Identifier: historyofgreatr00merl (find matches)
Title: History of the great reformation in Europe in the times of Luther and Calvin..
Year: 1870 (1870s)
Authors: Merle d'Aubigné, Jean Henri. (from old catalog)
Subjects:
Publisher: (n.p.)
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:
death of these two celebrated mencaused an immense sensation. In Englandevery one trembled. The enlightened menof the continent displayed more liberty andenergy in their execrations of horror.Even Francis I. and Charles V. joinedin condemnation. At Rome, in particu-lar, the anger was terrible. Paul III. wasdeeply angered, and prepared a bull ofanathema, of malediction, and of condem-nation against Henry and his States;but delayed its publication. Cromwellstrove to justify the king to the Vatican,by falsely accusing these good men of se-dition and conspiracy. The death of the late tutor and friendof the prince, was to be followed by ameasure less cruel but far more general.The pope, who treated kings so rudely,should not be surprised if kings treatedthe monks severely. Henry had been aclose witness of their lazy and often irreg-ular lives. One day, pretending to be lostin the forest of Windsor, he dined with adyspeptic abbot, whose over pamperedappetite rejected even dainty dishes. The
Text Appearing After Image:
BKHEADAL OF SIR THOMAS MORE. HISTORY OF THE REFORMATION. 991 incognito king dined so heartily on a sir-loin of beef that the admiring abbot said :liI would give a hundred pounds to eatwith as much appetite as you. Shortlyafter the abbot was placed in the Tower,and kept upon a diet.of bread and water.One day the king permitted him to eat anentire joint, and thereupon set him at lib-erty after the payment of the hundredpounds. The monks lived, generally, in idleness,gluttony, and licentiousness. The onlylaw they recognize, said Luther, is thatof the seven deadly sins. Their actswere scandalous ; but they must be noted.All classes despised them. The monkstried to maintain their power by uphold-ing the papacy, and exciting the peopleagainst the king. Cromwell urged Henryto abolish these hostile monasteries, andto make their wealth contribute to theprosperity of the nation. The debauch-eries of certain monks of Waltham Abbey,who were wont to spend the night with thenuns of Chesham Convent,

Note About Images