A Museum for Young Gentlemen and Ladies | Page 9

all penal laws to be put in execution. His chief instruments
herein were Empsom and Dudley, who afterwards paid dear for their
extortion. He built the chapel at Westminster which is at this day called
Henry the Seventh's. The 48 gentlemen of the privy chamber, and the
band of gentlemen pensioners, were first settled in his reign. He died at
the palace of Richmond, which he built, and left in ready money to his
successor 1,800,000l. having reigned 24 years.
HENRY VIII. born at Greenwich, in 1491, the only surviving son of
Henry VII. came to the crown in the 18th year of his age, and in 1509.
He reigned for some years with great applause; but being vitiated by
Cardinal Woolsey, luxury and cruelty obscured his virtues, and stained
his former glory. He had six wives, of whom he divorced two, and
caused two to be publicly beheaded. In his reign began the reformation;
and the King was by act of parliament, declared supreme head of the
church of England. Before he fell off from the Pope, he wrote a book
against Luther. On this account Pope Leo honoured him with the title
of defender of the faith; which the parliament made hereditary to all
succeeding Kings of England. His government was more arbitrary and
severe than that of any of his predecessors since William the Conqueror.
He reigned about 38 years, died Jan. 28, 1547, and was buried in
Windsor chapel.
EDWARD VI. only son of Henry VIII. succeeded his father at ten
years old; and in the six years during which he reigned, he, by the
indefatigable zeal of Archbishop Cranmer, made a great progress in the
reformation. This good Prince founded our two famous hospitals,
called Christchurch and St. Thomas, one in the city of London, the
other in the suburbs. This reign is memorable for the discovery of the
north-east passage to Archangel, made by Richard Chalinour, till then

unknown, and since become the common passage from Asia into
Europe. Edward reigned but six years, and was buried at Westminster.
MARY, eldest daughter of Henry VIII. by his first wife, succeeded her
half brother Edward VI. She restored the Roman Catholic Bishops, and
commenced a hot persecution against the protestants; in which
Archbishop Cranmer, and six other Bishops, were burnt alive. In her
reign, Calais was taken by the French, after it had been in our
possession 200 years; and the same year, which was 1558, she died of
grief for the loss of that city. With her life ended a reign, begun,
continued, finished in blood, and happy in nothing but its short duration.
She was buried at Westminster.
ELIZABETH, daughter of Henry VIII. by Anna Bullen, his second
wife, succeeded her half-sister Mary. She proved an excellent Queen,
the glory of her sex, and admiration of the age she lived in. She was
crowned at Westminster, Jan. 15, 1558. In her time the protestant
religion was again restored. She humbled the pride of Spain, both in
Europe and America. Memorable is the year 1588, for the Spanish
invasion attempted by King Philip, with his invincible armada; the
greatest part of which was destroyed by the English fireships and a
providential storm. The very names of our chief commanders, Howard,
Norris, Essex, Drake, and Raleigh, struck a terror in her enemies. They
took and burnt several places in Spain, particularly Cadiz and the
Groyne; intercepted their plate fleets, and reduced that haughty
monarch so low, that he has never since recovered it. This Queen
quelled the two rebellions of O'Neal and Tir-Owen in Ireland. She
protected the new republic of Holland, and the protestants of France.
She commanded the ocean, which spread her fame around the globe,
and made her name respected every where. With much reluctance she
signed the dead warrant [sic] for the execution of Mary Queen of Scots,
charged with high treason. She grieved much for the death of the Earl
of Essex, whose fall was owing to her favour, and survived him only
two years. In her reign the two English inquisitions were erected, I
mean the Star-Chamber, and the High Commission Court, which grew
oppressive, and the judges so arbitrary, that they were suppressed by an
act of Charles I. She had a peculiar taste for learning, which flourished

in her reign. She spoke five or six different languages, translated
several books from the Greek and French, and took great pleasure in
the study of mathematics, geography, and history. She died in 1603, in
the 45th year of her reign, and the 70th year of her age, leaving her
kinsman James VI. of Scotland, her successor.
The STUART FAMILY.
JAMES I. of England, arrived at London May 7, 1603, and the feast of
St. James following was fixed for his coronation.