There was still one important question awaiting settlement. William of Cleves had sent three successive Ambassadors to congratulate Charles on his return and to seek the investiture of Guelders at his hand. Now, at King Ferdinand's instance, he arrived at Ghent one day in person, to the surprise of the whole Court. "The Duke of Cleves," wrote an eyewitness of his entry, "has come to Ghent with a fine suite, to claim Guelders and marry the Duchess of Milan. This is not to be wondered at, for she is a young and very beautiful widow as well as a Princess of the noblest birth. He who wins her for his bride will be a fortunate man."[284] The English Ambassador at Düren, Nicholas Wotton, had done his utmost to prevent the Duke from accepting Ferdinand's invitation; and Wyatt was charged by Cromwell to neglect no means of preventing an alliance which would defeat all his schemes. The wily Ambassador laid his snares cleverly. When the Cleves Ambassador, Olisleger, told him that the Duke was about to wed the Duchess, he whispered that his master had better be careful and take counsel of King Henry before he took any further pledges. "I told him," wrote Wyatt to King Henry, "to advise his master, in case of marriage, to use his friend's counsel, and herein, if I shall be plain with Your Majesty, I cannot but rejoice in a manner of the escape that you made there; for although I suppose nothing but honour in the Lady, yet methinketh Your Highness's mate should be without mote or suspicion; and yet there is thought affection between the Prince of Orange and her, and hath been of long; which, for her bringing-up in Italy, may be noted but service which she cannot let, but I have heard it to proceed partly from her own occasion. Of this Your Majesty will judge, and do with your friend as ye shall think meet."[285] René's courtship of the Duchess was no secret, and Christina's preference for the popular Prince was plain to everyone at the Imperial Court; but the unworthy insinuations by which the Ambassador strove to blacken her character were altogether his invention. [Sidenote: APRIL, 1540] THE DUKE'S SUIT]