of which they were lately driven and were now setled in Malta They were under a great Master who depended on the Pope and the Emperour But some they could not be brought to surrender of their own accord as others had done it was necessary to suppress them by Act of Parliament Another House which they had in Ireland was also suppressed and Pensions were reserved for the Priors and Knights On the 14th of May the Parliament was Prorogued to the 25th a Vote having past that the Bills should continue in the State they were in On the 12th of June Cromwel's Fall there was a sudden turn at Court for the Duke of Norfolk arrested Cromwel of High Treason and sent him Prisoner to the Tower He had many Enemies The meanness of his Birth made the Nobility take it ill to see the Son of a Black-Smith made an Earl and have the Garter given him besides his being Lord Privy Seal Lord Chamberlain of England Lord Vicegerent and a little while before he had also the Mastership of the Rolls All the Popish Clergy hated him violently They imputed the Suppression of Monasteries and the Injunctions that were laid on them chiefly to his Counsels And it was thought that it was mainly by his means that the King and the Emperour continued to be in such ill Terms The King did now understand that there was no agreement like to be made between the Emperour and Francis for it stuck at the matter of the Dutchy of Milan in which neither of them would yield to the other and the King was sure they would both court his Friendship in case of a War and this made him less concerned for the Favour of the German Princes So now Cromwel's Counsels became unacceptable With this a secret Reason concurred The King did not only hate the Queen but was now come to be in Love with Katherine Howard Neece to the Duke of Norfolk which both raised his Interest and deprest Cromwel who had made the former Match The King was also willing to cast upon him all the Errours that had been committed of late and by making him a Sacrifice he hoped he should regain the Affections of his People The King had also Informations brought him That he secretly encouraged those that opposed the six Articles and discouraged those who went about the Execution of it His Fall came so suddenly that he had not the least Apprehension of it before the Storm brake on him He had the common Fate of all disgraced Ministers his Friends forsook him and his Enemies insulted over him only Cranmer stuck to him and wrote earnestly to the King in his Favours He said he found that he had always loved the King above all things and had served him with such Fidelity and Success that he believed no King of England had ever a faithfuller Servant And he wished the King might find such a Councellour who both could and would serve him as he had done So great and generous a Soul had Cranmer that was not turned by changes in his Friends Fortunes and would venture on the displeasure of so Imperious a Prince rather than fail in the Duties of Friendship But the King was now resolved to ruine Crom wel and that unjust Practice of Attainting without hearing the Parties Answer for themselves which he had promoted too much before was now turned upon himself He had such Enemies in the House of Lords that the Bill of Attainder was dispatched in two days being read twice in one day Cranmer was absent and no other would venture to speak for him But he met with more Justice in the House of Commons for it stuck ten days there And in Conclusion a new Bill was drawn against him and sent up to the Lords to which they consented and it had the Royal Assent In it they set forth His Attainder That tho the King had raised him from a base State to great Dignities Yet it appeared by many Witnesses that were Persons of Honour that he had been the most Corrupt Traitor that ever was known That he had set many at Liberty that were condemned or suspected of Misprision of Treason That he had given Licences for transporting out of the Kingdom things prohibited by Proclamation And had granted many Passports without search made That he had said he was sure of the King That he had dispersed many Erroneous Books contrary to the Belief of the Sacrament And had said That every Man might Administer it as well as a Priest That he had licensed many Preachers suspected of Heresy And had ordered many to be discharged that were committed on that account and had discharged all Informers That he had many Hereticks about him That above a Year before he had said The preaching of Barns and others was good And that he would not turn tho the King did turn but if the King turned he would fight in Person against him and all that turned And drawing out his Dagger he wisht that might pierce him to the Heart if he should not do it he had also said If he lived a year or two longer it should not be in the King's Power to hinder it He had likewise been found guilty of great Oppression and Bribery And when he heard that some Lords were taking Counsel against him he had threatned that he would raise great stirrs in England For these things he was Attainted both of High Treason and Heresy A Proviso was added for securing the Church of Wells of which he had been Dean This was lookt on as very hard Measure It was believed Censures past upon it That he had at least Verbal Orders from the King for the Licences and Orders that were complained of and perhaps he could have shewed some in Writing if he had been heard to make his Answers Bribery seemed to be cast on him only to render him odious but no Particulars were mentioned Nor was it credible That he could have spoken such Words of the King as were alledged especially when he was in the height of his Favour and if he had spoken them above a Year before it is not to be imagined that they could have been so long kept secret and what was said of his drawing out a Dagger look'd like a design to affix an overt Act to them This being done The King's Marriage annulled The King went on to move for a Divorce An Address was moved to be made to him by the Lords that he would suffer his Marriage to be examined Cranmer and others were sent down to desire the Concurrence of the Commons and they ordered 20 of their number to go along with the Lords who went all in a body to the King He granted their desire the matter being concerted before So a Commission was sent to the Convocation to discuss it Gardiner opened it to them and they appointed a Committee for the Examination of Witnesses The Substance of the whole Evidence amounted to these Particulars
all who gave Livings by Simoniacal bargains were declared to have forfeited their right of Patronage to the King A great charge was also given for the strict observation of the Lords Day which was appointed to be spent wholly in the service of GOD it not being enough to hear Mass or Mattins in the Morning and spend the rest of the Day in drunkenness and quarrelling as was commonly practised but it ought to be all imployed either in the duties of Religion or in acts of Charity only in time of Harvest they were allowed to work on that and other Festival days Direction was also given for the bidding of Prayers in which the King as Supreme head the Queen and the Kings Sisters the Protector and Council and all the Orders of the Kingdom were to be mentioned they were also to pray for departed souls that at the last day we with them might rest both body and soul There were also Injunctions given for the Bishops that they should preach four times a year in their Diocesses once in their Cathedral and thrice in any other Church unless they had a good excuse to the contrary that their Chaplains should preach often and that they should give Orders to none but those that were duly qualified These were variously censured The Clergy were only impowered to remove the abused Images Censures on ths Injunctions and the People were restrained from doing it but this authority being put in their hands it was thought they would be slow and backward in it It had been happy for this Church if all had agreed since that time to press the Religious observation of the Lords Day without starting needless questions about the Morality of it and the obligation of the fourth Commandment which has occasioned much dispute and heat and when one Party raised the obligation of that duty to a pitch that was not practicable it provoked others to slacken it too much and this produced many sharp reflections on both sides and has concluded in too common a neglect of that day which instead of being so great a bond and instrument of Religion as it ought to be is become generally a day of idleness and loosness The Corruptions of Lay Patrons and Simoniacal Priests have been often complained of but no Laws nor Provisions have ever been able to preserve the Church from this great mischief which can never be removed till Patrons look on their right to nominate one to the charge of Souls as a trust for which they are to render a severe account to God and till Priests are cured of their aspiring to that charge and look on it with dread and great caution The bidding of Prayers had been the custome in time of Popery for the Preacher after he had named his Text and shewed what was to be the method of his Sermon desired the People to joyn with him in a Prayer for a blessing upon it and told them likewise whom they were to pray for and then all the People said their Beads in silence and he kneeling down said his and from that this was called the bidding of the Beads In this new direction for them Order was given to repeat always the Kings Title of Supream Head that so the People hearing it often mentioned might grow better accustomed to it but when instead of a bidding Prayer an immediate one is come generally to be used that enumeration of Titles seems not so decent a thing nor is it now so necessary as it then was The prayer for departed souls was now moderated to be a prayer only for the consummation of their happiness at the last day whereas in King Henry's time they prayed that God would grant them the fruition of his presence which implied a Purgatory The Injunctions to the Bishops directing them to give Orders with great caution pointed out that by which only a Church can be preserved from Errors and Corruptions for when Bishops do easily upon recommendations or emendicated Titles confer Orders as a sort of favour that is at their disposal the ill effects of that must be fatal to the Church either by the Corruptions that those vicious Priests will be guilty of or by the Scandals which are given to some good minds by their means who are thereby disgusted at the Church for their sakes and so are disposed to be easily drawn into those Societies that separate from it The War with Scotland was now in consultation The War with Scotland but the Protector being apprehensive that France would engage in the quarrel sent over Sir Fr. Brian to congratulate with the new King to desire a confirmation of the last Peace and to complain of the Scots who had broken their Faith with the King in the matter of the Marriage of their Queen The French King refused to confirm the Treaty till some Articles should be first explained and so he disowned his Fathers Embassadour and for the Scots he said he could not forsake them if they were in distress The English alledged that Scotland was subject to England but the French had no regard to that and would not so much as look on the Records that were offer'd to prove it and said they would take things as they found them and not look back to a dispute of two hundred years old This made the English Council more fearful of engaging in a War which by all appearance would bring a War on them from France The Castle of St. Andrews was surrendred and all their Pensioners in Scotland were not able to do them great fervice The Scots were now much lifted up for as England was under an Infant King so the Court of France was governed by their Queen Dowagers Brothers The Scots began to make Inroads on England and Descents on Ireland Commissioners were sent to the Borders to treat on both sides and the Protector raised a great Army which he resolved to command in person But the meeting on the Borders was soon broke up for the Scots had no Instructions to treat concerning the Marriage and the English were ordered to treat of nothing else till that should be first agreed to And the Records that were shewed of the Homage done by the Scottish Kings to the English had no great effect for the Scots either said they were forged or forced from some weak Princes or were only Homages for their Lands in England as the Kings of England did Homage to the Crown of France for their Lands there They also shewed their Records by which their Ancestors had asserted that they were free and independent of England The Protector left Commissions of Lieutenancy to some of the Nobility August and devolved his own power during his absence on the Privy Council and came to the Borders by the end of August The Scots had abandoned the Passes so that he found no difficulty in his March and the small Forts that were in his way were surrendred upon Summons When the English advanced to
of Portugal's Brother but it was let fall soon after She refused to acknowledge the Laws made when the King was under age and carried herself very high for she knew well that the Protector was then afraid of a War with France and that made the Emperours Alliance more necessary to England Yet the Council sent for the Officers of her houshold and required them to let her know that the Kings Authority was the same when he was a child as at full age and that it was now lodged in them and though as they were single persons they were all inferiour to her yet as they were the Kings Council she was bound to obey them especially when they executed the Law which all Subjects of what rank soever were bound to obey Yet at present they durst go no further for fear of the Emperours displeasure So it was resolved to connive at her Mass The Reformation of the greatest Errours in Divine Worship being thus established Disputes concerning Christs presence in the Sacrament Cranmer proceeded next to establish a form of Doctrine the chief point that hitherto was untouched was the presence of Christ in the Sacrament which the Priests magnified as the greatest Mystery of the Christian Religion and the chief priviledge of Christians with which the simple and credulous vulgar were mightily affected The Lutherans received that which had been for some Ages the Doctrine of the Greek Church that in the Sacraments there was both Bread and Wine and also the substance of the Body and Blood of Christ The Helvetians lookt on it only as a Commemoration of the Death of Christ The Princes of Germany were at great pains to have these reconciled in which Bucer had laboured with great Industry But Luther being a man of a harsh temper did not easily bear contradiction and was too apt to assume in effect that Infallibility to himself which he condemned in the Pope Some took a middle way and asserted a Real Presence but it was not easie to understand what was meant by that expression unless it was a real application of Christs death so that the meaning of Really was Effectually But though Bucer followed this method Pet. Martyr did in his Lectures declare plainly for the Helvetians So Dr. Smith and some others intended publickly to oppose and affront him and challenged him to a dispute about it which he readily accepted on these conditions That the Kings Council should first approve of it and that it should be managed in Scripture terms For the strength of those Doctors lay in a nimble managing of those barbarous and unintelligible terms of the Schools which though they sounded high yet really they had no sense under that So all the Protestants resolved to dispute in Scripture terms which seemed more proper in matters of Divinity than the Metaphysical language of School men The Council having appointed Dr. Cox and some others to preside in the dispute Dr. Smith went out of the way and a little after fled out of England But before he went he wrote a very mean submission to Cranmer Other Doctors disputed with Peter Martyr concerning Transubstantiation but that had the common fate of all publick disputes for both sides gave out that they had the better At the same time there were also disputes at Cambridge which were moderated by Ridley that was sent down thither by the Council He had fallen on Bertrams Book of the Sacrament and wondred much to find so celebrated a Writer in the ninth Century engage so plainly against the Corporal Presence This disposed him to think that at that time it was not the received belief of the Church He communicated the matter to Cranmer and they together made great Collections out of the Fathers on this head and both wrote concerning it The substance of their Arguments was Arguments against the Corporal Presence That as Christ called the Cup the Fruit of the Vine so S. Paul called the other Element Bread after the Consecration which shews that their natures were not changed Christ speaking to Jews and substituting the Eucharist in the room of the Paschal Lamb used such expressions as had been customary among the Jews on that occasion who called the Lamb the Lords Passeover which could not be meant literally since the Passeover was the Angels passing by their Houses when the first born of the Egyptians were killed So it being a commemoration of that was called the Lords Passeover and in the same sense did Christ call the Bread his Body Figurative expressions being ordinary in Scripture and not improper in Sacraments which may be called Figurative actions It was also appointed for a Remembrance of Christ and that supposes absence The Elements were also called by Christ his Body broken and his Blood shed so it is plain they were his Body not as it is glorified in Heaven but as it suffered on the Cross And since the Scriptures speak of Christs continuance in Heaven till the last day from thence they inferred that he was not Corporally present And it was shewed that the eating Christs Flesh mentioned by S. John was not to be understood of the Sacrament since of every one that did eat it is said that he has Eternal life in him So that was to be understood only of receiving Christs doctrine and he himself shewed it was to be meant so when he said that the Flesh profited nothing but his words were Spirit and Life So that all this was according to Christs ordinary way of teaching in Parables Many other Arguments were brought from the nature of a body to prove that it could not be in more places than one at once and that it was not in a place after the manner of a Spirit but was always extended They found also that the Fathers had taught that the Elements were still Bread and Wine and were the Types the Signs and Figures of Christs Body not only according to Tertullian and S. Austin but to the Ancient Liturgies both in the Greek and Roman Churches But that on which they built most was that Chrysostome Gelasius and Theodoret arguing against those who said that the humane nature in Christ was swallowed up by its Union to his Godhead They illustrated the contrary thus as in the Sacrament the Elements are united to the Body of Christ and yet continue to be the same that they were formerly both in Substance Nature and Figure So the Humanity was not destroyed by its Union with the Word From which it appeared that it was then the received opinion that the Elements were not changed and therefore all those high expressions in Chrysostome or others were only strains and figures of Eloquence to raise the devotion of the people higher in that holy action But upon those expressions the following Ages built that opinion which agreeing so well with the Designs of the Priests for establishing the authority of that Order which by its Character was qualified for the greatest performance that
without consent of the Parliament of Paris and of the States but the Emperor had a more unlimited power in making Treaties As for the business of Bulloign the Bishop of Arras said it was taken after the Emperor's Treaty with England and so was not included in it nor could the Emperor comprehend it within it without breach of his Faith and Treaties with France which was so contrary to the Emperor's honour that it could not be done For the honour of a Prince is a good excuse when he has no mind to engage in a deceitful or unjust War but it is often forgotten when the Circumstances are more favourable Paget after several other Conferences found there was nothing more to be expected of the Emperor so he returned back to England It was upon that proposed in Council whether since by the Treaty with France Bulloign was to be delivered up within a few Years it were not better to prevent a new War and a Siege the issue of which was like to prove very dangerous and to enter into a Treaty for doing it presently and if at the same time it were not more advisable to make an end of the War in Scotland since there was no possibility of compassing the Marriage for which it was first begun Upon this A Faction against the Protector all the Protector 's Enemies took off the Mask and declared themselves against it The Earl of Southampton and the Earl of Warwick were the chief sticklers the one hated him for turning him out of his Office and the other hoped to be the chief Man in business if he should fall Many things concurred to raise the Protector many Enemies his partiality to the Commons provoked the Gentry his cutting off his Brothers head and building a Magnificent Palace in the Strand upon the ruines of some Bishops Houses and Churches and that in a time both of War and Plague disgusted the People The Clergy hated him not only for his promoting the changes made in Religion but for his possessing himself of so many of the Bishops best Mannors his entertaining foreign Troops both Germans and Italians though done by the consent of Council yet gave a general distast and that great advancement he was raised to wrought much both on himself and others for it raised his pride as much as it provoked the envy of others The Privy Counsellors complained that he was become so Arbitrary in his proceedings that he little regarded the opposition that was made by the Majority of the Council to any of his designs All these things concurred to beget him many Enemies and except Cranmer who never forsook his friend and Paget and Smith all turned against him so they violently opposed the proposition for a Treaty with France they also complained that the Places about Bulloign were lost by his carelesness and by his not providing them well and that he had recalled the Garrison out of Hadington and they put him in mind of the conditions upon which he was first made Protector by which he was limited to do nothing but by their advice though he had since that taken out a Patent which cloathed him with a far greater power Upon Pagets return when it was visible that nothing could be expected from the Emperor he prest them much to consent to a Treaty with France but it was said that he had secretly directed Paget to procure no better answer that so he might be furnished with an excuse for so dishonourable an Action therefore they would not give way to it The Protector carried the King to Hampton Court Which turns to a publick breach October and put many of his own Creatures about him which increased the Jealousies so Nine of the Privy Council met at Ely-House and assumed to themselves the Authority of the Council and Secretary Petre being sent by the King to ask an account of their meeting instead of returning joyned himself to them They made a large Declaration of the Protector 's ill government and bad designs and of his engaging the King to set his hand to Letters for raising Men and for dispersing Seditious Papers therefore they resolved to see to the safety of the King and Kingdom Both the City of London and the Lieutenant of the Tower declared for them They also sent Letters all over England desiring the assistance of the Nobility and Gentry Seven more Privy Counsellors came and joyned with them They wrote to the King complaining of the Protector 's obstinacy and his refusing to hearken to their Counsels though the late King had left the Government of his Person and Kingdom to them in common and the Protector was advanced to that dignity by them upon conditions which he had little regarded therefore they desired the King would construct well of their Intentions and proceedings The Protector had removed the King from Hampton Court as being an open place to Windsor which had some more defence about it and had armed some of his own Servants and set them about the King's Person which heightned the Jealousies of him yet seeing himself abandoned by all friends except a few and finding the Party against him was formed to such a strength that it would be in vain to struggle any longer he offered to submit himself to the Council So a Proposition of a Treaty was set on foot and the Lords at London were desired to send two of their number with their Propositions and a Passeport was sent them for their safety Cranmer and the other two writ to the Council to dispose them to an agreement and not to follow Cruel Counsels Many false reports as is usual on such occasions were carried of the Protector as if he had threatned that if they intended to put him to death the King should dye first which served to increase the prejudices against him The Council writ to Cranmer and Paget charging them to look well to the Kings Person that he should not be removed from Windsor and that the Duke of Somerset's Servants might be put from him and his own sworn Servants admitted to wait they also protested that they would proceed with all the moderation and favour towards the Duke of Somerset that was possible The Council understanding that all things were prepared as they had desired sent first three of their number to see that the Duke of Somerset and some of his Creatures Smith Stanhop Thynne Wolf and Cecil should be confined to their Lodgings and on the 12th of October the whole Council went to Windsor and made great protestations of their duty to the King which he received favourably and assured them he took all that they had done in good part The Duke of Somerset with the rest of his friends The Protector 's fall except Cecil who was presently inlarged were sent to the Tower and many Articles were objected to him That he being made Protector with this condition that he should do nothing but by the consent of
shew no favour All the distinction was that the Lord Stourton was hanged in a silken Rope This was much extolled as an Instance of the Queens Impartial Justice and it was said that since she left her Friends to the Law her Enemies had no cause to complain if it was executed on them The War breaking out between Spain and France The Queen joyns in the War against France King Philip had a great mind to engage England in it The Queen complained often of the kind reception that was given to the fugitives that fled from England to France and it was believed that the French secretly supplied and encouraged them to imbroil her affairs One Stafford had this Year gathered many of them together and landing in Yorkshire he surprised the Castle of Scarborough and published a Manifesto against the Queen that by bringing in strangers to govern the Nation she had forfeited her right to the Crown but few came in to him so he and his Complices were forced to render and four of them were hanged The English Ambassadour in France Dr. Wotton discovered that the Constable had a design to take Calais for he sent his own Nephew whom he had brought over and instructed secretly to him he pretended he was sent from a great Party in that Town who were resolved to deliver it up at which the Constable seemed not a little glad and entred into a long discourse with him of the Methods of taking it yet all this made no great Impression on the Queen All her Council chiefly the Clergy were against engaging for they saw that would oblige them to slacken their severities at home so the King found it necessary to come over himself and perswade her to it He prevailed with her and after a denunciation of War she sent over 80000. Men to his assistance who joyned the Spanish Army consisting of 50000. that was set down before St. Quintin The Constable of France came with a great force to raise the Siege The Battel of S. Quintin but when the two Armies were in view of one another the French by a mistake in the word of command fell in disorder upon which the Spaniards charged them with such success that the whole Army was defeated Many were killed on the place and many were taken Prisoners among whom was the Constable himself and the Spaniards lost only fifty Men. Had Philip followed this blow and marched straight to Paris he had found all France in a great consternation but he sat still before S. Quintin which held out till the terror of this defeat was much over The Constable lost his reputation in it and all looked on it as a curse upon that King for the breach of his Faith The French Troops were called out of Italy upon which the Pope being now exposed to the Spaniards fell in strange fits of rage The Pope recalls Pool particularly he inveighed much against Pool for suffering the Queen to joyn with the Enemies of the Apostolick See and having made a General Decree recalling all his Legates and Nuntio's in the Spanish Dominions he recalled Pool's Legatine power among the rest and neither the Intercessions of the Queen's Ambassadours nor the other Cardinals could prevail with him to alter it only as an extraordinary Grace he consented not to intimate it to him But after this he went further He made Friar Peyto a Cardinal he liked him for his railing against King Henry to his Face and thought that since the Queen had made him her Confessor he would be very acceptable to her He recalled Pool's powers and required him to come to Rome and answer to some Complaints made of him for the favour he shewed to Hereticks He also declared Peyto his Legate for England and writ to the Queen to receive him but the Queen ordered the Bulls and Briefs that were sent over to be laid up without opening them which had been the method formerly practised when unacceptable Bulls were sent over She sent word to Peyto not to come into England otherwise she would sue him and all that owned him in a Praemunire He died soon after Cardinal Pool laid aside the Ensigns of a Legate and sent over Ormaneto with so submissive a Message that the Pope was much mollified by it and a Treaty of Peace being set on foot this storm went over The Duke of Alva marched near Rome which was in no condition to resist him so the Pope in great fury called the Cardinals together and told them he was resolved to suffer Martyrdom without being daunted which they who knew that he had drawn all this on himself by his Ambition and Rage could scarce hear without laughter Yet the Duke of Alva was willing to treat The haughty Pope though he was forced to yield in the chief points yet in the punctilio's of Ceremonies he stood so high upon his honour which he said was Christ's honour that he declared he would see the whole World ruined rather than yield in a Title In that the Duke of Alva was willing enough to comply with him so he came to Rome and in his Master's name asked pardon for Invading the Patrimony of S. Peter and the Pope gave him Absolution in as Insolent a manner as if he had been the Conqueror The news of this Reconciliation were received in England with all the publickest expressions of joy In Scotland the Queen Regent studied to engage that Nation in the War all that favoured the Reformation were for it but the Clergy opposed it The Queen thought to draw them into it whether they would or not and sent in D'oisell to besiege a Castle in England But the Scotch Lords complained much of that and required him to give over his attempt otherwise they would declare him an Enemy to the Nation So after some slight skirmishes on the Borders the matter was put up on both sides This made the Queen Regent write to France pressing them to conclude the Marriage between the Dolphin and the Queen upon which a Message was sent from that Court desiring the Scots to send over Commissioners to treat about the Articles of the Marriage and some of every State were dispatched for setling that matter There was this Year great want of Money in the Exchequer of England and the backwardness of the last Parliament made the Council unwilling to call a new one It was tried what Sums could be raised by Loan upon Privy Seals but so little came in that way that at last one was Summoned to meet in January yet in the mean while advertisements were given them of the ill condition in which the Garrisons of Calais and the neighbouring places were and that the French had a design on them but either they thought there was no danger during the Winter or they wanted Money so much that no care was taken to secure them In Germany Affairs in Germany the Papists did this Year blow up the differences between the Lutherans and
marry her and that being entertained by her shews she had then no aspirings to the Crown But the Cardinal having understood somewhat of the King 's secret Intentions did so threaten him that he made him tho not without great difficulty break off his addresses to her Knight then Secretary of State was sent to Rome to prepare the Pope in the matter And applies to the Pope and the Family of the Cassali having much of the Pope's Favour they were likewise imployed to promote it To Gregory Cassali did the Cardinal send a large Dispatch setting forth all the Reasons both in Conscience and Policy for obtaining a Commission to himself to judge the Affair Great Promises were made in the King's Name both for publick and private Services and nothing was forgot that was likely to work either on the Pope or those Cardinals that had the greatest Credit about him Knight made application to the Pope in the secretest manner he could and had a very favourable Answer for the Pope promised frankly to dissolve the Marriage but another Promise being exacted of him in the Emperour's Name not to proceed in that Affair he was reduced to great straits not so much out of regard to his Promises for he had so engaged himself that it was unavoidable for him to break one as to his Interests he was then at the Emperour's mercy so he was in fear of offending him yet he both hated him and was distrustful of him and had no mind to lose the King of England therefore he studied to gain time and promised that if the King would have a little patience he should not only have that which he asked but every thing that was in his power to grant The Cardinal Sanctorum quatuor made some Scruples concerning the Bull that was demanded till he had raised his price and got a great Present and then the Pope signed both a Commission for Wolsey to try the Cause Who was very favourable and judge in it and also a Dispensation and put them in Knights hands but with tears prayed him that there might be no proceedings upon them till the Emperour were put out of a capacity of executing his Revenge upon him and when ever that was done he would own this act of Justice which he did in the King's favour For tho the Pope on publick occasions used to talk in the language of one that pretended to be S. Peter's Successor yet in private Treaties he minded nothing but his own Security and the Interests of his Family And being a very crafty Man he proposed an Expedient which if the King had followed it had put a quicker and easier end to the Process He found his sending Bulls or a Legat to England would become publick and draw the Emperour upon him and must admit of delays and be full of danger therefore he proposed if the King was satisfied in his own Conscience in which he believed no Doctor could resolve him better than himself then he might without more noise make Judgment be given in England and upon that marry another Wife and send over to Rome for a Confirmation which would be the more easily granted if the thing were once done This the Pope desired might be represented to the King as the Advice of the Cardinals and not as his own But the King's Counsellers thought this more dangerous than the way of a Process for if upon the King 's second Marriage a Confirmation should be denyed then the Right Succession by it would be still very doubtful so they would not venture on it The Pope was at this time distasted with Cardinal Wolsey for he understood that during his Captivity he had been in an Intrigue to get himself chosen Vicar of the Papacy and was to have sate at Avignion which might have produced a new Schism Staphileus Dean of the Rota being then in England was wrought on by the promise of a Bishoprick and a Recommendation to a Cardinals Hat to promote the King's Affair and by him the Cardinal wrote to the Pope in a most earnest strain for a dispatch of this business and he desired that an indifferent and tractable Cardinal might be sent over with a full Commission to joyn with him and to judge the matter proposing to the King's Embassadours Campegio as the fittest Man when a Legate should be named he ordered Presents to be made him and that they would hasten his dispatch and take care that the Commission should be full But upon the Arrival of the Couriers that were sent from Rome Gardiner the Cardinals Secretary and Fox the Kings Almoner the one a Canonist and the other a Divine were sent thither with Letters both from the King and Cardinal to the Pope they carried orders that were like to be more effectual than any Arguments they could offer to make great Presents to the Cardinals They carried with them the draught of a Bull containing all the Clauses could be invented to make the matter sure one Clause was to declare the Issue of the Marriage good as being begotten bona fide which was perhaps put in to make the Queen more easy since by that it appeared that her Daughter should not suffer which way soever the matter went The Cardinal in his Letters to Cassali offered to take the blame on his own Soul if the Pope would grant this Bull and with an Earnestness as hearty and warm as can be expressed in Words he pressed the thing and added That he perceived that if the Pope continued Inexorable the King would proceed another way These Intreaties had such Effects Campegio sent over Legate That Campegio was declared Legate and ordered to go for England and joyn in Commission with Wolsey for judging this matter Campegio was Bishop of Saliebury and having a Son whom he intended to advance was no doubt a tractable Man but to raise his price the higher he moved many Scruples and seemed to enter upon this Employment with great fear and aversion Wolsey who knew his Temper prest him vehemently to make all the hast he could and gave him the Assurance of great Rewards from the King For whatever was to be made use of publickly for formes sake these were the effectual Arguments that were most likely to convince a Man of his Temper In which Wolsey was so sincere that in a Letter he wrote to him that of a good Conscience being put among other Motives to perswade him in the first Draught the Cardinal struck it out as knowing how little it would signify Campegio set out from Rome and carried with him a Decretal Bull for annulling the Marriage which was trusted to him and he was Authorized to shew it to the King and Wolsey but was required not to give it out of his Hands to either of them At this time Wolsey was taken with the sweating Sickness which then raged in England and by a Complement which both the King and Ann Boleyn writ him
on the same piece of Paper it appears he was then privy to the Kings Design of marrying her and intended to advance himself yet higher by his merits in procuring her the Crown This Year he settled his two great Colledges and finding both the King and People much pleased with his converting some Monasteries to such uses he intended to suppress more and to convert them to Bishopricks and Cathedral Churches which the Pope was not willing to grant the Religious Orders making great Opposition to it but Gardiner told him it was necessary and must be done so a power for doing it was added to the Legates Commission At this time the Queen engaged the Emperor to espouse her Interests which he did the more willingly because the King was then in the Interests of France and to help her Business a Breve was either found or forged the last is more probable of the same date with the Bull that dispensed with her Marriage But with stronger Clauses in it to answer those Objections that were made against some defects in the Bull though it did not seem probable that in the same Day a Bull and a Breve would have been granted for the same thing in such different strains The most considerable Variation was That whereas the Bull did only suppose that the Queens Marriage with Prince Arthur was perhaps Consummated the Breve did suppose it absolutly without a perhaps This was thought to prejudice the Queen's Cause as much as the Suspicion of the Forgery did blemish her Agents In October Campegio comes into England Campegio came into England and after the first Complements were over he first advised the King to give over the Prosecution of his Suit and then counselled the Queen in the Pope's Name to enter into a Religious Life and make Vows but both were in vain and he by affecting an Impartiality almost lost both sides But he in great measure pacified the King when he shewed him the Bull he had brought over for annulling the Marriage yet he would not part with it out of his hands neither to the King nor the Cardinal upon which great Instances were made at Rome that Campegio might be ordered to shew it to some of the King's Counsellors and to go on and end the business otherwise Wolsey would be ruined and England lost Yet all this did not prevail on the crafty Pope who knew it was intended once to have the Bull out of Campegio's hands and then the King would leave him to the Emperour's Indignation But tho he positively refused to grant that yet he said he left the Legates in England free to judge as they saw Cause and promised that he would confirm their Sentence The Imperialists at Rome pressed him hard to inhibit the Legates and to recall the Cause that it might be heard before the Consistory The Pope declined this motion and to mollify the King he sent Campana one of his Bed-chamber Campana sent to deceive the King over to England with Complements too high to gain much Credit He assured the King that the Pope would do for him all he could not only in Justice and Equity but in the fulness of his Power And that tho he had reason to be very apprehensive of the Emperour's Resentments yet that did not divert him from his Zeal for the King's Service for if his resigning the Popedome would advance it it should not stick at that He also was ordered to require the Legates to put a speedy end to the business but his secret Instructions to Campegio were of another strain he charged him to burn the Bull and to draw out the matter by all the delayes he could invent Sir Francis Brian and Peter Vannes were dispatched to Rome with new Propositions to try whether if both the King and Queen took Religious Vowes so that their Marriage were upon that annulled the Pope would engage to dispence with the King's Vow or grant him a License for having two Wives Wolsey also offered in the King's Name to settle a Pay for 2000 Men that should be a Guard to the Pope and to procure a Restitution of some of his Towns on which the Venetians had seized But the Pope did not care to have his Guards payed by other Princes which he looked on as a putting himself in their hands He was in fear of every thing that might bring a new Calamity upon him and was now resolved to unite himself firmly with the Emperour by whose means only he hoped to reestablish his Family at Florence The Pope resolved to unite with the Emperour and ever after this all the use he made of the King's Earnestness in his Divorce was only to draw in the Emperour to his Interests on the better Terms The Emperour was also then pressing him hard for a General Council of which besides the aversion that the Court of Rome had to it he had particular reason to be afraid for being a Bastard he was threatned with Deposition as uncapable by the Canons of the Church to hold such a Dignity The Pope proposed a Journey incognito to Spain and desired Wolsey to go with him for obtaining a General Peace But in secret he was making up with the Emperour and gave his Agents Assurances that tho the Legates gave Sentence he would not confirm it So the King 's Correspondents at Rome wrote to him to set on the War more vigorously against the Emperour for he could expect nothing at Rome unless the Emperour's Affairs declined The Pope went on cajoling those the King sent over and gave new Assurances that tho he would not grant a Bull by which the Divorce should be immediately his own Act yet he would confirm the Legates Sentence so he resolved to cast the Load wholly upon them if he said he did it himself a Council would be called by the Emperour's means in which his Bull would be annulled and himself deposed which would bring on a new Confusion and that considering the footing Heresy had got would ruine the Church The Pope inclined more to the dissolving the Marriage by the Queen's taking Vowes as that which could be best defended but the Cardinal gave him notice that the Queen would never be brought to that unless her Nephews advised it At this time The Pope's Sickness the Pope was taken suddenly ill and fell in a great Sickness upon which the Imperialists began to prepare for a Conclave But Farnese and the Cardinal of Mantua opposed them and seemed to have Inclination for Wolsey Whom as his Correspondents wrot to him they reverenced as a Deity Upon this he sent a Courier to Gardiner Wolsey's aspiring then on his way to Rome whith large Directions how to manage the Election It was reckoned that the King of France joyning heartily with the King of which he seemed confident there were only six Cardinals wanting to make the Election sure and besides Summes of Mony and other Rewards that were to be