Essay on Career and Achievements of Wolsey

Wolsey is one among those illustrious men in history who blossomed cut of dust and rose in to glory and the highest pinnacle of celebrity by dint of their merit, ability and resourcefulness. Born at I. P. Switch in 1471 in a well to do bin not in an aristocratic family he could play an eventful role in English history.

His father was a more grazer. He received education at the Grammar School of his native I. P. Switch and then at Magdallen College, Oxford. He took his degree when he was hardly a boy of fifteen.

Soon he attracted the notice of Henery VIII who absorbed him in royal service. His energy and efficiency led him from promotion to pi motion. He was one of the leaders of the group of Councilors that advised and assisted the king in his work. But soon he cast them all into the shade and raised him self to supreme power.

In 1514 he was rewarded with the bishopric of Lincoln and then the archbishopric of York. In 1515 he held the appointment of Chancellor and then that of the cardinal. For next fifteen years he remained as Chief Minister of Henry VIII, and this highest rank he held unchallenged during his rule Ambitious to the core he cold hardly remain satisfied even with the highest rank.

He wished to become Pope himself. He exercised so much influence on his royal master that it was then said ordinal ruled and Henry watched.

The Venetian Ambassador referring to Wolsey’s Position in England wrote, “He is in great repute, seven times more so than if he was a Pope. He is the person who rules both the king and the entire kingdom “.

Thus, by 1518 Wolseylay stood, after Henry, as the most powerful man in the kingdom, the Head of the Kings, Govern­ment head of the Church of England and the personal representative of the Pope of Rome. It was a position which no man could have attained unless he was endowed with consummate abilities and skill.

Wolselay’s Achievements:

The achievements of Wolseylay at home and abroad. At home Wolseylay’s administration was one of much promise but little performance. He first wanted the king to, exercise the royal power, independent of the Parliament, as he bad no trust in it. So he summoned Parliament only when it was absolutely necessary.

To feed the king’s treasury with adequate funds; he collected forced loans which he called amicable loan. He further levied arbitrary taxes.

If Wolselay was high handed in certain matters he contri­buted no less to the restoration of law and order in England He used to preside over the councilors who met as judges in the court of Star Chamber.

Under him, it became a famous court which showed no mercy to wrongdoers, however rich and powerful they might be. This made him popular among the men but there were many wealthy persons and proud nobles men hated him and counted his fall.

Wolsely further realised the fact that bad condition of the church was due to low standard of life and education required of a clergy. So he encouraged their education. He founded a Grammar school in his native town and at Oxford he built an imposing college to be known as cardinal college. But on the whole he was not a genuine reformer.

Wolselay’s Foreign Policy:

The outstanding achievements of Wolselay lay in his foreign policy but for which he would have sunk into insignifi­cance like many ministers in English history.

Wolselay was determined to strike a name in Europe and he wished that the voice of England would mean the voice of Europe. To translate his determination into practice he wanted to preserve a balance of power among the significant powers of Europe.

Hence came from his ingenious brain the doctrine of the Balance of power which he applied as key to his policy in foreign affairs. This balance he tried to maintain between the two great powers-France and Spain. He realised the fact that- if either of those would overcome the other, it would be lord Paramount of Europe and little England’s position would sink into insignificance.

He largely succeeded in keeping this balance with a minimum expense to English blood and treasure. He further argued that in the game of .politics neutrality was impossible and therefore he concluded alliances sometime with one and sometime with another according to his advantages.

The masterly application of .this policy has been discussed in good length under the foreign policy of Henry VIII. The double victory of England in 1513 over France at the battle of spurs and over the scots at Flodden, with drawing England from Holy League, Consummating the marriage of Louis XIII with Mary with drawing Henry’s candidature for the throne of motherlands, simultaneous accomplishment of negotiations with the composing powers, France and Spain, amply illustrate the
outstanding success which he schieved during his long rule.

Thus, through his Foreign Policy Wolslay pleased the master, dazzled his countrymen and puzzled Europe. But all that he died lasted for a while.

The long rule of Wolselay came nearer to its close. He had faithfully served the king but gratitude was not one of Henry VIII’s virtues. The king got tired of him.

He wanted now to be a ruler in name as well as in fact. Like the king all his subjects became sick of Woelselay. He became unpopular among the poor for his arbitrary taxation and among the rich for his pride and arrogance. The nobles could never forgive Wolsey, the son of a grazier, leading the life of a king.

Speaking of his opposition, Erasmus said, “He was feared by all, he was loved by few, I may say by nobody” To add to his misfortune, his failure to obtain the divorce from the Pope of Rome sealed his doom.

The king dismissed him in 1529. Not a solitary soul protested against the dismissal. Then he died in 1530, regretting his wasted years ago royal service. “If I had served God as diligently as I have done the king, he would not have given me over in my grey hairs.

Henry quickly made amends for the colossal blunders, which Wolselay committed in his closing years, by his religious policy.