Parliament, when it met in 1529, reviewed the circumstances of the
expenditure, and finding it all such as the nation on the whole
approved, legalised the taxation by benevolences retrospectively:
and this is the whole mare's nest of the first payment of Henry's
debts; if, at least, any faith is to be put in the preamble of the
Act for the release of the King's Debts, 21 Hen. VIII. c. 24. 'The
King's loving subjects, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and
Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, calling to remembrance
the inestimable costs, charges, and expenses which the King's
Highness hath necessarily been compelled to support and sustain since
his assumption to his crown, estate, and dignity royal, as well for
the extinction of a right dangerous and damnable schism, sprung in
the Church, as for the modifying the insatiable and inordinate
ambition of them who, while aspiring to the monarchy of Christendom,
did put universal troubles and divisions in the same, intending, if
they might, not only to have subdued this realm, but also all the
rest, unto their power and subjection--for resistance whereof the
King's Highness was compelled to marvellous charges--both for the
supportation of sundry armies by sea and land, and also for divers
and manifold contribution on hand, to save and keep his own subjects
at home in rest and repose--which hath been so politically handled
that, when the most part of all Christian lands have been infested
with cruel wars, the great Head and Prince of the world (the Pope)
brought into captivity, cities and towns taken, spoiled, burnt, and
sacked--the King's said subjects in all this time, by the high
providence and politic means of his Grace, have been nevertheless
preserved, defended, and maintained from all these inconvenients,
etc.

'Considering, furthermore, that his Highness, in and about the