state, and of the Privy Council (of whom some are yet
alive) was conducted thence to the privy stairs of the
queen's court at Westminster, no less person than King
Philip himself waiting upon him, and receiving him; and so
was brought to the queen's great chamber, she then being, or
else pretending, not to be well at ease. Stephen Gardiner,
the bishop of Winchester, and Lord Chancellor of England,
receiving this noble legate in the king and the queen's
behalf, to commend and set forth the authority of this
legate, the greatness of his message, and the supreme
majesty of the sender, before the public audience of the
whole parliament at that time assembled, there openly
protested, with great solemnity of words, what a mighty
message, and of what great importance was then brought into
the realm, even the greatest message (said he) that ever
came into England, and therefore desired them to give
attentive and inclinable ears to such a famous legation,
sent from so high authority." "Well, and what message was
this? forsooth, that the realm of England should be
reconciled again unto their father the pope; that is to say,
that the queen, with all her nobility and sage council, with
so many learned prelates, discreet lawyers, worthy commons,
and the whole body of the realm of England, should captive
themselves, and become underlings to an Italian stranger,
and friarly priest, sitting in Rome, which never knew
England, never was here, never did, or shall do, England
good. And this forsooth (said Gardiner) was the greatest
ambassage, the weightiest legacy that ever came to England:
forgetting belike either this message of God, sent here by
his apostles unto vs, or else because he saw it made not so
much for his purpose as did the other, he made the less
account thereof." "Well, then, and will we see what a
weighty message this was that Gardiner so exquisitely
commended? first, the sender is gone, the messenger is gone,
the queen is gone, and the message gone, and yet England
standeth not a rush the better. Of which message I thus say,
answering again to Gardiner, _per inversionem Rhetoricam_,
that, as he sayeth, it was the greatest--so I say again, it
was the lightest--legacy; the most ridiculous trifle, and
most miserablest message, of