It would be an affront to my Readers were I to suppose that they were
not as well acquainted with the particulars of this King’s reign as I
am myself. It will therefore be saving _them_ the task of reading again
what they have read before, and _myself_ the trouble of writing what I
do not perfectly recollect, by giving only a slight sketch of the
principal Events which marked his reign. Among these may be ranked
Cardinal Wolsey’s telling the father Abbott of Leicester Abbey that “he
was come to lay his bones among them,” the reformation in Religion and
the King’s riding through the streets of London with Anna Bullen. It is
however but Justice, and my Duty to declare that this amiable Woman was
entirely innocent of the Crimes with which she was accused, and of
which her Beauty, her Elegance, and her Sprightliness were sufficient
proofs, not to mention her solemn Protestations of Innocence, the
weakness of the Charges against her, and the King’s Character; all of
which add some confirmation, tho’ perhaps but slight ones when in
comparison with those before alledged in her favour. Tho’ I do not
profess giving many dates, yet as I think it proper to give some and
shall of course make choice of those which it is most necessary for the
Reader to know, I think it right to inform him that her letter to the
King was dated on the 6th of May. The Crimes and Cruelties of this
Prince, were too numerous to be mentioned, (as this history I trust has
fully shown;) and nothing can be said in his vindication, but that his
abolishing Religious Houses and leaving them to the ruinous
depredations of time has been of infinite use to the landscape of
England in general, which probably was a principal motive for his doing
it, since otherwise why should a Man who was of no Religion himself be
at so much trouble to abolish one which had for ages been established
in the Kingdom. His Majesty’s 5th Wife was the Duke of Norfolk’s Neice
who, tho’ universally acquitted of the crimes for which she was
beheaded, has been by many people supposed to have led an abandoned
life before her Marriage—of this however I have many doubts, since she
was a relation of that noble Duke of Norfolk who was so warm in the
Queen of Scotland’s cause, and who at last fell a victim to it. The
Kings last wife contrived to survive him, but with difficulty effected
it. He was succeeded by his only son Edward.