636 E N G L A N D. 
completely at variance with the holy fcriptures. The 
pope was now in the utmoft dilemma : queen Catharine 
was aunt to the emperor who had lately made him a pri- 
foner, and whole refentment he dreaded to rekindle by 
injuring fo near a relation ; betides, he could not in pru¬ 
dence declare the bull of the former pope illicit, for this 
would be giving a fatal blow to the doCtrine of papal in¬ 
fallibility. On the other hand, Henry was his protestor 
and friend, the dominions of England were the chief re- 
fource from whence his finances were fu.pplied, and the 
king of France, feme time before, had obtained a bull 
of divorce in fomevvhat fimilar circumstances. In this 
exigence, he thought it the wifeft method to fpin out the 
affair by a negotiation : and in the mean time fent over 
a commiflion to Wolfey, in conjunction with the arch- 
bifnop of Canterbury, to examine the validity of the 
king’s marriage, and the former difpenfation ; granting 
them alfo a provisional difpenfation for the king’s mar¬ 
riage with any other perfon. When this meffage was laid 
before the council in England, they prudently confidered 
that an advice given by the pope in this fecret manner, 
might very eatily be difavowed in public ; and that a 
clandestine marriage would totally invalidate the legiti¬ 
macy of any iffue the king Should have by fucli a majeh. 
In confequence of this, frefli mefiengers were difpatched 
to Rome, and evafive anfwers returned, the pope (till 
continuing to promife, recant, difpute, and temporife ; 
looping that the king’s paflion would never hold out 
during the tedious courfe of an eccleliaftical controverly. 
In this he was entirely mistaken. Henry had been long 
taught to difpute as well as the pope; and he quickly 
found, or perverted, many texts of feripture to favour 
his opinions. To his arguments he alfo added threats, 
afluring the pope, that the Englifh were already fuffi- 
ciently difpofed to withdraw from the holy fee; and that 
if he continued to refufe his compliance, the whole coun¬ 
try would readily follow the example of a monarch who, 
tiling by ingratitude, fhould deny all obedience to a pon¬ 
tiff by whom he had been treated with falfebood and 
duplicity. 
The pope, at firft dreading the refentment of the king, 
had Thoughts of complying with his folicitations, and 
fent cardinal Campegio, his legate, to London, who, with 
Wolfey, opened a court for trying the legitimacy of the 
king’s prefent marriage, and cited the king and the queen 
to appear before them. They both prefented themfelves; 
and the king anfwered to his name when called : but the 
queen, inftead of anfwering to hers, rofe from her feat, 
and, throwing herfelf at the king’s feet, in the moll pa¬ 
thetic manner entreated him to have pity upon her help- 
lefs frtuation. A ftranger, unprotected, unbefriended, 
She could only rely on him as her guardian and defender, 
on him alone who knew her fubmifiion and her innocence, 
and not upon any court, in which her enemies prevailed, 
and would torture the laws to make them fubfervient to 
their purpofe; (he therefore rejected all fubmifiion to a 
trial, where (he could expeCt neither juftice nor impar¬ 
tiality. Yet, notwithstanding the queen’s objections, the 
court proceeded, and Henry flattered himfelf that he 
Should now foon revel in the arms of Anna Boleyn. The 
principal point which came before the legates, was the 
proof of prince Arthur’s confummation of his marriage 
with Catharine, which Come of his own expreflions to 
that purpofe tended to confirm. Other topics were pre¬ 
paring, tending to prove the inability of the pope him¬ 
felf to grant fuch a difpenfation ; and the bufinefs feemed 
now to be drawing near a period, when Campegio, to the 
artonithment of all, prorogued the court, and transferred 
the caufe to the court of Rome. 
During thefe perplexing negociations, Henry expefted 
to find in his favourite Wolfey, a warm defender, and a 
ileady adherent; but in this he was deceived. Wolfey 
feemed to be in much the fame dilemma with the pope. 
On the one hand, he was to pleafe his mafter the king, 
Rom whom he had received a thoufand favours ; and on 
the other, he dreaded to offend the pope, whofe fervant he 
more immediately was, and who had power to punish his 
disobedience. He therefore refolved to continue neuter; 
and, though of all men the mott haughty, he gave way on 
this occafion to Campegio, in all things, pretending a defe¬ 
rence to his fuperior Skill in canon law. Wolfey’s fcheme 
of temporising was highly difpleafing to the king; but 
for a while lie endeavoured to Stifle his refentment, until 
it could adt with certainty. He for fome time looked out 
for a man of equal abilities and lefs art; and it was not 
long before accident threw in his way Thomas Cranmer, 
of greater talents, and probably of more integrity. Cran¬ 
mer was a profeSTor at Cambridge, but bad loft his office 
upon marrying contrary to the canon law, which enjoined 
celibacy to all the clergy. He had travelled in his youth 
into Germany ; and it was there he became acquainted 
•with Luther’s works, and embraced his doiStrines. This 
man happening to fall into company with Gardiner, fecre- 
tary of State, and Fox, the king’s almoner, the bufinefs 
of the divorce became the fubjeCt of converfation. He 
gave it as his opinion, that the readiest way to quiet the 
king’s confcience, or to extort the pope’s confent, would 
be to confult all the universities of Europe upon the af¬ 
fair ; an advice which pleafed the king fo much, that 
Cranmer was immediately taken into favour. Henry 
finding himfelf thus provided with a perfon who could 
fupply Wolfey’s place, he appeared lefs fcrupulous in 
his refentments againft him. The attorney-general was 
ordered to prepare a bill of indidtment againSt him ; and 
he was foon after commanded to refign the great feal. 
Crimes are eafily found againSt a favourite in difgrace, 
and the courtiers were not wanting to increafe the cata¬ 
logue of his errors. He was ordered to depart from York- 
place palace ; and all his furniture and plate were Seized 
for the king’s ufe. The parliament alio confirmed the 
fentence of the court of Star-chamber againSt him, and 
he was ordered to retire to a country feat which he pof- 
fefted at Efher, and there await the king’s further plea¬ 
sure. Still, however, he pofleSTed the archbishopric of 
York, and bishopric of Winchefter ; and the king gave 
him distant gleams of hope, by fending him a ring, ac¬ 
companied with a gracious meSIkge. Wolfey, like every 
other imperious character, proud to his equals, and mean 
to thofe above him, happening to meet the king’s mef- 
fenger on horfeback, immediately alighted, and throwing 
himfelf on his knees in the dirt, received, m that abject 
manner, thofe marks of his majesty’s condefcenfion. But 
all his hopes foon vanished ; for, after he had remained 
fome time at ESher, he was ordered to remove to his fee 
of York; where he took up his residence at Cawood, and 
rendered himfelf popular by his great affability. He was 
not allowed to remain long unmolested in this retreat. 
He was arrefted by the earl of Northumberland, at the 
king’s command, for high treafon ; and preparations were 
made for conducting him to London, in order to his 
trial. He at firlt refufed to comply with the requifition, 
as being a cardinal ; but finding the earl bent on per¬ 
forming his commiflion, he complied, and Set out on the 
journey. In his way, he Staid a fortnight at the earl of 
Shrewsbury’s; where one day, at dinner, he was fuddenly 
feized with violent ficknefs, which furnished a fufpicion 
that he had taken poifon. Being brought forward from 
thence, he with much difficulty readied Leicefter-ab- 
bey; where the monks coming out to meet him, he Said, 
“ Father abbot, I am come to lay my bones among you 
and immediately ordered his bed to be prepared. As 
his disorder increafed, an officer being placed near, at 
once to guard and attend him, he Spoke to him, a little 
before he expired, to this effeCt: “ I pray you have me 
heartily recommended to his royal majefty ; lie is a prince 
of a tnoSt royal carriage, and hath a princely heart; a*nd 
rather than he will inifs, or want any part of his will, 
he will endanger one half of his kingdom. I have kneeled 
before him, for three hours together, to perfuade him 
from his will and appetite, but could not prevail. Had l 
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