ing been most barbarous. Some of the cardinals had said that they
envied the monks their deaths in such a cause, and wished that they had
been with them. "I desired my informant," Cassalis said, "to suggest to
these cardinals, that, if they were so anxious on the subject, they had
better pay a visit to England." And he concluded, in cipher, "I cannot
tell very well what to think of the French. An Italian told me he had
heard the Most Christian king himself say, that although he was obliged
to press upon the pope the requests of the king of England, yet that
these requests were preposterous, and could not be granted."

[Sidenote: And of Fisher, which the pope will make of more account than
the martyrdom of Becket.]

The deaths of a few poor monks would soon have been forgiven; the
execution of Fisher first really revealed the truth. No sooner was the
terrible reply of Henry to his promotion to the cardinalate made known
than the conclave was instantly summoned. Cardinal Tournon described the
scene upon the scaffold in language which moved all his audience to
tears.[465] The pope, in a paroxysm of anger, declared that if he had
seen his own nephews murdered in his presence, it would not have so
much affected him; and Cassalis said he heard, from good authority, that
they would do their worst, and intended to make the Bishop of
Rochester's death of more account than that of the martyr St.
Thomas.[466]

[Sidenote: All Europe unites in amazed displeasure.]

[Sidenote: Francis remonstrates, and recommends that in future political
offenders should be banished.]

Nor was the anger or the surprise confined to Rome. Through England,
through France, through Flanders, even among the Protestants of Germany,
there rose a simultaneous outcry of astonishment. Rumour flew to and fro
with a thousand falsehoods; and the unfortunate leaven of the Anne
Boleyn marriage told fatally to destroy that appearance of probity of
motive so indispensable to the defence of the government. Even Francis
I. forgot his caution, and dared to remonstrate. He wrote to entreat his
good brother in future to content himself for the future with banishing
such offenders, and sparing the extremity of his penalties.

Unfortunately, the question which was at issue was European as well as
English; and every exile who was driven from England would have become,
like Reginald Pole, a missionary of a holy war against the infidel king.
Whatever else might have been