CHAP which led the Pope to delay his appointment so II 5 long, for a year later, in July 1515, Henry is found importuning Leo on the same subject. He begs that the Pope will pay the same regard to what Wolsey may say in correspondence as if it came from the King himself; returns him "huge thanks" for his intended regard for the dignity of his minister; and expresses his extreme anxiety for the Cardinalate to be given him. The King concludes his letter by urging Wolsey's genius, learning, and many other admirable qualities, and presses the Pope to make the appointment as soon as possible. At the same time, Wolsey himself wrote to the Bishop of Worcester, the English ambassador at Rome, expressing his surprise that the Pope should make such frequent promises and yet delay so long; and he hints that delay is damaging the Pope's influence with the King, while refusal would be really dangerous. A few days afterwards he writes again to the Bishop, enclosing a very important letter to the Pope, which was not to be delivered until his appointment as Cardinal was Applies to secure. In this letter Wolsey asks to be made Legate, or Legate as well as Cardinal: and De Gigliis is privately instructed that if the Pope refuses this, he is to be pressed for a faculty empowering Wolsey to nasteries visit those English monasteries which are exempted from Episcopal jurisdiction, and subject to the Pope's own authority only. If this latter request is skilfully put, Wolsey thinks it will not be refused. His actual election to the Cardinalate took place on September 10, 1515, and he was invested or installed, with immense state, in Westminster Abbey on November 18. But the Pope declined to make him Martene Vet. Script. iii. 1296. 6 Brewer's Calend. St. Pap., ii. 763, 780. be made else for power to visit ex empt mo 6 Legate at present, and left the visitatorial question CHAP undecided." pose II of re He forming them The letter of Wolsey to De Gigliis shows that, at this early age of his government, he had already in view a most important part of those reformation plans For purwhich have been conjecturally sketched out. wished for the full powers of Legate a latere, and in the event of not being able to obtain them, he desired at once to have authority to carry out part of what he had intended to do had he been invested with them. If he could not get authority to inquire into and reform the condition of the whole Church of England, he would begin at what was notoriously the most corrupted part of it, the exempt monasteries, which had grown to what they were through want of proper supervision. Pope hesi The Pope had his own reasons for so decidedly Why the refusing Wolsey's requests, although they were tated doubtless known, unofficially, to be backed by the King. Probably the Cardinal's determination to remain in England, and his well-known nationalism, made Leo averse to giving him any extraordinary powers, though he dared not any longer refuse the dignity (for it was nothing more under the circumstances) of the Cardinalate. appointed The subject of the legateship was curiously revived, Legates however, about two years afterwards. At the for another end of March 1518, the King received a despatch purpose from De Gigliis stating that the Pope had, on the 4th instant, created four legates to four European sovereigns, for the purpose of arranging an expedition against the Turks; and that Cardinal Campeggio had been appointed Legate to the King of England. 7 Brewer's Calend. St. Pap., ii. 967. II quires cer the Pope CHAP Wolsey was not with the King at the time, and the despatch was sent on to him, with a message from the latter, to the effect that it was not the rule of his realm to admit legates de latere. If, however, he had nothing else to treat of except the expedition against the Turks, he might be admitted. But a Wolsey re- despatch of a much stronger character was eventually tain condi- sent, no doubt after consultation between the King tions from and his minister. This is dated April 11, and in it Wolsey instructs the English Ambassador to say that the King has been informed of the Pope's intention to send a legate to each of the great princes of Christendom for the purpose of consulting about the Turk's aggressions, and understands that Cardinal Campeggio has been appointed to execute this office in England. That although it is not usual to admit any foreign cardinal to exercise legatine authority in England, yet the King is willing to waive his objection, provided that all those faculties are suspended which are conceded, de jure, to legates, and provided that Wolsey be joined with Campeggio, and have equal authority given him by the Papal mandate. Then the despatch goes on to say that the King is very strictly bound to obey the municipal laws of his realm, which strictly forbid the admission of a foreign legate de latere, and that unless these conditions are complied with, he will not permit Campeggio to enter his kingdom.1 Joint-Le Appointed A month after this stout despatch, on May 17, gate with 1518 (which was probably as soon as possible after Campeg- the Bishop of Worcester had communicated its con gio 8 The Archbishop of Canterbury was always Legatus natus, or Legate ex officio. 9 Brewer's Calend. St. Pap., ii. 4034. 1 Ibid., ii. 4073. II tents to the Pope), Wolsey was nominated principal CHAP legate, and Campeggio second legate, the latter setting out on his journey. He was detained for nearly three months at Calais, evidently out of policy, to show that he was received at all only as a favour; and although he was ultimately carried from Canterbury to London with much state, Wolsey carefully avoided paying him any attention in person until his arrival there. Afterwards, when the business for which he had come was being transacted, Campeggio was placed in a conspicuously subordinate position, and the mission was treated (according to Giustiniani) with a good deal of contempt. Campeggio was made to feel that he was a mere pageant-legate, and that the real business was kept in the hands of Wolsey and the King.2 The fact is that neither the King nor Wolsey felt any hearty interest in the question on which alone Campeggio was allowed to speak; while having obtained for Wolsey the visitatorial powers which had previously been sought, they were rather anxious to get rid of the foreign legate than otherwise. By what clever negotiations Leo had been persuaded to grant that which he had before refused cannot now be known, but it is certain that, on August 27, 1518, the Ambassador of England at the Court of Rome wrote a despatch, with which he forwarded the necessary authority for the visitation of the monas- Visita. teries, adding that the clergy were not included, as power the bishops already had power to visit them for the reformation of abuses. It is observable that the Pope 3 2 Brewer's Calend. St. Pap., ii. 4194, 4371, 4243. 3 This power Wolsey had already exercised by issuing a set of constitutions, not for his own diocese only, but for the whole province of York. In these constitutions torial conceded by the II 4 CHAP Bishop of Worcester adds in his private despatch that he has often been struck with the need in which monasteries stood of reformation, and that great care will be required in dealing with runneries, as many abuses would be found in them. Speaking for his own diocese, De Gigliis thinks the visitation will probably lead to much discontent. This shows that Wolsey's intentions were known to be of a sweeping character; that the Pope's delegation of his authority went to the extent of empowering a complete visitation and reform of all English monasteries; and that for the present he left Wolsey to deal as he could with the clergy who were not monks by means of powers already existing. The authority thus concentrated in Wolscy's hands was similar to that afterwards given to Cromwell when he was made vicar-general, but this was founded on the then received principles of the Constitution, while Cromwell's was altogether an innovation. Appointed On the departure of Campeggio from England, sule Legate Wolsey was appointed sole legate a latere, by a bull dated June 10, 1519,6 his exercise of the office being limited to one year from that date. Before this bull had arrived in England, Wolsey wrote to De Gigliis, giving reasons against such a limitation, saying that the Pope could revoke his commission at any time, and that his only motive in wishing to continue legate was that he might use his office in the service of God." Campeggio advised the Pope to grant Wolsey's request, and declared that the Car • Brewer's Calend. St. Pap., ii. 4399. 5 In the Bull of 1521, the power of visitation is expressly extended to "Seculares Ecclesiasticas personas." 6 Brewer's Calend. St. Pap., iii. 475; Fiddes' Wolsey, Collect., p. 96. 7 Brewer's Calend. St. Pap., iii. 406. |