s. _Henry Imperial_ was the name of
the ship in which his admiral hoisted his flag in 1513, and "Imperial"
was the name given to one of his favourite games. But, as his reign
wore on, the word was translated into action, and received a more
definite meaning. To mark his claim to supreme dignity, he assumed the
style of "His Majesty" instead of that of "His Grace," which he had
hitherto shared with mere dukes and archbishops; and possibly "His
Majesty" banished "His Grace" from Henry's mind no less than it did
from his title. The story of his life is one of consistent, and more
or less orderly, evolution. For many years he had been kept in
leading-strings by Wolsey's and other clerical influences. The first
step in his self-assertion was to emancipate himself from this
control, and to vindicate his authority within the precincts of his
Court. His next was to establish his personal supremacy over Church
and State in England; this was the work of the Reformation Parliament
between 1529 and 1536. The final stage in the evolution was to (p. 364)
make his rule more effective in the outlying parts of England, on
the borders of Scotland, in Wales and its Marches, and then to extend
it over the rest of the British Isles.

The initial steps in the process of expanding the sphere of royal
authority had already been taken. The condition of Wales exercised the
mind of King and Parliament, even in the throes of the struggle with
Rome.[1013] The "manifold robberies, murders, thefts, trespasses,
riots, routs, embraceries, maintenances, oppressions, ruptures of the
peace, and many other malefacts, which be there daily practised,
perpetrated, committed and done," obviously demanded prompt and swift
redress, unless the redundant eloquence of parliamentary statutes
protested too much; and, in 1534, several acts were passed restraining
local jurisdictions, and extending the authority of the President and
Council of the Marches.[1014] Chapuys declared that the effect of
these acts was to rob the Welsh of their freedom, and he thought that
the probable discontent might be turned to account by stirring an
insurrection in favour of Catherine of Aragon and of the Catholic
faith.[1015] If, however, there was discontent, it did not make (p. 365)
itself effectively felt, and, in 1536, Henry proceeded to complete the
union of England and Wales. First, he adapted to Wales the institution
of justices of the peace, which had proved the most effi