THE MEETING WITH TYNDALE.
THE sun was shining brightly one May morning on scattered groups of people gathered in the neighbourhood of York House to see the splendid cavalcade that would presently issue from its gates, for the great, but hated Cardinal, never went out but in almost royal state, and it might fairly be expected that to-day he would flaunt in the eyes of the people all those insignia of power which he knew so well how to use.
Whether the gaping crowds knew it or not, this was a notable day in the history of the English people. We are proud of our Cressy and Agincourt, but we have much more reason to be proud and thankful for the battle of this May-day. For eight years no parliament had been assembled; Wolsey hated parliaments, and saw in them the one real danger to the despotism which he and the King had settled should be fastened on the necks of the people. To secure this, Wolsey had done all he could to foster a policy of peace with other nations, but his own scheming had, against his will and wish, driven the King into war with France, and now money was wanted to carry it on.
He had tried another expedient the previous year to supply the deficiency, and, when Miles first took up the duties of his office, he found his work consisted for the most part in writing letters and answering protests from the different Commissioners, who had been sent into the different counties to assess the value of estates for the purpose of levying a forced loan to pay the cost of the French War.
Miles thought of his own home, and the deserted village and scattered tenants, and wondered how it would be possible to raise such a sum as the Cardinal demanded, in the present condition of the country.
Twenty thousand pounds had been exacted from London and its wealthier citizens, but the forced tax on the land had been a failure; and the Parliament had been summoned, not for the redress of grievances, but to supply the King with money for his costly little war.
In his capacity of Chancellor, Wolsey was going to meet the Commons, whom he so heartily despised, and it might be expected that he would go with a princely retinue; and so the villagers of Charing, a few citizens from London, and some from Westminster had come out to see the show.
In gorgeous robes of scarlet velvet and silk embroidery, emblazoned with jewels of priceless value, the Chancellor rode on a milk-white horse, whose trappings were as costly as his master's dress.
Two grooms in elegant livery led the horse; and the Chancellor was followed by half-a-dozen secretaries to write down whatever passed at the meeting; and these were followed by several hundred Knights and Noblemen, that these common people might see how he was supported by the Nobles of the land.
But whatever impression this display may have made on the assembled crowd was not evident, for they gazed in stolid silence on the splendour displayed before them—or they may have thought that a man possessed of such boundless wealth as Wolsey, could surely help the King out of his own fat revenue, without asking more taxes to be levied on poor people.