The Reign of Henry the Eighth Part 39

[575] "I pray you, in G.o.d's name, what did you, so great fathers, so many, so long season, so oft a.s.sembled together? What went you about? What would ye have brought to pa.s.s? Two things taken away--the one that ye (which I heard) burned a dead man,--the other, that ye (which I felt) went about to burn one being alive. Take away these two n.o.ble acts, and there is nothing else left that ye went about that I know," etc., etc.--Sermon preached before the Convocation: LATIMER'S _Sermons_, p. 46.

[576] "My affair had some bounds a.s.signed to it by him who sent for me up, but is now protracted by intricate and wily examinations, as if it would never find a period; while sometimes one person, sometimes another, ask me questions, without limit and without end."--Latimer to the Archbishop of Canterbury: _Remains_, p. 352.

[577] _Remains_, p. 222.

[578] _Sermons_, p. 294.

[579] The process lasted through January, February, and March.

[580] _Sermons_, p. 294.

[581] He subscribed all except two--one apparently on the power of the pope, the other I am unable to conjecture. Compare the Articles themselves--printed in LATIMER'S _Remains_, p. 466--with the Sermon before the Convocation.--_Sermons_, p. 46; and BURNET, vol. iii. p. 116.

[582] Nicholas Glossop to Cromwell: ELLIS, third series, vol. ii. p. 237.

[583] Where he was known among the English of the day as Master Frisky-all.

[584] See FOXE. vol. v. p. 392.

[585] Eustace Chappuys to Chancellor Granvelle: _MS. Archiv. Brussels: Pilgrim_, p. 106.

[586] See Cromwell's will in an appendix to this chapter. This doc.u.ment, lately found in the Rolls House, furnishes a clue at last to the connections of the Cromwell family.

[587] Are we to believe Foxe's story that Cromwell was with the Duke of Bourbon at the storming of Rome in May, 1527? See FOXE, vol. v. p. 365. He was with Wolsey in January, 1527. See ELLIS, third series, vol. ii. p. 117.

And he was again with him early in 1528. Is it likely that he was in Italy on such an occasion in the interval? Foxe speaks of it as one of the random exploits of Cromwell's youth, which is obviously untrue; and the natural impression which we gather is, that he was confusing the expedition of the Duke of Bourbon with some earlier campaign. On the other hand Foxe's authority was Cranmer, who was likely to know the truth; and it is not impossible that, in the critical state of Italian politics, the English government might have desired to have some confidential agent in the Duke of Bourbon's camp. Cromwell, with his knowledge of Italy and Italian, and his adventurous ability, was a likely man to have been sent on such an employment; and the story gains additional probability from another legend about him, that he once saved the life of Sir John Russell, in some secret affair at Bologna. See FOXE, vol. v. p. 367. Now, although Sir John Russell had been in Italy several times before (he was at the Battle of Pavia, and had been employed in various diplomatic missions), and Cromwell might thus have rendered him the service in question on an earlier occasion, yet he certainly was in the Papal States, on a most secret and dangerous mission, in the months preceding the capture of Rome. _State Papers_, vol. vi. p.

560, etc. The probabilities may pa.s.s for what they are worth till further discovery.

[588] A damp, unfurnished house belonging to Wolsey, where he was ordered to remain till the government had determined upon their course towards him.

See CAVENDISH.

[589] CAVENDISH, pp. 269-70.

[590] Ibid. p. 276.

[591] Chappuys says, that a quarrel with Sir John Wallop first introduced Cromwell to Henry. Cromwell, "not knowing how else to defend himself, contrived with presents and entreaties to obtain an audience of the king, whom he promised to make the richest sovereign that ever reigned in England."--Chappuys to Granvelle: _The Pilgrim_, p. 107.

[592] Or w.i.l.l.yams. The words are used indifferently.

[593] The clause enclosed between brackets is struck through.

[594] Struck through.

[595] Mary, widow of Louis of Hungary, sister of the emperor, and Regent of the Netherlands.

[596] She was much affected when the first intimation of the marriage reached her. "I am informed of a secret friend of mine," wrote Sir John Hacket, "that when the queen here had read the letters which she received of late out of England, the tears came to her eyes with very sad countenance. But indeed this day when I spake to her she showed me not such countenance, but told me that she was not well pleased.

"At her setting forward to ride at hunting, her Grace asked me if I had heard of late any tidings out of England. I told her Grace, as it is true, that I had none. She gave me a look as that she should marvel thereof, and said to me, 'Jay des nouvelles qui ne me semblent point trop bonnes,' and told me touching the King's Highness's marriage. To the which I answered her Grace and said, 'Madame, je ne me doute point syl est faict, et quand le veult prendre et entendre de bonne part et au sain chemyn, sans porter faveur parentelle que ung le trouvera tout lente et bien raysonnable par layde de Dieu et de bonne conscience.' Her Grace said to me again, 'Monsieur l'amba.s.sadeur, c'est Dieu qui le scait que je vouldroye que le tout allysse bien, mais ne scaye comment l'empereur et le roy mon frere entendront l'affaire car il touche a eulx tant que a moy.' I answered and said, 'Madame, il me semble estre a.s.suree que l'empereur et le roy vostre frere qui sont deux Prinssys tres prudens et sayges, quant ilz auront considere indifferentement tout l'affaire qu ilz ne le deveroyent prendre que de bonne part.' And hereunto her Grace made me answer, saying, 'Da quant de le prendre de bonne part ce la, ne sayge M.

l'amba.s.sadeur.'"--Hacket to the Duke of Norfolk: _State Papers_, vol. vii.

p. 452.

[597] _State Papers_, vol. vii. p. 457.

[598] Sir Gregory Ca.s.salis to the Duke of Norfolk. Ad pontificem accessi et mei sermonis illa summa fuit, vellet id praestare ut serenissimum regem nostrum certiorem facere possemus, in sua causa nihil innovatum iri. Hic ille, sicut solet, respondit, nescire se quo pacto possit Caesarianis obsistere,--_State Papers_, vol. vii. p. 461.

[599] Bennet to Henry: _State Papers_, vol. vii. p. 462.

[600] Ibid.

[601] Letter undated, but written about the middle of June: _State Papers_, vol. vii. p. 474

[602] Of the Archbishop of York, not of Canterbury: which provokes a question. Conjectures are of little value in history, but inasmuch as there must have been some grave reason for the subst.i.tution, a suggestion of a possible reason may not be wholly out of place. The appeal in itself was strictly legal; and it was of the highest importance to avoid any illegality of form. Cranmer, by transgressing the inhibition which Clement had issued in the winter, might be construed by the papal party to have virtually incurred the censures threatened, and an escape might thus have been furnished from the difficulty in which the appeal placed them.

[603] Publico ecclesiae judicio.

[604] RYMER, vol. vi. part 2, p. 188.

[605] The French king did write unto Cardinal Tournon (not, however, of his own will, but under pressure from the Duke of Norfolk), very instantly, that he should desire the pope, in the said French king's name, that his Holyness would not innovate anything against your Highness any wise till the congress: adding, withal, that if his Holyness, notwithstanding his said desire, would proceed, he could not less do, considering the great and indissoluble amity betwixt your Highnesses, notorious to all the world, but take and recognise such proceeding for a fresh injury.--Bennet to Henry VIII.: _State Papers_, vol. vii. p. 468.

[606] Ibid. p. 469.

[607] Ibid. p. 469.

[608] Ibid. p. 470.

[609] Ibid. p. 467, note, and p. 470.

[610] BURNET, vol. i. p. 221.

[611] We only desire and pray you to endeavour yourselves in the execution of that your charge--easting utterly away and banis.h.i.+ng from you such fear and timorousness, or rather despair, as by your said letters we perceive ye have conceived--reducing to your memories in the lieu and stead thereof, as a thing continually lying before your eyes and incessantly sounded in your ears, the justice of our cause, which cannot at length be shadowed, but shall s.h.i.+ne and shew itself to the confusion of our adversaries. And we having, as is said, truth for us, with the help and a.s.sistance of G.o.d, author of the same, shall at all times be able to maintain you.--Henry VIII. to Bonner: _State Papers_, vol. vii. p. 485.

[612] Bonner to Cromwell: Ibid. vol. vii. p. 481.

[613] The proclamation ordering that Catherine should be called not queen, but Princess Dowager.

[614] Catherine de Medici.

[615] Henry VIII. to the Duke of Norfolk: _State Papers_, vol. vii. p. 493.

[616] Sir John Racket, writing from Ghent on the 6th of September, describes as the general impression that the Pope's "trust was to a.s.sure his alliance on both sides." "He trusts to bring about that his Majesty the French king and he shall become and remain in good, fast, and sure alliance together; and so ensuring that they three (the Pope, Francis, and Charles V.) shall be able to reform and set good order in the rest of Christendom.

But whether his Unhappiness's--I mean his Holiness's--intention, is set for the welfare and utility of Christendom, or for his own insincerity and singular purpose, I remit that to G.o.d and to them that know more of the world than I do."--Hacket to Cromwell: _State Papers_, vol. vii. p. 506.

[617] John the Magnanimous, son of John the Steadfast, and nephew of the Elector Frederick, Luther's first protector.

[618] _State Papers_, vol. vii. pp. 499-501.

[619] Princeps Elector ducit se imparem ut Regiae Celsitudinis vel aliorum regum oratores ea lege in aula sua degerent; vereturque ne ob id apud Caesaream majestatem unic.u.m ejus Dominum et alios male audiret, possetque sinistre tale inst.i.tutum interpretari.--Reply of the Elector: _State Papers_, vol. vii. p. 503.

[620] Vaughan to Cromwell: _State Papers_, vol vii. p. 509.