Page:Public School History of England and Canada (1892).djvu/78

 were repealed, so also were the laws of Henry VIII. against Protestants. Priests were allowed to marry, churches were despoiled of their lands to satisfy the greed of the nobles, and Acts of Uniformity were passed to force everybody to accept the new form of worship. Most important of all was the drawing up of a “Book of Common Prayer,” which stated what the people were to believe, and how they were to worship. With a few slight changes the doctrines and ritual of the English Church of to-day are the same as those prescribed in the days of Cranmer and Edward VI.

2. Popular Discontent.—These changes were made before the people were prepared to receive them. In London and some of the large towns there were many Protestants; but, in the country districts, while many did not wish to have the Pope interfere in the affairs of England, the people wished the old Church services and the old religion to remain unchanged. So Somerset and Cranmer in their zeal made the people dissatisfied, and this discontent was increased by the laws allowing landowners to take the common lands from the poor, and by the want of employment due to changes (already explained) in the method of farming, To these causes must be added the greed for plunder and for Church lands of Somerset and his friends. Somerset began to build a great palace in London, and to make room for it had to pull down churches and houses. The money for this mansion was really taken from the people. Then, we find that in Henry VIII.’s reign the practice was.begun of debasing the public coin, that is, more base metal was put into the silver coin than should be there. By this means the poor were cheated out of their earnings, and the public treasury was filled at their expense. All these evils led to risings in different parts of the country, the most serious of which was one under Ket, a tanner, in Norfolk. With 20,000 men, Ket defeated the King’s troops, and asked for a removal of the evils from which the people suffered. Somerset felt for the oppressed and did not like to use harsh means against the rebels; and so it fell to Lord Warwick to crush the rebellion by hired troops from Germany. Somerset’s weakness and his love of power led to his downfall. Warwick was ambitious, and he induced the Council to force Somerset to resign the Protectorship. But Warwick was afraid that Somerset might recover his lost anthority, and