may say that we have at this time addressed these letters unto
you, commanding you to declare our said purpose unto our good brother,
and to require of him on our behalf his good address and best advice. Of
his answer we require you to advertise us with all diligence, for
according thereunto we intend to attemper our proceedings. We have
lately had advertisements how that our said good brother should, by the
labour of divers affectionate Papists, be minded to set forth something
with his clergy in advancement of the pope and his desires. This we
cannot believe that he will do."[224]

[Sidenote: Meaning of this letter. He will join Germany sooner than
yield to the pope, but he trusts that Francis will not drive him to it.]

The meaning of this letter lies upon the surface. If the European powers
were determined to leave him no alternative, the king was prepared to
ally himself with the Lutherans. But however he might profess to desire
that alliance, it was evident that he would prefer, if possible, a less
extreme resource. The pope had ceased to be an object of concern to him;
but he could not contemplate, without extreme unwillingness, a
separation from the orderly governments who professed the Catholic
faith. The pope had injured him; Francis had deceived him; they had
tempted his patience because they knew his disposition. The limit of
endurance had been reached at length; yet, on the verge of the
concluding rupture, he turned once more, as if to offer a last
opportunity of peace.

[Sidenote: Mission of the Bishop of Paris to England.]

The reply of Francis was an immediate mission of the Bishop of Bayonne
(now Bishop of Paris), first into England, and from England to Rome,
where he was to endeavour, to the best of his ability, to seam together
the already gaping rent in the church with fair words--a hopeless
task--the results of which, however, were unexpectedly considerable, as
will be presently seen.

[Sidenote: Threatening attitude of the Court of Brussels.]

[Sidenote: The English ambassador requests the queen-regent to forbid
the publication of the papal censures in Flanders. She refuses.]

[Sidenote: December 15.]

[Sidenote: December 23.]

[Sidenote: Proposal to make Catherine or Mary Regent of the
Netherlands.]

[Sidenote: Charles waiting upon events.]

Meanwhile, on the side of Flanders, the atmosphere was dubious and
menacing. The refugee friars, who were reported to be well supplied with
mone