assisting him in the
restoration of his family; the event which, of all others, he most
passionately desired. The emperor alone, he knew, was able to effect
this purpose; and therefore, whatever professions he made of fidelity
to his allies, he was always, on the least glimpse of hope, ready
to embrace every proposal of a cordial reconciliation with that
monarch.[***]

* Father Paul lib. i.

** Father Paul, lib. i.

*** Father Paul.

These views and interests of the pope were well known in England; and as
the opposition of the emperor to Henry's divorce was foreseen, both
on account of the honor and interests of Catharine, his aunt, and the
obvious motive of distressing an enemy, it was esteemed dangerous
to take any measure of consequence, in expectation of the subsequent
concurrence of a man of Clement's character, whose behavior always
contained so much duplicity, and who was at present so little at his own
disposal. The safest measure seemed to consist in previously engaging
him so far, that he could not afterwards recede, and in making use of
his present ambiguity and uncertainty, to extort the most important
concessions from him. For this purpose, Stephen Gardiner, the cardinal's
secretary, and Edward Fox, the king's almoner, were despatched to Rome,
and were ordered to solicit a commission from the pope, of such a
nature as would oblige him to confirm the sentence of the commissioners,
whatever it should be, and disable him on any account to recall the
commission, or evoke the cause to Rome.[*]

But the same reasons which made the king so desirous of obtaining this
concession, confirmed the pope in the resolution of refusing it: he
was still determined to keep the door open for an agreement with the
emperor; and he made no scruple of sacrificing all other considerations
to a point, which he deemed the most essential and important to his own
security, and to the greatness of his family. He granted, therefore, a
new commission, in which Cardinal Campeggio was joined to Wolsey, for
the trial of the king's marriage; but he could not be prevailed on to
insert the clause desired of him. And though he put into Gardiner's hand
a letter, promising not to recall the present commission, this promise
was found, on examination, to be couched in such ambiguous terms, as
left him still the power, whenever he pleased, of departing from it.[**]

* Lord Herbert. Burnet, vol. i. p. 29, in the Collect. Le