The war which Henry VIII., 'king of England, _France_, and Ireland,' said the parliament, now carried on against Francis I. has little to do with the history of the Reformation. The king, having named the queen regent of his kingdom, embarked for France, on July 14, 1544, on a vessel hung with cloth of gold. He was now feeble and corpulent, but his vanity and love of display were always conspicuous, even when setting out for a war. Having arrived on the frontier of France he found himself at the head of 45,000 men, 30,000 of whom were English. The emperor, who had got the start of him, was already within two days' march of Paris; and the city was in alarm at the approach of the Germans. 'I can not prevent my people of Paris from being afraid,' said Francis, 'but I will prevent them from suffering injury.' Charles paid little respect to his engagement with Henry VIII., and now treated separately with Francis at Crespy, near Laon, September 19, and left the king of England to get out of the affair as well as he could. Henry captured Boulogne, but this was all that he had of his kingdom of France. On September 30 he returned to London. [Sidenote: SYMPATHIES OF THE ITALIANS.] The war, however, continued until 1546. England, abandoned by the emperor, found sympathy in a quarter where it might least have been expected,--in Italy. The Italians, who were conscious of the evils brought on their own land by the papacy, were filled with admiration for the prince and the nation which had cast off its yoke. Edmund Harvel, ambassador of Henry VIII. in Italy, being at this time at Venice, was continually receiving visits from captains of high reputation, who came to offer their services. Among these was Ercole Visconti of Milan, a man of high birth, a great captain, and one who, having extensive connections in Italy, might render great services to the king.[429] The French were now making an attempt to retake Boulogne; but the Italian soldiers who were serving in their army were constantly going over to the English, at the rate of thirty per day. The Italian companies were thus so largely reduced that the captains requested permission to leave the camp for want of soldiers to command; and permission was given them.[430] In this matter the pope was involved in difficulty. He had undertaken to furnish Francis I. with a body of four thousand men; but as the king was afraid that these Roman soldiers would pass over to the English army,[431] he requested Paul III. to substitute for these auxiliaries a monthly subsidy of 16,000 crowns. 'As the Italian nation,' added the English ambassador in his letter to Henry VIII., 'is alienate from the French king, so the same is more and more inclined to your Majesty.' From this episode it is evident that Italy was at this time favorably disposed towards the Reformation.