to the reader in the form of a table, simplifying it as much as its complexity will admit. The title of Henry the eighth to the crown was clear and undisputed. In his reign, the succession was regulated by several legislative enact ments. - 1. By the act of the twenty-fifth year of his reign, the crown was entailed to his majesty, and to the heirs male of his body; failing these, to the lady Elizabeth, who was declared to be the king's eldest issue female, and to the heirs of her body, (in exclusion of the lady Mary, on account of her supposed illegitimacy, in consequence of the divorce of Henry from her mother, Katharine of Arragon), and so on, from issue female to issue female, by course of inheritance, according to their age; and failing these, to the king's right heirs. 2. Upon the king's divorce from Anne Boleyn, the lady Elizabeth was bastardized, and the crown settled on the eldest children of the king by lady Jane Seymour, and his future wives; and failing these, to the persons, to whom the king should limit the same by letters patent, or will: "A vast power," says sir William Blackstone, "but notwithstanding, as it was regularly vested in him by the supreme legislative authority, it was there"fore indisputably valid*." 66 66 66 3. But, by a statute of the thirty-fifth of his reign, the lady Mary and lady Elizabeth were legitimated, and the crown limited to prince Edward by name, and the heirs of his body; failing these, to the * Com. book i. c. 3. lady Mary, and the heirs of her body; and failing these, to the lady Elizabeth, and the heirs of her body; and failing issue of both his daughters, to such persons as his majesty should appoint by letters patent, or his will. 4. By his will, Henry limited the crown, in default of issue of his daughters, to the heirs of the body of Lady Frances, the eldest daughter of his sister Mary, and failing such issue, to the heirs of the body of Eleanor, the second daughter of his sister Mary. 5. On the accession of Mary, her title to the throne was recognized by a legislative act*, and the same was done on the accession of Elizabeth†. 6. On the death of queen Elizabeth, without issue, the line of Henry the eighth became extinct. CHAP. XX. EDWARD THE SIXTH. 1547. KING Henry the eighth appointed sixteen executors of his will, and solemnly enjoined them to see it performed; the principal were Cranmer, Wriottesley, the chancellor, and the earl of Hertford. Wriottesley favoured the old religion, the two others were promoters of the reformation; Hertford was chosen protector, and acted, from that * M. p. 2. c. 1; and see 1 M. p. 2. c. 2. + 1 Eliz. C. 2. time, independently of the council; doctor Cox and Mr. Cheke, known advocates for the reformation, were appointed tutors of the infant sovereign, then in the tenth year of his age. "The "parliament," says Heylin*, "consisted of mem"bers, who disagreed among themselves, in re 66 spect of religion; yet, they agreed well enough "in one common principle, which was to serve "the present turn and preserve themselves. For, though a great part of the nobility, and not a "few of the chief gentry in the house of commons were cordially affected to the church of Rome, "yet were they willing to give way to all such acts and statutes as were made against it, out of a fear of losing such lands, as they were pos"sessed of, if that religion should prevail and get up again. And for the rest, who were either to "make or improve their fortunes, there is no ques“tion to be made, but that they came resolved to "further such a reformation, as should most visibly "conduce to the advancement of their several "ends." Soon after the infant monarch came to the throne, he issued a proclamation, by which, after some regulation of the ceremonies to be observed at communion, he expressed himself in the following terms: "We would not have our subjects, so "much to mistrust our zeal, as though we either "could not discern what was to be done, or would "not do all things in due time. God be praised, 66 we know both what by his word is meant to be * Heylin, History of the Reformation, p. 48. |