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. The popular history of England : an illustrated history of society and government from the earliest period to our own times . y, and the old contestbetween the Vice and the devil formed the chief subjects of some of the lives of sir Thomas More this anecdote is related: Thecardinal [Morton] often would make trial of his pregnant wit, especially atChristmas merriments, when, having plays for recreation, this youth wouldsuddenly step up amongst the players, and never sf jidying before upon thematter, make often a part of his own invention; which was so witty and sofull of jests, t
. The popular history of England : an illustrated history of society and government from the earliest period to our own times . y, and the old contestbetween the Vice and the devil formed the chief subjects of some of the lives of sir Thomas More this anecdote is related: Thecardinal [Morton] often would make trial of his pregnant wit, especially atChristmas merriments, when, having plays for recreation, this youth wouldsuddenly step up amongst the players, and never sf jidying before upon thematter, make often a part of his own invention; which was so witty and sofull of jests, that he alone made more sport and laughter than aU the players • Excerpta Historica, p. 125. + See Mr. Colliers Aniuils of the SUge, vol. i. p 8. 1 History of Auoiout Poetry. voL iii. p. 185. HENRYS PASSION FOR WEALTU. 237 besides. * We must not linger amidst these outward shows of a coiu-tlrlife, which, if we could look beneath the surface, was, in all likelihood, as dulland formal as the temper of the sovereign could render it. We find paymentsto minstrels, morice-dancera mummers fools, tumblers, bear-wards; and. Liidi, or Court (llarleian MS. 4379.) higher artists were not disregarded, for an Italian, a poet, the Blind-poet, and a Eymer of Scotland, come in for their rewards. But in thatpalace of Eichmond, which Henry raised up out of the ashes of the olderpalace of Shene, abided that evil spirit. Avarice, which Skelton presumed tosatirise, and to hand over to his principal personage to be tormented. Theridicule was somewhat bold, at a time when the king had discovered how hisvast income could be largely increased without asking parliament for annual revenue from the royal estates, and the properties which hadlapsed to the crown, were estimated at about one hundred and seventythousand pounds, of which forty thousand were derived from customs tHenry is, according to Bacon, reported to have died worth one million eighthundred thousand poun
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade188, bookpublisherlondon, bookyear1883