d advancement."[638]

The reply of Mary to this message is not discoverable; but it is certain
that she persisted in her resolution, and clung either to her mother's
"cause" or to her own rank and privilege, in sturdy defiance of her father.
To punish her insubordination or to tolerate it was equally difficult; and
the government might have been in serious embarrassment had not a series of
discoveries, following rapidly one upon the other, explained the mystery of
these proceedings, and opened a view with alarming clearness into the
under-currents of the feeling of the country.

Information from time to time had reached Henry from Rome, relating to the
correspondence between Catherine and the pope. Perhaps, too, he knew how
assiduously she had importuned the emperor to force Clement to a
decision.[639] No effort, however, had been hitherto made to interfere with
her hospitalities, or to oblige her visitors to submit to scrutiny before
they could be admitted to her presence. She was the mistress of her own
court and of her own actions; and confidential agents, both from Rome,
Brussels, and Spain, had undoubtedly passed and repassed with reciprocal
instructions and directions.

The crisis which was clearly approaching had obliged Henry, in the course
of this autumn, to be more watchful; and about the end of October, or the
beginning of November,[640] two friars were reported as having been at
Bugden, whose movements attracted suspicion from their anxiety to escape
observation. Secret agents of the government, who had been "set" for the
purpose, followed the friars to London, and notwithstanding "many wiles and
cautells by them invented to escape," the suspected persons were arrested
and brought before Cromwell. Cromwell, "upon examination" could gather
nothing from them of any moment or great importance; but, "entering on
further communication," he said, "he found one of them a very seditious
person, and so committed them to ward." The king was absent from London,
but had left directions that, in the event of any important occurrence of
the kind, Archbishop Cranmer should be sent for; but Cranmer not being
immediately at hand, Cromwell wrote to Henry for instructions; inasmuch as,
he said, "it is undoubted that they (the monks) have intended, and would
confess, some great matter, if they might be examined as they ought to
be--that is to say, by pains."

The curtain here falls over the two prisoners; we do not know wheth