sly
invalid, and any children she might have by Henry would consequently be
unable to interfere with Mary's rights to the succession: whereas if Henry
were to divorce Anne and contract a legal marriage, any son born to him
would disinherit Mary. To this extent was Charles ready to descend if he
could obtain English help and money in the coming war; and Cromwell, at
all events, was anxious to go quite as far to meet him. He now showed
ostentatious respect to the Princess Mary, restoring to her the little
gold cross that had been her mother's, and of which she had been cruelly
deprived, condemned openly the continued execution of his own policy of
spoliation of the monasteries, and quarrelled both with Anne and the only
man now in the same boat with her, Archbishop Cranmer, who trembled in his
shoes at the ruin he saw impending upon his patroness, ready at any moment
to turn his coat, but ignorant of how to do it; for Cranmer, however able
a casuist he might be, possessed little statesmanship and less courage.

Lady Exeter was the go-between who brought the imperial ambassador into
the conspiracy to oust Anne. The time was seen to be ripening. Henry was
already talking in secret about "his having been seduced into the marriage
with Anne by sorcery, and consequently that he considered it to be null,
which was clearly seen by God's denying a son. He thought he should be
quite justified in taking another wife,"[142] and Jane Seymour's company
seemed daily more necessary to his comfort.

Sir Edward Seymour was made a Gentleman of the Privy Chamber early in
March; and a fortnight later the Marchioness of Exeter reported to her
friend Chapuys that the King, who was at Whitehall, had sent a loving
letter, and a purse of gold, to his new lady-love.[143] The latter had
been carefully schooled as to the wise course to pursue, and played
prudery to perfection. She kissed the royal letter fervently without
opening it; and then, throwing herself upon her knees, besought the
messenger to pray the King in her name to consider that she was a
gentlewoman of fair and honourable lineage and without reproach. "She had
nothing in the world but her honour, which for a thousand deaths she would
not wound. If the King deigned to make her a present of money she prayed
that it might be when she made an honourable marriage."[144] According to
Lady Exeter's report, this answer inflamed even more the King's love for
Jane. "She had behaved herself in