t Francis, though sensible that the alliance of England
was of much greater importance to his interests, would not affront his
friend and ally; and to prevent further solicitation, he immediately
sent the princess to Scotland. Not to shock, however, Henry's humor,
Francis made him an offer of Mary of Bourbon, daughter of the duke of
Vendome; but as the king was informed that James had formerly rejected
this princess he would not hear any further of such a proposal. The
French monarch then offered him the choice of the two younger sisters of
the queen of Scots; and he assured him, that they were nowise inferior
either in merit or size to their elder sister, and that one of them was
even superior in beauty. The king was as scrupulous with regard to the
person of his wives, as if his heart had been really susceptible of a
delicate passion; and he was unwilling to trust any relations, or even
pictures, with regard to this important particular. He proposed to
Francis, that they should have a conference at Calais on pretence of
business; and that this monarch should bring along with him the two
princesses of Guise, together with the finest ladies of quality in
France, that he might make a choice among them. But the gallant spirit
of Francis was shocked with the proposal: he was impressed with too much
regard, he said, for the fair sex, to carry ladies of the first quality
like geldings to a market, there to be chosen or rejected by the humor
of the purchaser.[*] Henry would hearken to none of these niceties,
but still insisted on his proposal; which, however, notwithstanding
Francis's earnest desire of obliging him, was finally rejected.

* Le Grand, vol. iii. p. 638

The king then began to turn his thoughts towards a German alliance; and
as the princes of the Smalcaldic league were extremely disgusted with
the emperor on account of his persecuting their religion, he hoped, by
matching himself into one of their families, to renew a connection which
he regarded as so advantageous to him. Cromwell joyfully seconded this
intention; and proposed to him Anne of Cleves, whose father, the duke
of that name, had great interest among the Lutheran princes, and whose
sister, Sibylla, was married to the elector of Saxony, the head of the
Protestant league. A flattering picture of the princess, by Hans Holben,
determined Henry to apply to her father; and after some negotiation, the
marriage, notwithstanding the opposition of the elec