New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-04-24
TUDOR ENGLAND.
THE NATION AND ITS RULERS IN THE
TIME OF THE REFORMATION.

L, \
inlustry. Commerce. science Literature and
~. T,ay Nv Various Writers Edited by H. D.
Tra u e l. sometime Fs!ow Of 81 Ncc Jenn
Of Henry VIII 10 the Death OF Elizabeth PIP.
xii. 59l G P. Putnam's Sons
This volume carries the history OF England in al
mos, all its aspects beyond the boundaries OF
mediaevalfsrn Many years were yet TO hapse
before the hideous punishments Of ancient law
would he put away. There were times still to
come after the death OF Elizabeth when the rack
and the boot and other instruments OF the tort
ure-chamber would be used 10 force confessions
from accused persons and from witnesses. one
of the most scandalous outbreaks Of fanatc:sm
thet the world ever saw-the witchcraft &c usion
was stlu a thing Of the future. But medieval
ism as a system was past when Henry VII
came 10 the English throne, and much Of the ruin
IL left was cleared away before Elizabeth dlsap-
neared from the scene. The puzzle Of the thing
Is that in times when England was advancing
so rapidly. growing in power In numoers, IN
wealth in external influence and IN the sense Of
individual freedom, its rulers should nave been
more despotc than they had been for gene
rations But this phenomenon had not been I'M
known in earlier times. A harsh and cruel series
of nlonarchs had ruled England from the time
of William the Conqueror TO that Of Henry II.
and yet the period had been one of remarkable
nrorress With evil times came weak mon
archs And nov after the long anarchy OF the
Wars of the Roses, England grew united and
prosperous under the rule Of family whose past
was dubious and whose conduct on the throne
was marked by dangerous eccenricites Henry
VII and his granddaughter Elizabeth were
misery 10 a degree. Henry VIII and his daughter
Mary were swift 10 shed blood. In all four self
esteem was almost a mania. But their vices as
we'll as their virtues contributed in way to the
welfare of England Henry VII left an over
flowing treasury. and in spending the money
Henry VIII. by his magniicence. laid the founda-
tons Of a popularity that just outasted the arbi-
trauness OF his life His habits became those of a
spendthrift But if his expenses had not grown
with his years he might not have thought of
attacking the religious houses in the way he did,
and England might have continued indefinitely
70 be burdened with what foreign TO her
modes of thought.
In the volume in hand Henry gets all the credit
he deserves for the work he did. But he is not
praised for his good intentions. II happened
that his desire for personal ACKNOWLEDGEMENT met
the desire Of his subjects to exclude all foreign
authority and influence from their island. Eng
land for the English was in effect what they in
sisted upon. and they were for the moment indif-
ferent TO the fact that his version was England
for Henry Instinctivey he went as far in the
matter Of religious reform the majority OF Eng
lshmen in his day wished and no further They
were in general. conten:ed with the doctrines Of
the Church as they had received them. The end
less disputatons OF later age had not yet opened
their eyes to the possibility Of difference. But
they had always been jealous Of the rights Of the
English Church, they wanted no usages that could
be described to them merely foreign. and they
were determined to have no meddling from with
out in their affairs II they could avoid It. Henrys
learning which was indeed marvellous for
King made him an intelligent defender Of the
faith; while the incidents OF his career and his
own passions led him TO assert personal authori-
ty which accomplished for the Church what his
subjects On the whole desired. His success and
the subsequent failure of the Regent Somerset are
sted to show the condition of thought in
England in those times. The latter meant appar-
entity to carry out the policy OF Henry But he
meddled with doctrine, and acts Of repression
which IN Henrys case could be made 70 seem po-
utcally 7 ecessary became with him mere perse-
oution for differences Of religious opinion When
It came TO methods for getting money, Henry was
equally fortunate. II necessary for him to
bear lightly upon the middle classes They were
the first to feel the weight Of and they were
under no obligations 10 the Crown which might
keep them fr1m complaining or even from resist
ing an imposition which they deemed unjust. II
Henry pressed money from the nobility and from
the rich he took only what he or his predecessor
had put in their way But it was different with
those who earned what they had, and none was
more conscious Of this than the earners them
selves AS to the nobility. Henry was fortunate in
the fact that the Wars Of the Roses had destroyed
nearly all the ancient houses. Those in existence
were Tudor creation. and their life and power
were bound upon the support Of the dynasty. II
was 10 their interest 70 be loyal, even when the
King became a bloody tyrant. Henry was also
lucky in his favorites IN the magnfcence Of
wolsey and the craft OF Cromwell. he could ex-
pertinent on the people, testing at every point the
limit OF their endurance. Wolsey
CANT as his master. but ne found his match in the
Parliament which woulG only grant the subsidies
he demanded after they themselves had fixed the
terms on which they should be paid He did not
understand the English Nation. and he inter
preted literally the claim Of absolute power the
part OF the King. on the other hand, the people
understood very well that they. too, had power to
constrain royalty when the necessity 10 do so be-
came unavoidable. The picture given OF Wolsey
IN this volume is not an unattractive one. II he
was despotic ne was also kindly He meant TO be
OF use 10 the people though his manner was that
Of one giving aims rather than that Of man who
was performing duty. In Henry IL is hard to see
anything but utter sefshness. skilful In the use
OF instruments, careful Of his personal salts
faction. bringing about the good Of the realm be-
cause somehow that accorded with his own cher
ished desires. II 1t had happened that his per-
sonal wishes and the best interests Of his kingdom
had been opposed TO each other he would certainly
have been a tyrant AS matters stood there was
room for two opinions about him. and both have
been exploited. In the present volume balance
is fairly struck between the two extremes Of
praise and blame.
II It had not been for the religious houses
Henry's spendthr.ft habits would certainly have
Cd him "a acts ~ onDressiOn from which he