ore, had it been so
minded. No projects were more dear to Henry's heart than the statutes
of Wills and of Uses, yet both were rejected twice at least in the
Parliament of 1529-36.[734]

[Footnote 733: "Parliament," says Brewer,
"faithfully reflected the King's wishes." It is
equally true to say that the King reflected the
wishes of Parliament; and the accusation of
servility is based on the assumption that
Parliament must either be in chronic opposition to
the Crown or servile. One of Brewer's reasons for
Henry's power is that he "required no grants of
money"! (_L. and P._, iv., Introd., p. dcxlv.).]

[Footnote 734: "Henry," writes Chapuys in 1532,
"has been trying to obtain from Parliament the
grant of a third of the feudal property of deceased
lords, but as yet has got nothing" (_L. and P._,
v., 805). Various other instances are mentioned in
the following pages, and they could doubtless be
multiplied if the Journals of the House of Commons
were extant for this period.]

The general harmony between King and Parliament was based on a
fundamental similarity of interests; the harmony in detail was worked
out, not by the forcible exertion of Henry's will, but by his careful
and skilful manipulation of both Houses. No one was ever a greater
adept in the management of the House of Commons, which is easy (p. 263)
to humour but hard to drive. Parliaments are jealous bodies, but
they are generally pleased with attentions; and Henry VIII. was very
assiduous in the attentions he paid to his lay Lords and Commons. From
1529 he suffered no intermediary to come between Parliament and
himself. Cromwell was more and more employed by the King,[735] but
only in subordinate matters, and when important questions were at
issue Henry managed the business himself. He constantly visited both
Houses and remained within their precincts for hours at a time,[736]
watching every move in the game and taking note of every symptom of
parliamentary feeling. He sent no royal commands to his faithful
Commons; in this respect he was less arbitrary than his daughter,
Queen Elizabeth. He submitted points for their consideration, arg