saw in her nothing
but a wicked woman at last detected and brought to justice.[434]

What came of these advances will be presently seen; but, before
proceeding, a glance must be given at the receipt of the intelligence of
Anne's fall at the Holy See. This also was _chose de rire_. Chapuys had
sent to Rome in the past winter a story that Henry had said Anne Boleyn
had bewitched him. The Pope had taken it literally, and had supposed that
when the witch was removed the enchantment would end. He sent for Sir
Gregory Casalis on the 17th of May, and informed him of what he had heard
from England. He said that he had always recognised the many and great
qualities of the King; and those qualities he did not doubt would now
show themselves, as he had been relieved from his unfortunate marriage.
Let the King reattach himself to Holy Church and take the Pope for an
ally; they could then give the law both to the Emperor and to the King of
France, and the entire glory of restoring peace to Christendom would
attach to Henry himself. The King, he said, had no cause to regard him as
an enemy; for he had always endeavored to be his friend. In the
matrimonial cause he had remonstrated in private with his predecessor. At
Bologna he had argued for four hours with the Emperor, trying to persuade
him that the King ought not to be interfered with.[435] Never had he
desired to offend the King, although so many violent acts had been done in
England against the Holy See. He had made the Bishop of Rochester a
cardinal solely with a view to the General Council, and because the Bishop
had written a learned book against Luther. On the Bishop's execution, he
had been compelled to say and do certain things, but he had never intended
to give effect to them.

If the Pope had thought the King to have been right in his divorce suit,
it was not easy to understand why he had excommunicated him and tried to
deprive him of his crown because he had disobeyed a judgment thus
confessed to have been unjust. Casalis asked him if he was to communicate
what he had said to the King. The Pope, after reflecting a little, said
that Casalis might communicate it as of himself; that he might tell the
King that the Pope was well-disposed towards him, and that he might
expect every favour from the Pope. Casalis wrote in consequence that on
the least hint that the King desired a reconciliation, a Nuncio would be
sent to England to do everything that could be found possible;