n exposed. Croke and
Omnibow were sitting one morning in the latter's cell, "when there entered
upon them the emperor's great ambassador, accompanied with many gentlemen
of Spain, and demanded of the Father how he durst be so bold to take upon
him to intermeddle in so great and weighty a matter, the which did not only
lessen and enervate the pope's authority, but was noyful and odious to all
Realms Christened."[267] Omnibow being a man of some influence in Venice,
the ambassador warned him on peril of his life to deal no further with such
things: there was not the slightest chance that the King of England could
obtain a decision in his favour, because the question had been placed in
the hands of six cardinals who were all devoted to the emperor: the pope,
it was sternly added, had been made aware of his conduct, and was
exceedingly displeased, and the general[268] of his order had at the same
time issued an injunction, warning all members to desist at their peril
from intercourse with the English agents. The Spanish party held themselves
justified in resorting to intimidation to defend themselves against English
money; the English may have excused their use of money as a defence against
Spanish intimidation; and each probably had recourse to their several
methods prior to experience of the proceedings of their adversaries, from a
certain expectation of what those proceedings would be. Substantially, the
opposite manoeuvres neutralised each other, and in Catholic countries,
opinions on the real point at issue seem to have been equally balanced. The
Lutheran divines, from their old suspicion of Henry, were more decided in
their opposition to him. "The Italian Protestants," wrote Croke to the
king, "be utterly against your Highness in this cause, and have letted as
much as with their power and malice they could or might."[269] In Germany
Dr. Bames and Cranmer found the same experience. Luther himself had not
forgotten his early passage at arms with the English Defender of the Faith,
and was coldly hostile; the German theologians, although they expressed
themselves with reserve and caution, saw no reason to court the anger of
Charles by meddling in a quarrel in which they had no interest; they
revenged the studied slight which had been passed by Henry on themselves,
with a pardonable indifference to the English ecclesiastical revolt.

If, however, in Germany and Italy the balance of unjust interference lay on
the imperial sid