Chapter VII

VISITATION OF THE MONASTERIES: THEIR SCANDALS AND SUPPRESSION. (SEPTEMBER 1535 TO 1536.)

State of the Monasteries—Gluttonous Living—General Disgust—Cranmer's Advice to the King—Children of Darkness caught in a Net—General Visitation ordered—The Laity reappear—The Commissioners—The Universities—Cranmer on Rome—The Visitation begins—Corruption of Morals in the Monasteries—Immorality in the Abbey of Langdon—Robberies, Debaucheries, Frauds—The Holy Bottle at Hales—The Fraud at Boxley—Coining False Money—Cruelties—The Visitors besieged at Norton—The Nunneries—Apologists and Detractors—Many Monks and Nuns set free—Report of the Commissioners—Deliberations of the Council—Effect of the Report upon Parliament—Three hundred and seventy-six Monasteries abolished—Real Religious Houses—Latimer and Cranmer—Covetousness of the Nobility—Bad use of the Conventual Property—Testimony of the Monks—The Measure accomplished—Terror and Despair—New Institutions—National Prosperity—Social and Political Developments—Transformation of Society 78

CHAPTER VIII. UNION OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND WITH THE PROTESTANTS OF GERMANY. (1534 TO 1535.)

Henry VIII. makes advances to Melanchthon—The Reformer rejects them—Luther and the Elector incline to Henry—The Errors of Intolerance—A New English Embassy to Germany—The Alliance is signed—Cranmer saves Mary—Conference with Catherine—Catherine's Firmness, Asceticism, and Illness—Preparations of Charles V. against England—Catherine's Will, her Farewell, and Death—Anne Boleyn's Feelings on hearing of her Death—England and Germany seek to unite—Theological Discussion at Wittemberg—Will Luther concede anything?—A Master and Slaves at the Court of England 105