and ratified in the most solemn manner by his predecessor, Julius II.

Sec.

"Our King, (says Lord Herbert, p. 252) thought fit to send Sir Francis Bryan and Peter Vannes to Rome. Their instructions in general being signed with the King's own hand, were, &c." Here the author gives an account of some instructions relating to the King's affairs with the Emperor, and then proceeds thus: "Furthermore, they were required to discover in the name of a third person, whether if the Queen entered into a religious life, the King might have the Pope's dispensation to marry again, and the children be legitimate; and what precedents there were for it. ondly, whether if the King for the better inducing the Queen thereunto, would promise to enter himself into a religious life, the Pope might not dispense with his vow, and leave her there." A most godly contrivance! the King was to make a vow to God, which he never intended to keep, and the poor Queen was to be left in the lurch! If this be not a mark of tenderness of conscience, I know not what is. But listen to what follows: "Thirdly, If this may not be done, whether the Pope can dispense with the King to have two wives, and the children of both legitimate: since great reasons and precedents, especially in the Old Testament, appear for it. All which they were first to do with that secrecy and circumspection, that the cause might not be published; propounding therefore the King's case always. as another man's. Lastly, As in all other intructions, some menaces were to bend 99.

Here I shall make a few short remarks upon it. First, I observe how strangely industrious and fruitful of invention men are, when they seek to gratify a passion, which has once taken deep root in their hearts. I observe, secondly, that King Henry's seeking partly to trepan the Pope by indirect and sinister means, and partly to frighten him by threats into a compliance with his desires, is a plain indication that he was conscious to himself of the badness of his cause: and I observe, thirdly, that his shameful proposal of being dispensed with to have two wives at once, shews no less plainly, that his conscience would have permitted Queen Catharine to continue his wife, notwithstand. ing her having been married before to his elder brother, if Mrs. Anne Bolen had been but privileged to share with her in that honour.

All this while (says the same author, p. 258) the common people, who with much anxiety attended the success of this great affair, seemed between pity to Queen Catharine and envy to Anne Bolen, now appearing to be in the King's favour, then to cast out some murmuring and seditious words; which being brought to the King's ears, he thought fit to protest publicly in an assembly of Lords, Judges, &c. called to his palace, that nothing but a desire of giving satisfaction to his conscience, and a care of establishing the succession to the crown in a right and undoubted, line, had first induced him to controvert this marriage; being for the rest as happy in the affections and virtues of his Queen as any prince living."

SECTION V.

The cause of the divorce brought before Judges appointed by the Pope.

The Pope finding himself pressed so very hard by the King's agents at Rome to put a speedy end to it, that it was not in his power either to resist or elude their importunities any longer, gave at length a special commission to Cardinal Campeius, a person thoroughly versed in the cannon law, by virtue whereof he and Cardinal Woolsey, who was joined with him in the same commission, were to act as Judges in the cause, and had powers given them to summon the King and Queen before their tribunal, as they did effectually not long after the arrival of Campeius in England.

The place appointed for the hearing of the cause was the great hall in Black Friars, to which the King and Queen being cited the last day of May, An. 1529, they both appeared in person. Stow gives this relation of it, p. 543.

The Queen, according to the form, being called upon to come to the court, made no answer, but rose out of her chair, and came to the King, kneeling down at his feet, to whom she said, "Sir, in what have I offended you? Or what occasion of displeasure have I given you intending thus to put me from you? I take God to be my Judge, I have been to you a true and humble wife, ever conformable to Your will and pleasure; never contradicting or

spoke thus in the presence of the commissioners: "I will now in her absence declare this unto you all, that she has been unto me as true and obedient a wife, as I could wish or desire. She has all the virtuous qualities that ought to be in a woman of her dignity, or in any other of mean condition. She is also surely a woman nobly born. Her condition will

well declare it," Stow, p. 543. And now I leave you or any one to judge whether it be probable that a person of this character would publicly forswear herself, and at the same time have the confidence to appeal to the King's own conscience for the truth of what she said. An abandoned creature might do so, but not a princess of untainted honor and virtue. But to proceed, the witnesses against the Queen being thus heard, and their depositions recorded, the Cardinals adjourned the court to the Friday following, which was July 23d, An. 1529, when it was expected they would have proceeded to a definitive sentence; but to the King's great surprise and mortification, they again adjourned it from that day to the first of October; pretending that according to the method of the court of Rome, which Campeius said they were bound to follow, no judiciary causes could be terminated during the general vacation of the harvest and vintage already begun. However that be, it is certain Campeius had private instructions not to pronounce definitively till further orders from the Pope.

During this long interval the Queen was not

idle, but found means to acquaint the emperor with all that had passed, entreating him to espouse her cause, as he did in effect. For he immediately dispatched orators to Rome, (as my Lord Herbert styles them) whom the Queen likewise constituted her protectors, giving them a commission and instructions to act in her name. Who therefore being come to Rome, entered a protestation in his name against the two legates in England, intreating the Pope to revoke their commission, and advocate the cause to himself; as likewise to warn the King to desist from his suit, or at least consent to have it judged at Rome. The issue whereof in short was, that the Pope being thus pressed by the Emperor's orators, signed an advocation of the cause to himself, forbidding further proceedings under great penalties.— This put an end to Campeius's legation, who soon after took his leave of the King and returned back to Rome.

SECTION VI.

Archbishop Cranmer's character. His wife in a box. He dissolves the marriage between King Henry and Queen Catharine.

King Henry finding himself thus disappointed, and that nothing favourable to his inclinations was to be hoped for from the Pope, resolved to take a shorter course, which he knew could not fail. For he had taken care to pro