It mattered little whether
Clement was weak or false; the result was the same--he could not be
trusted. To an open English understanding there was something monstrous
in the position of a person professing to be a judge, who admitted that
a cause which lay before him was so clear that he could bind himself to
a sentence upon it, and could yet refuse to pronounce that sentence,
except upon conditions. It was scarcely for the interests of justice to
leave the distribution of it in hands so questionable.

Instead, therefore, of coming forward, as Francis hoped, instead of
consenting to entangle himself again in the meshes of diplomatic
intrigue, the king returned a peremptory refusal.

The Duke of Norfolk, and such of the council as dreaded the completion
of the schism, assured d'Inteville, the French ambassador, that for
themselves they considered Francis was doing the best for England which
could be done, and that they deprecated violent measures as much as
possible; but in all this party there was a secret leaning to Queen
Catherine, a dislike of Queen Anne and the whole Boleyn race, and a
private hope and belief that the pope would after all be firm. Their
tongues were therefore tied. They durst not speak except alone in
whispers to each other, and the French ambassador, who did dare, only
drew from Henry a more determined expression of his resolution.

As to his measures in England, the king said, the pope had begun the
quarrel by issuing censures and by refusing to admit his reasons for
declining to plead at Rome. He was required to send a proctor, and was
told that the cause should be decided in favour of whichever party was
so represented there. For the sake of all other princes as well as
himself, he would send no proctor, nor would he seem to acquiesce in the
pretences of the papal see. The King of France told him that the pope
admitted the justice of his cause. Let the pope do justice, then. The
laws passed in parliament were for the benefit of the commonwealth, and
he would never revoke them. He demanded no reparation, and could make no
reparation. He asked only for his right, and if he could not obtain it,
he had God and truth on his side, and that was enough. In vain
d'Inteville answered feebly, that his master had done all that was in
his power; the king replied that the French council wished to entangle
him with the pope; but for his own part he would never more acknowledge
the pope in his pretended capa