had committed himself in words and
intentions; but he had done nothing which he could not recall. He obtained
his pardon from the emperor by promising to offend no more; and from that
moment never again entertained any real thought of concession. Acting under
explicit directions, he made it his object thenceforward to delay and to
procrastinate. Charles had no desire to press matters to extremities. War
had not yet been declared[144] against him by Henry; nor was he anxious
himself to precipitate a quarrel from which, if possible, he would gladly
escape. He had a powerful party in England, which it was unwise to alienate
by hasty, injudicious measures; and he could gain all which he himself
desired by a simple policy of obstruction. His object was merely to
protract the negotiation and prevent a decision, in the hope either that
Henry would be wearied into acquiescence, or that Catherine herself would
retire of her own accord, or, finally, that some happy accident might occur
to terminate the difficulty. It is, indeed, much to the honour of Charles
V. that he resolved to support the queen. She had thrown herself on his
protection; but princes in such matters consider prudence more than
feeling, and he could gain nothing by defending her: while, both for
himself and for the church he risked the loss of much. He over-rated the
strength of his English connection, and mistook the English character; but
he was not blind to the hazard which he was incurring, and would have
welcomed an escape from the dilemma perhaps as warmly as Henry would have
welcomed it himself. The pope, who well knew his feelings, told Gardiner,
"It would be for the wealth of Christendom if the queen were in her
grave; and he thought the emperor would be thereof most glad of all;"
saying, also, "that he thought like as the emperor had destroyed the
temporalities of the church, so should she be the destruction of the
spiritualities."[145]

In the summer of 1528, before the disaster at Naples, Cardinal Campeggio
had left Rome on his way to England, where he was to hear the cause in
conjunction with Wolsey. An initial measure of this obvious kind it had
been impossible to refuse; and the pretexts under which it was for many
months delayed, were exhausted before the pope's ultimate course had been
made clear to him. But Campeggio was instructed to protract his journey to
its utmost length, giving time for the campaign to decide itself. He
loitered into the