XXVIII

we had Cardinals among us." Although Wolsey privately CHAP. regretted the delay, his spirit would not brook this insult to his order. Rising with apparent coolness, he said, "Sir, of all men living, you have least reason to dispraise Cardinals; for if I a poor Cardinal had not been, you would not at this present have had a head upon your shoulders wherewith to make such a brag in disrepute of us who have meant you no harm, and have given you no cause of offence."*

makes a

The King now made a progress in the midland counties The King with Anne, who was using all her arts, under the guidance progress in of her uncle, her father, and other courtiers, to bring about the country. Wolsey's disgrace. There was much apprehension of his influence over the King if they should meet, and the policy adopted was to keep them apart as much as possible.

at Grafton.

The Court was fixed for some weeks at Grafton, in North- The Court amptonshire. Wolsey stationed himself at the Moore, a country house a few miles distant; but he was never invited to Court. On matters of state his opinion was seldom asked, and then only by a special messenger. His ruin was seen to be at hand; wagers were laid that the King would never again speak to him, and his opponents openly threatened "to humble the pride of all churchmen, and to ease them of that load of wealth which encumbered the successors of the apostles." †

Wolsey rested his hopes on the result of a personal interview Wolsey with the King, and, after many disappointments, he at last neglected. obtained permission to accompany Campeggio, when that prelate was to take leave on setting off for Rome. The Italian was received by the officers of the Court with the attention due to his rank; the falling minister found, to his extreme mortification, that though an apartment had been ordered for his companion, none was provided for himself. He was, in

I presume he referred to the Duke's marriage with the King's sister, which, without the Cardinal's good offices, might have been suddenly dissolved by the decapitation of the bridegroom. There do not seem to have been English Cardinals till about the end of the fifteenth century, from which time, till the Reformation, most of the prelates who held the Great Seal were raised to this dignity.

"La fantaisie de ces seigneurs est que, luy mort ou ruiné, ils deferrent incontinent icy l'estat de l'église et prendront tous leur biens. Ils le crient en pleine table.". Letters of the Bishop of Bayonne.

CHAP XXVIII.

His last interview

with Henry.

Dialogue between

Anne re

specting Wolsey.

some degree, relieved from his embarrassment by the delicate attention of Sir Henry Norris, a young knight (afterwards executed as one of the lovers of Anne Boleyn), who begged him to accept of his chamber, affecting to ascribe the premeditated affront put upon Wolsey to the limited arrangement of the King's present residence. The Chancellor was, however, admitted into the presence hall, and the sun of his fortune cast a parting ray upon him before it set for ever. "Having knelt before the King standing under the cloth of state, then he took my Lord up by both arms and caused him to stand up, and with as amiable a cheer as ever he did called him aside, and led him by the hand to a great window, where he talked with him, and caused him to be covered. Then to behold the countenance of those that had made their wagers to the contrary it would have made you smile; and thus were they all deceived." After some conversation the King said to him, "My Lord, go to your dinner, and all my Lords here will keep you company.'

"The King dined that same day with Mrs. Anne BoHenry and leyn 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 Henry and their victim. Prompted by them she said during dinner:-"Is it not a marvellous thing to consider what debt and danger the Cardinal hath brought you in with all your 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

66

66

"For

Cavendish, who was an eye-witness of this scene, adds, that in a long and earnest communication between them, he heard the King say, "How can that be? Is not this your own hand?" but that Wolsey satisfied the King. This is probably the foundation for the second scene of the third act of Shakspeare's Henry VIII., turning upon a paper disclosing secrets, which the Cardinal is supposed by mistake to have sent to the King.

your

that loveth your Grace, no more hath 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.†

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

CHAP.

XXVIII.

and wailed like a child." On his return to London, however, Wolsey his spirits rallied, and he resolved with decency to meet the returns to impending blow.

London.

On the first day of Michaelmas term, which then began in His last the middle of October, he headed the usual grand procession appearance to Westminster Hall, riding on his mule, attended by his Court of crosses, his pillars, and his poll-axes, and an immense retinue Chancery. 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

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.

CHAP.

. XXVIII.

deliver up Great Seal

without

up

suspence. The following day, however, came the Dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk from the King, "declaring to him how Refuses to the King's pleasure was that he should surrender and deliver 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 commisfrom King. sioners in that behalf, having orders by his mouth so to do.” He denied that this was sufficient without further manifestation of the King's pleasure, and high words passed between them.

proper warrant

Deprived

of his office

Oct. 17.

1529.

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 Privy Seal, demanding the surrender of the Great Seal; 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.*

* Cav. 247.

CHAPTER XXIX.

LIFE OF CARDINAL WOLSEY FROM HIS FALL TILL HIS DEATH.

CHAP.
XXIX.

Oct. 1529.

informa

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 Attorney-General, had filed an information against him, Premunire charging him with having, as legate, transgressed the act of tions filed Richard II., commonly called "the statute of premunire," in against Wolsey. 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 tion, and threw himself upon the royal clemency. He caused guilty. 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 the river Thames covered with above a thousand boats, full to Esher.