CHAPTER XIV THE DIVORCE QUESTION 104. Henry's Attempts to secure the Aid of the Church The following letter from the emissary of the king to the Italian universities shows the method on which Henry proceeded in his efforts to obtain the sanction of the Church to his divorce from Katherine. Richard Croke to Henry VIII., on the prevarication of certain Friars of the University of Padua, who had taken his Majesty's money to give their subscription as disallowing his marriage with Queen Katharine, but now are for it. (Ms. Harl. 416, fol. 21 Orig.) Please yt yowr Highnes to be aduertysed that syns the xxviij day of Auguste I delyuered vnto friar Thomas xxiij the xxviij crouynes; syns the whyche tyme he hathe got yowr Highnes but vij subscriptions; the whiche I sent by Harwel the xix of Octobre. And of them, too only excepte, there ys not on worthy thanke. I have and do often cal vpon hym, but he answerithe me that there ys no mo doctors to be goten: the contrary whereof I knowye to be trew. And whan I demande off hym for the declaration off my accompts som remembrance off his hande for xlvij crouynes whyche I have paide hym, he answerythe that at th'end off the cause he wyl other make me a byl, or delyver me th'ole money ayene. And hys cause why he wol make me no byl, ys, as he saithe, feare leste hys byl myght be shewed to yow Highnes aduersaryes. Off the whyche pretendyd feare I so moche the more douzt, by cause I have taken hym twysse styffelye reasonying upon the Queenys parte ayenste yowr Highnes conclusion with a friar of Florence, whom afore thys day he alwayes assuryed me to be off yowr Highnes opinion. Albeyt now he saithe the said friar ys departyd, beynge utter enymye to the same. And in communication, Soverayne Lord, with me upon his said reasonynge with the said friar, he said to me that th'Emperowrs embassator shulde say to him quod si velit procurare pro Regina merces ejus non staret intus paucula scuta, and he addyd these words to the same, Crede mihi, Croce, posse me efficere si velim facere quod alii velint et faciunt, ut quidquid hactenus fecerim pro rege illi magis obsit quam prosit. Thys frute commythe off Rhaphaels works put in printe makinge protestation in the work writen ayenste yowr Highnes quod quidquid scripserit pro eadem id omne tantum ex aliorum mente non sua ad ingenii exercitationem scripserit. And that the worke writen ayenste yowr Highnes ys hys very trew and playne opinion, and firme and ful sentence and mynde. What hurte thys worke with sutche werks as ar in Englishe, set forthe in England (by comen rumor here) ayenste yowr Highnes cause, dot the unto yowr Highnes said cause I have at temptit by doble lettres sente by the means off Harwel from Venice to Antewarpe, and from Antewarpe to yowr Highnes by post, purposely acertayned yowr Highnes. And consyderinge that I can get no mo subscription nother off Friar Ambrose nor off Thomas, very feare compellythe me to aduertyse yowr Highnes that all these Friars were firste and only attayned vnto yowr Highnes by me. And Ambrose had off me for the gettinge of the determination off Padua for his parte only xx crouynes. Thomas hathe had xlvij crouynes. Franciscus, for him and Dionysius, lxxvij crouynes, as I can right wel prove. And thys notwithstandynge, whan I cal upon them for som frute of none off theyr labor, except Dionysius, I can get non. And as Ambrose hathe answerid me that my Lorde of London hathe commandyd hym tantum in causa regia facere quam ipsi prescripserit Cassalius, so Leonicus, a man off greate gravitye and lernynge, by his lettres (whereoff a copye I sende herein enclosyd) acertaynthe me off a wars poynte. Albe yt I truste yt be not so, for suche commaundemente coulde not but be prejudicial, as wel unto yowr high cause as unto my labors taken in the same, and also to the losse off the money that I have laid owzt to the said friars, for the same. Nor can I not perceve how (yff thys be true) that I any more may preferre yowr most high causes in Venice and the partyes abowzt. Whose importune labor my Lorde knowethe to have bene the principal and chefe cause off the successe that yowr Highnes cause hathe had in Italye. Where afore my commynge, nor yet by other men |