"And as you see that amongst a great flock of sheep some be rotten and
faulty, which the good shepherd sendeth from the good sheep; so the great
wether which is of late fallen, as you all know, so craftily, so scabedly,
yea, so untruly juggled with the king, that all men must needs guess that
he thought in himself, either the king had no wit to perceive his crafty
doings, or else that he would not see nor know them.

"But he was deceived, for his Grace's sight was so quick and penetrable
that he saw him; yea, and saw through him, both within and without; and
according to his desert he hath had a gentle correction, which small
punishment the king will not to be an example to other offenders; but
clearly declareth that whosoever hereafter shall make like attempt, or
shall commit like offence, shall not escape with like punishment.

"And because you of the Commons House be a gross multitude, and cannot all
speak at one time, the king's pleasure is, that you resort to the Nether
House, and then amongst yourselves, according to the old and antient
custom, choose an able person to be your common mouth and speaker."[216]

The invective against "the great wether" was not perhaps the portion of the
speech to which the audience listened with least interest. In the minds of
contemporaries, principles are identified with persons, who form, as it
were, the focus on which the passions concentrate. At present we may
consent to forget Wolsey, and fix our attention on the more permanently
essential matter--the reform of the laws. The world was changing; how
swiftly, how completely, no living person knew;--but a confusion no longer
tolerable was a patent fact to all men; and with a wise instinct it was
resolved that the grievances of the nation, which had accumulated through
centuries, should be submitted to a complete ventilation, without reserve,
check, or secrecy.

For this purpose it was essential that the Houses should not be interfered
with, that they should be allowed full liberty to express their wishes and
to act upon them. Accordingly, the practice then usual with ministers, of
undertaking the direction of the proceedings, was clearly on this occasion
foregone. In the House of Commons then, as much as now, there was in theory
unrestricted liberty of discussion, and free right for any member to
originate whatever motion he pleased. "The discussions in the English
Parliament," wrote Henry himself to the pope, "are free and u