a temporarily successful attempt of the conservative
party, represented by the old bishops and the nobles under Norfolk, to
overcome the influence of Cromwell, who was forwarding the Protestant
league;[189] but to Henry the policy must in any case have seemed a good
one, as it tended to increase his personal power and prestige, and to keep
both parties dependent upon him.

Before the summer of 1539 had passed it was evident to Henry that the new
combination against him would not stand the strain of a joint attack upon
England. Charles was full of cares of his own. The Lutherans were
increasingly threatening; even his own city of Ghent had revolted, and it
was plain from his reception of Pole at Toledo that he could not proceed
to extremes against Henry. It certainly was not the intention of Francis
to do so; and the panic in England--never fully justified--passed away.
The French ambassador came back, and once more Henry's intrigues to sow
dissension between the Catholic powers went ceaselessly on. In the
circumstances it was natural that, after the passage of the Six Articles
and the resumption of diplomatic relations with France, the negotiations
with the German Protestants slackened. But the proposed marriage of Henry
with the Princess of Cleves offered too good an opportunity, as Cromwell
pointed out to him, of troubling the Emperor when he liked, to be dropped,
even though no general political league was effected with the German
Lutherans. Her brother-in-law, Hans Frederick of Saxony, was cool about
it. He said that some sort of engagement had been made by her father and
the Duke of Lorraine to marry her to the heir of the latter, but finally
in August Wotton reported from Duren that Hans Frederick would send
envoys to Cleves to propose the match, and they would then proceed to
England to close the matter. Wotton had been somewhat distrustful about
the previous engagement of Anne with the Duke of Lorraine's son, but was
assured by the Council of Cleves that it was not binding upon the
Princess, "who was free to marry as she pleased." "She has been brought
up," he writes, "with the Lady Duchess, her mother ... and in a manner
never from her elbow; the Lady Duchess being a wise lady, and one that
very straitly looketh to her children. All report her (Anne) to be of very
lowly and gentle conditions, by the which she hath so much won her
mother's favour that she is loth to suffer her to depart from her. She
occupieth he