and a letter to his
"Right dear, and right entirely beloved sister," thanking her gratefully
for her "wise and honourable proceedings." "As it is done in respect of
God and His truth; and, continuing your conformity, you shall find us a
perfect friend content to repute you as our dearest sister." He promised
her L4000 a year, with the two royal residences of Richmond and
Bletchingly, and a welcome at Court when she pleased to come. In return
she sent him another amiable letter, and the wedding-ring; expressing
herself fully satisfied. She certainly carried out her part of the
arrangement to perfection, whether from fear or complaisance; assuring the
envoys of her brother the Duke that she was well treated, as in a material
sense indeed she was, and thenceforward made the best of her life in
England.

Her brother and the German Protestants were of course furiously
indignant; but, as the injured lady expressed herself not only satisfied
but delighted with her position, no ground could be found for open
quarrel. She was probably a person of little refinement of feeling, and
highly appreciated the luxury and abundance with which she thenceforward
was surrounded, enjoying, as she always did, recreation and fine dress, in
which she was distinguished above any of Henry's wives. On the day after
the Synod had met in Westminster to decide the invalidity of the marriage
(7th July), Pate, the English ambassador, saw the Emperor at Bruges, with
a message from Henry which foreshadowed an entire change in the foreign
policy of England. Charles received Pate at midnight, and was agreeably
surprised to learn that conscientious scruples had made Henry doubt the
validity of his union with Anne. The Emperor's stiff demeanour changed at
once, and, as the news came day by day of the progress of the separation
of Henry from his Protestant wife, the cordiality of the Emperor grew
towards him,[210] whilst England itself was in full Catholic reaction.

The fall of Cromwell had, as it was intended to do, provided Henry with a
scapegoat. The spoliation and destruction of the religious houses, by
which the King and many of the Catholic nobles had profited enormously,
was laid to the dead man's door; the policy of plundering the Church, of
union with Lutherans, and the favouring of heresy, had been the work of
the wicked minister, and not of the good King--that ill-served and
ungratefully-used King, who was always innocent, and never in the wrong,