y of position, where there
was no especial cause for it, was always to be avoided.

These influences would have been insufficient to have brought the
English of themselves to seek for a reunion. They were enough to
induce them to accept it with indifference when offered them on their
own conditions, or to affect for a time an outward appearance of
acquiescence.

Philip, therefore, consulted Renard, and Charles invited Pole to
Brussels. Renard, to whom politics were all-important, and religion
useful in its place, but inconvenient when pushed into prominence,
adhered to his old opinion. He advised the "king to write privately to
the pope, telling him that he had already so many embarrassments on
his hands that he could not afford to increase them;" "the changes
already made were insincere, and the legatine authority was odious,
not only in England, {p.159} but throughout Europe;" "the queen, on
her accession, had promised a general toleration,[376] and it was
useless to provoke irritation, when not absolutely necessary." Yet
even Renard spoke less positively than before. "If the pope would make
no more reservations on the land question--if he would volunteer a
general absolution, and submit to conditions, while he exacted
none--if he would sanction every ecclesiastical act which had been
done during the schism, the marriages and baptisms, the ordinations of
the clergy, and the new creations of episcopal sees--above all, if he
would make no demand for money under any pretence, the venture might,
perhaps, be made." But, continued Renard, "his holiness, even then,
must be cautious in his words; he must dwell as lightly as possible on
his authority, as lightly as possible on his claims to be obeyed: in
offering absolution, he must talk merely of piety and love, of the
open arms of the church, of the example of the Saviour, and such other
generalities."[377] Finally, Renard still thought the legate had
better remain abroad. The reconciliation, if it could be effected at
all, could be managed better without his irritating presence.

[Footnote 376: Le mandement et declaration que
vostre Majeste a faict publier sur le point de la
religion, laissant la liberte a ung chacun pour
tenir quelle religion l'on vouldra.--Renard to
Philip and Mary: _Granvelle Papers_, vol. iv. p.
327.]

[Footnote 377: