The Wives of Henry the Eighth and the Parts They Played in History
David Hume · en
[56] Not content with her Howard descent through her mother, Anne, or
rather her father, had caused a bogus pedigree to be drawn up by which the
city mercer who had been his grandfather was represented as being of noble
Norman blood. The Duchess of Norfolk was scornful and indignant, and gave
to Anne "a piece of her mind" on the subject, greatly to Henry's
annoyance. (_Spanish Calendar Henry VIII._, vol. 4, part 2.)
[57] They took with them a love-letter from the King to Anne which is
still extant (_Calendar Henry VIII._, vol. 4, part 2). He tells her that
"they were despatched with as many things to compass our matter as wit
could imagine," and he trusts that he and his sweetheart will shortly have
their desired end. "This would be more to my heart's ease and quietness of
mind than anything in the world.... Keep him (_i.e._ Gardiner) not too
long with you, but desire him for your sake to make the more speed; for
the sooner we have word of him the sooner shall our matter come to pass.
And thus upon trust of your short repair to London I make end of my
letter, mine own sweetheart. Written with the hand of him which desireth
as much to be yours as you do to have him." Gardiner also took with him
Henry's book justifying his view of the invalidity of his marriage. A good
description of the Pope's cautious attitude whilst he read this production
is contained in Gardiner's letter from Orvieto, 31st March 1528. (_Henry
VIII. Calendar_, vol. 4, part 2.)
[58] Hall tells a curious and circumstantial story that the declaration of
war, which led to the confiscation of great quantities of English property
in the imperial dominions, was brought about purely by a trick of Wolsey,
his intention being to sacrifice Clarencieux Herald, who was sent to Spain
with the defiance. Clarencieux, however, learnt of the intention as he
passed through Bayonne on his way home, and found means through Nicholas
Carew to see the King at Hampton Court before Wolsey knew of his return.
When he had shown Henry by the Cardinal's own letters that the grounds for
the declaration of war had been invented by the latter, the King burst out
angrily: "O Lorde Jesu! he that I trusted moste told me all these things
contrary. Well, Clarencieux, I will be no more of so light credence
hereafter, for now I see perfectly that I am made to believe the thing
that never was done." Hall continues that the King was closeted with
Wolsey, from which audience the Cardinal came "not very mery, and after
that time the Kyng mistrusted hym ever after." This must have been in
April 1528.
[59] For Erasmus' letter see _Calendar Henry VIII._, vol. 4, part 2, and
for Vives' letter see "Vives Opera," vol. 7.
[60] The Pope was told that there were certain secret reasons which could
not be committed to writing why the marriage should be dissolved, the
Queen "suffering from certain diseases defying all remedy, for which, as
well as other reasons, the King would never again live with her as his
wife."