The refusal of More and Fisher to acknowledge the royal supremacy may show that they were Catholics first and Englishmen afterwards, without impugning their personal integrity, or justifying the malice of Thomas Cromwell.

To judge Henry as if he were a constitutional king with a secure title, in no more danger from Catholics than Louis XIV was from Huguenots, is doubtless preposterous.

If the Catholics had got the upper hand, they would have deposed him, and put him to death.

In that fell strife of mighty opposites the voice of toleration was not raised, and would not have been heard.

Tyrant as he was himself, Henry in his battle against Rome did represent the English people, and his cause was theirs.