Whole Works, Tracts 1 · Tract 5 · Body of tract · Part 15 – Part 16
Why the kinges ſiſter was turned vntounto Fraunce.
WHen this peace was made, our holy Cardinalles and Biſſhops (as their old guiſe is to calke and caſt xl. l. yea, an hundred yeare before, what is like to chaunce vntounto their kingdome) conſidered how the Emperour that now is, was moſt like to be choſē emperour after his graundfather Maximilian: for Maximilian had already obtayned of diuers of the Electours, that it ſhould ſo be.
They conſidered alſo how mighty The Prelates ſee euer beforehand what is like to folow.he ſhuld be: firſt king of Spaine with all that perteyneth thereto, which was wont to be v. vj. or vij. kingdomes: then duke ot Burgaine, erle of Flaunders, of Hollonde, Zelande, and Braband, with all that pertaine therto: thē Emperour: and his brother Duke of Auſtrie: and his ſiſter Quene of Hungrie. Wherfore thought our prelates, if we take not heed betimes, our kingdome is like to be troubled, and we to be brought vnderunder yt feet: for this mā ſhall be ſo mighty, that he ſhall with power take out of the French kinges handes, out of the hands of the Ʋenetians, and from the pope alſo, whatſoeuer pertaineth vntounto the Empire, and whatſoeuer belongeth vntounto his other kingdomes and dominions thereto: and then will he come to Rome, & be crowned there: and ſo ſhall he ouerlooke our holy father, and ſee what he doth: and then ſhall the old heretikes Papiſtes are great forecaſters of perils.riſe vp againe and ſay that the pope is Antichriſt, and ſtir vp againe & bring to light that we hauehave hid and brought a ſleep with much coſt, payne, & bloudſhedding more then this hundred yere long. Conſidered alſo that his Aunte is Queene of England, and his wife the King of Englands ſiſter: conſidered the old amitie betweene the houſe of Burgaine, & the old kings of England, ſo that they could neuer do ought in Fraunce without their helpe: & laſt of al conſidered the courſe of marchandiſe that Englād hath in thoſe parties, & alſo the naturall hate that Engliſhmen beare to Frenchmen: Wherefore if we ſhall vſe our old practiſe, and ſet the French king againſt him: then he ſhall lightly obtayne the fauour of the King of Englande, by the meanes of his aunt and his wife, & ayd with men and money: Wherefore we muſt take heed betimes and breake this amitye: Which thing we may by this our old Practiſe.craft eaſely bring to paſſe. Let vsus take a diſpenſation, and breake this mariage, and turne the Kinges ſiſter vntounto the French King: If the Frenche King gette a male of her, then wee ſhall lightly make our king protector of Fraunce: and ſo ſhall England and Fraunce be coupled together: and as for the Queene of England, we ſhall trim hir well enough, and occupy the king with ſtrainge louelove, and keepe hir that ſhe ſhall beare no rule. And as the goddes had ſpoken, ſo it came to paſſe. Our fayre yong doughter was ſent to The kinges ſiſter … to Fraunce.the old pocky king of Fraunce, y• yeare before our mortall enemie and a miſcreant, worſe them a Turke, and diſobedient vntounto our holy father, and no more obedient, then he was compelled to be againſt his will.
The cauſe of the iorny to Callice.
IN ſhorte ſpace thereafter Thomas Wolfſe now cardinall and Legate a latere, and greatly deſirous to be pope alſo, thought it exceding expedient for his many ſecret purpoſes, to bring our king, & the king of Fraunce that now is, together: both to make a perpetuall peace and amitie betweene them, and that while the two Kinges and theyr lordes dalied together, the great Cardinales and Biſſhops of both parties Traiterous Prelates.might betray them both, and the Emperour and all chriſten kinges therto.
Then he made a iourney of gentlemen arayed altogether in ſilk, ſo much as their very ſhoes, and lining of their bootes, more like their mothers, then men of warre: yea I am ſure that many of their mothers would hauehave bene aſhamed of ſo nice and wanton array: Howbeit they went not to make war but peace for euer & a day longer. But to ſpeake of the pompous apparell of ☜ The pomp and apparell of the Cardinall & his chap…aines paſſed the xij. Apoſtles.my Lord himſelf, & of his chaplaines, it paſſeth y• xij. Apoſtles. I dare ſwere that if Peter and Paule had ſene them ſodenly & at a bluſh, they would hauehave bene harder in beleefe that they or any ſuch ſhould be their ſucceſſoures, then Thomas Didimus was to beleeue that Chriſt was riſen againe from death.
When all was concluded betweene the King of Fraunce, and oures, that Thomas Wolfſe had deuiſed: and whē the Prelates of both parties had caſt their peniworthes againſt all chaūces, and deuiſed remedies for al miſcheifs. Thē the right reuerend father in God Thomas Cardinal & Legate wold go ſee the yong Emperour newly choſen to the roome, and hauehave a certaine ſecreat communication with ſome of his prelates alſo. And gatte him to Bridges Prelates.in Flaunders, where he was receaued with great ſolemnity as belongeth vntounto ſo mighty a pillar of Chriſtes church, and was ſaluted at the entring into the towne of a mery fellow which ſayd, Salue rex Regis tui, atquè regni ſui. Hayle both king of thy king, Salutatiōand alſo of his Realme. And though there were neuer ſo greate ſtriffe bewene the Emperour, and the French king, yet my lord Cardinal iugled him fauour of them both: & finally brought the Emperour to Cales to the kinges grace, where was great triumph and great louelove and amitie ſhewed on both Cardinall Wolſey was a ſub… workerparties, inſomuch that a certaine man marueiling at it, aſked the old Biſhop of Deram. How it might be that we were ſo great with the Emperour ſo ſhortly vponupon ſo ſtrong and euerlaſting a peace made betwene vsus & the frenchmen, the Emperour and the King of Fraūce being ſo mortall enemies. My lord aunſwered that it might be well enough if he wiſt all: but there was a A certaine ſecreat.certaine ſecret (ſayd he) wherof all men knew not. Yea verily, they hauehave had ſecrets this vi…. hundred yeres, which though all the lay men hauehave felt them, yet few hauehave ſpyed them, ſaue a few Iudaſes which for lucre hauehave bene confederate with them to betray their own kinges and all other.
Then were we indifferent, & ſtood ſtill: and the Emperour & the French king wraſled together: and Ferdinā dus the Emperors brother wan Millane Milane.of the frenchmen: and the Emperour Turnay our great cōqueſt, which Turnay.yet after ſo great coſt in building a caſtle, we deliuered vp againe vntounto the Frenchmen, in earneſt and hope of a mariage betweene the Dolphine, and our Princeſſe.