ENGLISH RENAISSANCE. 549 period of architectural depression, from which there was a reaction at the end of the fifteenth century. The new nobihty and rich merchants were naturally more susceptible to any fresh move- ment ; they desired, moreover, important country houses, being anxious to provide' themselves with the paraphernalia suited to their rank, or newly acquired wealth. The extended use of gunpowder rendered ancient castles obsolete, and newer fortresses tended to become merely military posts, no longer habitable as palaces by a king, or as seats by the nobility. The introduction of printing by Caxton (1476) powerfully aided the new movement, as the hoarded knowledge of the world could then be disseminated, causing the enlargement of men's ideas and the increased spread of knowledge throughout the country. The court of Henry VIII. was composed of men who were con- nected with the new movement, and amongst the artists, were : — Holbein, from Basle; Torrigiano, who executed Henry VII. 's Tomb in Westminster Abbey (a.d. 15 12) ; Rouezzano and Giovanni da Majano. A certain John of Padua was also brought to England by Henry VIII., and is usually credited with the design of Longleat House, Wiltshire (page 557). Henry VIII. and Edward VI. employed part of the funds obtained from the suppression of the monasteries (i 536-1 540) to the erection and endowment of grammar schools and colleges, which play an important part in the development (pages 324, 557). The Protector Somerset commenced building schemes which were interrupted by his execution (a.d. 1552). The reign of Elizabeth (a.d. 1558-1603) inaugurated the era of the erection of the great domestic mansions. Flemish and German workmen and weavers came to England in large numbers, settling in the eastern counties especially, thereby influencing the architecture of certain districts. In literature the writings of Spenser, Shakespeare, Burleigh, and Sir Philip Sidney had considerable influence. Finally, the wars against the Huguenots in France, and the Massacre of S. Bartholomew in a.d. 1572, led to the emigration of many skilled craftsmen to England (page 498), thus influencing very largely the efficient execution of the' newly-imported Classic architecture. vi. Historical. — Henry VIII. had undisputed possession of the English crown. He mixed generally with foreign affairs, and his meeting with Francis I. on the Field of the Cloth of Gold, 1520, was an event of some significance, bearing an important relation to the introduction of Renaissance art into England. Henry declared the Pope to have no jurisdiction in England, and Edward VI. continued the Reformation, but Mary's policy was reactionary, and marks the era of Spanish influence in England. Under Elizabeth (1558-1603), the Reformation was finally settled.
