ising power of
Protestantism in Europe. Henry was thus betrayed and was at war alone with
France, all of whose forces were now directed against him. Boulogne fell
to the English on the 14th September, three days after Arras arrived in
Henry's camp, and the King hurried back to England in blazing wrath with
the Emperor and inflated with the glorification of his own victory, eager
for the applause of his subjects before his laurels faded and the French
beleagured the captured town. Gardiner and Paget, soon to be joined
temporarily by Hertford, remained in Calais in order to continue, if
possible, the abortive peace negotiations with France. But it was a
hopeless task now; for Francis, free from fear on his north-east frontier,
was determined to win back Boulogne at any cost. The Dauphin swore that he
would have no peace whilst Boulogne remained in English hands, and Henry
boastfully declared that he would hold it for ever now that he had won it.

Thenceforward the relations between Henry and the Emperor became daily
more unamiable. Henry claimed under the treaty that Charles should still
help him in the war, but that was out of the question. When in 1546 the
French made a descent upon the Isle of Wight, once more the treaty was
invoked violently by the King of England: almost daily claims, complaints,
and denunciations were made on both sides with regard to the vexed
question of contraband of war for the French, mostly Dutch herrings; and
the right of capture by the English. The Emperor was seriously intent upon
keeping Henry on fairly good terms, and certainly did not wish to go to
war with him; but he had submitted to the hard terms of the peace of
Crespy with a distinct object, and dared not jeopardise it by renewing his
quarrel with France for the sake of Henry.

Slowly it had forced itself upon the mind of Charles that his own
Protestant vassals, the Princes of the Schmalkaldic league, must be
crushed into obedience, or his own power would become a shadow; and his
aim was to keep all Christendom friendly until he had choked Lutheranism
at its fountain-head. From the period of Henry's return to England in
these circumstances, growing sympathy for those whom a Papal and imperial
coalition were attacking caused the influence of the Catholic party in his
Councils gradually but spasmodically to decline. Chapuys, who himself was
hastening to the grave, accompanied his successor Van Der Delft as
ambassador to England at Chr