The strength of Henry's position at home was due to a similar lack of
unity among his domestic enemies. If the English people had wished to
depose him, they could have effected their object without much
difficulty. In estimating the chances of a possible invasion, it was
pointed out how entirely dependent Henry was upon his people: he had
only one castle in London, and only a hundred yeomen of the guard to
defend him.[886] He would, in fact, have been powerless against a
united people or even against a partial revolt, if well organised and
really popular. There was chronic discontent throughout the Tudor
period, but it was sectional. The remnants of the old nobility always
hated Tudor methods of government, and the poorer commons were sullen
at their ill-treatment by the lords of the land; but there was no
concerted basis of action between the two. The dominant class (p. 314)
was commercial, and it had no grievance against Henry, while it feared
alike the lords and the lower orders. In the spoliation of the Church
temporal lords and commercial men, both of whom could profit thereby,
were agreed; and nowhere was there much sympathy with the Church as an
institution apart from its doctrine. Chapuys himself admits that the
act, depriving the clergy of their profits from leases, was passed "to
please the people";[887] and another conservative declared that, if
the Church were deprived of all its temporal goods, many would be glad
and few would bemoan.[888] Sympathy with Catherine and hatred of Anne
were general, but people thought, like Charles, that these were
private griefs, and that public considerations must be taken into
account. Englishmen are at all times reluctant to turn out one
Government until they see at least the possibility of another to take
its place, and the only alternative to Henry VIII. was anarchy. The
opposition could not agree on a policy, and they could not agree on a
leader. There were various grandchildren of Edward IV. and of
Clarence, who might put forward distant claims to the throne; and
there were other candidates in whose multitude lay Henry's safety. It
was quite certain that the pushing of any one of these claimants would
throw the rest on Henry's side. James V., whom at one time Chapuys
favoured, knew that a Scots invasion would unite the whole of England
against him; and Charles was probably wise in rebuking his
ambassador's zeal, and in thinking that any attempt on his own part
woul