arbes's mission, both
Henry and Wolsey asserted that the Bishop had suggested doubts of the
validity of Henry's marriage.[557] Henry, however, does not say that
Tarbes _first_ suggested the doubts, nor does Wolsey. The Cardinal
declares that the Bishop objected to the marriage with the Princess
Mary on the ground of these doubts; and some time later, when Henry
explained his position to the Lord-Mayor and aldermen of London, he
said, according to Du Bellay, that the scruple of conscience, which he
had _long_ entertained, had terribly increased upon him since Tarbes
had spoken of it.[558]

[Footnote 554: Dr. Gairdner (_Engl. Hist. Rev._,
xi., 675) speaks of the "full diplomatic
correspondence which we possess"; the documents are
these: (1) an undated letter (_L. and P._, iv.,
App. 105) announcing the ambassador's arrival in
England; (2) a letter of 21st March (iv., 2974);
(3) a brief note of no importance to Dr. Brienne,
dated 2nd April (_ibid._, 3012); (4) the formal
commission of Francis I., dated 13th April
(_ibid._, 3059); (5) the treaty of 30th April
(3080); and (6) three brief notes from Turenne to
Montmorenci, dated 6th, 7th and 24th April. From
Tarbes himself there are absolutely no letters
relating to his negotiations, and it would almost
seem as though they had been deliberately
destroyed. Our knowledge depends solely upon
Dodieu's narrative.]

[Footnote 555: _L. and P._, iv., 4942.]

[Footnote 556: "There will be great difficulty,"
wrote Clerk, "_circa istud benedictum divortium_."
Brewer interpreted this as the earliest reference
to Henry's divorce; it was really, as Dr. Ehses
shows, in reference to the dissolution of the
precontract between Francis I. and Charles V.'s
sister Eleanor (_Engl. Hist. Rev._, xi., 676).]

[Footnote 557: _L. and P._, iv., 3231.]

[Footnote 558: _Ibid._, iv., 4231, 4942. Henry's
own account of the matter was as follows: "For some
years