as the king's desire for a male heir. But, however clear
this may be, the injustice done to Catherine was no less cruel and real.
Rumours, probably then unfounded, of an intended divorce had been heard
abroad as early as 1524. But the creation in 1525 of the king's
illegitimate son Henry, as duke of Richmond--the title borne by his
grandfather Henry VII--and the precedence granted to him over all the
peers as well as the princess Mary, together with the special honour
paid at this time by the king to his own half-sister Mary, were the
first real indications of the king's thoughts. In 1526, and perhaps
earlier, Wolsey had been making tentative inquiries at Rome on the
subject. In May 1527 a collusive and secret suit was begun before the
cardinal, who, as legate, summoned the king to defend himself from the
charge of cohabitation with his brother's wife; but these proceedings
were dropped. On the 22nd of June Henry informed Catherine that they had
been living in mortal sin and must separate. During Wolsey's absence in
July at Paris, where he had been commissioned to discuss vaguely the
divorce and Henry's marriage with Renee, daughter of Louis XII., Anne
Boleyn is first heard of in connexion with the king, his affection for
her having, however, begun probably as early as 1523, and the cardinal
on his return found her openly installed at the court. In October 1528
the pope issued a commission to Cardinal Campeggio and Wolsey to try the
cause in England, and bound himself not to revoke the case to Rome,
confirming his promise by a secret decretal commission which, however,
was destroyed by Campeggio. But the trial was a sham. Campeggio was
forbidden to pronounce sentence without further reference to Rome, and
was instructed to create delays, the pope assuring Charles V. at the
same time that the case should be ultimately revoked to Rome.[4]

The object of all parties was now to persuade Catherine to enter a
nunnery and thus relieve them of further embarrassment. While Henry's
envoys were encouraged at Rome in believing that he might then make
another marriage, Henry himself gave Catherine assurances that no other
union would be contemplated in her lifetime. But Catherine with courage
and dignity held fast to her rights, demanded a proper trial, and
appealed not only to the bull of dispensation, the validity of which was
said to be vitiated by certain irregularities, but to a brief granted
for the alliance by Pope Julius II.