he was lodged in princely style, and visited by the greatest people for his father's sake.

praises him,' wrote Russell to the Cardinal,

Every one

both for

He lives

his own deserts, and for your Grace's sake. here openly, and many worshipful men resort to him, French as well as English.' Wolsey put his son into the church, and heaped on him the livings of a dozen parish priests. The lad was Rector of Rugby and Ipswich; Prebendary of Lutton, Strensall, Bedwin, Beverly, Lincoln, and Southwell; Archdeacon of York and Richmond; Chancellor of Salisbury; Provost of Beverley; and Dean of Wells. So shameless an abuse of patronage had not been seen since Morton's days; but Wolsey was not satisfied with two rectories, six prebendary stalls, two archdeaconries, a chancellorship, a provostship, and a deanery, for his bastard son. Henry had promised him a bishopric for the lad, and Wolsey kept his eye on that of Durham, as the richest see in England, with the greatest house in London. Had the Cardinal been chosen pope, Tom Winter might have worn a cardinal's hat.

8. A man so shameless as Wolsey was not likely to reprove his master, while he thought that master meant no good. That Henry liked Anne's company, and that he sought her out in every place, were clear to Wolsey's eyes. The Cardinal looked on, as he had done with Mistress Blount; encouraging his sovereign's fancy, and providing feasts and dances, where the King might meet his lady, and enjoy

the fantasies of his love. York Place grew gay with light and music. Henry came in cloak and mask; going in and out among the dancers; chatting for an instant here and there; but nestling down before the same bright eyes and merry tongue. The world took notice of the pair; one 'bold and loud, the other soft and shy; but no one fancied, even on a May-day, that the impetuous suitor of Anne Boleyn would be satisfied to wait for her bright eyes through seven long years!

13

CHAPTER III.

YORK PLACE.

1527.

1. THE New Year revels at York Place ran high, and Wolsey gave a supper which has taken an immortal place on Shakespeare's page. The Queen and Lady Willoughby were absent, for the Cardinal meant the night as one of love and merriment. But all the ministers of foreign states-the Papal nuncio, the French ambassador, the Venetian envoy, with the greatest peers and brightest dames in Englandsupped and danced beneath the Cardinal's roof that night. To every guest a lovely damsel was assigned. When all were seated at the board, the King led in a band of masquers, and having bowed to the Cardinal, and thrown a cast of dice, took off his disguise, and went into a cabinet to sup.

2. Italians, used to every luxury of earth, declared that they had never seen such fruit, and never drank such wine before. A comedy by Plautus followed supper, after which came verse and compliment, and then more wine and sweets were handed round. A masque was played. Venus and six

attendant nymphs were seen in front. Three boys drew in a Cupid on a car of love, to which were fastened six old palmers, dressed in silver cloth, whom Cupid presented to the goddess as faithful swains who wore their souls away in sighs. Venus turned to her attendants, and commanded them to soothe these palmers and requite them for their love. A blare of horns struck up, the nymphs advanced, the palmers seized their hands, and all the figures twirled a merry dance. The King and his companions rose, and taking each the lady of his fancy, kept the revelry alive till daylight broke. I went home sated with the revel,' wrote Spinelli to the Doge; and Wolsey hoped that after such a night the King would drop his fancies, turn from courts of Love, and seek a second wife in France.

3. Sated with the revel,' says Spinelli quaintly, 'I am writing a public letter to the Signory, to be given to Sir John Russell, now on the eve of his departure for France, on his way to the Pope.' While young and old were feasting at York Place that night, Wolsey was busy with his schemes, now quickened by the latest news from Italy and France. Keen wits were needed in both countries if a league was to be formed and an alliance carried out. Rochford was named for Paris, Russell for Rome; and the affairs of Rome being urgent, Russell was required to start at once. Wyat was to go with Russell, and in the depth of winter the adventurers

set out.

4. The Pontiff was insulted in his palace, and the temple of St. Peter was profaned. Ugo de Moncada, the Imperialist commander, who combined the office of a Prior with the instinct of a bandit, whispered to Pompeo Colonna, an implacable enemy of the Pope, that his master, the Emperor, had resolved to ruin Clement, and depose him from the holy chair. Moncada urged Colonna to be quick in seizing on such portions of the papal spoil as suited him. Acting on this hint, Colonna, after throwing the Pontiff off his guard by signing a false truce and making a false start for Naples, suddenly returned to Rome and filled the streets with his Italian troops. The cardinals hurried to the Vatican in search of Clement: catching in their wake the tramp of men, who crossed the Ponte Sisto, crushed the gates of San Spirito, and defiled in front of the basilica of the Catholic world. Clement and his cardinals hastened by the covered passage to St. Angelo, while Colonna's soldiers broke into St. Peter's and the Vatican, where they laid their impious hands on pyx and cross, on cup and candlestick, on lamp and relic. What the men could carry off they stole; what they could not carry off they spoiled. Nothing was spared; and Catholics in every part of Europe heard with horror that Colonna's troops had trampled under foot the consecrated host.

5. Moncada, on pretence of coming to the Pope's assistance, gained admission to the Castle of St. Angelo; and on finding that the fortress had no store