Thomas Wolsey
Thomas Wolsey, Cardinal and Archbishop of York ( * 1475 in Ipswich; ? † November 28, 1530 in Leicester), was an English statesman and Roman Catholic cardinal. He held the office of the English Lord Chancellor and rose to for many years the most powerful man in England.
Life
Thomas was the son of Robert Wulcy of Ipswich (1438-1496) and Joan Daundy. His father was said to be a butcher by multiple sources, this information is not saved.
Wolsey studied at Magdalen College, Oxford theology. On May 10, 1498 he was replaced by John Blythe, Bishop of Salisbury, consecrated in St. Peter and Paul's Church Marlborough priest.
Since October 1500 rector of the church to Limington, Somerset, he was also chaplain of the Archbishop of Canterbury. When the archbishop died in 1503, Wolsey changed as chaplain to Sir Richard Nanfan, the governor of Calais. This sent him to King Henry VIII, who as ambassador to Emperor Maximilian sent him to Bruges in 1506 and 1507 Wolsey appointed to his own chaplain, possibly happened on the recommendation of Bishop Fox of Winchester. The king appointed him on February 2, 1509 does not apply only to the Dean of Lincoln, and before June 1509 as the Dean of Hereford, but also to his almoner and 1510 as a member of his Privy Council.
1510 he received his doctorate in theology and was this year also canon of the Chapter of Windsor.
After he had received in 1513 the diocese of Tournai, he was appointed on February 6, 1514 to the Bishop of Lincoln. On March 26, 1514, he was at Lambeth Palace, the consecration of a bishop, on 15 September this year, he was named Archbishop of York charged.
Pope Leo X. appointed Wolsey on 10 September 1515 Cardinal and gave him the titular church of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere. Already on December 24, 1515, he was appointed Lord Chancellor of England. As the Archbishop of Canterbury, hurt by the pride of the upstart, the Registrar office resigned, this Wolsey was transferred. Since this survey prompted the resignation of the remaining Crown Counsels, thus the entire government violence came into his hands. The crucial position that King Henry VIII in the struggles between Emperor Charles V and Francis I of France took, Wolsey used to his own advantage, as for the gain in power of the king.
Wolsey negotiated with the principle The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli according to a daily political power optimization. Francis I, he gave the bishopric of Tournai in 1516 for an annual pension of 12,000 livres. On behalf of Leo X. Wolsey initiated in 1518 the Treaty of London. To this end, the pope appointed him papal legate with very extensive powers (Latin legatus a latere ) and one years salary of 7,500 ducats. Already on July 30, 1518 he had also become administrator of the Diocese of Bath and Wells, which he remained until 1523.
In May 1520 Wolsey initiated a meeting of Henry VIII with Charles V in June 1520 Wolsey organized with much pomp a meeting of Francis I of France with Henry VIII on the Camp du Drap d'Or at Balinghem.
With Wolsey's power grew, his pride, his arrogance and he was able to demonstrate a powerful appearance in accordance with the ideal of the ruler of the Renaissance princes by Niccolò Machiavelli. He built his Apostolic Nunciature own Court, suppressed the clergy, united arbitrarily rich bishoprics Durham (26 March 1523) and Winchester (February 8, 1529) with the Archdiocese of York, attracted the Abbey of St Albans, a (1521 ) and crack many other benefices in itself. His income reached by almost those of the crown, and his costs exceeded the most kings.
After Wolsey had hesitated a long time between Francis I and Charles V. and was showered with favors from both sides, he finally decided in 1521 to the Emperor, who granted him a year full of money and prospects opened the papacy. He joined on 25 August and on 24 November with Charles an alliance and declared war on France. But as Karl neither Henry VIII French conquest policy supported even at twice the vacancy of the Holy See 's influence in the conclave for Wolsey argued completed this 1525 Peace with France and even declared 1528 the Emperor the war, which, however, already in 1529 by the Peace of Cambrai was terminated.
His enmity against Charles V. estranged him also with his aunt, Henry VIII's wife Catherine of Aragon; and to marry to his king with a French princess, he sought to separate its Spanish marriage. Even Henry wished to divorce, but to Anne Boleyn, his mistress to marry. Now when the Pope opposed the divorce difficulties, believed the King and Anne, to find the reason for this in Wolsey's intrigues. This was overthrown in October 1529 and had to leave to retire to his country house in Esher, Surrey his magnificent palace to London ( Palace of Whitehall ). Although the king had him in possession of the dioceses York and Winchester, but Parliament accused him of abuse of his ecclesiastical power and sentenced him to the loss of his goods and indefinite imprisonment.
Henry VIII pardoned him, but referred him to the archbishopric of York, where he set up residence in Castle Caywood. Indicted in November 1530 by a new high treason, he should be brought to London, but died on the way on 28th November in the Abbey Leicester. Here he found his grave.
In Shakespeare's play, Henry VIII, which is the case Wolsey, the Cardinal is placed in the mouth ( Act 3, Scene 2 ):
Wolsey loved the sciences and founded its own funds several colleges and educational institutions. In the course of his life he had several concubines. Are known Clansey Joan, Joan Larke, who bore him a daughter, and Dorthea Wynter, who bore him a son.
The image of Thomas Wolsey as greedy and power-hungry people is dominated by the characterization, in his Anglica Historia gives his contemporary Polydor Virgil, a humanistic representation of English history.