Сн. 1.4. A.D. 1531. until she was found to be meditating treason, she experienced no treatment from the government of which she had cause to complain; and thus for the present we may leave her pursuing her machinations with the Canterbury friars, and return to the parliament. The second session had been longer than the first; it had commenced on the 16th of January, and continued for ten weeks. On the 30th of March, which was to be its last day, Sir Thomas More came down to the House of Commons, and of the uni- there read aloud to the members the decision of March 30. Chancellor reads the judgment versities in the House the various universities on the papal power, and of Com mons. the judgment of European learning on the general question of the king's divorce. The country, he said, was much disturbed, and the king desired them each to report what they had heard in their several counties and towns, 'in order that all men might perceive that he had not attempted this matter of his own will or pleasure, as some strangers reported, but only for the discharge of his conscience and surety of the succession of his realm.'* This appears to have been the first time that the subject was mentioned before parliament, and the occasion was reasonably and sensibly chosen. The clergy having possession of the pulpits, had used their opportunity to spread a false impression where the ignorance of the people would allow them to venture the experiment; the king having resolved to fall back upon the support of his subjects, naturally desired the * HALL, p. 780. A.D. 1531. assistance of the country gentlemen and the CH. 4. nobles to counteract the efforts of disaffection, and provided them with accurate information in the simplest manner which he could have chosen. of Lords warning to But the desire expressed by Henry was no more than an unnecessary form, for as a body, the educated laity were as earnestly bent upon the divorce as the king himself could be, and might have been trusted to use all means by which to further it. The parliament was pro- The House rogued, but the Lords, shortly after the separation, volunteer a united with such of the Commons as remained in letter of London, to give a proof of their feeling by a volun- the pope. tary address to the pope. The meaning of this movement was not to be mistaken. On one side, the Nun of Kent was threatening Clement, speaking, perhaps, the feelings of the clergy and of all the women in England; on the other side, the parliament thought well to threaten him, speaking for the great body of English men, for all persons of substance and property, who desired. above all things peace and order and a secured succession. The language of this remarkable document* was as follows: * RYMER, vol. vi. p. 160. We are left to collateral evidence to fix the place of this petition, the official transcriber having contented himself with the substance, and omitted the date. The original, as appears from the pope's reply (LORD HERBERT, p. 145), bore the date of July 13; and unless a mistake a was made in transcribing the CH. 4. A.D. 1531. July 13. Since, notwithstand terests 'To the Most Holy Lord our Lord and Father in Christ, Clement, by Divine Providence the seventh of that name, we desire perpetual happiness in our Lord Jesus Christ. 'Most blessed Father, albeit the cause coning the in- cerning the marriage of the most invincible prince, our sovereign lord, the King of England and of France, Defender of the Faith, and Lord has expect of Ireland, does for sundry great and weighty which are at issue, the country ed vainly assistance, longer able silence. the pope's reasons require and demand the aid of your Holiness, that it may be brought to that brief end They are no and determination which we with so great and to keep earnest desire have expected, and which we have been contented hitherto to expect, though so far vainly, at your Holiness's hands; we have been unable, nevertheless, to keep longer silence herein, seeing that this kingdom and the affairs of it are brought into so high peril through the unseasonable delay of sentence. His Majesty, who is our head, and by consequence the life of us all, and we through him as subject members by a just union annexed to the head, have with great earnestness entreated your Holiness for judgment; we have however entreated in vain: we are by the greatness of our grief therefore forced separately and The merits distinctly by these our letters most humbly to demand a speedy determination. There ought, To them and to all the nation delay is unjust. of the case ought to have been sufficient without need of entreaty, and it seems unlikely that a pe- that I am right in making the change. The petition must have been drawn up (though it need not have been presented) in 1530; since it bears the signature of Wolsey, who died in the November of that year. as CH. 4. A.D. 1531. they are of with the pope, the our danger of the nation men forces them to urge his indeed, to have been no need of this request on our part. The justice of the cause itself, approved to be just by the sentence of so many learned men, by the suffrage of the most famous universities in England, France, and Italy, should have sufficed alone to have induced your Holiness to confirm the sentence given by others; especially when the interests of a king and kingdom are at stake, which in so many ways have deserved well But since of the apostolic see. This we say ought to have no weight been motive sufficient with you, without need of pop petition on our part; and if we had added entreaties, it should have been but yielding to a causeless anxiety, and words for which there was no occasion. Since, however, neither the merit of the cause nor the recollection of the benefits which you have received, nor the assiduous and diligent supplications of our prince have availed anything with your Holiness; since we cannot obtain from you what it is your duty as a father to grant; the load of our grief, increased as it is beyond measure by the remembrance of the past miseries and calamities which have befallen this nation, makes vocal every member of our commonwealth, and compels us by word and letter to utter our complaints. wasting duty upon him. the port of papal see 'For what a misfortune is this,-that a sen- Except for tence which our own two universities, which the supUniversity of Paris, and many other universities Henry, the in France, which men of the highest learning and would not probity everywhere, at home and abroad, are in exist ready to defend with word and pen, that have been ence. A.D. 1531. tude is so sidered that the pope looks on idly while civil war threatens England. CH. 4. such sentence, we say, cannot be obtained from the apostolic see by a prince to whom that see owes its present existence. Amidst the attacks of so many and so powerful enemies, the King of England ever has stood by that see with sword and pen, with voice and with authority. Yet grati Yet he alone is to reap no benefit from his little con- labours. He has saved the papacy from ruin, that others might enjoy the fruits of the life which he has preserved for it. We see not what answer can be made to this; and meanwhile to destroy we perceive a flood of miseries impending over the commonwealth, threatening to bring back upon us the ancient controversy on the succession, which had been extinguished only with so much blood and slaughter. We have now a king most eminent for his virtues, and reigning by unchallenged title, who will secure assured tranquillity to the realm if he leave a son born The hope of of his body to succeed him. The sole hope that dom lies in such a son may be born to him lies in the being a male heir, found for him some lawful marriage into which he may enter; and to such marriage the only obstacle And there lies with your Holiness. It cannot be until you require the shall confirm the sentence of so many learned men on the character of his former connexion. This possible. if you will not do, if you who ought to be our If the pope father have determined to leave us as orphans, they must and to treat us as castaways, we shall interpret remedy such conduct to mean only that we are left to care for ourselves, and to seek our remedy elsewhere. We do not desire to be driven to this extremity, and therefore we beseech your Holiness the king the birth of fore they pope to make it refuses, seek their elsewhere. |