commonly ascribed to the cardinal's counsels, who, trusting to the
protection afforded him by his ecclesiastical character, was the less
scrupulous in his encroachment on the civil rights of the nation.

* See note E, at the end of the volume.

** Speed. Hall. Herbert.

That ambitious prelate received this year a new disappointment in his
aspiring views. The pope, Adrian VI., died; and Clement VII., of the
family of Medicis, was elected in his place, by the concurrence of
the imperial party. Wolsey could not perceive the insincerity of the
emperor, and he concluded that that prince would never second his
pretensions to the papal chair. As he highly resented this injury, he
began thenceforth to estrange himself from the imperial court, and
to pave the way for a union between his master and the French king.
Meanwhile he concealed his disgust; and after congratulating the new
pope on his promotion, applied for a continuation of the legatine powers
which the two former popes had conferred upon him. Clement, knowing the
importance of gaining his friendship, granted him a commission for life;
and, by this unusual concession, he in a manner transferred to him the
whole papal authority in England. In some particulars Wolsey made a good
use of this extensive power. He erected two colleges, one at Oxford,
another at Ipswich, the place of his nativity: he sought all over Europe
for learned men to supply the chairs of these colleges; and in order to
bestow endowments on them, he suppressed some smaller monasteries, and
distributed the monks into other convents. The execution of this project
became the less difficult for him, because the Romish church began
to perceive, that she overabounded in monks, and that she wanted some
supply of learning, in order to oppose the inquisitive, or rather
disputative humor of the reformers.

The confederacy against France seemed more formidable than ever, on
the opening of the campaign.[*] Adrian before his death had renewed the
league with Charles and Henry. The Venetians had been induced to desert
the French alliance, and to form engagements for securing Francis
Sforza, brother to Maximilian, in possession of the Milanese. The
Florentines, the dukes of Ferrara and Mantua, and all the powers of
Italy, combined in the same measure. The emperor in person menaced
France with a powerful invasion on the side of Guienne: the forces of
England and the Netherlands hovered over Picardy: a nu