loose but God only; to whom I shall daily, during my life, with my prayer commend."

7. Yet the Border chief and not the Kentish maiden was the first to yield. The Cardinal forced Lord Percy to accept the hand of Lady Mary. In the way of policy, Lady Mary was a proper consort for a Percy, who would have to reign at Alnwick and Newcastle. Her connexions in the Border lands were strong; her sister, Margaret, being Countess of Cumberland, and her sister Mary, Lady Dacre of Gillesland. Surrey was anxious to promote the match: not more because he wished his niece to marry Butler, than because he saw in Percy's match a means of strengthening the King's party in the Border lands. Fitzjames, the plausible Chief Baron, rode into the north, and gave Northumberland the benefit of his shrewd advice. No promise and no threat was spared. If Percy yielded to the King," a great career lay open to him. Sure of the royal favour, nothing in the way of public offices could be refused him; and a hint was dropped that on his union with Lady Mary he would be appointed to succeed Surrey in his great command. At length he yielded to his fate.

8. Anne was removed from court by Wolsey's orders, so that Percy might not see her more. Surrey, her uncle, was delighted at the Cardinal's success in marrying Percy to another wife; for now the way seemed made for James, Lord Butler, who might urge his suit without fearing to find a rival in her heart. Aware that her separation from the man she loved was due to Wolsey, Anne, being History of two Queens. V.

4

every inch a woman, made a vow, that if she ever found the means of paying that Cardinal, who made himself so busy in the things which touched her heart, she would repay him in his own hard coin for all the evil he had done.

BOOK THE EIGHTEENTH.

EXILE AND RETURN.

CHAPTER I.

Clement the Seventh.

1524.

1. THE Court of Love being broken up, lady, lover, and minstrel, were dispersed to the four winds of heaven. Percy, after his marriage, early in the year, was sent to join his company at Alnwick Castle. Anne was lodged at Hever, in her lonely chamber by the moat, until her pride should yield, and she would listen, at the Cardinal's instance, to her Irish suitor. Wyat was sent to Italy on public service. Wolsey appeared to be the master of his game.

2. While Anne was fretting out her heart at Hever, her life, as well as that of Catharine, was being shaped by great events elsewhere. Within a year two Popes had died, and Wolsey was yearning for the Papacy, not only as an object of ambition, but a port of refuge. Charles, who had been to Windsor and renewed his false contract with his

cousin Mary, promised him the votes of all his Austrian, Netherland, and Spanish cardinals; but Juan Manuel, now imperial manager in Rome, was taking care that Wolsey's name should not turn up. When Leo died, Manuel garrisoned his palace with imperial troops, and going to each cardinal in turn, attended by his guards, told him how his master wanted him to vote. After many days of balloting, the cardinals had chosen Adrian Florent, a Flemish monk, who took his seat as Emperor's chaplain and as Adrian the Sixth. When Adrian died, Wolsey reminded Charles of promises made to him at Bruges and Windsor, which were afterwards renewed by Charles's ministers-whenever Charles was seeking for the Cardinal's support. But Charles betrayed him, in his usual style; writing a letter to his minister in Rome, recommending him to urge the choice of Wolsey, but ordering his messengers to be detained at Barcelona till the election in Rome was over, and another pontiff was installed!

3. On many grounds the King was anxious to be well with Rome, but chiefly for his daughter's sake. To Rome he looked for the protection of that daughter's rights. No matter who was pope, Henry was forward with his money, his advice, and his support. Swords, caps, and golden roses came to him, as evidence of his fidelity; but Henry wanted something more than roses, caps, and swords from Rome. He wanted a pontifical declaration that a papal bull can set aside the Word of God. Know

ing how the Julian bull had been procured, and

finding how that bull was questioned, Henry wished to have the act confirmed, in order that his daughter might be married, and his dynasty might feel secure. To this end he was ready to exalt the papal power, and seat his friend and subject in the Holy Chair. But Charles, aware that when he came to marry, he must take a wife from Lisbon, had the strongest motives for preventing an English cardinal going to the Vatican.

4. Giulio de Medici, a natural son of Giuliano de Medici, was chosen Pope: chosen by consent of many parties, each of whom believed the smooth and artful Florentine a friend. François counted Giulio as a partisan of France. Charles expected him to favour an Imperialist policy. The liberal cardinals supposed that he would patronise liberal learning, like his uncle, Leo the Tenth. Advocates of the old theology imagined he could curb the new attempts to brighten Christian studies by help of classical writings and original texts. All parties seemed to hail in him a champion of the faith. According to the canon law, a bastard could not serve the altar; and this offspring of Antonia the Cittadina (whose family name is still a subject of dispute!) had been introduced into the clerical order as a Knight of Rhodes. But on his uncle, Leo the Tenth, attaining spiritual power, the flaw in blood had been removed, in order that he might receive a cardinal's hat. No one could say that Giuliano de Medici had married Antonia, even in secret; but a man was found to testify that the Magnifico had promised the nameless beauty marriage; and on this