Francis I. (b. 1494, d. 1547), King of France, was taken prisoner at the battle of Pavia, and confined at Madrid, Spain, nearly a year. Austerlitz.—See Note on p. 150.
Lafayette (b. 1757, d. 1834), a French marquis, who served as major general in the Revolutionary War in America, which terminated in 1783. Lafayette revisited this country in 1824, and was received throughout the land with the greatest enthusiasm.
Robert Raikes (b. 1735, d. 1811), an English printer and philanthropist, noted as the founder of Sunday schools.
Howard, John (b. 1726, d. 1790), a celebrated English philanthropist, who spent much of his life in the endeavor to reform the condition of prisons in Europe.
XXXIX. FALL OF CARDINAL WOLSEY. (167)
Wolsey. Farewell! a long farewell, to all my
greatness!
This
is the state of man: to-day he puts forth
The
tender leaves of hopes; to-morrow blossoms,
And
bears his blushing honors thick upon him;
The
third day comes a frost, a killing frost,
And,
when he thinks, good, easy man, full surely
His
greatness is a-ripening, nips his root,
And
then he falls, as I do. I have ventured,
Like
little, wanton boys that swim on bladders,
This
many summers in a sea of glory,
But
far beyond my depth: my high-blown pride
At
length broke under me, and now has left me,
Weary
and old with service, to the mercy
Of
a rude stream, that must forever hide me.
Vain
pomp and glory of this world, I hate ye:
I
feel my heart new open’d. Oh, how wretched
Is
that poor man that hangs on princes’ favors!
There
is, betwixt that smile we would aspire to,
That
sweet aspect of princes, and their ruin,
More
pangs and fears than wars or women have:
And
when he falls, he falls like Lucifer,
Never
to hope again.
Enter Cromwell, and stands amazed.
Why, how now, Cromwell!
Crom. I have no power to speak, sir.
Wol. What, amazed
At my misfortunes?
Can thy spirit wonder,
A great man should
decline? Nay, an you weep,
I am fall’n
indeed.
Crom. How does your grace?
Wol. Why,
well;
Never so truly
happy, my good Cromwell.
I know myself
now; and I fed within me
A peace above
all earthly dignities,
A still and quiet
conscience. The king has cured me,
I humbly thank
his grace; and from these shoulders,
These ruin’d
pillars, out of pity, taken
A load would sink
a navy!—too much honor:
Oh, ’t is
a burthen, Cromwell, ’tis a burthen,
Too heavy for
a man that hopes for heaven!