causeth me,
using the doctrine of my Master, saying _Quem diligo, castigo_, thus
plainly, as ensueth, to break to you my mind.... Methink it is not the
right train of a trusty loving friend and servant, when the matter is
put by the master's consent into his arbitre and judgment (specially
in a matter wherein his master hath both royalty and interest), to
elect and choose a person which was by him defended (forbidden). And
yet another thing, which much displeaseth me more,--that is, to cloak
your offence made by ignorance of my pleasure, saying that you
expressly knew not my determinate mind in that behalf." Then, after
showing how empty were Wolsey's excuses, he continues: "Ah! my Lord,
it is a double offence, both to do ill and colour it too; but with (p. 243)
men that have wit it cannot be accepted so. Wherefore, good my Lord,
use no more that way with me, for there is no man living that more
hateth it." He then proceeds to warn the Cardinal against sinister
reports with regard to his methods of raising money for his college at
Oxford. "They say the college is a cloak for all mischief. I perceive
by your letter that you have received money of the exempts for having
their old visitors. If your legacy (legatine authority) is a cloak
_apud homines_, it is not _apud Deum_. I doubt not, therefore, you
will desist." Wolsey had used his legatine authority to extort money
from monasteries as the price of their immunity from his visitatorial
powers. The monasteries, too, had strenuously opposed the late
Amicable Loan to the King; by Wolsey's means they had been released
from that obligation; and Henry strongly suspected that they had
purchased their exemption from relieving his necessities by lavish
contributions to the Cardinal's colleges. "I pray you, my Lord," he
concludes, "think not that it is upon any displeasure that I write
this unto you. For surely it is for my discharge afore God, being in
the room that I am in; and secondly for the great zeal I bear unto
you." Henry possessed in the highest degree not a few of the best of
kingly attributes. His words are not the words of a hypocrite without
conscience, devoid of the fear of God and man. For all the strange and
violent things that he did, he obtained the sanction of his
conscience, but his imperious egotism made conscience his humble
slave, and blinded to his own sins a judgment so keen to detect and
chastise the failings of others.

[Footnote 68