During the twelve months to which we refer, considerable progress had been made with the Reformation, and strong coercive measures put in force against the Romanists. Great opposition was made to these changes by Bishops Gardiner, Bonner, and Tunstal, and the Princess Mary declared herself strenuously against them, but Cranmer proceeded zealously in his task, being aided by Doctor Ridley, who was now made Bishop of Rochester, and by Doctor Hugh Latimer, who had resigned the bishopric of Worcester during the late reign because he would not sign the obnoxious statute of the Six Articles, but who had lately been called from his retirement.
A general visitation of the churches throughout England was commanded by the king. A book of homilies was compiled, and placed in the hands of every minister. The paraphrase of the New Testament by Erasmus was translated and appointed for use. All images, statues, and ornaments profaned by superstitious rites were ordered to be removed; the Holy Scriptures were enjoined to be read only in English; and efforts were made to render the lives of the clergy more exemplary. The terrible statute of the Six Articles, passed by the late king, was repealed. Many old superstitious rites were abolished. An order of the council was procured by Cranmer against the carrying of candles on Candlemas-day, of ashes on Ash Wednesday, and palms on Palm Sunday. The whole church service was appointed to be in the vulgar tongue, and the Liturgy was compiled. Notwithstanding all this, a good deal of discontent prevailed throughout the country, and insurrections were threatened in several counties.
Bonner and Tunstal found it necessary to conform; but Gardiner, who was made of more stubborn material, resisted, and was first of all imprisoned in the Fleet, and subsequently in the Tower. After a long confinement, however, he was liberated, but threatened with the deprivation of his bishopric if he continued contumacious. Two other recusant prelates were sent to the Tower,—Heath, Bishop of Worcester, and Day, Bishop of Chichester.
During this time, as may be supposed, the pious young king had devoted himself sedulously to the work of religious reform, and leaving secular matters altogether to his uncle the lord protector, passed his time chiefly in conferences with Cranmer, in listening to the homilies of Ridley and Latimer, and other zealous Protestant divines, and in devising means to free his dominions utterly from the errors of Popery, and the establishment of pure doctrines in their stead.
Edward had now been nearly two years upon the throne, and during that space, through his instrumentality, much good had been accomplished. Though the war with Scotland was still carried on in a desultory manner, the great bone of contention had been withdrawn by the removal of the young Queen of Scots to France, where she was subsequently betrothed to the dauphin, François de Valois. This latter circumstance was satisfactory to Edward, as it left him free to make his own choice of a consort.
And here we may mention that his attachment to the Lady Jane Grey continued undiminished. Never was he so happy as in her society. He frequently consulted her on measures of religious reform, and always found her counsel wise and good. The marked preference exhibited by his royal nephew for the Lady Jane could not escape the penetration of the lord protector; but though he had formerly been averse to the possibility of such an alliance, he now seemed to view it with more favor, and it began to be whispered that ere long the young king would be contracted to the Lady Jane Grey. But this event never occurred.
Not for a moment during the twelve months to which we have adverted had the admiral abandoned his secret designs, though forced to defer their execution. All his plans were systematically carried on. Through the agency of Sharington and of the pirates whom he employed, he hesitated not to defraud the government to an immense extent, and in this unscrupulous manner possessed himself of large sums. He turned his office to the same account; took bribes, and extorted money on various pretences. All wrecks that fell into his hands helped to enrich his own coffers. Though complaints for these wrongs were frequently made, such were his craft and audacity that redress could never be obtained. Several of the gentlemen and grooms of the privy-chamber were in his pay, and regularly reported to him what passed in the royal presence. Already, as we have seen, he had a vast number of retainers, but he was constantly adding to them, and always sought to have young gentlemen of good family for his esquires. By every means in his power he strove to ingratiate himself with the old nobility, and secretly sided with all those who were disaffected towards the lord protector or jealous of his power. But it was chiefly in the country that he sought to extend his influence. Contriving to get an extraordinary number of lordships into his hands, he appointed stewards to them who were in his interest, and whose business it was to strengthen his party. By these and like means were the ramifications of the gigantic conspiracy he was hatching extended. He could now fairly estimate his adherents at ten thousand men, but in the event of a rising, he felt sure he should be able to muster double or treble that number. With this design, he counselled all the discontented nobles to retire to their country residences, and there strengthen themselves as much as possible, holding themselves in readiness for any emergency. The manner of his proceeding will be best exemplified by relating a discourse which he had with the Marquis of Dorset previous to the departure of the latter for Bradgate in Leicestershire.