ance be

tween

A.C. 1517 must be very defirous of Henry's friendship who would fue fo fubmiffively to his fervants. Wolfey had gained fuch an afcendency over the mind of his fovereign, that he could have perfuaded him to follow any measure whatsoever, even though it had been oppofite to his own intereft: but, here his favourite's inclination, and his own interest happened to coincide; and he accordingly affented. to the propofal. The conditions of the alliance being regulated hetween the cardinal and M. de Villeroy, fecretary of ftate, who repaired to London for that purpofe, the king of France fent over A new alli- a folemn embaffy, compofed of the admiral de Bonnivet, Stephen Poncher bifhop of Paris, joined to France and Villeroy, and impowered to renew the treaty of England. friendship between the two kings; to treat of a league with the pope, and other princes of Chriftendom, for the defence of religion and the catholic church; of the match between the dauphin and the princess Mary; of the reftitution of Tournay, St. Amand, and Mortagne; and of an interview between the two kings." They brought over letters patent, by which Francis obliged himself to pay to his dear friend the cardinal of York, a penfion of ten thousand livres, in return for his giving up the adminiftration of the bishopric of Tournay. All thefe articles being duly difcuffed, four separate treaties were figned, and ratified in October. In the first, the contracting parties agreed, That the marriage fhould be celebrated when the dauphin fhould have attained the fourteenth year of his age: That Mary's portion fhould amount to three hundred and thirty thousand crowns of gold: and, That her jointure should be equal to that of Anne of Bretagne, and Mary of England, who had been wives to Lewis XII. The fecond related to the reftitution of Tournay, for which Francis engaged to pay fix hundred thousand crowns; but from this fum.

he

he was left at liberty to deduct the portion of the 4. C. 15184 princess Mary. The third concerned certain precautions taken, to prevent an infraction of the peace, as well as to procure prompt reparation for the damage that might be fuftained by the fubjects of either power. And the fourth ftipulated an interview between the two monarchs, in the village of Sandenfelt, near Ardres in Picardy. These trea- Rymer. ties being ratified, the princefs Mary was betrothed to the dauphin, in St. Paul's church at London; and the earl of Worcester, with West bishop of Ely, and a magnificent train, fent over to demand the performance of Francis, who fwore to the obfervance of the treaties, delivered hostages for the payment of the money, and in the name of his fon, fulfilled the contract of marriage.

league con

During these transactions, the pope appointed Defenfive cardinal Laurentius Campejus his legate in Eng- cluded at land, with directions to follicit Henry's engagement London. in the general league or quinquennial truce; and authority to demand a tenth of the English clergy. Wolfey was no fooner informed of this appointment, than he fent one of his confidents to Rome, with a remonftrance to his holiness, importing that the nomination of another legate, while he refided cardinal in England, was fuch an affront as would deftroy his credit and influence, and render him incapable of ferving the holy fee effectually. Leo being unwilling to difoblige fuch a favourite minifter, joined him in the legation with Campejus, whom the English cardinal found means to detain at Boulogne, until he received the pope's answer. Then understanding, that Campejus was come with a very mean equipage, he prefented him with fome bales of red cloth for garments to his retinue, and twelve fumpter mules richly caparifoned; with which he made a magnificent entry into London. During the proceffion, however, one of the mules happen

ed

A. C. 1518. ed to fall, and the coffers which he carried flying open, discovered nothing but rags, broken meat, and marrow-bones; a circumftance which expofed the foreign cardinal to the ridicule of the populace. Such was the influence that Wolfey had gained at the court of Rome, that when cardinal Adrian de Cornetto was depofed and ftripped of all his benefices, in confequence of his having engaged in a confpiracy against the pope, the adminiftration of the bishopric of Bath and Wells, which he poffeffed in England, was given to the cardinal of York: and now he and his colleague Campejus were veft, ed with the extraordinary power of granting plenary d. Herbert, indulgences. Their negotiation, however, proceeded but flowly; for, though Leo impowered them by an exprefs bull, to conclude a league against the Turks, between the emperor and the kings of England, France, and Spain, all that they could obtain was, a defenfive alliance in favour of the holy fee, and their respective dominions, in cafe Act. Pub. they fhould be attacked by the Infidels. The pope, by them declared chief of this league, was extremely mortified to find them fo averfe to an offenfive affociation, by virtue of which he could have amaf, fed fums of money; nevertheless, he approved and ratified the treaty, and the report of an intended invafion by the Infidels immediately vanished.

The peace which Europe now enjoyed was interrupted by the death of the emperor Maximillian, who was no fooner in his grave, than the kings of France and Spain openly declared themfelves competitors for the imperial throne; and began to caA.C.1519. bal among the electors. The pope fincerely wished that neither should afcend the imperial throne, because both had fuch connexions with Italy, that he of the two who fhould be chofen, would have it in his power to embroil that country. The king of England had still a hankering after the imperial

of Spain

fucceeds

on the im

Mutual jea

Francis.

dignity, and fent Richard Pace, as his ambaffador, A. C. 1519. to found the electors; but, he was too late in his application: and at length, the interest of Charles prevailing, he was elected emperor at the diet of Frankfort. Leo finding all oppofition would be in charles king vain, affented to the election with a good grace; as his but Francis was extremely mortified at his difap- grandfather pointment, which inflamed the jealoufy that fubfift- Maximilian ed between him and Charles; and haftened the perial rupture that enfued. Indeed, their differences were throne. fuch as could not be easily terminated in an amicable manner. Francis had pretenfions to the king- lufy of dom of Naples, and reason to complain that his ri- Charles and val had not restored the kingdom of Navarre to John D'Albret, according to the ftipulations of the treaty of Noyons. On the other hand, Charles laid claim to the dutchy of Burgundy, as heir to the ancient dukes, as well as to the dutchy of Milan, which, though poffeffed by Francis, was a fief of the empire. Another fource of contention was the duke of Guelderland, who, though a profeffed enemy of the emperor, was publicly protected by Francis. The pope was obliged to temporize with both, though of the two he was inclined to favour Charles; and Henry of England, by a steady and difcreet conduct, might have held the ballance of power betwixt thofe two rivals, fo as to caufe either fcale to preponderate, according to the neceffity of the times, or the dictates of his own intereft. These, Mezerai. however, he did not always regard; because he was abfolutely ruled by the paffions and caprice of his favourite Wolfey, whom Charles and Francis cultivated with the utmost affiduity, well knowing, there was no other way to procure the friendship and affiftance of England, which was deemed fo neceffary to the fuccefs of their defigns. Befides Both court prefents and penfions offered to this idol, they vied with each other in careffing him with the groffeft Wolfey

adu

the good

graces of

A. C. 1519. adulation, calling him in their letters, their friend, their patron, and their father; and extolling his virtue, prudence, and capacity, in the most hyperbolical expreffions. He cunningly made ufe of thefe teftimonies, not only to flatter his master's vanity, by representing how formidable he must be to thofe two potentates, who ftooped fo low as to court the good graces of his minifter, but, likewise to enhance his own merit in the opinion of Henry, who could not help obferving, that Wolfey's parts must have been greatly fuperior to thofe of all other favourites, when they were thus acknowledged by the greateft princes of Christendom. He actually looked upon himfelf as the arbiter of Europe, and remained fo fully convinced of his cardinal's capacity, that he faw nothing but with his eyes, and was in every thing directed folely by his advice. Wolfey had now attained the very highest pinnacle of fortune; he was favourite, prime-minifter, lord high chancellor, adminiftrator of the fee of Bath and Wells, archbishop of York, cardinal, and legate a latere. He received annual penfions from the emperor and the king of France, drew immenfe profits from the office of chancellor, by means of the privileges annexed to it by his majefty; and the king not only loaded him with rich prefents, but alfo furnished him with a great number of opportunities to increase his revenues. The pope, the emperor, the king of France, and the republic of Venice courted his favour with the utmost emulation; and Francis in particular fent him letters patent, confenting, that he fhould regulate the ceremonial of his interview with Henry.

That prelate is intoxicated with power.

Wolfey was fo intoxicated by this flow of profperity, that his pride and arrogance furmounted all bounds. He could no longer bear equality in his legation; and therefore prevailed upon the pope to recal Campejus, and leave him invested with the

fole.