een able so long to
maintain their independence against a people so much superior. James was
further incited to take part in the quarrel by the invitations of Anne,
queen of France, whose knight he had ever in all tournaments professed
himself, and who summoned him, according to the ideas of romantic
gallantry prevalent in that age, to take the field in her defence, and
prove himself her true and valorous champion. The remonstrances of
his consort and of his wisest counsellors were in vain opposed to the
martial ardor of this prince. He first sent a squadron of ships to the
assistance of France; the only fleet which Scotland seems ever to
have possessed. And though he still made professions of maintaining a
neutrality, the English ambassador easily foresaw that a war would
in the end prove inevitable; and he gave warning of the danger to his
master, who sent the earl of Surrey to put the borders in a posture of
defence, and to resist the expected invasion of the enemy.

Henry, all on fire for military fame, was little discouraged by this
appearance of a diversion from the north; and so much the less, as he
flattered himself with the assistance of all the considerable potentates
of Europe in his invasion of France. The pope still continued to thunder
out his excommunications against Lewis and all the adherents of the
schismatical council: the Swiss cantons made professions of violent
animosity against France: the ambassadors of Ferdinand and Maximilian
had signed with those of Henry a treaty of alliance against that power,
and had stipulated the time and place of their intended invasion: and
though Ferdinand disavowed his ambassador, and even signed a truce for a
twelvemonth with the common enemy, Henry was not yet fully convinced of
his selfish and sinister intentions, and still hoped for his concurrence
after the expiration of that term. He had now got a minister who
complied with all his inclinations, and flattered him in every scheme to
which his sanguine and impetuous temper was inclined.

Thomas Wolsey, dean of Lincoln, and almoner to the king, surpassed in
favor all his ministers, and was fast advancing towards that unrivalled
grandeur which he afterwards attained. This man was son of a butcher at
Ipswich; but having got a learned education, and being endowed with an
excellent capacity, he was admitted into the marquis of Dorset's family
as tutor to that nobleman's children, and soon gained the friendship and
cou