opposing the divorce of the queen [1], and was a violent enemy to the king in an his unlawful proceedings. He wrote a treatise, De non dissolvendo Henrici et Catherinæ matri- "monio." In the year 1534, he was attainted of misprision, for taking part and being active in the affair of Elizabeth Barton, the holy maid of Kent[2]. He was afterwards sentenced to die for denying the king's supremacy, and was accordingly executed July 30, 1540. It is thought that he wrote several pieces: but they have been lost. When in prison he was confined very closely; and the keeper of Newgate was once sent to the Marshalsea for allowing him and Dr. Powel to go out upon bail.
ABRABANEL (ISAAC), a famous rabbi, born at Lisbon
in 1437, of a family who boasted their descent from king David. He raised himself considerably at the court of Alphonso
V. king of Portugal, and was honoured with very high offices,
which he enjoyed till this prince's death; but, upon his decease, he felt a strange reverse of fortune under the new king. Abrabanel was in his 45th year, when John II. succeeded his
father Alphonso. All those, who had any share in the administration in the preceding reign, were discarded: and, if we give credit to our rabbi, their death was secretly resolved, under the pretext of their having formed a design to give up the crown of Portugal to the king of Spain. Abrabanel, however, suspecting nothing, in obedience to the order he received to attend his majesty, set out for Lisbon with all expedition; but having, on his journey, heard of what was plotting against his life, he fled immediately to his Castilian majesty's dominions. A party of soldiers were dispatched after him, with orders to bring him dead or alive: however he made his escape, but all his possessions were confiscated. On this occa-sion,
- ↑ The lawfulness of this divorce has been maintained by several eminent persons, whose opinions have been fully refuted in bishop Burnet's "History of the Reformation," and in several other books.
- ↑ Lord Herbert of Cherbury gives the following account of that impostor: "Elizabeth Barton had almost fired up more than one tragedy; for being suborned by the monks to use some strange gesticulations, and to exhibit divers feigned miracles, accompanied with some wizardly unsooth-sayings, she drew much credit and concourse to her, insomuch that no mean perons, and amongst others Warham late archbishop of Canterbury, and Fisher bishop of Rochester, and Sir Thomas Moore, gave some belief to her: so that notwithstanding the dənger that was to give ear to a prediction of hers, that Henry VIII. should not live one month after his marriage with Mrs. Bolen, she was cried up with many voices Silvester, Antonio, Pollicari, and Darius, the Pope's agents, giving credit and countenance thereunto. But the plot being at last discovered, he was attainted of treason, and executed, with her chief accomplices; at which time she confessed their names, who had infligated her to these practices." Life and reign of Henry VIII.
