he
interference with the elections, and the
ill-treatment of the Reforming members; but of
interference with the elections they can produce no
evidence, and of members ejected they name no more
than the two bishops and the two prebends.
Noailles, indeed, who had opportunities of knowing,
says something on both points. "Ne fault douter,
sire," he wrote to the King of France, "que la
dicte dame n'obtienne presque tout ce qu'elle
vouldra en ce parlement, de tant qu'elle a faict
faire election de ceulx qui pourront estre en sa
faveur, et jetter quelques uns a elle suspectz."
The queen had probably done what she could; but the
influence which she could exercise must obviously
have been extremely small, and the event showed
that the ambassador was entirely wrong in his
expectations.]

Commendone, on returning to Rome, had disregarded his obligations to
secrecy, and had related all that the queen had said to him in the
open consistory; from the consistory the account travelled back to
England, and arrived inopportunely at the opening of parliament. The
fatal subject of the lands had been spoken of, and the queen had
expressed to Commendone her intention to restore them, if possible, to
the church. The council cross-questioned her, and she could neither
deny her words nor explain them away; the Commons first, the Lords
immediately after, showed her that, whatever might be her own hopes or
wishes, their minds on that point were irrevocably fixed.[154]

[Footnote 154: Renard to Charles V., October 19:
_Rolls House MSS._]

No less distinct were the opinions expressed in the Lower House on the
Papacy. The authority of the pope, as understood {p.068} in England,
was not a question of doctrine, nor was the opposition to it of recent
origin. It had been thrown off after a struggle which had lasted for
centuries, and a victory[155] so hardly won was not to be lightly
parted with. Lord Paget warned the queen that Pole's name must not be
so much as mentioned, or some unwelcome resolution about him would be
immediately passed;[156] and she was in hourly dread that before they
woul