Henry VIII,the ReignState Papers.
CX. Wolsey to King Henry VIII.
' Sire. After my moste humble and lowly recommendations. These shalbe to advertise Your Highnes of such successes, as have occurred synnes the taking of my journay from Westmester, which was on Wedonsday last past ; where in passing through London, there was a gret multitude of people of every sorte in the stretes that I passed by, which continually, in counte- naunce, behavour, and wordes, made demonstracion of favour, good wil, and harty love, with open acclamations and prayour to God, that I shuld wel spede in this my journay, and shortly retourne again ; which I assure Your Grace, like as it is far discrepant from such vaine tales and untrue reaportes as have been made, soo it was not a litel to my rejoyse, counforte, and con solation, to perceyve the benevolent myndes of the people, whom also, in these parties, in progresse of my journaye hitherto, I finde of semblable good wyl and mynde ; being glad, after the best sorte and facion, to enter- teigne not oonly such of Your Graces servanntes as passe with me, but also myn, and al other gentilmens servauntes passing in my company. And commenyng with my Lord of Cauqtorbury 2, Sir Edwarde Gildeforde, and other gentilmen of these parties, who have repared unto me synnes my cumming hither, and demaunding of them of the behavour, good ordre, and rule of the people, I understande by them, and by suche facion as they use to me, and al those that goo with me perceyve it to be true, that Your Highnes hath, in these parties, as loving, kinde, obedient, and wel ruled sub- gettes, as in any other quartier of your realme, clere without any such talkinges, rumours, or seditious spekinges as was reaported and noysed ; inasmoch as my Lord of Cauntourbury, and the other gentilmen of this shere, doo afferme, that this contre was not more quiet this twenty yere, thenne it is nowe ; which reaport I perceyve to be trewe, aswel by such serch and exploration, as I have caused to be made in every quarter of the same, as by that I have harde and seen myn owne selfe ; and that Your Highnes is both loved, honored, and dred, as apperteynith, far otherwise thenne I wold have thought at myn entre in to the same. The first night of this my said journay I lodged at Sir John Wiltesheres howse 3, where met me my Lord of Cauntourbury ; with whom after com- i This letter is a little injured by damp. 2 Wm. Warham, Archbishop of Canterbury. » Cavendish describes this house to have been two miles beyond Dartford.
munication had of your secrete matier, and such other thinges as have been hitherto doon therin, I shewed him howe the knowleage therof is cumme to the Quenes Grace, and howe displeasantly she takith it, and what Your Highnes hath doon for the staying and pacification of her ; declaring unto her, that Your Grace hath hitherto nothing intended, ne doon, but oonly for the serching and trying out of the trouth, proceding upon occasion geven by the French partie, and doubtes moved therin by the Bishop of Tarbe.1 Which facion and maner liked my said Lorde of Cauntorbury very wel. And noting his countenaunce, gesture, and manour, although he sumwhat merveled, howe the Quene shuld cumme to the knowleage therof, and by whom ; thinking that Your Grace might constrayne and cause her to shewe the discoverers therof unto Your Highnes : yet, as I perceyve, he is not moch altered or turned from his first facion ; expressely affermyng that, howe- soever displeasantly the Quene toke this matier, yet the trowth and jugement of the lawe must have place, and be folowed. And soo proceding further with him in communication, I have sufficiently instructed him, howe he shall ordre himself, in cace the Quene doo demaunde his counsail in the said matier ; which myn advertisement he doth not oonly like, but also hath promised me to folowe the same accordingly. Furthermore, I divised with him of this present calamite, nowe chaunced to Christes Church, by the miserable captivite of the Pope, and what detestable, enorme, and unchristen behavour hath been used in destroying the citie of Rome, and of what noble mynde and religious disposition Your Highnes is for the redresse and reformation therof, and what divises have been conceyved and opened unto me by Your Grace upon the same, and howe that for the execution of them, with the advice and assistence of other Cardinalles, nowe being at libertie, Your Highnes sendeth me chiefly in to Fraunce. Wherat he moch rejoysed, and said that if it may succeede according to your gracious entent, much honour must nedes redounde unto Your Highnes of this my journey, and the same shal moch conferre to your secrete matier. And soo finishing with him my communication, and bidding the same farewel, I toke my journey towardes Rochestre, where I arrived upon Thursday at night; and, in the way there, encountred with me Sir Edward and Sir Henry Gildeford, accom panied with a good nombre of the gentilmen of Kent, passing with me to your citie of Rochestre, where I was lodged in the Bishoppes place, and was right lovingly and kindely by him entertaigned ; with whom I fel in
1 Gabriel de Grammont, Bishop of Tarbes, was one of those who came on an embassy from France in the spring of 1527.
communication of the lamentable successe of the Church, and what thinges wer divised, aswel in prayour and fasting, as other good deades, and at Your Graces commaundement by me indicted, for the redresse of the same. After which communication, I asked him, whether he had hard lately any tidinges from the Court, and whether any man had been sent unto him from the Quenes Grace. At which question he sumwhat stayed and pawsed ; never- theles, in conclusion, he answerd, howe truth it is, that of late oon was sent unto him from the Quenes Grace, who brought him a message oonly by mowth, without disclosure of any particularite, that certain matiers there were, bitweene Your Grace and her lately chaunced, wherin she [would be~\ glad to have his counsail, alleging that Your Highnes was content she shuld soo have ; whereunto, as he saith, he made answer, likewise by mowth, that he was redy and prone to geve unto her his counsail, in any thing that concerned or towched oonly herself, but in matiers concerning Your Highnes and here, he wold nothing doo, without knowlege of your pleasour and expresse commaundement, and herwith dismissed the messanger. After declaracion wherof, I replied and said ; " My Lord, ye and I have been of an " olde acquayntaunce, and the oon hath loved and trusted the other ; wherfore, " postponyng al doubte and feare, ye may be franke and playne with me, like " as I, for my partie, wil be with youe." And soo I demaunded of him, whither he had any special conjecture or knowlege, what the matier shuld be, wherin the Quene desired to have his advise. Wherunto he answered, that by certain reaport and relation he knewe nothing ; howbeit upon conjecture, rysing upon such thinges as he hath harde, he thinketh it was for a divorce to be had bitwene Your Highnes and the Quene ; which to conjecte, he was specially moved, upon a tale brought unto him by his brother, from London ; who shewed hym, that being there, in a certain company, he harde saye that thinges wer set forth, sounding to such a purpose: wherupon, and thenne calling to remembraunce the question I moved unto him, by Your Graces commaundement, with the message sent unto him from the Quene, he verayly supposed such a matier to be in hande, and this was al he knowith therin, as he constantly affermith, without that that ever he sent any worde or knowlege therof, by his fayth, to the Quenes Grace, or any other lyving personne. Upon this occasion I said unto him, that although for such considerations, as in further hering of the matier he shal perceyve, Your Highnes was mynded not to disclose the same to many, but as secretly to handle it as might be, and therfor did communicate it unto very fewe ; yet nowe, perceyving your good mynde and gracious entent to be otherwise taken by suspicions and conjectures, thenne was purposed, Your
Highnes had geven me special charge and commission to disclose the same unto him ; takyng an othe of him to kepe it close and secrete, and to shewe his mynde and opinion, what he thought therin. After the which othe taken, I repeted unto him the hol matier of Fraunce, and of the manage entended bitwen the French King and my Lady Princesse ; and howe that when, in processe of that matier, besides the expectacion of the Ambassadours of Fraunce, it was on this side objected, that bifore further entree in to the treatie of the said matrimonie, it shuld first be necessary and requisite to see, whither the French King wer in such state and condition, as he might, by the lawe, contraicte mariage with my Lady Princesse, forasmoch as it was noysid abrode, that he had made a precontracte ' with Madam Elienor ; and that they, having noo commission to treate therupon, wer compelled to staye for a season ; alleging, nevertheles, that such objection semed unto them very strange, and that it was not to be thought, that a Prince of honnour, as ther master is, wolde sende them in such facion to so noble a Prince, requiring his doughter in mariage, oonles he might by the lawe accomplish the same : the Bishop of Tarbe, oon of the said Ambassadours, wrote unto me from his lodging, shewing howe he was very sory for such allegacions made on this side ; and that for reciproque maner, on ther partie, they wer compelled to demaunde likewise, that, on Your Graces behaulf, it shuld be shewed and opened unto them, what had been here provided for taking awaye the impediment of that mariage, wherof my Lady Princesse cummith ; and that although he doubted not, but Your Graces counsail had wel forseen that same, yet, for disharge of ther duties towardes ther master, they must nedes require a sight therof; fearing, lest upon such altercacion, on both sides, litel effecte shuld succede. Whe[rupori~\ Your Highnes had com- maundement to make enserch for such dispensacions as wer obteyned therfor, to shewe unto them, when they shuld require it. And, finally, for the said Bishoppes satisfaction, shewed unto him the bul of dispensation ; which, after he had deliberatly perused and red, noting and marking every material point therof, although he said, for the first sight, he supposed the said bul was not sufficient, aswel for that this impediment was de jure divino, wherwith the Pope coulde not dispense nisi ex urgentissima causa, as for other thinges deprehended in the same ; yet further disputation upon validite of the said bulle, and the impediment of the French Kinges parte, was, by mutual consent, put over, untyl my cumming in to Fraunce : mynding, in the meane season, to see what might be said for the justification therof,
1 By the Treaty of Madrid.
and to be riped, in al poyntes, to make answer to any thing, that might be objected on eyther partie ; and howe that, by Your Graces commaundement, I had sworn certain lerned men in the lawe, to wryte ther myndes in that matier, who have right clerkly handled the same, soo as the bokes ex- crescunt in magna volumina. And forasmoch as the Bishop of Tarbe wrote unto me, that the impediment shuld be de jure divino, I moved that question unto him in a nother case, to knowe his mynde. And thus declaring, the hol matier unto him at lenght, as was divised with Your Highnes at Yorke Place, I added that, by what meanes it was not yet deprehended, an encling of this matier is cumme to the Quenes knowlege ; who, being suspicious, and casting further doubtes, thenne was ment or entended, hath broken with Your Grace therof, after a veray displeasaunt maner ; saying that, by my pro curement and setting forth, a divorce was purposed bitwen her and Your Highnes ; and bi her maner, behavour, wordes, and messages sent to diverse, hath published, divulged, and opened the same; and what Your Highnes hath said unto her therin, to the purging of the matier, howe, and after what sorte, Your Grace have used yourself, to attayne to the knowlege of him, that shulde be author of that tale unto her. And I assure Your Grace, my Lorde of Rochestre, hering the processe of the matier after this sorte, did arrecte gret blame unto the Quene, aswel for geving soo light credence in soo weighty a matier, as also, when she harde it, to handle the same in such facion, as rumor and brute shuld sprede therof; which might not oonly be summe staye and let to the universal peace, which is now in mayning and treating, but also to the gret daungier and peril of Your Graces succes sion, if the same shulde be further spred and divulged ; and doubted not, but that if he might speke with her, and disclose unto her al the circum stances of the matier as afore, he shulde cause her gretly to repent, humille, and submitte herselfe unto Your Highnes ; considering that the thing doon by Your Grace, in this matier, was soo necessary and expedient, and the Quenes acte herin soo perilous and daungerous, if it be not redubbed. Howbeit I have soo persuaded hym, that he wil nothing speke or doo therin, ne any thing counsail her, but as shal stande with your pleasour ; for he saith, although she be Quene of this realme, yet he knowelegith youe for his high Souverain Lorde and King ; and wil not therfor otherwise behave him self, in al matiers, concerning or towching your personne, thenne as he shalbe by Your Grace expressely commaunded ; like as he made answer unto the messanger sent from the Quene, as I have bifore writen. Wherfor there restith oonly the advertisement of your pleasour to be geven unto him, wheruppon he wil incontinently repare unto Your Highnes, and further
ordre himselfe to the Quene, in wordes, maner, and facion, as he shalbe by Your Grace enfourmed and instructed. At this point and conclusion I departid from my said Lorde of Rochestre, towching sum what with him, in discourse of communication, the difficile pointes, that might be objected in this matier on the French partie ; first, that the impediment was de jure divino, wherunto he said, as he thenne thought, answer might be made, that it is not ; but not stikking with him moch therupon, I said that an impe diment of mariage there was, which must be taken awaye by dispensacion sufficient ; and he assented therunto. Then I shewed him the fawte of the bul, in the suggestion, which was false ; forasmoch as it was shewed unto the Pope therin, that Your Grace shuld cupere contrahere matrimonium, ad hoc, ut pacis federa conserventur, not being, at that tyme, 12 yeres of age, and, as my Lorde of Winchester deposith, not made prive to the impetracion therof. As hereunto he said, it was not his facultie, any thing to judge in that matier ; nevertheles he misliked it moch, and said he had ever hard that a dispensacion is nought, si preces veritate non nitantur, and gretly lamented the negligence of them, that soo handled that thing in the begynnyng ; being of soo high importaunce and gret weight, wherupon might insurge doubte or question upon the succession of Your Highnes. And more and more, as I shewed him of your protestation made, and the deth of the King, your father, bifore the execution of the bul, and soo, quasi causa cessante cessaret gratia, he noted the matier to be more and more doubteful, and the bul diminute ; merveling that noon other bul was purchased, thenne that, being so slenderly couched, and against which soo many thinges might be objected. He wold not reason the matier, but noted grete difficulte in it, as I have rehersed. Thus I departed from him, advertising the same, that I wold signifie the premisses unto Your Highnes ; taking conclusion with him, that whansoever Your Grace wil sende for him, he will not fayle to repare unto the same ; and soo toke my jorney towardes Feversham : where, in the meane waye bitwene Sitenborne and Feversham, encountered with me an Ambassadour ', sent unto Your Highnes, by post, from Vayvoda, namyng himself King of Hungary ; a man of good eloquence, and, as it apperith, right wise. He made salutations unto me from his master, saying he had letters unto me, for his addresse to Your Highnes, from the same. Howbeit, not having his letters at hand, and forasmoch as we wer not fer from Fever sham, he prayed me that he might passe with me to my lodging, where he -wold not oonly delyver his said letters, but also disclose such thinges, as
1.Jerome & Lasco.
wer committed unto him, on his masters behaulf, to be declared unto me ; soo that after my cumming to my lodging, and delivering of his letters, he shewed me, that his charge to Your Highnes, from his master, consisted in three thinges : first, to salute Your Highnes in his masters name ; secondly, to shewe unto Your Grace the erection of his master to the kindam of Hungary ; thirdely, to desire Your Highnes, that such ayde and assistence, as Your Grace had appointed to geve to the late King of Hungary ' against the Turke, Your Highnes wold now geve the same unto his master, whom the nobilitie there had chosen, as having just title to the Crowne, to ther hed and Kinge ; considering that he entendith, with al his might and power, having convenient ayde of Christen Princes, to jeoparde and expone his per son, to defende that realme from the Turkes malice. And to thintent by divises, questions, and objections I might enserch, and cumme to the knowlege of what disposicion his master was of, soo as I might advertise Your Highnes therof, bifore his accesse unto your presence, I said unto him that the commen fame hath been, and reaportes therof hath cumme to Your Highnes, from diverse parties, that his master had intelligence with the Turke, and had treated and practesed with him ; which if it were trewe, he nedyd have non ayde sent unto him by Christen Princes, but, being the Turkes college, must be reputed unto Christen Princes as ther commen enemy. Herunto he said, truth it is, that there be presently with his master two Ambassadours, sent from the Turke, who doo continually sollicite and presse him to a con- federacion with the Turke : nevertheles, abhorring that, and trusting to thayde of other Christen Princes, by good meanes delayth and puttith over ther answer ; loking, in the meane tyme, for summe good resolution from Christen Princes, and specially from Your Highnes, and the French King, unto whom he hathe chiefly sent for assistence ; utterly determyned never to fal in treatie with the Turke, oonles, by desperation of al other helpe, he be, for savegarde of himselfe, driven and compelled therunto ; wherof he wold be right loth and sory. And soo thus far entred in communication herof, he shewed me, further, howe he hath been with the French King for that purpose, who had, as he saith, afore his cumming unto him, sent an Ambassadour to his master, to make congratulacions of his erection to that dignitie, and to promise him ayde against the Turke, and howe honorably the French King enter- teyned him, and made him Knight of his Ordre ; adding therunto, what answer he nowe had of the said French King, concerning his request for ayde against the Turke ; which was, as he saith, that althowe the French King, by
1.Lewis II., who was slain, 1526, at the battle of Mohacz.
his Ambassadour lately sent unto the said Vayvoda, promised to ayde him against the Turke, yet the miserable chaunce, which hath fortuned synnes that tyme in the Church, which is intestinum venenum, and spedely to be loked unto, purged, and clensed, lest therupon shuld ensue destruction and subversion of the hol, puttith him nowe to such charge and coste, as he cannot wel furnish both parties as he wold : nevertheles, these matiers oones componed and redressed, he wil not fayle, according to his former promise, to maynteyne and ayde the sayd Vayvoda, for his defence of the realme of Hungary, and expelling of the Turke owte of the same. Which answer, Sire, in my poore opinion, may be good, at this tyme, to be made by Your Highnes, wherby ye may honnorably put over the graunte of any ayde to the said Vayvoda, or doo any thing, that may be il interpreted or taken by King Ferdinande; alleging, that in the redresse and reformation of the high attemptates, committed and doon against the Popes Holynes, and the See Apostolique, Your Highnes, as Defensor Fidei, shalbe dryven to concurre in charges with the French King ; and that not oonly for that purpose, but also concluding of universal peace, Your Highnes hath nowe sent me unto the French King ; remitting the further discourse therof to Your Graces high wisedom. And thus, wading further with the said Ambassadour, he shewed unto me, that he had a special commission from his master to commen with the French King upon aliaunce and mariage with Dame Rayneta ', having ample instructions to conclude the same. Howbeit, when he sawe the per sonage of the said Madame Rayneta not mete to bring forth frute, as it apperith by the liniacion of her body, he forbeare, as he affermith, to open that matier unto the French King; and synnes, jorneyng in the waye towardes Your Grace, hath divised with himself upon the marriage of Madame Elienora 2 with his said master, desiring to knowe myn opinion in that matier. Wherunto I answerd, that I wold geve him noo counsail, tyl the further successes of Christen Princes wer knowen ; and that the French King and Your Grace wer soo unite and knyt together in oon wil, mynde, purpose, and entent, in procuring and bringing to passe universal peace, that the oon wold nothing doo without the other, in these commen matiers. Wherfor now his opinion was, that his master, kepihg .himself in suspense for a while, without determining himself eyther to the oon, or the other, tyl it shalbe seen what Your Highnes and the French King may nowe doo, for conducing
1 Renata, youngest daughter of Lewis XII., and sister-in-litw of Francis I.
2 The person here intended seems to be the Queen Dowager of Portugal, who was, at this time, affianced to Francis I. of universal peace, and componing of the matiers of Christendom, shuld doo that, that shulde be most to his benefit and commodite ; and soo, con- teyning himself for a season, and forbering any confederacion or intelligence with the Turke, he shal the rather atteyne his desire, aswel in alliaunce, as in the ayde and assistence of Princes. And albeit, for a season, his master dyd Iak, and not have the ayde and assistence of Your Highnes, the French King, and other Christen Princes ; yet, regarding what ignominie and dis- honnour in this worlde, with daungier of his soule, shuld ensue unto him by adhering to the Turke, which with no honnour, preeminence, auctorite, riches, or possessions of realmes canne be contrevayled, he ought rather stande and contynue in daungier of losse of these transitory thinges, and departe from them with honnour, thenne dishonorably, contrary to the profession of a Christen Prince, falle in composition, treatie, or intelligence with the most cruel enemye of Christes religion, for the conserving and keping of the said realmes, whereby he might incite and provoke the indignation of God, and al other Princes against him. This gentilman hath also shewed unto me, what disordre is in the French Kinges Counsail, and howe he is destitute and unpurveyed booth of good capitaynes and money ; and that the said French King, considering the captivite of the Pope, the detencion of his childern with the Emperour, with the apparaunce of attayning Italy by the Tmperialles, is mervelously perplexed, and for sorowe in maner gyven to a malencolye, not knowing howe to do, or the premisses may be remedied, but oonly by your high wisedom, reputacion, counsail, and assistence. This, Sire, hath been the dis course bitwen this gentilman and me ; who I suppose, accompanied with a pursuyvant, which I sende with him, wil desire to have spedy accesse unto Your Highnes, and also depech. Thus hitherto, Sire, I have declared unto Your Grace the successes of al such thinges, as have chaunced in my voyage ; and as other thinges shal cumme to my knowlege, I shal not fayle to advertise Your Highnes with diligence accordingly ; beseching God to geve unto the same the accompleshe- ment of your most noble and vertuous desires.
At Feversham, this Friday at night, at then of the clok, being the 5th day of Julye, by your Moste humble Chapleyn, {Superscribed) (Signed) T. Car1" EbOR. To the Kinges Moste Noble Grace, Defensour of the Faith. |
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