e produced before the
legatine Court in England.[619] The Emperor was not likely to be
caught by so transparent an artifice. Moreover, the emissary, sent
with Catherine's letter, wrote, as soon as he got to France, warning
Charles that his aunt's letter was written under compulsion and
expressed the reverse of her real desires.[620] In the spring of 1529
several English envoys, ending with Gardiner, were sent to Rome to
obtain a papal declaration of the falsity of the brief. Clement,
however, naturally refused to declare the brief a forgery, without
hearing the arguments on the other side,[621] and more important
developments soon supervened. Gardiner wrote from Rome, early in May,
that there was imminent danger of the Pope revoking the case, and (p. 221)
the news determined Henry and Wolsey to relinquish their suit about
the brief, and push on the proceedings of the legatine Court, so as to
get some decision before the case was called to Rome. Once the legates
had pronounced in favour of the divorce, Clement was informed, the
English cared little what further fortunes befel it elsewhere.

[Footnote 618: _Sp. Cal._, iii., 882.]

[Footnote 619: _L. and P._, iv., 4841.]

[Footnote 620: _Ibid._, iv., 5154, 5177, 5211
(ii.); _Sp. Cal._, iii., 877, 882.]

[Footnote 621: _L. and P._, iv., 5474. Yet there is
a letter from Clement to Campeggio (_Cotton MS._,
Vitellius, B, xii., 164; _L. and P._, iv., 5181)
authorising him "to reject whatever evidence is
tendered in behalf of this brief as an evident
forgery". Clement was no believer in the maxim _qui
facit per alium facit per se_; he did not mind what
his legates did, so long as he was free to
repudiate their action when convenient.]

So, on the 31st of May, 1529, in the great hall of the Black Friars,
in London, the famous Court was formally opened, and the King and
Queen were cited to appear before it on the 18th of June.[622] Henry
was then represented by two proxies, but Catherine came in person to
protest against the competence of the tribunal.[623] Three days later
both the King and the Queen attended in person to hear the Court's
decision on this point. Catherine threw herself on her knees before
Henry; she begged him to c