Henry VII

(Tudor), son of Edmund, Earl of Richmond, and of Margaret, of the house of Lancaster, born in 1456. By the a istance of the Duke of Britt any, he landed in Wales with some troops, and laid claim to the crown in 1485. The people, disgusted at the cruelties of Richard III., joined him in such numbers that he was enabled to give the usurper battle at Bosworth Field, where Richard was slain, and Henry crowned on the spot. He united the houses of York and Lan easter by marrying Elizabeth, daughter of Edward IV. Henry reigned 24 years, and greatly increased trade and commerce; but his avarice was exce ive. He died in 1509. Henry VIIL., born in 1491; succeeded his father, Henry VII., at the. _age of 19. The first years of his reign ‘were auspicious owing to his generos-,ity; but at length his conduct grew capricious and arbitrary. The Eman Maximilian and Pope Julius IL., aving leagued against France, persuaded Henry to join them, and he, in consequence, invaded that cages, where he made some on bout the same time, James [V., King of Scotland, invaded England, but was defeated and slain at Flodden Field. Cardinal Wolsey succeeded in bringing Henry over from the imperial interests to those of the French king. When Luther commenced his reformation in Germany, Henry wrote a book against him, fer which he was complimented by the bags with the title of “* Defender of the Faith.” But this attachment to the Roman see did not last long; for, having conceived an affection for Anne Boleyn, he determined to divorce his wife, Catharine of any to whom he had been married 18 years. His plea for the divorce was that Catharine was his brother Arthur’s widow. The divorce being refused by the Pope, Henry a umed the title of Supreme Head of the English Church, put down the monasteries, and alienated their po e ions to secular purposes. His marriage with Anne Boleyn followed; but he afterward sent her to the scaffold, and married Lady Jane Seymour, who died in childbed. He next married Anne of Cleves; but she not proving agreeable to his expectations, he put her away, and caused Cromwell, Earl of E ex, the projector of the match, to be beheaded. His next wife was Catharine Howard, who was beheaded for adultery; after which he espoused Catharine Parr, who survived him. He was a man of strong Lge and considerable learning. he historian Froude has vindicated his memory in many respects. He died in 1547. —~ Iv. (eae). called The Great, King of France and Navarre; born in 1558 in Pau, in Bearn. In 1589, on the a a ination of Henry III., Henry of Navarre succeeded to: the throne. He had previously braced the Protestant faith, but aftet a protracted and obstinate struggle, convinced that he should never enjof quiet po e ion of the French throne, without profe ing the Catholic faith, Henry at length yielded to the wishes of his friends, was instructed in the doctrines of the Roman Church, and profe ed the Catholic faith, July 25, 1593, in the Church of St. Denis. He happily escaped an attempt to a a inate him; was solemnly anointed king at Chart res in 1594; and entered the capital amid the acclamations of the people. Henry made use of the tranquillity which followed to restore the internal prosperity of his kingdom, and particularly the wasted finances; and in this design he was highly succe ful, with the aid of his prime minister, Sully.