecution 16 6.1 vainly eTer-
cised its repelling power : there resided in thom an im-
mortal essence, a spirit impenetrable to violence, inca-
pable of annihilation. Ity the ageucy of a poor de-
spised monk they were soon to le- resnyeitateil, to as-
gnote auothcr Anil more glorious form of
to develope new atrl powerful eiter2ies of !Inman ac-
tion, and elicit a constantly prore,s:ve principle of
moral and religious improvement.
" From a cursory glance of fletirv'4 rci:n, it wit: he
evident that those flays of ignorance and de‘potison
were pregnant with venality, perfidy. and en. roption
and, with the enception of More, l'obo, and Crammer.
we shall I mk in vain among his courtiers fur examples
of disintereoeilties., I :sr, and pr. h:tv. Without
referring to the records of conventual visitation, with-
out appealing to the contempt almost oniversally
avowed fur estungstie Droste*. or glancing at the so.-
picions reputations of their frail sister-, it may be re-
marked, that gamine amt other profligate t i.. had in-
fected both the court and the city, that the gro•se‘t
immorality preraile4l in the country, and that. t:roe-
rally apeakiog, the. age of Henry tea• a• li!tie favour-
able to female modesty as to manly patriotism, and
equally adverse he liberty and virtue.

trorP4 paver
morals ani more slerorons manners. The example of
sir 1 !soma." Store's (molly w.i• then uu hanker •ingn-
%sr female atoll ceased to be r.m.e o lion le 'ra-
tite !wean'e tlo lo.olge of a s'l critic stati.os tl.e pro•
re.'s of I 61% r.spi'lly accelerated, and in
little more than the retolution of half a century.
those citizens oho IsAll been arritstomed to wither,
with tratoyorts the multim..re pa routs anti reur•
'laments, were eapah!e of r;lisloug dratoatie enmposi-
tiling ; and, without attending other hook of rlse•
tissie aml than the the.ttres at Ilankside
and 81.'0:friars, insensible relined their i:leas, an,i
fornseil their taste by the immortal au-pi,:e of

Ire next come to the character of ilvorc'c f.sroorite :
it will he for the rea 1.. r ti) 44V. Wi.lerlierlirCA:i
AnV loeto ern 11141 cr sity ttitt.s.oan and those
of wore modern

•` Of Wo'secy, in coonnan with many other eminent
personages. it might be observed, that Le ptsssessed
every qnality, V.Oti or had, that con.lucts to fortune
o unenterprising spirit he skilled intlefitigable per%r-
mance : with the graces of eloquence lie united es.
quisite flexibility and address, and all those aptitudes
to dissimulation so necessAry to the finished courtier.
Cocked:Nl by the sense of rectstwle, his un-
conquerable ambition usurped the place of social svta-
Nobles and moral feelings. His most perminent sen-
timent was pride. yet could he stoop to rise, and eared
little by what means he achieved his favourite object.
In Isis intercourse with the world he had learnt to
adapt hin s-If to men of various Imams:a promo-
silks: to be serious with the grave, and eittinvial '
with the gay t anal whilst his native arrogance No-
onan—l the expression of laterality, or disinterestedness.
or diznlty, vindictive passions lorked in his beat,
and he knew not to forgive a Wien foe, and in tl:e'
most brilliant nsonients of his life remained incapable
of that inagnaninsity which confers on man the no-
blest trinusph. Hitherto it had hero his hosiness In
coreiliate esteem, and inspire confidence; and saris
was his address, or his discretion, that his exaltation
excited neither envy nor distrust even in the Bishop
of Winchester. his original patron and Isenefictor.
Wolsey was still the really Min. the person it !111, of
all others, was found adequate to rver exigency, and
whose promptitude and self-possession were never sus-
pended. These useful qualities rendered bias a most
acceptable auxiliary to the king's entinsellor-. when-
ever they hail to propound diffi •ult questions, or to
confer with him on those dry oth .details to which
he lent no willing ear. Ott these ocem.isuis lsappy
were the courtiers in delegate to the pliant, bertiims
almoner, the task of com:nusicuting with their imva.
tient sovereign but it euttl.l nut lung eneepe :he pene-
tration of Henry, how eminently superior wAs the
pour depeouleut ill his great awl twill., employers.
Whilst the almoner alfrete.l to stiganstitr all treas.('
official sulsjects as unsuitable to the youthisti loinsl, hr
nsinistered to the vanity, and arthilly intsanel the ain-
hition, of his too snseeptible companion. On what-
ever theme he expatatted, persuasion dwelt no hit lip.;
thory tasted iu his conversation a degree of ph-:a-
sure be experienced from no other y : thos, by
slow and impereertilde gradations. the ba,e-ttssrit priest
seirtireA and assumed supressonev overthus-e to whops
be bat originally bowed with eibjael seeciliep, 41111 per-
twavis of the higher task no longer oh*
hit mediation, or to cuniratc Isis :*riete.s%ip."