ly, was inclined to believe, gave great offence and
annoyance to him and his Council, as did the severely repressed but
frequent statements that he intended to take back his repudiated wife. It
was not irresponsible gossip alone that took this turn, for on the 12th
December the ambassador from the Duke of Cleves brought letters to Cranmer
at Lambeth from Chancellor Olsiliger, who had negotiated the marriage,
commending to him the reconciliation of Henry with Anne. Cranmer, who
understood perfectly well that with Gardiner as the King's factotum such a
thing was impossible, was frightened out of his wits by such a suggestion,
and promptly assured Henry that he had declined to discuss it without the
Sovereign's orders.

But the envoy of Cleves was not lightly shaken off, and at once sought
audience of Henry himself to press the cause of "Madam Anne." He was
assured that the King's grief at his present troubles would prevent his
giving audience; and the Protestant envoy then tackled the Council on the
subject. As may be supposed, he met with a rebuff. The lady would be
better treated than ever, he was told, but the separation was just and
final, and the Duke of Cleves must never again request that his sister
should be restored to the position of the King's wife. The envoy begged
that the answer might be repeated formally to him, whereupon Gardiner flew
into a rage, and said that the King would never take Anne back, whatever
happened. The envoy was afraid to retort for fear of evil consequences to
Anne, but the Duke of Cleves, who was now in close league with the French,
endeavoured to obtain the aid of his new allies to forward his sister's
cause in England. Francis, however, saw, like every one else, that war
between him and the Emperor was now inevitable, and was anxious not to
drive Henry into alliance with Charles against him. Cleves by himself was
powerless, and the trend of politics in England under Gardiner, and with
Henry in his present mood, was entirely unfavourable to a union with the
Lutherans on the Continent; so Anne of Cleves continued her placid and
jovial existence as "the King's good sister," rather than his wife, whilst
the Protestants of England soon found that they had misjudged the
situation produced by Katharine Howard's fall. All that the latter really
had done was to place Norfolk and the French sympathisers under a cloud,
and make Gardiner entirely master of the situation whilst he carried out
the K