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CHAPTER XXVIII.

LIFE OF CARDINAL WOLSEY FROM HIS APPOINTMENT AS LORD
CHANCELLOR TILL HIS FALL.

CHAP. XXVIII.

Homage paid to Wolsey by foreign

powers.

WOLSEY was now in the zenith of his greatness. At this period, the Crown was absolute in England, and he alone wielded all its power. He was in consequence courted with the greatest obsequiousness by Francis I. and Charles V., the rival monarchs, who were contending for superiority on the continent of Europe, and who felt that the result of the struggle depended to a considerable degree on his friendship. They not only flattered him by letters and embassies, but settled large pensions upon him, which there was no law or etiquette then prevailing to prevent him from accepting. The Doge of Venice, likewise, sent him a large pecuniary gratification, with letters containing the most fulsome adulation.* "In all things the Chancellor was honoured like the King's person, and sat always at his right hand. In all places where the King's arms were put up, the Chancellor's appeared alongside of them, so that in every honour the Sovereign and his minister were equal." The money coined with the Cardinal's hat upon it was now current without objection, though made the ground of one of the charges against him on his fall. The By the University of Oxford is supposed to have exceeded all the University rest of the nation in servility towards him, and to have almost committed treason, by styling him in their addresses, "Your Majesty ;" but this appellation had not then been exclu

• As a specimen: "Incredibilis vestræ reverendissimæ Dominationis virtus et sapientia." Again, using the third person: "Ut nihil tam arduum difficileque foret (si modo id honestum esset et conducibile) quod non ipsa sua bonitate ultro vellet; sapientissime ac providentissime disponeret; auctoritate quam meritissime in regno isto supremum tenet, optime possit conficere."

Bellay, the French ambassador, an eye-witness.

Consultissima tua Majestas; reverendissima Majestas; inaudita Majestatis tuæ benignitas; vestra illa sublimis et longè reverendissima Majestas."

of Oxford.

CHAP. sively appropriated to kings, and it had been applied by the same University to Lord Chancellor Warham.*

XXVIII.

Letters to

him from the King's sisters.

Perhaps the strongest proof of his ascendency is to be found in the private confidential letters written to him by the King's sisters. Margaret, Queen of Scotland, by the battle of Flodden left a widow, with an infant son, and every way destitute, thus concludes a letter asking his interference in her favour, "for next to the King's Grace, my next trust is in you, and you may do me most good of any." Mary, Queen of Lewis XII., thus addresses him, "for the payne ye take remembring to write to me soo often I thanke you for it wh al my hert." She wrote him another letter pressing him to use his influence with the King to permit Lady Guildeford to live with her in France, as one of her ladies of honour. On the death of her husband, she communicates the intelligence to Wolsey, saying, "My Lord, my trust is in you for to remember me to the King my brother, for now I have no mother to put my trust in but the Kyng my brother, and you. And so I pray you, my Lord, to show hys Grace, saying, that the Kyng, my housebande, ys departed to God, of whos sole God pardon. And wher as you avyse me that I shoulde make no promas, my Lord, I trust the Kyng my brother and you wole not reckon in me soche chyldhode." In spite of the pledge here given against her well-known inclination for her lover, Sir Charles Brandon, afterwards Duke of Suffolk, she married him in a few weeks, but as he was a person exciting no political jealousy, Wolsey pardoned them, and they were kindly received in England.

The homage universally paid to the Chancellor had such an effect upon him, that he gradually in his own letters assumed an equality with the King, which was afterwards made a subject of his impeachment.†

* "Et diu felicissime vivat, tua Majestas." - Fiddes, 178.

Thus, in his correspondence with Pace, the secretary, and others, he says, "His Highness and I give you hearty thanks." "Neither the King's Highness nor I will advise them." "Much it is to the King's and my comfort." "The King's Highness and I abide daily knowledge." " Arrived here the Archbishop of Capua, whom the King's Highness and I like." "The King's Highness and I be always of the same mind that the Emperor is." "The King's Highness and I gave my own lodgings to him.". MS. Letters in British Museum.

CHAP.

XXVIII.

the Earl of

The fame of his influence was so great that he had many solicitations from other countries for his patronage. Thus, the Earl of Argyle wrote him a very humble letter, asking Letter to his interest with the Pope, that Dougall Campbell, the Earl's him from brother, might be appointed Abbot of Cowper: "I beseich ye Argyle. to forther ye promotionne of my saed brother in the best manner as your Grace thinks expedient; and my load geif that there be any service or labore that I canne do your Graice in this realme, truly thar shalbe nane in it yat sall accompleis y same wt bettir hart nor mynd nor I sall."* This Dougal Campbell was appointed Abbot of Cowper accordingly, although before entering into religion he had been married, and had a surviving son.

His manner of living now eclipsed the splendour of the King's court. His household consisted of eight hundred persons, comprehending one Earl (the Earl of Derby), nine barons, and many knights and squires of great figure and worship. He had a high-chamberlain, a vice-chamberlain, a treasurer, a controller, and other officers corresponding to those of royalty, bearing white staves. He had in his hall-kitchen two master cooks, with many assistants, and in his private kitchen a master cook, who went daily in damask, satin, or velvet, with a chain of gold about his neck. We should never finish if we were to enumerate all the yeomen, grooms, pages, and purveyors that he had in his larder, scalding house, scullery, buttery, pantry, ewery, cellar, chaundery, wafery, wardrobe, laundry, bakehouse, wood-yard, garner, garden, stable, and almoserie, with the yeoman of his barge, yeoman of his chariot, his master of the horse, saddler, farrier, and muleteer." Also he had two secretaries, and two clerks of his signet, and four councillors learned in the laws of the realm."t Now that he was Chancellor, he was constantly attended by all the officers of the Court, and by four footmen appareled in rich ermine coats,-and whensoever he took any journey, by a herald at arms, a serjeant at arms, a physician, an apothecary, four minstrels, a keeper of his tents, and an Three great tables were daily laid in his hall for

armourer.

His splen

did mode

of living.

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CHAP. XXVIII.

Wolsey's

banquets to the King.

this numerous retinue. Many of the nobility placed their children in his family, and for the purpose of winning his favour, allowed them to act as his servants, although they had a separate table, called "the mess of lords," and had numerous menials to attend them.

"When it pleased the King's majesty, for his recreation, to repair unto the Cardinal's house, such pleasures were then devised for the King's comfort and consolation as might be invented or by man's wit imagined. The banquets were set forth with masks and mummeries, in so gorgeous a sort and costly manner, that it was a heaven to behold. There wanted no dames or damsels meet or apt to dance with the maskers, or to garnish the place for the time with other goodly disports. There was there all kind of music and harmony set forth, with excellent voices, both of men and children."*

We have likewise very picturesque descriptions of his march to the Court at Greenwich on Sundays,-riding through Thames Street on his mule, with his crosses, his pillars, his

Cavendish, who goes on to give an account of the King coming with maskers like shepherds, from which Shakspeare has taken the 4th scene of the 1st act of Hen. VIII. In one particular the dramatist differs from the biographer. (The twelve maskers, habited like shepherds, being ushered in as foreigners who could not speak English.)

"Wolsey. Pray tell them thus much from me :
There should be one amongst them, by his person,
More worthy this place than myself, to whom
If I but knew him, with my love and duty

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My royal choice.

"King Henry (unmasking). You have found him, Cardinal."

But Cavendish relates, " My Lord Chancellor said to my Lord Cardinal, Sir, they confess that among them there is such a noble personage, whom if your Grace can appoint him from the others, he is contented to disclose himself and to accept your place most worthily.' With that the Cardinal, taking a good advisement among them, at the last quoth he, Me seemeth the gentleman with the black beard should be even he.' And with that he arose out of his chair and offered the same to the gentleman in the black beard, with his cap in his hand. This turned out to be Sir Edward Neville, a comely knight of a goodly personage, that much resembled the King's person in that mask. The King, perceiving the Cardinal so deceived in his estimation and choice, could not forbear laughing, but plucked down his visor, and Master Neville's also, and dashed out with such a pleasant countenance and cheer, that all noble estates there assembled, seeing the King to be there amongst them, rejoiced very much." Cav. 112.

CHAP. XXVIII.

His pro

cession to

the Court

hat, and the Great Seal, till he came to Billingsgate, where he took his barge,-and of the gorgeous celebration of mass in his chapel, where he was attended by Bishops and Abbots. Such was his haughtiness, that he made Dukes and Earls to serve him with wine, and to hold the bason and lavatories. But for our purpose, the most interesting pageant he exhibited was his procession from York House to the Court of Chancery in Westminster Hall, which is minutely described of Chanto us by an eye-witness. Having risen by day-break, and cery. heard mass, he returned to his private chamber; and his public rooms being now filled with noblemen and gentlemen attending his levee, "he issued out into them, appareled all in red, in the habit of a cardinal, which was either of fine scarlet or else of crimson satin, taffety damask, or caffa, the best that he could get for money; and upon his head a round pillion, with a noble of black velvet set to the same in the inner side; he had also a tippet of fine sables about his neck; holding in his hand a very fine orange, whereof the meat or substance within was taken out, and filled up again with the part of a sponge, wherein was vinegar and other confections against the pestilent airs, the which he most commonly smelt unto passing among the press, or else when he was pestered with many suitors. There was also borne before him- first, the Great Seal of England, and then his Cardinal's hat, by a nobleman or some worthy gentleman, right solemnly, bane-headed. And as soon as he was entered into his chamber of presence, where there was attending his coming to await upon him to Westminster Hall, as well noblemen and other worthy gentlemen, as noblemen and gentlemen of his own family; thus passing forth with two great crosses of silver borne before him; with also two great pillars of silver, and his pursuivant at arms with a great mace of silver gilt. Then his gentlemen ushers* cried, and said, "On my Lords and Masters, on before; make way for my Lord's Grace." Thus passed he down from his chamber to the Hall; and when he came to the Hall door, there was attendant for him his mule, trapped altogether in crimson velvet and gilt stirrups. When he

* Cavendish being one of them.

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