y from England, were labouring to exasperate the people, Father Peto
especially distinguishing himself upon this service.[225] The English
ambassador, Sir John Hacket, still remained at Brussels, and the two
governments were formally at peace; but when Hacket required the
queen-regent to forbid the publication of the brief of July in the
Netherlands, he was met with a positive refusal. "M. Ambassador," she
said, "the Emperor, the King of Hungary, the Queen of France, the King
of Portugal, and I, understand what are the rights of our aunt--our duty
is to her--and such letters of the pope as come hither in her favour we
shall obey. Your master has no right to complain either of the emperor
or of myself, if we support our aunt in a just cause."[226] At the same
time, formal complaints were made by Charles of the personal treatment
of Queen Catherine, and the clouds appeared to be gathering for a storm.
Yet here, too, there was an evident shrinking from extremities. A Welsh
gentleman had been at Brussels to offer his services against Henry, and
had met with apparent coldness. Sir John Hacket wrote, on the 15th of
December, that he was assured by well-informed persons, that so long as
Charles lived, he would never be the first to begin a war with England,
"which would rebound to the destruction of the Low Countries."[227] A
week later, when the queen-regent was suffering from an alarming
illness, he said it was reported that, should she die, Catherine or
Mary, if either of them was allowed to leave England, would be held
"meet to have governance of the Low Countries."[228] This was a generous
step, if the emperor seriously contemplated it. The failure of the Nun
of Kent had perhaps taught him that there was no present prospect of a
successful insurrection. In his conduct towards England, he was
seemingly governing himself by the prospect which might open for a
successful attack upon it. If occasion offered to strike the government
in connexion with an efficient Catholic party in the nation itself, he
would not fail to avail himself of it.[229] Otherwise, he would perhaps
content himself with an attitude of inactive menace; unless menaced
himself by a Protestant confederation.

[Sidenote: January 15. Meeting of parliament.]

Amidst these uneasy symptoms at home and abroad, parliament reassembled
on the 15th of January. It was a changed England since these men first
came together on the fall of Wolsey. Session after session ha