her," he wrote to Henry,[181] "the
pope, whose sight is incredulous quick, eyed me, and that divers times;
making a good pause in one place; at which time I desired the datary to
advertise his Holiness that I would speak with him; and albeit the
datary made no little difficulty therein, yet perceiving that upon
refusal I would have gone forthwith to the pope, he advertised the pope
of my said desire. His Holiness dismissing as then the said cardinals,
and letting his vesture fall, went to a window in the said chamber,
calling me unto him. At which time I showed unto his Holiness how that
your Highness had given me express and strait commandment to intimate
unto him how that your Grace had solemnly provoked and appealed unto the
general council; submitting yourself to the tuition and defence thereof;
which provocation and appeal I had under authentic writings then with
me, to show for that purpose. And herewithal I drew out the said
writing, showing his said Holiness that I brought the same in proof of
the premises, and that his Holiness might see and perceive all the same.
The pope having this for a breakfast, only pulled down his head to his
shoulders, after the Italian fashion, and said that because he was as
then fully ready to go into the consistory, he would not tarry to hear
or see the said writings, but willed me to come at afternoon."

[Sidenote: The king's appeal is delivered to the pope.]

The afternoon came, and Bonner returned, and was admitted. There was
some conversation upon indifferent matters; the pope making good-natured
inquiries about Bennet, and speaking warmly and kindly of him.

"Presently," Bonner continues, "falling out of that, he said that he
marvelled your Highness would use his Holiness after such sort as it
appears ye did. I said that your Highness no less did marvel that his
Holiness having found so much benevolence and kindness at your hands in
all times past, would for acquittal show such unkindness as of late he
did. And here we entered in communication upon two points: one was that
his Holiness, having committed in times past, and in most ample form,
the cause into the realm, promising not to revoke the said commission,
and over that, to confirm the process and sentence of the commissaries,
should not at the point of sentence have advoked the cause, retaining it
at Rome--forasmuch as Rome was a place whither your Highness could not,
ne yet ought, personally to come unto, and also was