Produced by Meredith Bach, Tor Martin Kristiansen and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) THE DIVORCE OF CATHERINE OF ARAGON THE DIVORCE OF CATHERINE OF ARAGON THE STORY AS TOLD BY THE IMPERIAL AMBASSADORS RESIDENT AT THE COURT OF HENRY VIII. _IN USUM LAICORUM_ BY J. A. FROUDE _BEING A SUPPLEMENTARY VOLUME TO THE AUTHOR'S HISTORY OF ENGLAND_ NEW YORK CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS 1891 [_All rights reserved_] Copyright, 1891, BY CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS. _The Riverside Press, Cambridge, Mass., U. S. A._ Electrotyped and Printed by H. O. Houghton & Company. CONTENTS PAGE INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTER I. Prospects of a disputed succession to the crown--Various claimants--Catherine incapable of having further children-- Irregularity of her marriage with the King--Papal dispensations-- First mention of the divorce--Situation of the Papacy--Charles V.--Policy of Wolsey--Anglo-French alliance--Imperial troops in Italy--Appeal of the Pope--Mission of Inigo de Mendoza--The Bishop of Tarbes--Legitimacy of the Princess Mary called in question--Secret meeting of the Legates' court--Alarms of Catherine--Sack of Rome by the Duke of Bourbon--Proposed reform of the Papacy--The divorce promoted by Wolsey--Unpopular in England---Attempts of the Emperor to gain Wolsey 21 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 41 CHAPTER III. Anxiety of the Pope to satisfy the King--Fears of the Emperor-- Proposed alternatives--France and England declare war in the Pope's defence--Campeggio to be sent to England--The King's account of the Pope's conduct--The Pope's distress and alarm--The secret decretal--Instructions to Campeggio 62 CHAPTER IV.