d in case of extremity; and there
was no attempt to enforce them until forbearance was misconstrued into
fear. Sir Thomas More and the Bishop of Rochester remained unquestioned
in the Tower, and were allowed free intercourse with their friends. The
Carthusian monks were left undisturbed, although the attitude which they
had assumed was notorious, and although the prior was known to forbid
his penitents in confession to acknowledge the king's supremacy. If the
government was at length driven to severity, it was because the clergy
forced them to it in spite of themselves.

[Sidenote: Conduct of the clergy.]

The clergy had taken the oath, but they held themselves under no
obligation to observe it; or if they observed the orders of the crown in
the letter, they thwarted those orders in the spirit. The Treason Act
had for awhile overawed them; but finding that its threats were confined
to language, that months passed away, and that no person had as yet
been prosecuted, they fell back into open opposition, either careless of
the consequences, or believing that the government did not dare to exert
its powers. The details of their conduct during the spring months of
this year I am unable to discover; but it was such as at length, on the
17th of April, provoked the following circular to the lords-lieutenant
of the various counties:[431]--

[Sidenote: Circular of the 17th of April.]

[Sidenote: The clergy in divers places continue to pray for the pope.]

[Sidenote: The king commands that all persons so doing shall be
arrested.]

"Right trusty and well-beloved cousin, we greet you well; and whereas it
has come to our knowledge that sundry persons, as well religious as
secular priests and curates in their parishes and in divers places
within this our realm, do daily, as much as in them is, set forth and
extol the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome, otherwise called the Pope;
sowing their seditious, pestilent, and false doctrines; praying for him
in the pulpit and making him a god; to the great deceit of our subjects,
bringing them into errours and evil opinions; more preferring the power,
laws, and jurisdiction of the said Bishop of Rome than the most holy
laws and precepts of Almighty God: We therefore, minding not only to
proceed for an unity and quietness among our said subjects, but also
greatly coveting and desiring them to be brought to a knowledge of the
mere verity and truth, and no longer to be seduced with any such