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THE NATIONAL GUILT
by the gross and violent threats of Queen Elizabeth, it was conferred on her favourite, whose name it perpetuates among us, although his family has long ago perished, like so many others which have arisen by the plunder of God's heritage. Similar acts of violence, committed either on the dignitaries or parochial clergy, sometimes with and sometimes without the pretext of an exchange, were habitual; insomuch that Hume is guilty of no exaggeration when he says, that "it was usual with her, when she promoted a Bishop, to take the opportunity of pillaging the see of some of its manors[1]."
- ↑ History of England, ch. xliv., Appendix. Some extracts from "Heylin's History of the Reformation" will show the manner in which sacred things were abused during the minority of King Edward VI. He mentions (p. 50) that an act had been passed giving to King Henry VIII. for his own life "the disposal of all chantries, colleges, free chapels, and hospitals," which grant of course expired at his death; but "the great ones of the court not being willing to lose so rich a booty, it was set on foot again, and carried through this present parliament" This grant conveyed to the king ninety colleges (the hospitals and the colleges in the universities not being included), "and no fewer than 2374 free chapels and chantries, the lands whereof were thus conferred upon the king by name, but not intended to be kept together for his benefit only. In which respect it was very stoutly insisted on by Archbishop Cranmer, that the dissolving of these colleges, free chapels, and chantries should be deferred, until the king should be of age," &c. The courtiers having thus enriched themselves we find, in page 61, that "our gentry, possessed of patronages, considering how much the lords and great men of the court had improved their fortunes by the suppression of those chantries and other foundations which
