of June, 1530, therefore, Francis wrote as follows to
the President of the Parliament of Paris:--

"We have learnt, to our great displeasure, that one Beda, an imperialist,
has dared to raise an agitation among the theologians, dissuading them from
giving their voices on the cause of the King of England.--On receipt of
this letter, therefore, you shall cause the said Beda to appear before you,
and you shall show him the grievous anger which he has given us cause to
entertain towards him. And further you shall declare to him, laying these
our present writings before his eyes that he may not doubt the truth of
what you say, that if he does not instantly repair the fault which he has
committed, he shall be punished in such sort as that he shall remember
henceforth what it is for a person of his quality to meddle in the affairs
of princes. If he venture to remonstrate; if he allege that it is matter of
conscience, and that before proceeding to pronounce an opinion it is
necessary to communicate with the pope; in our name you shall forbid him to
hold any such communication: and he and all who abet him, and all persons
whatsoever, not only who shall themselves dare to consult the pope on this
matter, but who shall so much as entertain the proposal of consulting him,
shall be dealt with in such a manner as shall be an example to all the
world. The liberties of the Gallican Church are touched, and the
independence of our theological council, and there is no privilege
belonging to this realm on which we are more peremptorily determined to
insist."[272]

The haughty missive, a copy of which was sent to England,[273] produced the
desired effect. The doctors became obedient and convinced, and the required
declaration of opinion in Henry's favour, was drawn up in the most ample
manner. They made a last desperate effort to escape from the position in
which they were placed when the seal of the university was to be affixed to
the decision; but the resistance was hopeless, the authorities were
inexorable, and they submitted. It is not a little singular that the
English political agent employed on this occasion, and to whose lot it fell
to communicate the result to the king, was Reginald Pole. He it was, who
behind the scenes, and assisting to work the machinery of the intrigue,
first there, perhaps, contracted his disgust with the cause on which he was
embarked. There learning to hate the ill with which he was forced
immediately into c