urn of his
dowager into England, this damsel, whose accomplishments even in her
tender years were always much admired, was retained in the service of
Claude, queen of France, spouse to Francis; and after the death of that
princess, she passed into the family of the duchess of Alencon, a woman
of singular merit. The exact time when she returned to England is not
certainly known; but it was after the king had entertained doubts with
regard to the lawfulness of his marriage with Catharine, if the account
is to be credited which he himself afterwards gave of that transaction.
Henry's scruples had made him break off all conjugal commerce with
the queen; but as he still supported an intercourse of civility and
friendship with her, he had occasion, in the frequent visits which he
paid her, to observe the beauty, the youth, the charms of Anne Boleyn.
Finding the accomplishments of her mind nowise inferior to her exterior
graces, he even entertained the design of raising her to the throne; and
was the more confirmed in this resolution, when he found that her virtue
and modesty prevented all hopes of gratifying his passion in any other
manner. As every motive, therefore, of inclination and policy seemed
thus to concur in making the king desirous of a divorce from Catharine,
and as his prospect of success was inviting, he resolved to make
application to Clement; and he sent Knight, his secretary, to Rome for
that purpose.

That he might not shock the haughty claims of the pontiff, he resolved
not to found the application on any general doubts concerning the papal
power to permit marriage in the nearer degrees of consanguinity; but
only to insist on particular grounds of nullity in the bull which Julius
had granted for the marriage of Henry and Catharine. It was a maxim in
the court of Rome, that if the pope be surprised into any concession, or
grant any indulgence upon false suggestions, the bull may afterwards be
annulled; and this pretence had usually been employed wherever one pope
had recalled any deed executed by any of his predecessors. But Julius's
bull, when examined, afforded abundant matter of this kind; and any
tribunal favorable to Henry needed not want a specious color for
gratifying him in his applications for a divorce. It was said in the
preamble, that the bull had been granted upon his solicitation; though
it was known that, at that time, he was under twelve years of age; it
was also affirmed, as another motive fo