BOOKS.

STATE PAPERS RELATING TO ENGLISH HISTORY.* UPWARDS of twenty years have passed since William the Fourth appointed a Commission for " printing and publishing State Papers." It is fourteen years since we noticed the fourth and fifth volumes of the series, embracing part of the reign of Henry the Eighth, and treating of the affairs of Scotland and the Northern borders. The six quarto volumes now before us contain a selec- tion of correspondence relating to the foreign affairs of the same monarch's entire reign, extending-from 1509 to 1647 ; though the date on a titlepage commences with 1473, one document going back to Edward the Fourth and a 'few to Henry the Seventh. The number of papers is 1.474 ; and the six volumes extend to upwards of four thousand pages, exclusive of a " vocabulary," and two ela- borate indexes of persons and places, which wimpy nearly two hundred and fifty pages more. As regards skilful selection, careful editing, and -necessary in- formation in the form of notes, sufficient to smooth difficulties yet without any parade or overdoing, the editor has left little or nothing to desire. But we adhere to our former opinion, that the Commissioners have printed on far too large a scale for any useful purpose ; though a lavish outlay. is more justifiable on original papers relating to a turning-point • of modern history, when European politics and opinion received the impress which they retained till the close of the _last century, than on dry and limited documents chiefly interesting to antiquarians, and indeed from their language intelligible to no other persons. " A goose is an awkward bird—too much for one, and too little for two" : on the same principle, selections hardly suffice for an historian, while they are too much for the general student or reader. What has been wanting all along with our records is, that they should be well arranged and made (as they now in a. great degree are) readily accessible ; that legible copies (as is done with wills) should be -prepared for consultation, and that catalogues raisonnds should be published upon a system like the table of contents prefixed to each volume of the publication before in us, only on amoreamoreextended scale.

Date, persons, place, and the heads of the leading topics, are pre- sented at a glance n this painstaking digest. Nothing was re- quired but a fuller summary of heads, to render these tables indi- cative of what particular information an inquirer might want, and to convey a knowledge of the whole of the State Papers relating to Henry the Eighth's reign in a small compass.

Not that some of the papers should not be published, or that the question of the bibliopole, " will they pay ?" should be uppermost in the mind of a public commission. The scholarly attraction, however, should be thought of ; and that, we believe, will be found to consist in documents that throw &newer, a faller, or a stronger light on historical points of some importance, or exhibit personal

character, especially of eminent men, or bring out the manners of the age.

The volumes abound in these traits,—more, indeed, than might have been supposed : but were they much fuller than they are, who in these days can read six quarto volumes of original papers, and on one branch of policy three 'hundred years gone by P

The leading men of the reign of Henry the Eighth—those to whom the mind instinctively turns when the period is mentioned —are Harry himself, the Emperor Charles, Francis the First, Bourbon, Wolsey, Cromwell, More, the Popes, and a long array of Churchmen, several of whom were distinguished afterwards in times even yet more bloody than bluff Harry's—as Cranmer, Gar- dener, Bonner. The most striking events are the pageant of the Field of the Cloth of Gold, the divorce of Catherine of Aragon and its religious consequences, the King's subsequent matrimonial ad- ventures, and the wars between the Emperor andFranois the First, especially those in Italy which led to the captivity of the French Ring and Bourbon's sack of Rome. These historical topics are all touched upon in the diplomatic correspondence, and sometimes with great fulness and detail as regards personal traits and pictures of manners. The lesser topics extend all over Europe, embracing Denmark towards the North and Turkey towards the East ; and are often picturelike in their details.: The English is good, fre- quently strong and racy ; differing in structure and style very little from English of the present day, though some words are strange and the spelling is irregular. When there is anything like difficulty or obscurity, the fault is in the writer, not the tongue. It is out of our way to enter into any of the subjects for which these volumes furnish the means ; for each subject might be ex- panded into an historical treatise. All that our space will permit is to exhibit a few specimens of the matter and reading which they contain. Jane Seymour is supposed to have been the best- beloved of Henry the Eighth's wives ; but, notwithstanding her melancholy death in childbed with Edward the Sixth, the King, even in announcing his loss to the French Court, took steps towards replacing it. Cromwell writes as follows to Gardyner and

Lord William Howard at Paris.

"I shall in fewe wordes comprehends that God bathe sent unto us; that is, with our joye a notable displeasure and sorowe, if it may be called sorowe or displeasure that He woll permytt and suffre. Our Prince, our Lord be thanked, is in good health, and suckethe like a child of his puissance, whiche youe, my Lord William, canoe declare. Our Mastres, thoroughe the faulte of them that were about Her, .whiche Buffed Her to take greate cold and to eate thinges that her fantazie to syknes called for, is departed to God. The Kluges Majestes pleasure is, that you shal advertise the French° -King of

• State Papers published under the Authority of her Majesty's Commission. Vols. VI. to XI. Sing Henry the Eighth. this Her Graces departure, whom we be all bounde to remember, and pray for, having left unto us soo goodly a pledge as is our yong mister.

"And forasmoehe as, thoughe his Majestie is not any thing disposed to mart' again, albeit His Highness, God be thanked, takethe this chaunee as a man, that by reason with force overcommeth his affection, may take suche an extreme adventure; yet, as sundry of His Graces Counsail here have thought it mete for us to be most humble suters to His Molests to considre the state of his Realme, and to entre eftsones in to an other matrymonie in place for His Highnes satisfaction convenient ; soo his tendre zeale to us his aubgiettes bath already somoche overcome His Graces said disposition, and framed his mynde bothe to be indifferent to the thing, and to thelection of any person from any parte, that with deliberation shalbe thought mete for Men, that, as we lyve in hope that His Grace woll again couple Himself, to our comfortes; soo considering what personages in Christendom be mete for Him, amonges the rest there be two in Fraunce, that may be thought on, thone is the Frenche Binges doughter, whiche, as it is said, is not the metest, the other is Madame de Longeville, whom they say the King of Soottes dothe desire. Of whose conditions and qualities in every pointe His Majeste desireth you both, with all your dexterite and good meanes, to enquire ; and likewise m what pointe and termes the said King of Soottes standeth towardes either of them : whiche His Highness is soo desirous to knowe, His Graces desire their to be nevertheles in any wise kept secret to your selfes, that his pleasure is, that youe, my Lorde William, shal not returne, tyl you may lerne both howe the King of Scones standethe in his sute, and what the con- ditions andqualities of bothe personnes be. Whiehe knowen, in you may by any possible meanes attayn to the knowleage. of it, soo as at the return of you, my Lord William, you may wel declare it, His. Grace well that you, my Lord William, shall return according toyour instructions. In then- serching out of whiche metier His Majeste desirethe you bothe to exhibite that circumspection and diligence, that may answer to His Graces expecta- tion conceyved of you."

This marriage was a fertile subject for the Ambassadors at Paris and elsewhere. Hutton at Brussels complains of the task put upon him, but nevertheless sends a list of the beauties to Cromwell.

" Uppon the inept of your letters addressid unto me by this berrar, I have made as myche secret sherche as the tyme weld permyt. The which, albeit badbyn of lengar contenewance, I cold not perceve that anny sherche cold have found wone soo notable a personage, as were meit to be lykuyd to that noble Baynge. In the Court ther is wayttyng uppon the Queyn a lady of thage of 14 yerres, daughter unto the Lord of Breidrood, of a goodly statwre. She is notid varteos, aadde, and womanly ; hir beautie is compe- tent, hir mother is departid this world, who was daughter to the Cardynall of Luikes sister. It is thought that the said Cardinall weld give a good dote to have hir bestoid after his mynd. Ther is a widdowe, the wiche also re- payrithe offten to the Court, being of goodly personage. She was the wyffe of the late Yerle of Egmond, and, as I ame mffurmyd, she passithe fortie yeres of age, the wiche dothe not apart in my judgement by hir face. Ther is the Duches of Myllayn, [Milan, whom I have not seyn, but as it is re- portid to be a goodly personage and of excellent beawtie. The Dewke of Clevis bathe a daughter, but I here no great press neyther of hir personage nor beawtie. I have not myche exsperiens emonges ladies, and therfore this commission is to me very hard ; soo that, yf in anny thyng I offend, I beseche your Lordshipe to be my mean for pardon. I have wryttyn the treutbe, as night as I canna possible lerne, levyng the further judgment to other, ihat ar better skillid suche matters."

The Duchess of Milan, on her arrival, made a favourable im- pression on Hutton, and he thus reports-

" By Flounces the corror I sartiffied your Lordshipe that the Duches of Myllan was in the way hetherward, who arived here as ystarday, very ho- norably acompenyd aswell of hyr owen treyn as withe suche that departid frome hence to meit hyr. I ame inffurmyd she is of the age of 16 yeres, very highe of statwre for that age. She is higher then the Regent, a goodly personage of bodily, and compytent off beawtie, of favor excellent, sofft of speche, and very gentill in countenaunce. She werythe moomyng spud!. aftre the maner of Ytalie. By all that I cane lerne, the stay betwixt hyr and the Dewke Gillum off Ravist [eye], sone and eyre unto the Dewke of C/evie], is only for knowelege of thEmprors pleisur. The commune sayng 3S here, that she is bothe wedow [and] mayd. Wone of the Councell, whom I esteme my f[riend], told me that if the manage myght be treatid betwixt the Kynges Majeste and hir, and my Lady Mary His Grates daughter with the Dewke of ltavisteyn, that the aliaunce shuldbe very beniffisciall, bothe to the Kynges Highnes and to thEmpror, as to have the wholl Almeyn at ther commandmenttes. She resemblythe myehe wone Mystris Sheltun, that somtyme waytid in Court uppon Queyn Anne. She ussithe most to spek Frenche, albeit that as it is reportid she can Ytalian and High Almeyn."

In a communication to Wrosthesley, of the same date, he adds-

" Yf it were Godes plesur and the Kynges, I weld ther were some good aliance made betwixt His Highnes and thEmpror the wiche I doo esteme most commodios for the commune welthe of His sGraces Realme, and ther is non in theia parteis off parsonage, beawtie, and byrthe, lyke unto the

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Duches off Myllayn. She is not Boo pewre whyt, as was the late Qweyn, whole soal God pardon ; but she hathe a syngular good countenaunee, and when she chancesithe to smyl, ther aperithe two pittes in hir cheikes, and wone in hyr chyne, the wiche becommythe hyr right excellently well."

The reputation of the French for malting the best of any matter was as well known then as in later days. Cheyne, in writing to Wolsey, in 1522, giving the report of an affair in ftaly where the French claimed the day and all the merit, thus speaks-

" Morover they gyve a great prayse to their men of armes, and put greate blame in the Swyses, sayeng that, and they had don their part, as they did, there had not one escaped. Nevertheles the Swyses lost 3 of their chief capitayns ; which cowld not be if they had not one their part aswel as the Frenchmen : but who so ever do beat, they wol say always it is theymselfes. Please it your Grace they make as thowgh they were mervelows glad with then tydynges. Notwithstondyng I thinke verily the trowthe is contrary, and that they have lost more than they have won. Farther, and it were as they say, the Spanyardes cowld never a gotten into the towne of Myllayn, where as they be now, and al their ordynawnee with them, as the Seyngniowr Galias Vice Count told me."

Seventeen years after this, Bonner, writing to Cromwell, offers this opinion of French policy, while in the close he exhibits a little of his own-

" Yf on might goo by conjectures, they will fyrat bring the Bishopp of Rome in opinion that for his sake they have revoked ther Ambassadour out of England, not entendeng to sends any other thither, and also they will see how they can frame and cumpasse ther owns busmes with thEmperour. Craftye peple they ar, and for ther owns proffit and commodytye desyrouse to have with all the glorye and honor to, an other man bering the chardge. To rive connseill how they ar to be used in this case, it were a gret presumption m me ; but surely yet I thinke best neyther to use them to strangelye, ne yet to famyliarlye, but accordeng as they shall in effect by ther procedynges declare themself. And of trueth, by the small experience I have, they ar most indifferent and reasonable, when they ar used as they do ; and at this tyme they had nede to be used veray politiquely. But this me thinketh, I see, my good Lord, (which I beseche you I maye speake for discharge of myself, yf any thing hereafter do chaunce otherwise then well) that yf thiese men maye have ther desyres of thEmperour in any parte to ther conten- tation, is not to be loked, that we shall have by ther amytye and friend- shipp any thing to any gret purpose, and yet they will sucks away from us, by one wayes and other, asmuche as they can. I prays I be founde a lyer herein. And, my good Lorde, whatsomever I do write, I beseche you it maye be kepte secret from them ; yey, and reaported, that I make relation of them after a wonderouse favorable and loving sone, to keape my credence here. With your Lordshipp I must speke aft4 oon sort, and with theni after an-other sort." -

The terrible state to whioh Italy was reduced by the wars between the French and the Spaniards was never more distinctly painted than in a letter to the Xing from Carew and Sampson, written in 1529.

"It ia, Sire, the moost pitie to see this eontree, as we suppose, that ever was in Chrietyndom ; in some places nether horsmete nor mans mete to be found, the goodly townes destroyed and desolate. " Betwexte Vereeilles, belongyng to the Duke of Savoye, and Pavye, the space of 60 miles, the moost goodly contree for come and vynes that maye be seen, is so desolate, in all that weye we sawe oon man or woman laborers in the fylde, nor yett creatour storing, but in great villaiges 6 or 6 myserable personnes ; sawyng in all this waye we sawe thre women in oone place, gathering of grapis yett uppon the vynes, for there are nether vynes orderyd and kepte, nor come sawed in all that weye, nor personnes to gather the grapes that growith uppou the vynes, but the vynes growyth wyld, great contreys, and hangyng full of clusters of grapes. In this mydde waye is a towns, the which bath been oone of the goodly townes of Italye, callyd Vegeva -' there is a strong hold, the towne is all destroyed and in manner desolate. Pavye is in lyke manor, and great pitie ; the chyldryn kryeng abowt the streates for bred, and ye dying for hungre. They seye that ell the hole peuple of that contrey and dyvers other places in Italya, as the Pope also shewyd us, with many other, with wane famine and pestilence are utterly deadde and goone ; so that there is no hope many yeres that Italya ahalbe any thing well restored, for wante of people ; and this distruetion hath been as well by Frenche men as thEmperours, for they soy that Meng de Lautreyght destroyed muche where as he passyd."