The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1880-02-19

of more than regal state. w ltnOuC inoulSins
in the extravagances of the stock tourist,
who might here detain the reader several
hours with his s'contemplations" in the
style of Volney's, s'here once stood a
populous city, the seat OF powerful
EMPIRE" we shall content ourselves with a
rapid resume Of the principal events in the
life of Cardinal Wolsey, who built the palace
when aJ the height of his power. and with
the deliberate purpose Of making it surpass
in size and magnificence any Royal resi-
dence In Europe.
Thomas Wolsey was born in Ipswich, SUI
folk in 147l, and was the son of butcher.
Though not wealthy, his fathers means
were sufficient to enable him to bestow upon
his son liberal education which he COM
pleted at Magdalen college, Oxford. During
his university career he exhibited extraordi-
nary talents and industry.
The multitude of the offices and dignities
civil and ecclesiastical which he afterwards
filled is so curious that, at the risk OF being
tedious, we shall run hurriedly over the list.
In 1904 he was chaplain to Henry VII with
dispensation to hold three livings, stations
he acquired through the influence OF Sir
John Naphant, Governor of Calais. Young
Wolsey had gone to France shortly after
leaving Oxford and took service under the
Governor, and showed such remarkable dill
gence and discretion thas he was recon-
mended by Sir john to his sovereign. His
next appointment was royal almoner, and in
1908 Dean of Lincoln. In 1910. he received
grant of the parsonage OF St. Bride and in
the same year was appointed Canon OF
Windsor and was member of the King
privy council. He afterwards succeeded to
the Bishoprcs of Tourney, Lincoln and
York, and Primate Of England. He eclipsed
the archbishop of Canterbury and every
churchman about him and became Cardinal
and legate, receiving bis Cardinals hat from
Leo x, and this year Q5l4 he was advanced
to the office of Lord High Chancellor of
England. The emoluments of these offices
were enormous, but did not satisfy the Car
dinal, who is known to have received gifts
and pensions from the king OF Spain, the
Duke of Milan and other foreign potentates.
He greatly applauded Leo X when he burnt
Luther's books declaring him hereto, and
next received from His Holiness a bill grant
ing him authority to visit the monasteries,
| and comforting on him the tenth of all the
revenues of the English clergy. Henry VII
also empowered him, in the year 1918. to con.
| fer letters patent of denizen under the great
seal; and then TO make out conges d. elire
{the writ to choose a bishop royal assents,
and resolutions OF Temperatures of ecclesias-
tical dgnities, as we'll as to take the HON.
ages and fealty of all persons, which might
| be due to the crown for such temporalties-
sources of the most extraordinary influence
and emolument. lie now became Bishop Of
Bath and Wells, and of the rich abbey Of ST.
Adams; then the administrator OF the sees
of Worcester and Hereford. In the same
year he received the grant Of the office Of
Bailiff OF the Lordship of Chestnut in Hert
fordshire and park-keepers of Bantinesly
He sympathized strongly with the Pope
| when Luther burnt the Pope's canon law
and called Leo a prosecutor, tyrant and the
very antichrist. Leo X granted him au
| thority, in 1921, to make so knights, 50 courts
| palatine, 40 apostolic notaries, whose priv
| leges were equal to those made by the Pope
himself, namely to legitimate bastards, and
confer degrees in arts, in law, medicine
and divinity, and also to grant all sorts O
dispensations. Another bull empowered
him to check and put down the new Pro
| testant heresies. The Cardinal this yea
sent an ambassador to the king of France
and the Emperor Charles V, and he received
a grant of 5000 crowns from the empero
besides $500 in lieu of former grant.
During the year 1922 he held tn see
Durham, and in 1924 received ew bull
from the Pope confirming his power 80 visi
and suppress disorderly mona steries, and il
| 1929 became Bishop OF Winchester. In
word he had bestowed upon him an AT noun
of honor, preferment and emolument Tor 2
years the like Of which the world had leve
seen and will never probably see again. Hi
revenues exceeded those of the king him
self or of any Sovereign in Europe. Hi
state too was in keeping with it. At ma s h
was served by Dukes and Earls, who too
the assay of his wine on their knees, an
held him his basin at the layatory.
He was the steady friend of learning an
of learned men-intimate with Erasmus an
induced the kings to invite both Titan an
Raphael to England-he established seve
lectures at Oxford, college at Ipswit' n, an
founded Christ Church, Oxford, in whic
the royal princes and the sons OF the obilit
continue to this day to receive their educs
tions. He had passion fer building. an
was always thus engaged, and his structure
were remarkable for their superiority
those of the age.
When in the zenith of his prosperity h
built Hampton Court 1516-i526. He was tn
actual ruler of England. both in Church ant
State by the favor of the King and tn
courtesy of the Pope. Flattered ant
sought by power and beauty at home, and
by the crowned heads of all Europe, he wa
hated, yet feared by courtiers; naughty, ar
bitrary and vindictive; possessed of revenues
to which the incomes Of the greatest oble
were poor, he lived in a splendor and STATE
such as became only reigning Prince, ant
expressed his swelling vanity in the wei
known words, Ego ct req meus''-I ant
my king.
His palace, composed OF five court
and two hundred and eighty cham
bers for the use of guests, and rooms TO-
eight hundred servants, was the OILY plac
where he could entertain the crowds tina
flocked by every road to pay him court. Sucl
was the magniflcence Of the establishment
that Grotius, the great jurist, who was En-
vcy to England,in 1915, says of it: "If an
Briton is ignorant Of schatis wealth, let hn
repair to Hampton Court, aud there afte
having vieaced all the Palaces Of the Fart
he aoiU sag, these are the palaces of Kings
but this ofthe Gods" His household con
sisted of fifteen knights, forty squires an
eight hundred servants, many of whom wer
the seedy and beggared descendants of tn