dinner: · CHAP. XXVIII. A.D. 1529. between Henry and Anne re specting "The King dined that same day with Mrs. Anne Boleyn in her chamber, who kept there an estate more like a Queen than a simple maid." The alarmed courtiers now strove through her to break off all further intercourse between Dialogue Henry and their victim. Prompted by them she said during "Is it not a marvellous thing to consider what debt and danger the Cardinal hath brought you in with all your Wolsey. subjects?" "How so, sweetheart?" quoth the King. She mentioned the illegal taxation, which the King attempted to justify. "Nay, Sir," quoth she, "besides all that, what things hath he wrought within this realm to your great slander and dishonour? There is never a nobleman within this realm that if he had done but half as much but he were well worthy to lose his head." Why I then perceive," quoth the King, "ye are not the Cardinal's friend." sooth, Sir," then quoth she, "I have no cause, nor any other that loveth your Grace, no more hath your Grace if ye consider well his doings." He had received the promise of another audience next day, but that same night a solemn engagement was extorted from the King by Anne that he never again would admit the Cardinal into his presence.† "For Wolsey had a lodging provided for him that night by his own servants at Euston. When he returned in the morning he found that the King had rode out with the Lady Anne to hunt in Hartwell Park, where she had made provision for the King's dinner, lest he should return before the Cardinal was gone. They never met more. When the Chancellor found that he was finally cast off by his master, who was now under the entire management of other favourites, and that he must soon bid adieu to all his greatness, for a time he lost all fortitude; --" he wept like a woman and wailed like a child." On his return to London, Wolsey 66 speare's Henry VIII., turning upon a paper disclosing secrets, which the Cardinal is supposed by mistake to have sent to the King. * Cavendish relates this curious dialogue from the report made to him at the time by those who waited on the King at dinner. This fact is not mentioned by Cavendish, but is proved by a letter from the French ambassador, who was then at Grafton. Mademoiselle de Boulen a faict promettre a son amy q'il ne l'escoutera jamais parler."— Letters of Bishop of Bayonne, 375. returns to London. CHAP XXVIII. A.D. 1529. His last appearance in the Court of Chancery. however, his spirits rallied, and he resolved with decency to meet the impending blow. On the first day of Michaelmas term, which then began in the middle of October, he headed the usual grand procession to Westminster Hall, riding on his mule, attended by his crosses, his pillars, and his poll-axes, and an immense retinue to defend the Great Seal and the Cardinal's hat. It was remarked that in the procession, and while sitting in the Court of Chancery, his manner was dignified and collected, although he, and all who beheld him, knew that he had touched the highest point of all his greatness, and from the full meridian of his glory he hastened to his setting. This was his last appearance in public as Chancellor. That same evening he received a private intimation that the King had openly announced his immediate disgrace. The next day he remained at home, hourly expecting the messenger of fate, but it passed on without any occurrence to terminate his suspense. The following day, however, came the Dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk from the King, "declaring to him how the King's pleasure was that he should surrender and deliver up the Great Seal into their hands." He demanded of them "what commission they had to give him any such commandment?" They answered, "they were the King's commissioners in that behalf, having orders by his from King. mouth so to do." He denied that this was sufficient without further manifestation of the King's pleasure, and high words passed between them. Refuses to deliver up Great Seal without proper warrant of his office Deprived The Dukes were obliged to take their departure without and all his accomplishing their object. But the next morning they possessions, brought from Windsor letters from the King, under the 1529. Privy Seal, demanding the surrender of the Great Seal; Oct. 17. whereupon, expressing great reverence for the King's authority so exercised, he delivered it up to them inclosed in a box, of which he gave them the key. They at the same time signified to him his Majesty's pleasure that he should surrender up York Place and all his possessions, and retire to his country-house at Esher.* Cavendish, 247. CHAPTER XXIX. LIFE OF CARDINAL WOLSEY FROM HIS FALL TILL HIS DEATH. CHAP. XXIX. informa Wolsey. THE utter destruction of Wolsey had been determined upon immediately after his departure from Grafton; and, some days before the Great Seal was taken from him, Hales, the Oct. 1529. Attorney-General, had filed an information against him, Præmunire charging him with having, as legate, transgressed the act of tions filed Richard II., commonly called "the statute of præmunire," in against receiving bulls from Rome, and acting upon them, without the King's consent, whereby he was out of the King's protection, his lands and goods were forfeited, and he might be imprisoned at the King's pleasure. Nothing could be more iniquitous than this proceeding, for Henry himself had joined in soliciting the legatine grant to him, and rejoiced in the greatness which the exercise of it conferred upon him. But Wolsey knew the stern and irritable temper of his prosecutor. To have maintained his innocence would have excluded all hope of forgiveness; and there was, moreover, "a night crow," to use his own expression, "which possessed the royal ear, and misrepresented the most harmless of his actions." He therefore pleaded guilty to the informa- Pleads guilty. tion, and threw himself upon the royal clemency. He caused inventories to be made of his plate, furniture, and valuables, showing the immense riches which he had accumulated. These he formally made over to the King, with York Place,which thenceforth, under the name of Whitehall, became the chief town residence of the Kings of England, and so continued till it was burnt down, in the reign of William and Mary. Some time before he had voluntarily made a gift of Hampton Court to the King, in the vain hope of recovering his favour. When he entered his barge to proceed to Esher, he found Proceeds to Esher. CHAP. A. D. 1529. At Putney, met by a messenger from the King. Lord Chancel the river Thames covered with above a thousand boats, full of men and women of the city of London, who expected to witness the spectacle of his being carried to the Tower, and there landing at the Traitor's Gate. It is confessed that he was now greatly hated by people of all degrees, and that there was a general disappointment when the head of his barge was turned towards Lambeth, and when he was seen rowed up the river to Putney. Here he landed and mounted his mule, -when a horseman was seen descending the hill, who turned out to be Sir Harry Norris, with a message to him from the King, "willing him in any wise to be of good cheer, for he was as much in his Highness's favour as ever he had been, and so should continue to be." And, in token of the King's kindness, he delivered him a ring of gold with a rich stone, being the privy token between the King and him when any important secret communication took place between them. Wolsey was so transported with joy at this gleam of returning good fortune, that he instantly dismounted, knelt in the mud, and returned thanks to God his Maker, and to the King his sovereign Lord and Master, who had sent him such comfort. He added, "Gentle Norris, if I were lord of a realm, the one half thereof were an insufficient recompence for your pains and good comfortable news. But, good, good Master Norris, consider with me that I have nothing left me but my clothes on my back. Therefore I desire you to take this small reward at my hands." He then gave him a gold chain, with a cross of gold enclosing a piece of the veritable wood of the true cross, which he continually wore round his neck, next his skin. When Norris was gone a little way he called him back, lor's "fool." saying, "I am sorry that I have no condign token to send to the King; but if you would present the King with this poor fool, I trust his Highness would accept him well; for surely, for a nobleman's pleasure, he is worth a thousand pounds." This fool, whose name was "Patch," was so much attached to his master, that it required six tall yeomen to force him to accompany Norris to Windsor, although he knew that he was to be transferred from disgrace and want to royalty and splendour. It is a pleasure to be told that the King received CHAP. him most gladly.* XXIX. A. D. 1529. residence Wolsey, on his arrival at Esher, found the house without beds, sheets, tablecloths, cups, or dishes, which he was Wolsey's obliged to borrow in the neighbourhood; but here he re- at Esher. mained, with a numerous train of attendants, till the commencement of the following year. Erasmus. A letter from Erasmus, written at this time to a cor- Letter from respondent on the Continent, though chargeable with some inaccuracies, gives a lively representation of the fallen favourite. "The Cardinal of York has incurred the royal displeasure to such a degree, that, stript of all his dignities, and all his wealth, he is confined, not literally in a prison, but in one of his country houses, attended, or rather guarded, by about thirty servants. Innumerable charges are brought forward against him, so that it is thought he can hardly escape capital punishment. Behold the sport of fortune. From being a schoolmaster, he is made ruler of a kingdom; for he, in truth, reigned more than the King himself: feared by all, loved by few I might say, by no human being." † The King continued, from time to time, to send him consoling messages and tokens of affection, though generally by stealth, and during the night‡; but, at the urgent request of -- * A fool was so necessary to the establishment of a Lord Chancellor, that we shall find one in the household of Sir Thomas More. It is very doubtful when Chancellors ceased to have about them any such character. "Cardinalis Eboracensis sic offendit animum regium, ut spoliatus bonis et omni dignitate, teneatur, non in carcere, sed in quodam ipsius prædio; adhibitis triginta duntaxat seu famulis seu custodibus. Proferuntur in illum querelæ innumeræ, ut vix existiment effugere posse capitis supplicium. Hic est fortunæ ludus; ex ludi magistro subvectus est ad regnum; nam plane regnabat verius quam ipse rex, metuabatur ab omnibus, amabatur a paucis, ne dicam a nemine."- Ep. 1151. Erasmus thought himself ill-used by Wolsey, who in return for a flattering dedication of the Paraphrase on the Epistles of St. Peter, and in performance of magnificent promises, had only given him a prebend at Tournay, which produced nothing. On another occasion the disappointed wit writes, "Cardinalis perbenigne pollicetur; verum hæc ætas non moratur lentas spes."-Ep. 352. Returning kindness of the King. Nocturnal Cavendish gives a curious account of one of these nocturnal missions, - Sir John Russell, the chief founder of an illustrious house, being the messenger. visit to He was sent off from the Court at Greenwich after dark, with orders to be back Wolsey before day. It was a dreadfully rainy and tempestuous night, and the Cardinal from Sir and his household were all in bed before he arrived at Esher. After loud John Rusknocking at the gate, he was admitted, and saying he came from the King, sell. was conducted to the bedchamber of the Cardinal, who had risen and put on "When Master Russell was come into his presence, he most bis night gown. |