Effects of the Death of Catherine. 9 A.D. 1536. is known end of January it became known in Italy that CH. 12. the original cause of the English quarrel existed no longer-that Queen Catherine was no more. of Queen On the first arrival of the news there was an Catherine outburst of indignation. Stories of the circum- in Italy. stances of her death were spread abroad with strange and frightful details. Even Charles himself hinted his suspicions to the Pope that she had been unfairly dealt with, and fears were openly expressed for the safety of the Princess Mary.* But, in a short time, calmer counsels began to prevail. Authentic accounts of the queen's last hours must have been received early in February from the Spanish ambassador, who was with her to the end; and as her decease gave no fresh cause for legitimate complaint, so it was possible that an embarrassing difficulty was peacefully removed. On both sides there might New hopes now, it was thought, be some relaxation without of a reconcompromise of principle; an attempt at a reconciliation might at least be made before venturing on the extremity of war. Once more the Pope allowed the censures to sleep.† The Emperor, no March. longer compelled by honour to treat Henry as an enemy, no longer felt himself under the necessity of making sacrifices to Francis. He al- The Empelowed his offer of Milan to the Duke of Orleans draws his to melt into a proposal which would have left Milan. * DU BELLAY: Memoirs. 'Hic palam obloquuntur de morte illius ac verentur de Puellâ regiâ ne brevi sequatur.' 'I assure you men speak here tragice of these matters which is not to be touched by letters.'-Harvel to Starkey, + Pole to Prioli: Epist. vol. are formed ciliation. ror with offer of March. CH. 12. uninjured the Imperial influence in Italy; and A.D. 1536. Francis, who had regarded the duchy at last as his own, was furious at his disappointment, and prepared for immediate war. So slight a cause produced effects so weighty. Henry, but a few weeks before menaced with destruction, found himself at once an object of courteous solicitation from each of the late confederates. The Pope found a means of communicating to him the change in his sentiments.* Francis, careless of all considerations beyond revenge, laboured to piece together the fragments of a friendship which his own treachery had dissolved: and Charles, Advances through his resident at the court of London, and and the Ca- even with his own hand in a letter to Cromwell, condescended to request that his good brother would forget and forgive what was past. The occasion of their disagreement being removed, he desired to return to the old terms of amity. The Princess Mary might be declared legitimate, having been at least born in boná fide parentum ; and as soon as this difficulty should have been overcome, he promised to use his good offices with the Pope, that, at the impending council, his good brother's present marriage should be declared valid, and the succession arranged as he desired. Finally, that he might lose no time in reaping the benefit of his advances, he re of the Pope tholic powers to Henry. There hath been means + Henry VIII. to Pace: BURmade unto us by the Bishop of NET's Collectanea, p. 476. Rome himself for a reconcilia- LORD HERBERT, p. 196. Du tion.' Henry VIII. to Pace: BELLAY'S Memoirs. BURNET'S Collectanea, p. 476. minded Henry that the old treaties remained in CH. 12. force by which they had bound themselves to A.D. 1536. assist each other in the event of invasion; that March. he looked to his good offices and his assistance in the now imminent irruption of the French into Italy. The English government lavished large sums as secret service money in the European courts. Though occasionally misled in reports from other quarters, they were always admirably informed by their agents at Rome. Henry knew precisely the history of the late coalition against him, and the value which he might attach to these new professions. He had no intention of retracing any step which he had taken. For his separation from the rest of Christendom, Rome and the other powers were alone responsible. Events would now work for him. He had only to stand still. To the Pope he sent no answer; but he allowed Sir Gregory Cassalis to hold an indirect commission as his representative at the Papal court. To Francis he remained indifferent. The application on the part of the Emperor had been the most elaborate, and to him his answer was the most explicit. He received the Spanish ambassador in an audience at Green- The Spawich, and, after a formal declaration had been bassador made of Charles's message, he replied with the has an auterms on which he would consent to forget the Greenwich. events of the preceding years. The interruption of friendly relations between England and Spain *DU BELLAY. nish am dience at CH. 12. was the fault wholly and entirely, he said, of the A.D. 1536. Emperor. When the crown of the Cæsars was March. last vacant, it had been at the disposal of himself; and he it was who had permitted the choice to fall on its present wearer. In Charles's difficulties he had lent him money: to him Charles was indebted for his power, his influence, and his fame; and, in return, he had met only with ingratitude. To remember injuries, however, was not in his nature. 'We can continue our displeasure to no man,' he said, 'if he do once remove the cause thereof; so if he which is a prince of honour, and a personage whom we once chose and thought worthy for his virtue and qualities to be advanced, will, by his express writings, either desire us to put his doings towards us in oblivion, or by the same purge himself and declare that such things wherein we have noted unkindness at his hands have been unjustly imputed to him, we shall gladly embrace his offer touching the reconciliation.' Being the injured party, he could receive no advance and treat of no conditions unless with this necessary preliminary. Let the Emperor deal with him frankly, and he should receive a reasonable answer to all his reasonable requests. For the Bishop of Rome, he had not,' he continued, 'proceeded on so slight grounds as he would alter any one piece of his doings. In all his causes he had laid his foundation upon the laws of God, nature, and honesty, and established his works made upon the same with consent of the states of the realm in open and high court of parliament.' The Bishop, however, had himself Reply to the Spanish Ambassador. 13 made known his desire for a return to a better Сa. 12. understanding with him, and he did not think it expedient that a third party should interfere.* A.D. 1536. terms with ror. The haughty answer concealed a less indifferent feeling. Henry was seriously conscious of the danger of the isolation of the country; and though he chose in words to defend his self-respect, though he saw, perhaps, in a high bearing the surest means to command the respect of others, he was anxious Anxiety of Henry to from his heart to resume his old relations with be on good Spain and Flanders, so important for English com- the Empe merce, and still more important for the tacit sanction of his past conduct, which would be implied in a renewed treaty with the nephew of Catherine. He directed the English resident at the Imperial court to report the manner in which his reply had been received: he desired him at the same time to lose no opportunity of impressing, both on Charles and on his ministers, the benefits which would accrue to all Christendom, as well as to themselves, if they were again on good terms.† So matters hung uncertain through the spring. The court of Rome continued hopeful, although at that very time the English parliaments were debating the contents of the Black Book, and decreeing the dissolution of the smaller monasteries. Rumour was still favourable to a reconciliation, when, for the moment, all other considerations were absorbed in the breaking out of War bethe French war. * Henry VIII. to Pace: BURNET's Collectanea, p. 476. Pole to Prioli, March, 1536; Epis. Reg. Poli, vol. i. tween France and the Em pire. |