were treated
like princesses. The Lord Mayor and all the authorities on their way to
the coast had to banquet them; they were taken sight-seeing and feasting
everywhere, and loaded with gifts; and the most ostentatious appearance
made of a close intimacy with them, in order to hoodwink the imperial
agent into the idea that a French match was under discussion. Henry
himself went to Dover to see them, and gave them all presents. But the
French and imperial ambassadors were in close touch one with the other,
and themselves dined with the ladies at Chelsea; having a good laugh with
them at the farce that was being played, which they quite understood.
(_Calendar Henry VIII._, vol. 13, part 2.)

[186] The terms of the arrangement were the maintenance of the _status quo
ante_, but were generally in favour of France, which retained Savoy and
some of the Lombard fortresses threatening Milan, that State, the
principal bone of contention, being still held by the Emperor's troops;
but with a vague understanding that it might be given as a dowry to a
princess of the Emperor's house, if she married a French prince. The
latter clause was hollow, and never intended to be carried out, as Henry
knew.

[187] Her own well-known comment on Henry's proposal was, that if she had
two heads one should be at the disposal of his Majesty of England.

[188] Pole had been sent to Spain by the Pope for the purpose of urging
the Emperor to execute the decree against England, at least to the extent
of stopping commerce with his dominions. Charles saw Pole in Toledo early
in March 1539. The Cardinal found the Emperor professedly sympathetic, but
evidently not willing to adopt extreme measures of force against Henry.
Pole, disappointed, thereupon returned to Papal Avignon instead of going
on to France with a similar errand. Nothing is clearer in the
correspondence on the subject (_Henry VIII. Calendar_, vol. 14) than
Charles' determination--which was invariable throughout his life--not to
allow Churchmen or ecclesiastical polity to guide his state action. Whilst
Pole was thus seeking in vain to urge the Catholic powers to overthrow
Henry, Wyatt the English ambassador in Spain, poet and gentle wit though
he was, was busily plotting the murder of the Cardinal, together with some
secret device to raise trouble in Italy and set Charles and Francis by the
ears. This was probably the treacherous surrender of Parma and Piacenza to
England for France, to the