Сн. 6. Cromwells shire, dies early. Cromwell, the malleus monachorum, was of His father, good English family, belonging to the Cromwells one of the of Lincolnshire. One of these, probably a of Lincoln- younger brother, moved up to London and conducted an ironfoundry, or other business of that description, at Putney. He married a lady of respectable connexions, of whom we know only that she was sister of the wife of a gentleman in Derbyshire, but whose name does not appear. His mother The old Cromwell dying early, the widow was and her son re-married to a cloth-merchant named Williams; becomes a and the child of the first husband, who made himself so great a name in English story, met with the reputed fortune of a stepson, and became a vagabond in the wide world. The chart of his course wholly fails us. One day in later life he shook by the hand an old bell-ringer at Sion House before a crowd of courtiers, and told them that this man's father had given him many a re-marries, vagabond. of his journey to Rome. Wild story dinner in his necessities.' And a strange random account is given by Foxe of his having joined a party in an expedition to Rome to obtain a renewal from the pope of certain immunities and indulgences for the town of Boston; a story which derives some kind of credibility from its connexion with Lincolnshire, but is full of incoherence and unlikelihood. At length we catch for a moment an accurate sight of him. In the His Italian autumn of 1515 a ragged stripling appeared at the door of Frescobaldi's banking-house in Flo wander ings. *Nicholas Glossop to Cromwell: ELLIS, third series, vol. ii. P. 237. banker. rence, begging for help. Frescobaldi had an CH. 6. establishment in London,* with a large con- The Flonexion there; and seeing an English face, and rentine seemingly an honest one, he asked the boy who and what he was. 'I am, sir,' quoth he, 'of England, and my name is Thomas Cromwell; my father is a poor man, and by occupation a clothshearer; I am strayed from my country, and am now come into Italy with the camp of Frenchmen that were overthrown at Garigliano, where I was page to a footman, carrying after him his pike and burganet.' Something in the boy's manner attracted the banker's interest; he took him into his house, and after keeping him there as long as he desired to stay, he gave him a horse and sixteen ducats to help him home to England.† If this story is true, the future minister must have had a rough training; and in the midst of it this noticeable fact further shows itself, that he knew by heart Erasmus's translation of the New Testament. After his return from Florence he found employment in the household of the Marchioness of Dorset in some uncongenial capacity;§ and at length found his way into the * Where he was known among the English of the day as Master Friskyball. The story is told by the novelist, Bandello; but, as a fact, it would seem, and not to appearance embellished. See FOXE, vol. v. p. 392. A fact which qualifies Reginald Pole's accusation of Machiavellism against Cromwell. He says, Cromwell told him to read § The Marchioness of Dorset A.D. 1525. his way into the service of Wolsey. CH. 6. general asylum of ability in want of employment, the service of Wolsey. Here he made rapid progress. Wolsey soon discovered the nature of the man with whom he was dealing, and in 1525 employed him in the most important work of visiting and breaking up the small monasteries, which the pope had granted for the foundation of the new colleges. He was engaged with this business for two years, and was so efficient that he obtained an unpleasant notoriety, and complaints of his conduct found their way to the king. Nothing came of these complaints, however, and Cromwell remained in Wolsey's service till the cardinal fell.* the Cromwell Correspondence in *Are we to believe Foxe's viously untrue; and the natural impression which we gather is, that he was confusing the expedition of the Duke of Bourbon with some earlier campaign. On the other hand, Foxe's authority was Cranmer, who was likely to know the truth; and it is not impossible that, in the critical state of Italian politics, the English government might have desired to have some confidential agent in the Duke of Bourbon's camp. Cromwell, with his knowledge of Italy and Italian, and his adventurous ability, was a likely man to have been sent on such an employment; and the story gains additional probability from another legend about him, that he once saved the life of Sir John Russell, in some secret affair at Bologna. See FoxE, vol. v. p. 367. Now, although Sir John Russell had been in Italy several times before (he * A.D. 1531-2 noble con Wolsey's It was then that the truly noble nature which Cн. 6. was in him showed itself. He accompanied his master through his dreary confinement at Esher, Cromwell's doing all that man could do to soften the out- duct on ward wretchedness of it; and at the meeting of fall. parliament, in which he obtained a seat, he rendered him a still more gallant service. The Lords had passed a bill of impeachment against Wolsey, violent, vindictive, and malevolent. It was to be submitted to the Commons, and Cromwell prepared to attempt an opposition. Cavendish has left a most characteristic description of his leaving Esher at this trying time. A cheer- Scene at less November evening was closing in with rain and storm. Wolsey was broken down with sorrow and sickness; and had been unusually tried by parting with his retinue, whom he had sent home, as unwilling to keep them attached any longer to his fallen fortunes. When they were all gone, 'My lord,' says Cavendish, 'returned to his chamber, lamenting the departure of his servants, making his moan unto Master Cromwell, Cromwell's who comforted him the best he could, and desired saying, my lord to give him leave to go to London, where that he he would either make or mar before he came either was at the Battle of Pavia, and had been employed in various diplomatic missions), and Cromwell might thus have rendered him the service in question on an earlier occasion, yet he certainly was in the Papal States, on a most secret and dangerous mission, in the months preceding the capture of Rome. State Papers, vol. vi. p. 560, &c. *A damp, unfurnished house Esher. common would make or mar. A. D. 1531-2 CH. 6. again, which was always his common saying. Then after long communication with my lord in secret, he departed, and took his horse and rode to London; at whose departing I was by, whom he bade farewell, and said, ye shall hear shortly of me, and if I speed well I will not fail to be here again within these two days.'* He did speed well. After two days he came again with a much pleasanter countenance, and meeting with me before he came to my lord, said unto me, that he had adventured to put in his foot where he trusted shortly to be better regarded or all were He defeats done.' He had stopped the progress of the imtempted peachment in the Lower House, and was answering the articles one by one. In the evening he Wolsey in rode down to Esher for instructions. In the morning he was again at his place in Parliament; and he conducted the defence so skilfully, that finally he threw out the bill, saved Wolsey, and himself 'grew into such estimation in every man's opinion, for his honest behaviour in his master's cause, that he was esteemed the most faithfullest servant, [and] was of all men greatly commended.'+ the at impeach ment of the House of Com mons, And passes into the service of the king. Henry admired his chivalry, and perhaps his talent. The loss of Wolsey had left him without any very able men, unless we may consider Sir Thomas More such, upon his council, and he could not calculate on More for support in his anti-Roman policy; he was glad, therefore, to avail himself of the service of a man who had * CAVENDISH, PP. 269-70. + Ibid. p. 276. |