An invasion of France under the duke of Suffolk, in the following year, had but insignificant results, though at one time the English army advanced within thirty miles of Paris. Another vacancy in the popedom occurred in 1523, when Wolsey was again disappointed. The new pope, Clement VII., sought to appease Wolsey by giving him the appointment of legate during his life, which rendered him still more vainglorious. Clement also granted to Wolsey power to suppress some monasteries; this is worthy of special remark, as it was followed by results very different from the anticipations of the pope. The immediate object was to enable Wolsey to found colleges at Oxford and Ipswich, for the advancement of learning, by applying the revenues of some religious establishments of monks for that purpose. The Romish church thought to increase the number of its learned supporters; but it gave a precedent for that spoliation which the king afterwards carried forward. Henry was gifted with another consecrated rose by the new pope; a splendid toy, with branches a foot broad, and a foot and half in height! It was placed in a golden vase, filled with gold dust; some of the flowers were represented by jewels. Thus the strictest amity appeared to prevail between the king and the pope; but friendships based on earthly and criminal grounds are fleeting, and soon pass away. The prophet warned the ungodly in his day: "Associate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries: gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces. Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought," Isaiah viii. 9, 10. The campaigns of 1524 were distinguished by an important event. The duke of Bourbon, constable of France, the ablest general of that nation, after rebelling against Francis, was appointed commander of the imperial army. His defection proceeded from discontent that the command of the van of the French army, when pursuing Charles in October, 1521, had been given to the duke of Alençon; and from the estates of his deceased wife being claimed by the queen-mother of France, Louise of Savoy. At the age of forty-two, she desired to become the second wife of Bourbon, who was twelve years younger than herself. Her hand being refused, she became his decided enemy, and the king, at her instigation, treated him with neglect and injustice. Momentous results attended the revolt of Bourbon. It was followed by large projects and combined efforts against France, by Henry of England and the emperor Charles. These were ably planned; but Turner well remarks, that" as nations arise not, neither do they fall by human contrivances. It might amuse the infidel Frederic II. of Prussia to say, that Heaven always befriends large battalions;' but no remark has been oftener confuted by both ancient and modern history, and even by his own. Something more than numbers or skill, or both united, are requisite for success." This observation is fully in accordance with the declarations of Scripture, and may remind of the words of the shepherd David to the armed Philistine: “All this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hands,” 1 Sam. xvii. 47. According to human calculations, France appeared during many years on the point of being overwhelmed, conquered, and divided: but in the decrees of Providence, that nation had a mighty part to perform during subsequent years; therefore the machinations of its enemies were disappointed. Seemingly casual circumstances can now be referred to as often disconcerting the best laid devices of man; this we shall continually have to remark in the eventful period under notice. In the first instance, an apparently unimportant detention of the French king for a few days, on his way to Lyons, disconcerted the schemes of Bourbon and the confederate princes. It led them to make efforts against the French forces in Italy, and to attempt an invasion of France from thence by Bourbon, while an English army acted on the north; but this plan was also unsuccessful. Francis drove back Bourbon, while Wolsey seems to have given temporizing orders, which rendered the proceedings of the English inefficient. Bourbon was still influenced by the desire for revenge, embittered by feelings of disappointed pride. Francis carried the war into Italy, where the contest was waged with renewed vigour. The pope favoured the French. For a short time brilliant success seemed to attend the ambitious schemes of the worldly-minded pontiff. An involved series of negotiations followed, during which Wolsey again played his usual double part, till the English ambassador plainly told him that no reliance was placed on any statement he might make. But all these plans were soon brought to a pause. The duke of Bourbon, at the head of the imperial army, fought and entirely defeated the French at Pavia, on February 24, 1525, when Francis was taken prisoner. He found himself captive to one of his own servants, whom he had treated with injustice, despised, and driven into exile! Such is the uncertainty of human affairs; such are the bitter lessons that kings and mighty men of renown often have to learn. The slaughter on both sides was considerable; not only the commonalty, but the higher ranks had to deplore the proud and angry proceedings of their leaders. Among those who fell in this battle, or rather in the flight, was Pole, called the White Rose, the eldest surviving representative of the house of York, whose brother was afterwards distinguished as cardinal Pole. New plans against France were speedily devised; but new intrigues also arose to prevent the emperor and the king of England from subjugating that nation. These two powers were jealous of each other. However, they planned an immediate invasion of France, for which a large sum was attempted to be levied in England. As direct taxation by parliament was no longer practicable, it was necessary to endeavour to raise it by the arbitrary requirements of commissioners. Warham remonstrated with Wolsey at the expenditure vainly lavished; he urged the discontent excited by these proceedings, which was very general. There is a specimen of these complaints written by a contemporary, in the following extract from Hall's Chronicles: 66 The clergy said that never king of England did ask any man's goods, but by an order of the law, and this commission is not by the order of the law; wherefore they said, that the cardinal and all the doers thereof were enemies to the king, and to the commonwealth. This infamy was spoken in preachings and everywhere. When this matter was opened through England, how the great men took it was marvel; the poor cursed, the rich repugned, the light wits railed; but, in conclusion, all people cursed the cardinal and his co-adherents, as subverters of the laws and liberties of England." Wolsey strengthened this opposition by his insolence. He openly cautioned the Londoners not to resist, lest it should cost several their heads; and told them it was better that some of them should suffer from indigence, than that the king should not be supplied. Failing in the direct course, efforts were made to raise money by forced loans. In Suffolk and Norfolk the people arose in rebellion. The names of their leaders being demanded, the emphatic reply was, "Captain Poverty," and "that he and his cousin Necessity had brought them to that pass!" The subject was fully discussed at the royal council. The king openly declared he would never ask anything which might be to his dishonour, at once directing that a general pardon should be issued, and the exactions discontinued. He saw the extent of the threatening danger, and wisely withdrew before he was irrecoverably committed with his people. Henry threw the blame upon Wolsey; but the wily cardinal sought to have it believed, that he had been the intercessor with the king in this matter, while by means of flatterers, and the devising of amusements, he contrived to keep on good terms with his monarch. The result of this affair was to hinder Henry from active warfare on the continent. The captivity of the French king united the efforts of his people, while the successes of the confederates led to their disunion. Their plans and negotiations ended without any important results, except a growing dissatisfaction between the emperor and Wolsey; the former not hesitating to speak openly against the latter. It was followed by a mutual consent to annul the treaty, whereby Charles was engaged to marry the princess Mary, still a child. This state of affairs seems to account for a separate treaty of peace between England and France, stipulating for large pecuniary payments from the latter, but not requiring the territorial concessions previously demanded. To these terms Francis assented, without any intention of fulfilling them; a secret protest was made against the whole transaction, and privately entered on the state records. Such is the duplicity of worldly men, even in the highest stations. Henry was equally guilty of duplicity, when he afterwards sent ambassadors to congratulate Francis on gaining his liberty, but instructed them privately to urge him to break his treaty with the emperor, on the faith of which he had been liberated. The crooked policy of Wolsey, with the difficulty of raising money, were not the only causes of this conduct. The disposition of Henry, though courageous, was not warlike. He had been trained in the arts of peace; his delights were in festive displays and literary pursuits. He was not one of those princes "Who, for the sake of filling with one blast In his early days, however misled by surrounding |
