Thomas Wolsey

, the great and mighty Cardinal of the time he lived in, whose life having been written several years after his death by Thom. Cavendish his Gentleman Usher, we are informed therein that he was born at Ipswych in Suffolk, but not that he was a Butchers Son, as others have publickly reported, as well in the Cardinals life time, as since: the first of which was he, who wrote a Libel in English Verse against him, a little before his fall, called A dialogue between two Priests servants named Watkin and Jeffry, published in octavo (perhaps written also) by a canting and severe Lutheran, who writes himself N. O. But so it was, that he the said T. Wolsey being very apt to learn when he was a Child, his Parents and other good Friends made shift to maintain him in Oxon, particularly in Magd. coll. where making a most wonderful progress in Logick and Philosophy, be became Bach. of Arts at 15. years of age an. 1485. Soon after he was elected fellow, and when he had taken the degree of M. of A. was made Master of the Grammar School joining to the said College. In the 14. Hen. 7. Dom. 1498. he was Bursar of that House, in which year the stately Tower was finisht. In the beginning of Oct. 1500. he became Rector of Lymyngton in Somersetshire (on the death of Joh. Borde) by the presentation thereunto of Thomas Grey Marquess of Dorset: which Rectory he conferr’d upon him for the great care he had of his Sons under his Tuition, in the Grammar School before-mention’d. But that great man dying in Sept. 1501. and his hopes of being introduced into the court, frustrated, he struck into acquaintance with one Sir Joh. Naphant Treasurer of Calais, a Gent. of the said county, who forthwith made him his chaplain: And finding him to be a man of parts, committed his employment to him, he himself being grown old, and consequently unfit for business. At length he being mindful of his chaplains good service, he never left him until he had found means to make him the Kings chaplain. Which matter being according to his mind effected, he became known to one of the Kings grave Counsellors and Favourites named Rich. Fox Bishop of Winchester, who finding VVolsey to be not only an active, but a witty man, did with one Sir Tho. Lovel another grave Counsellor, commend him to the service of the King; who also upon discourse with him, finding him to be a man of Eloquence, and to understand State affairs, sent him in the quality of an Embassador to Maximilian the Emperour, then abiding in Flanders not far from Calais. Which Embassage he performed with so great dexterity and quickness, that the K. taking especial notice of it, did soon after confer upon him the Deanery of Lincoln, void by the death of Jeffrey Simeon sometimes Fellow of New college, Proctor of this University of Oxon, and Dean of the chappel Royal to K. Hen. 7. (which Jeffrey died 20. Aug. 1508.) Of which Church, I say, being made Dean 2. Feb. 1508. was installed by proxy 25. March 1509. and in person 21. of Aug. 1511. After the death of K. Hen. 7. he quickly got into the favour so much of his successor Hen. 8. that he was by him (a)(a) Pat. 2. Hen. 8. p. 1. presented to the Rectory of Turrington in the dioc. of Exeter 28. Nov. 1510. (being then Bach. of Div.) and on the 17. Feb. following, was made Canon of the collegiate church of VVindsore, and about that time Registrary. of the most noble Order of the Garter. In 1512. Jan. 31. he, by the name of the Kings Almoner, was made Prebendary of Bagthorp in the church of York by the favour of Cardinal Bainbridge Archb. thereof, (in the place of James Harryngton Dean of that church, who died in Dec. 1512.) and on the 21. Febr. following, he was admitted Dean in the said Harryngtons place, who had been installed in that dignity in the room of the said Bainbridge 31. Januar. 1507. In 1513. he being then with the King at the taking of Tournay in France, his Majesty not only gave him the revenues of the Bishoprick of that City, but also made him actual Bishop thereof, as some are pleased to say. In 1514. March 26. he was consecrated B. of Linc. in the place of Will. Smyth deceased, and in Nov. the same year, he was made Archb. of York. In 1515. Sept. 7. he was created cardinal of S. Cecilia, and in the year following Dec. 7. he was constituted L. Chanc. of England, and about the same time Legate a latere for the Kingdom of England. In 1518. Aug. 28. he had the temporalities of the See of Bathe and VVells conferr’d (b)(b) Pat. 10. Hen. 8. p. 2. m. 25. upon him, with liberty of holding the same See (being perpetual Commendatarie thereof) with the Abbatship of S. Albans and other Ecclesiastical Livings in commendum with York. About the same time he laid in by his Factors at Rome for the Papacy, especially upon the death of Leo 10. and Adrian 6. but the reasons why he was not elected, were (1) That he would never to go to Rome in Person. (2) That he was nimis potens. (3) That he was not old enough, as by the Letters of Dr. Tho. Hannyball and Jo. Clerk the Kings Orators, and the Card. Agents at Rome, appears. In 1523. he had the Bishoprick of Durham given to him, and thereupon resign’d B. and Wells, and soon after began the Foundations of his two most noble and splendid colleges at Oxon and Ipswych, as I have largely elsewhere (c)(c) In Hist. & Antiq. Univ. Ox. lib. 2. p. 35. &c. 246, 247. &c. told you. In 1529. he had the See of Winchester conferr’d upon him whereupon renouncing Durham, the profits and revenues of the said See were given to the Lady Anna Boleyne, for the space of one year. But before he was quite warm in Winchester, he fell into the Kings displeasure, and thereupon being soon after commanded to live in his dioc. of York, about the beginning of 1530. retired to the Archbishops Palace at Cawood, where spending the Summer following in great Hospitality, was about the latter end of Octob. ensuing, arrested for High Treason. Whereupon being to be conveyed to London to answer for it, he died at Leycester in the way thither, 1530 on the 29. Nov. following, and was buried in S. Maries Chappel within the precincts of the Abbey-church there. Of all the Clergy-men of his time, and before, and after him, Wolsey was indisputably the greatest. He managed a most inflexible King with so great dexterity, that of one who always threw his Riders, none held the reins, either so long, or so succesfully. He had a vast mind, and a great sense of regulation, and glory, (which by some is construed Pride.) He lived always with great splendour; and yet left the most lasting and most noble monuments of his bounty. No Prelate indeed, especially in this Nation, had ever so many and large, but withal none ever imployed them more generously; so that his vast revenues were hardly proportionable to his great and extraordinary designs. His parts were prodigious, and it must be owned, that he wanted not a sense of his own sufficiency; and therefore his demeanor and management of himself was such, as was more fitted with the greatness of his mind, and his fortune, than to the meanness of his birth. Many Historians of that time, whether out of envy of his order, or contempt of his birth, or hatred of his Religion, have not been very favourable to his fame; and the traditionary reporters since, who have pretended to an exact account of his actions, have, upon too slight enquiries, and with too great confidence, transcribed the former narratives. So that we yet want an exact and faithful History of the greatest, most noble, and most disinteress’d Clergy-man of that age. His publick imployments gave him little leisure for the publication of any works of learning; and, if any were published, they are dead with him, excep perhaps those which I have seen, which are the Epistle and directions for teaching the eight Classes in Ipswich School, set before the Grammar, of W. Lilye, and printed in 1528. (h)(h) Jac. War. in Com. de Praesulib. Hibern. p. 128.