to enmity from above, the earthly powers he
could afford to defy. When he finally divorced Queen Catherine, he must
have foreseen his present position at least as a possibility, and if
not prepared for so swift an apostasy in Francis, and if not yet wholly
believing it, we may satisfy ourselves he had never absolutely trusted a
prince of metal so questionable.

The Duke of Norfolk was waiting at the French court, with a magnificent
embassy, to represent the English king at the interview. The arrival of
the pope had been expected in May. It was now delayed till September;
and if Clement came after all, it would be for objects in which England
had but small concern. It was better for England that there should be no
meeting at all, than a meeting to devise schemes for the massacre of
Lutherans. Henry therefore wrote to the Duke, telling him generally what
he had heard from Rome; he mentioned the three topics which he
understood were to form the matter of discussion; but he skilfully
affected to regard them as having originated with the imperialists, and
not with the French king. In a long paper of instructions, in which
earnestness and irony were strangely blended, he directed the ambassador
to treat his good brother as if he were still exclusively devoted to the
interests of England; and to urge upon him, on the ground of this fresh
delay, that the interview should not take place at all.[153]

[Sidenote: The king's instructions to the Duke of Norfolk to "disappoint
the interview."]

[Sidenote: The "Three Articles" proposed for discussion will be wholly
to the advantage of the Imperialists]

"Our pleasure is," he wrote, "that ye shall say ------ that we be not a
little moved in our heart to see our good brother and us, being such
princes or Christendom, to be so handled with the pope, so much to our
dishonour, and to the pope's and the emperor's advancement; seeming to
be at the pope's commandment to come or tarry as he or his cardinals
shall appoint; and to depend upon his pleasure when to meet--that is to
say, when he list or never. If our good brother and we were either
suitors to make request, the obtaining whereof we did much set by, or
had any particular matter of advantage to entreat with him, these
proceedings might be the better tolerated; but our good brother having
no particular matter of his own, and being ... that [no] more glory nor
surety could happen to the emperour than to obtain the effect of the
thr