The sun., 1878-04-28

b
Iisiv. a "runau' IA he owned aiicrward tp
trsafn,r. in the mo unsc uuu f.- school tho
world Contain d.w ere c learned l' s-ofs more
dangerous than those oi the cauln. Here the
unir;,rrrd son ol 20 poor hla 'kSm.tl hut only
mastered TIE language hui drnnk ia ihc man.
n.raid ion. ct the ucir,y round him. the Italy
~ the l}orgias and to Mcdici Presently. with
Italian vctsdiiity. Bee turns from the camp 20
ile. .uuntng housr. t. engaged as Il commercial
n.rni 20 enc os the Ncnct an traders, is next
found as clerk at Antwcrp. and by 1912 he has
become thriving wool u crchnnt at Middle
burg iu Zen and. Returning 10 England Crom-
we'll continued to amass wealth ~ adding the
trade Of scrivcncr u Ii other occupations as
well as 10y advancing money 10 the poorer no.
bcs aud in 1923 We find this remarkable ad-
,enturer an influential member Of the House of
Commons. Five years later the aim OF his ann
bton was revealed 10y his entering into Vol
seys service. where the plain man Of business
Startled Reginald Pole by bidding him take for
As manual tho Prince Il MachiavcH
Machevclli hoped to find in CWsar Borgia. or in
Lorenzo iii Medioi n tyrant wEo, after cNtirpat-
Ing all rival tyrannics might knit together and
regenerate Italy; and terrible and ruthless
Cromwell's policy was to Ire. his final purpose
seems to have been that Of Machavclh. as 1t
was that Of Francis Bacon a century af,crward
namely. purpose Of securing enlightenment
and order for England hy the concentration Of
oil authority in the Crown.
The superb self-rcliauce and massive dignity
Of this mans character traits hv which ne
strkingly reminds "a Of that other Cromwell
whose deserts have been more Justly appraised
by history-wcrc attcstcd 10y his unniu.h.ng
loyalty TO his discrcdued master. In nn age Of
perldy he cNtorted the respect OF his supsriors.
not by bciraying. but by g., lvinE to a d,sgraced
md hrpkpu M fis lf4u.frat1. of
ents who had waited on the Cardinals nod. the
obscurt upsart. Master Cromwell already hatod
aud menaccd as he knew himself 4, be. was the
only one who cluns To- his patron at the last. In
the lonely hours Of his disgrace at Eshvr VOL
sey. we are told made his moan unto Master
Cromwell. who comfprted him the best he could
aud desired my Lord to give him leave TO 20 90
London whore lie would make or mar. which
WIS his common saying Cromwell > pian was
10 purchase not only lis masters safety but his
own; but II he showed consummute craft
in thus comprising u double end he
can have had no personal reasons for the
stand he made in Parliament IL little later
against bill for disquahiyiug the Cardinal
tor all after cmploymeut-a bill supported
ty the Duke OF Norfolk and Sir Thomas Moro
|; was by Cromwell alone that this was defeat H.
aud j, wls Toy him that the negotiations war.
conducted which permitted the fallen Minister
owthdrlw, pardoned. to York. What general
e-t'"m rewarded this rare instance OF Il ic.t .ty
aAd how swiftly adhercnis rallied TO Il politician
e.. THIS temper. is shown by the cnrouicler's
statement that for his honest behavior in his
masters cause he wls esteemed the mos; iait.l-
fullest servant man ever had. aud was Of all men
greatly commended The negotiations for
Woscys pensions had given Cromwell access
10 tho King. and by his witty dcncanOr he
grew continually in the Kings favor but he
had commended himself by something more
than witty dcmeanor. In "a private interv W.
Cromwell boldly advised Henry To- cut the knot
OF the long-pendinE divorce from Ka;hariu. rs
the simple Exercise OF his own supremacy. The
advice struck the keynote ol the polic, ly wAicA
the daring counsellor was SOON to change the
whole face of Church and State.
But from the moment the post OF Lord priyy
Seal placed the hlacksmiihs son on Il level with
the great mobiles OF the Council b0ard. he looked
upon the divorce as simply the prelude TO a Sc
ries Of changes which he was bent upon accom-
plishing. Tie author acutely says that ia the
rapidity and ruihlcssAcss of tho new Minister'S
designs, in their idr-reaahins scope. clear iur-
pose and admirable com nation. the Italian
statecraft entered with Cromwell into English
politics. He : the first Eusiish statesman In
whom can be traced. through the whole period
OF his rule the STEADY woraing out Of great
and definite aim that Of raising the King
10 absolute authority upon the ruins Of
every rival power within the realm. To
him was due the Act of Supremacy He
inspired the claim Of hendship in the Church.
He annihilated by statute the free legislative
powers OF the conventions Of the clergy. He
ensavcd the Episcopatr, suppressed TIE mon
astrries. tuned the pulp.is" ot tue secular
clergy As the new policy. says Mr. Grc,n. dis
closed itself. u the monarchy IN Cromw-is
hand fTnfuIlpl under flgf tho 4
reverence Of ages past. rs is figure rus. bare
and terrible out OF the wreck o, all things Old.
England held her breath. and it s only u rough
the stray dispositions of ROYAL spies We catch q
glimpse of the wrath and haze wlirn srothrl
among the people. This mute. punic-str.i.,n
attitude is explained hy tho fact not generally
understood. that before Cromwcli- rise. anl
alter his fall from power the reign %! Henry
~ LsAth witnessed no more than the COM
non tyranny and bloodlhel oil tho time.
Ii the years ol Cromwes admiuistra-
ton form tho one period in English history
which deserves the name meng yc TO the ruleof
hohcspicrre. 1t Wa the English Terror Non
iei TO usethc figure hy winch Erasmus paints
me epoch. a. If "a scorpion lay sleeping und r
every stone Words idly sIoken." the muir
murs Of Ictulaut abbot. Tie rawlings uf %
noousiruc1 nun. were tortured into treason"
The confessional could kecp no secrets /: the
only chance OF safety lav in silence. EYru this
refuge az euLtn was closed hy law which
made thought treason. and forced monto reveal
their Thoughts on pain uf their very silence
bang punished with troason's penalties Tn
DER Cromwell. too the coercion Of lurles and
manipulation 81 Judges rendered the courts
more m9u'nl.eces OF tue roya, Will. and whore
even the shallow Of Justice proved an obstacle
Parliament was procured TO pass hill after bill
VI alltlAlet. by sang llar rotriuutiOu. however,