CHAPTER XIV

THE DIVORCE QUESTION

104. Henry's Attempts to secure the Aid of the Church

The following letter from the emissary of the king to the Italian universities shows the method on which Henry proceeded in his efforts to obtain the sanction of the Church to his divorce from Katherine.

Richard Croke to Henry VIII., on the prevarication of certain Friars of the University of Padua, who had taken his Majesty's money to give their subscription as disallowing his marriage with Queen Katharine, but now are for it.

(Ms. Harl. 416, fol. 21 Orig.)

Please yt yowr Highnes to be aduertysed that syns the xxviij day of Auguste I delyuered vnto friar Thomas xxiij the xxviij crouynes; syns the whyche tyme he hathe got yowr Highnes but vij subscriptions; the whiche I sent by Harwel the xix of Octobre. And of them, too only excepte, there ys not on worthy thanke. I have and do often cal vpon hym, but he answerithe me that there ys no mo doctors to be goten: the contrary whereof I knowye to be trew. And whan I demande off hym for the declaration off my accompts som remembrance off his hande for xlvij crouynes whyche I have paide hym, he answerythe that at th'end off the cause he wyl other make me a byl, or delyver me th'ole money ayene. And hys cause why he wol make me no byl, ys, as he saithe, feare leste hys byl myght be shewed to yow Highnes aduersaryes. Off the whyche pretendyd feare I so moche the more douzt, by cause I have taken hym twysse styffelye reasonying upon the Queenys parte ayenste yowr Highnes conclusion with a friar of Florence, whom afore thys day he alwayes assuryed me to be off yowr Highnes opinion. Albeyt now he saithe the said friar ys departyd, beynge utter enymye to the same. And in communication,

Soverayne Lord, with me upon his said reasonynge with the said friar, he said to me that th'Emperowrs embassator shulde say to him quod si velit procurare pro Regina merces ejus non staret intus paucula scuta, and he addyd these words to the same, Crede mihi, Croce, posse me efficere si velim facere quod alii velint et faciunt, ut quidquid hactenus fecerim pro rege illi magis obsit quam prosit. Thys frute commythe off Rhaphaels works put in printe makinge protestation in the work writen ayenste yowr Highnes quod quidquid scripserit pro eadem id omne tantum ex aliorum mente non sua ad ingenii exercitationem scripserit. And that the worke writen ayenste yowr Highnes ys hys very trew and playne opinion, and firme and ful sentence and mynde. What hurte thys worke with sutche werks as ar in Englishe, set forthe in England (by comen rumor here) ayenste yowr Highnes cause, dot the unto yowr Highnes said cause I have at temptit by doble lettres sente by the means off Harwel from Venice to Antewarpe, and from Antewarpe to yowr Highnes by post, purposely acertayned yowr Highnes. And consyderinge that I can get no mo subscription nother off Friar Ambrose nor off Thomas, very feare com pellythe me to aduertyse yowr Highnes that all these Friars were firste and only attayned vnto yowr Highnes by me. And Ambrose had off me for the gettinge of the determination off Padua for his parte only xx crouynes. Thomas hathe had xlvij crouynes. Franciscus, for him and Dionysius, lxxvij crouynes, as I can right wel prove. And thys notwithstandynge, whan I cal upon them for som frute of none off theyr labor, except Dionysius, I can get non. And as Ambrose hathe answerid me that my Lorde of London hathe commandyd hym tantum in causa regia facere quam ipsi prescripserit Cassalius, so Leonicus, a man off greate gravitye and lernynge, by his lettres (whereoff a copye I sende herein enclosyd) acertaynthe me off a wars poynte. Albe yt I truste yt be not so, for suche commaundemente coulde not but be prejudicial, as wel unto yowr high cause as unto my labors taken in the same, and also to the losse off the money that I have laid owzt to the said friars, for the same. Nor can I not perceve how (yff thys be true) that I any more may preferre yowr most high causes in Venice and the partyes abowzt. Whose importune labor my Lorde knowethe to have bene the principal and chefe cause off the successe that yowr Highnes cause hathe had in Italye. Where afore my commynge, nor yet by other men

longe after, there was (as yowr Highnes and al other knowethe) nothinge earthely done. And I beseche yowr Highnes to pondre my good harte and acts passed, the whyche shall never (to dye for yt) cease to farther yowr said Highnes pleasure in thys behalffe, with all payne, faythe, and diligence, as the effect off my endevor I truste shal alwayes frutefully profe. And thus I besech our mooste mercyful Saviour Christe to preserve yowr moste noble Grace. Venice, the xxiijd off Octobre, with the rude hand off yowr moste High Majestyes.

Moste humble and lauly servante

At

RICHARDE CROKE.

(From Original Letters illustrative of English History, Ellis, Lond., 1846 Third Series, II, p. 167.

105. Speeches made in the Divorce Trial between Henry VIII and Katherine of Arragon

(1529)

Somers Tracts

The four speeches which follow show the hasty method of the proceedings as inaugurated, the gross injustice to the queen, and the independence of Campeius, who refused to bend his sense of right to the will of the royal despot. The determination of the cardinal that judgment must be given by the pope was an important factor in producing the religious revolution which later shook England to her centre and freed her from papal domination.

"The four following articles are the Speeches of the different parties at the famous trial of Divorce, before Wolsey and Campeius, as papal commissioners, 21st June, 1529. The Speeches are here given rather more fully than in the Chronicles."

The Speech of Queen Katherine, which she made when she was called upon, about the Divorce of her and the King, who rose out of her chair, and came to the King, and kneeling down at his feet, said as followeth :

Sir,

In what have I offended you? Or what occasion of displeasure have I given you, intending thus to put me from you? I take God to be my judge, I have been to you a true and humble wife, ever conformable to your will and pleasure; never contradicting or gain-saying you in any

thing: being always contented with all things, wherein you had any delight, or took any pleasure, without grudge, or countenance of discontent or displeasure. I loved, for your sake, all them whom you loved, whether I had cause or no; whether they were my friends, or my enemies. I have been your wife these twenty years or more, and you had by me divers children; and when you had me first, I take God to be my judge, that I was a maid: and whether it be true or no, I put it to your own conscience. If there be any just cause that you can alledge against me, either of dishonesty, or matter lawful to put me from you, I am content to depart, to my shame and confusion; and if there be none, then I pray you to let me have justice at your hands. The king, your father, was, in his time, of such an excellent wit, that he was accounted amongst all men for wisdom, to be a second Solomon; and the king of Spain, my father Fardinand, was accounted one of the wisest princes that had reigned in Spain for many years. It is not, therefore, to be doubted, but that they had gathered as wise counsellors unto them, of every realm, as to their wisdom they thought meet: And I conceive, that there were in those days, as wise and welllearned men, in both the realms, as be now at this day, who thought the marriage between you and me good and lawful. Therefore it is a wonder to me, what new inventions are now invented against me. And now to put me to stand to the order and judgment of this court, seems very unreasonable. For you may condemn me for want of being able to answer for myself; as having no council, but such as you assigned me; who cannot be indifferent on my part, since they are your subjects, and such as you have taken, and chosen out of your own council; whereunto they are privy, and dare not disclose your will, and intent. Therefore I humbly pray you, to spare me, until I may know, what council my friends in Spain will advise me to take: and if you will not, then your pleasure be fulfilled. — And with that she rose up, and departed, never more appearing in any

court.

King Henry the VIIIth's Speech upon the Queen's departure out of the Court.

I will now, in her absence, declare this unto you all, That she has been unto me as true and obedient a wife, as I could wish, or desire. She has all the virtuous qualities, that