a power
possessed of so much authority in the rest of Christendom to be the
servant of a single prince. The divorce was but an illustration of the
situation, and such a Papacy as Mendoza contemplated would reduce England
and all Catholic Europe into fiefs of the Empire.

CHAPTER II.

Mission of Wolsey to Paris--Visits Bishop Fisher on the way--Anxieties of
the Emperor--Letter of the Emperor to Henry VIII.--Large offers to
Wolsey--Address of the French Cardinals to the Pope--Anne Boleyn chosen by
Henry to succeed Catherine--Surprise and displeasure of Wolsey--Fresh
attempts of the Emperor to bribe him--Wolsey forced to continue to
advocate the divorce--Mission of Dr. Knight to Rome--The Pope at Orvieto--
The King applies for a dispensation to make a second marriage--Language of
the dispensation demanded--Inferences drawn from it--Alleged intrigue
between the King and Mary Boleyn.

It was believed at the time--and it was the tradition afterwards--that
Wolsey, in his mission to Paris, intended to replace Catherine by a French
princess, the more surely to commit Francis to the support of Henry in the
divorce, and to strengthen the new alliance. Nothing can be inherently
more likely. The ostensible reason, however, was to do away with any
difficulties which might have been suggested by the objection of the
Bishop of Tarbes to the legitimacy of the Princess Mary. If illegitimate,
she would be no fitting bride for the Duke of Orleans. But she had been
born _bona fide parentum_. There was no intention of infringing her
prospective rights or of altering her present position. Her rank and title
were to be secured to her in amplest measure.

The Cardinal went upon his journey with the splendour attaching to his
office and befitting a churchman who was aspiring to be the spiritual
president of the two kingdoms. On his way to the coast he visited two
prelates whose support to his policy was important. Archbishop Warham had
been cold about the divorce, if not openly hostile. Wolsey found him "not
much changed from his first fashion," but admitting that, although it
might be unpleasant to the Queen, truth and justice must prevail. Bishop
Fisher was a more difficult subject. He had spoken in the Legate's court
in Catherine's favour. It was from him, as the King supposed, that
Catherine herself had learnt what was impending over her. Wolsey called at
his palace as he passed through Rochester. He asked the Bishop plainly if
h