hich favoured a
new marriage, if its legitimacy could be assured.

Wolsey had an additional inducement to promote what we call the
divorce, though it was nothing of the kind, in the fact that the queen
was his enemy. He had reasons to hope for success. The armies of
Charles had invaded Italy and threatened Rome, and the papal minister,
Giberti, enchanted with the zeal of the great English cardinal, wished
that he had him at the Vatican in the place of the tremulous and
inconstant Clement. Spain was the enemy; England was the ally. It
was probable that the Pope would do what he could in the interest of
England, to keep up its enmity with Spain. The case was a difficult
one, not to be decided on evidence. Something would remain uncertain,
and some allowance must be made for good or ill will at Rome. If the
invading Imperialists were defeated, the prospects would be good. If
they held their ground and made the Pope their dependent, it would be
all over with the divorce. Wolsey admitted afterwards that he
prompted the attempt, and persuaded the king that he could carry it
through. But at first he shifted the responsibility on to the French
envoy, Grammont, afterwards a cardinal, who came over to arrange a
marriage with Mary Tudor. He said that when he raised some
preliminary objection, Grammont lost his temper, and told him that
they might be glad of such an offer for a princess who was not
legitimate. Another story put into circulation was that Henry had
married under protest, and by compulsion, having been warned that if
he refused he would be dethroned. Erasmus, who admired Henry, took
care to explain that a king of England who lost his throne was likely
to lose his life. Wolsey intended to cement the French alliance by a
marriage with Renee, daughter of Lewis XII, not believing that Anne
Boleyn would be an obstacle. But the friends of Anne, the cluster of
English nobles who were weary of being excluded from affairs by the
son of the butcher of Ipswich, soon made it clear that she was only to
be won by the promise of a crown.

From that moment Wolsey, with all his astuteness, was digging his own
pit. If he succeeded, he would fall to make way for the Boleyn
faction. If he failed, he involved the Catholic cause in his
downfall. The first step in the business was the demand for
permission to marry a lady not named, notwithstanding any impediment
arising from an intrigue with her sister. With that the s