ssevered yourselves from the unity of Christ's Church.

"It remaineth, therefore, that you, like true Christians and provident
men, for the weal of your souls and bodies, ponder what is to be done
in this so weighty a cause, and so to frame your acts and proceedings
as they may first tend to the glory of {p.170} God, and, next, to
the conservation of your commonwealth, surety, and quietness."

The speech was listened to by such as could hear it with profound
attention, and several persons were observed to clasp their hands
again and again, and raise them convulsively before their faces. When
the legate sat down, Gardiner gave him the thanks of parliament, and
suggested that the two Houses should be left to themselves to consider
what they would do. Pole withdrew with the king and queen, and
Gardiner exclaimed: A prophet has "the Lord raised up among us from
among our brethren, and he shall save us." For the benefit of those
who had been at the further end of the hall, he then recapitulated the
substance of what had been said. He added a few words of exhortation,
and the meeting adjourned.

The next day, Thursday, Lords and Commons sat as usual at Westminster.
The repeal of all the acts which directly, or by implication, were
aimed at the papacy, would occupy, it was found, a considerable time;
but the impatient legate was ready to accept a promise as a pledge of
performance, and the general question was therefore put severally in
both Houses whether the country should return to obedience to the
Apostolic See. Among the Peers no difficulty was made at all. Among
the Commons, in a house of 360, there were two dissentients--one,
whose name is not mentioned, gave a silent negative vote; the other,
Sir Ralph Bagenall, stood up alone to protest. Twenty years, he said,
"that great and worthy prince, King Henry," laboured to expel the pope
from England. He for one had "sworn to King Henry's laws," and, "he
would keep his oath."[394]

[Footnote 394: The writer of the Italian
"Description" says that Bagenall gave way the next
day. The contemporary narrative among the _Harleian
MSS._ says that he persisted, and refused to kneel
at the absolution.]

But Bagenall was listened to with smiles. The resolution passed, the
very ease and unanimity betraying the hollow ground on which it
rested; and, again, devout Catholics beheld the eviden