present.
Henry watched the advance of the cardinals with a stern look, and after
they had made an obeisance to him, he motioned them to rise.

"You have sought an interview with me, my lords," he said, with
suppressed rage. "What would you?"

"We have brought an instrument to you, my liege," said Wolsey, "which
has just been received from his holiness the Pope."

"Declare its nature," said Henry.

"It is a citation," replied Wolsey, "enjoining your high ness to appear
by attorney in the papal court, under a penalty of ten thousand ducats."

And he presented a parchment, stamped with the great seal of Rome, to
the king, who glanced his eye fiercely over it, and then dashed it to
the ground, with an explosion of fury terrible to hear and to witness.

"Ha! by Saint George!" he cried; "am I as nothing, that the Pope dares
to insult me thus?"

"It is a mere judicial form your majesty," interposed Campeggio, "and
is chiefly sent by his holiness to let you know we have no further
jurisdiction in the matter of the divorce."

"I will take care you have not, nor his holiness either," roared the
king. "By my father's head, he shall find I will be no longer trifled
with."

"But, my liege," cried Campeggio.

"Peace!" cried the king. "I will hear no apologies nor excuses. The
insult has been offered, and cannot be effaced. As for you, Wolsey--"

"Sire!" exclaimed the cardinal, shrinking before the whirlwind of
passion, which seemed to menace his utter extermination.

"As for you, I say," pursued Henry, extending his hand towards him,
while his eyes flashed fire, "who by your outrageous pride have so long
overshadowed our honour--who by your insatiate avarice and appetite for
wealth have oppressed our subjects--who by your manifold acts of bribery
and extortion have impoverished our realm, and by your cruelty and
partiality have subverted the due course of justice and turned it to
your ends--the time is come when you shall receive due punishment for
your offences."

"You wrong me, my dear liege," cried Wolsey abjectly. "These are the
accusations of my enemies. Grant me a patient hearing, and I will
explain all."

"I would not sharpen the king's resentment against you, lord cardinal,"
said Anne Boleyn, "for it is keen enough; but I cannot permit you to
say that these charges are merely hostile. Those who would support
the king's honour and dignity must desire to see you removed from his
counsels."

"I am ready to ta