y. Before she left Greenwich
she sent a message to Chapuys imploring his advice and his assistance. She
begged him for the love of God to contrive fresh means for removing her
from the country. The enterprise, he thought, would be now dangerous, but
not impossible, and success would be a glorious triumph. The Princess had
told him that in her present lodging she could not be taken away at night,
but she might walk in the day in fine weather, and might be surprised and
carried off as if against her consent. The river would not be many miles
distant, and, if she could be fallen in with when alone, there might be
less difficulty than even at Greenwich, because she could be put on board
below Gravesend.[316]

As a ship would be required from Flanders, Chapuys communicated directly
with Granvelle. He was conscious that, if he was himself in England when
the enterprise was attempted, his own share in it would be suspected and
it might go hard with him. He proposed, therefore, under some excuse of
business in the Low Countries, to cross over previously.

It would be a splendid _coup_, he said, and, considering how much the
Princess wished it and her remarkable prudence and courage, the thing
could, no doubt, be managed. Could she be once seized and on horseback,
and if there was a galley at hand and a large ship or two, there would be
no real difficulty. The country-people would help her, and the parties
sent in pursuit would be in no hurry.[317]

Either the difficulties proved greater than were expected, or Charles was
still hoping for the treaty, and would not risk an experiment which would
spoil the chances of an accommodation. Once more he altered his mind and
forbade the venture, and Chapuys had to take up again a negotiation from
which he had no expectation of good. He met Cromwell from time to time,
his master's pleasure being to preserve peace on tolerable terms; and the
Ambassador continued to propose the reference of the divorce case to the
General Council, on which Cromwell had seemed not unwilling to listen to
him. If Henry could be tempted by vague promises to submit his conduct to
a Council called by the Pope, he would be again in the meshes out of which
he had cut his way. The cunning Ambassador urged on Cromwell the honour
which the King would gain if a Council confirmed what he had done; and
when Cromwell answered that a Council under the Emperor's influence might
rather give an adverse sentence, he said that