mself for the consequences of Clement's delinquency.
He rather felt himself wronged in having been driven to so extreme a
measure against his will. He resolved, therefore, to recal the embassy,
and once more, though with no great hope that he would be successful, to
invite Francis to fulfil his promise, and to unite with himself in
expressing his resentment at the pope's conduct.

[Sidenote: August 8.]

His despatch to the Duke of Norfolk on this occasion was the natural
sequel of what he had written a few weeks previously. That letter had
failed wholly of its effect. The interview was resolved upon for quite
other reasons than those which were acknowledged, and therefore was not
to be given up. A promise, however, had been extracted, that it should
be given up, if in the course of the summer the pope "innovated
anything" against the King of England; and Henry now required, formally,
that this engagement should be observed. "A notorious and notable
innovation" had been made, and Francis must either deny his words, or
adhere to them. It would be evident to all the world, if the interview
took place under the present circumstances, that the alliance with
England was no longer of the importance with him which it had been; that
his place in the struggle, when the struggle came, would be found on the
papal side.

[Sidenote: The cause at issue is the independence of princes.]

[Sidenote: He has been required to repeal the Act of Appeals,]

[Sidenote: Which is impossible.]

[Sidenote: He, therefore, and the pope are as far asunder as yea and
nay,]

[Sidenote: And he trusts that Francis will agree with him as to the
pope's conduct.]

[Sidenote: For himself, he is satisfied that he can retract nothing
which he has justly done,]

The language of Henry throughout this paper was very fine and noble. He
reminded Francis that substantially the cause at issue was the cause of
all princes; the pope claiming a right to summon them to plead in the
courts of Rome, and refusing to admit their exemption as sovereign
rulers. He had been required not only to undo his marriage, and cancel
the sentence of divorce, but, as a condition of reconciliation with the
Holy See, to undo also the Act of Appeals, and to restore the papal
jurisdiction. He desired it to be understood, with emphasis, that these
points were all equally sacred, and the repeal of the act was as little
to be thought of as the annulling the marriage. "The pope," he sai