Therefore it III the King of Spain, my father Ferdinand, was reckoned to be CHAP one of the wisest princes that reigned in Spain, many years before his days: and so they were both wise men and noble A.D. 1529 kings. It is not therefore to be doubted, but that they had gathered together as wise counsellors unto them of every realm, as to their wisdoms they thought meet. And as me seemeth, there were in those days as wise and well learned men in both realms as be now at this day, who thought the marriage between you and me good and lawful. is a wonder to hear what new inventions are against me, that never intended but honesty. cause me to stand to the order and judgment of this court, it trial of the should, as seemeth me, do me much wrong, for ye may condemn me for lack of answer, having no counsel but such as you have assigned me; ye must consider that they cannot be indifferent on my part, when they be your own subjects, and such as ye have taken and chosen out of your own counsel, whereunto they are privy, and dare not disclose your will and intent. now invented and refuses And now to to take any "Therefore I humbly desire you, in the way of charity to spare me, until I may know what counsel and advice my friends in Spain will advise me to take. And if you will not, then your pleasure be fulfilled."8 part in the cause All chivalry must have died out of the men of that day if they could listen to the "broken English" of this poor, persecuted, virtuous, and highspirited wife without being moved. She herself was animated by a consciousness of right, and a proud Castilian spirit, which made her quite equal to the occasion. As Catherine soon as she had ended her speech, she bowed a low courtesy to the King, and while the spectators were watching her, supposing she would return to her seat, she took the arm of her one attendant, a Mr. Griffith, and went straight out of the court. Observing what she intended to do, the King commanded her to be 3 Cavendish in Wordsw. Eccl, Biog., i, 424. leaves the court III CHAP called again by the criér, who called once and again, Catherine, Queen of England, come into court.” A.D. 1529 On this, her attendant said to her, "Madam, you are called again." "On, on," said the Queen, "it makes not recog- no matter, this is no impartial court for me, therefore nising its I will not tarry. Go on your way." And so her womanly dignity made her even greater than a queen. authority Such brave resolution, straightforwardness, and modest self-assertion, probably did touch some of those who were present to the quick, for the King thought it expedient to make a sort of apology for his conduct towards her. "Forasmuch as the Queen is gone," he said, "I will, in her absence, declare unto you all that she hath been to me as true, as obedient, and as conformable a wife as I could wish or desire. She hath all the virtuous qualities that ought to be in a woman of her dignity, or in any other of baser estate. She is also a noble woman born, her conditions will well declare the same." For the moment he seems even proud of her, but it was not the sort of pride that could contend successfully against the showy charms that had now so long enchanted him, and he went on ruthlessly in the course he had marked out for her and for himself." 4 Henry's own account of the transactions of this day is contained in a letter to his ambassadors at Rome, Dr. Benet, Sir Gregory Cassilis, and Mr. Peter Vannes. It is dated June 23, 1529. "Since that time, ensuing the deliberation taken in that behalf, the said Legates, all due Ceremonies first observed, have directed Citations both to us and to the Queen, for our and her appearing before them the 18th day of this month: which appearance was duly on either party kept, performed, and all requisite solemnities accomplished At which time the Queen trusting more in the power of the Imperialists, than in any justness of her cause, and thinking of likelihood, by frustratory allegations and delays, to tract and put over the matter to her advantage, did protest at the said day, putting in libels, recusatories of the Judges; and also made a Provocation, alledging the cause to be avoked by the Pope's Holiness, et litis pendentiam coram 5 III Wolsey After such a scene, neither the King nor the CHAP legates would have desired to go on further with the business in hand at that sitting. But another scene A.D. 1529 was to take place before they adjourned. Wolsey made that appeal to the King for exculpation from The King the charge of originating the idea of a divorce, which exculpates has already been quoted, and to which the greater part of the King's answer has also been given. In concluding his reply, the King added the following words:" Wherein after I perceived my conscience so doubtful, I moved it in confession to you, my Lord of Lincoln, then my ghostly father. And forasmuch as then you yourself were in some doubt, you moved me to ask counsel of all you my lords and states whereupon I moved it to you, my Lord of Canter- the course bury, first to have your license (insomuch as ye were taken in metropolitan) to put this matter in question; and so I did of you all, my lords, to which all ye granted under all your seals, and that I have here to be showed." eodem; desiring to be admitted for probation thereof, and to have a term competent for the same. Whereupon day was given by the Judges till the 21st of the same month, for declaration of their minds and intentions thereunto; The Queen in person, and we by our Proctor enjoined to appear the same day, to hear what the said Judges should determine in and upon the same. At which time both we and the Queen appeared in person; and notwithstanding that the said Judges amply and sufficiently declared, as well the sincerity of their minds directly and justly to proceed without favour, dread, affection, or partiality; as also that no such recusation, appellation, or term for proving of litis pendentiam, could or might be by them admitted: 5 See page 115. he had private III nies ever to the course taken by other bishops CHAP The Archbishop of Canterbury gave an immediate assent to the King's declaration, and turning to the A. D. 1529 bishops, added that he had no doubt they would all acknowledge the same. But the good old Fisher, Bishop of Rochester, had always felt, and expressed himself, strongly against the divorce, maintaining Fisher de- that whatever mistake had been made as to the consenting marriage, it could not now be undone. He, therefore, disclaimed at once having any part in the consensus to which the King referred. "No, sir, not so under your correction, for you have not mine, no. "Ah!" said the King, "look here, is not this your hand and your seal?" and produced the instrument itself. "No, forsooth," replied the old Bishop. "How say you to that?" asked the King, turning to Warham, whose answer was, "Sir, it is his hand and his seal." Fisher's explanation was then given. "No, my Lord. Indeed you were in hand with me to have both my hand and my seal, as other of my lords have done; but then I said again to you I would never consent to any such act, for it was much against my conscience, and therefore my hand and seal shall never be set to any such instrument, God willing with much more matter touching the same communication between us." The Archbishop conMisunder- firmed Fisher's words so far. "You say truth," he Standings said, "such words you had unto me; but you were scription resolved at last that I should subscribe your name to sub and put to your seal myself, and you would allow the same. This again Fisher denied, saying, “All which under your correction, my lord, is not true."" And so this unhappy misunderstanding was left, like many others of the same kind, unsettled, for the • Cavendish in Wordsw. Eccl. Biog., i. 428. III King declared Fisher was but one man against many, CHAP and so the question was not worth arguing: having said which, he left the court, and another adjourn- A.D. 1529 ment took place. what docu. spoke of It is not certainly known what instrument it was Doubtful that the King produced. Some writers have supposed meat the it to be only a license to open the question. Probably King when it was found that the bishops would not give an united opinion in favour of the divorce, they were persuaded to give the King their signatures to a document which acknowledged the question to be so doubtful as to need further investigation. Even to this Fisher could not have agreed, for at the next sitting of the legates a personal controversy arose between him and Wolsey, in which he plainly declared "forasmuch as this marriage was joined and made by God to a good intent, I say that I know the truth, and that men cannot break, upon any wilful occasion that which God hath made and constituted." He would not allow that it was an open question, the truth of which no one could decide, but rested on the distinct words of our Lord, and God saith 'quos Deus conjunxit, homo non separet."" Dr. Ridley spoke as strongly, and even more boldly, declaring indignantly that the grounds alleged for the divorce were too abominable to be entertained. taken as to Prince The sittings of the court were adjourned from Evidence day to day, many documents being given in evidence, and many witnesses examined, the latter being mation of brought forward chiefly for the purpose of disproving Arthur's the Queen's allegation that she had been a wife in name only to the King's brother Arthur. 7 Burnet iii. 108, Pocock's Ed. From the marriage |