XXVIII. 1515 poffeffion of the temporalities, because that prelate CHAP. declined taking the oath of allegiance to his new fo-. vereign; and Wolfey was appointed, as above related, adminiftrator of the bishopric. As the cardinal wifhed to obtain the free and undisturbed enjoyment of this revenue, he applied to Francis, and defired him to beftow on Gaillart fome fee of equal value in France, and to obtain his refignation of Tournay. Francis, who ftill hoped to recover poffeffion of that city, and who feared that the full establishment of Wolfey in the bifhopric would prove an obftacle to his purpose, had hitherto neglected to gratify the haughty prelate; and the bishop of Tournay, by applying to the court of Rome, had obtained a bull for his fettlement in the fee. Wolfey, who expected to be indulged in every request, and who exacted refpect from the greatest princes, refented the flight put upon him by Francis; and he pushed his master to feek an occafion of quarrel with that monarch m. MAXIMILIAN the emperor was ready to embrace every overture for 'a new enterprife; efpecially if attended with an offer of money, of which he was very greedy, very prodigal, and very indigent. Richard Pace, formerly fecretary to cardinal Bambridge, and now fecretary of ftate, was dispatched to the court of Vienna, and had a commiffion to propose fome confiderable payments to Maximilian: He thence made a journey into Switzerland, and by like motives engaged fome of the cantons to furnish troops to the emperor. That prince invaded Italy with a confiderable army; but being repulfed from before Milan, he retreated with his army into Germany, made peace with France and Venice, ceded Verona to that republic for a fum of money, and thus excluded himself in fome measure from all future accefs into Italy. And Henry found, that after ex CHAP. pending five or fix hundred thousand ducats in orXXVIII. der to gratify his own and the cardinal's humour, he had only weakened his alliance with Francis, without diminishing the power of that prince. 3535 1516. THERE were many reafons which engaged the king not to proceed farther at present in his enmity against France: He could hope for affiftance from no power in Europe, Ferdinand, his father-in-law, who had often deceived him, was declining through age and infirmities; and a speedy period was looked for to the long and profperous reign of that great monarch. Charles prince of Spain, fovereign of the Low Countries, defired nothing but peace with Francis, who had it fo much in his power, if provoked, to obftruct his peaceable acceffion to that rich inheritance which was awaiting him. The pope was overawed by the power of France, and Venice was engaged in a clofe alliance with that monarchy. Henry, therefore, was conftrained to remain in tranquillity during fome time; and feemed to give mfelf no concern with regard to the affairs of the continent. In vain did Maximilian endeavour to allure him into fome expence, by offering to make a refignation of the imperial crown in his favour. The artifice was too grofs to fucceed, even with a prince fo little politic as Henry; and Pace, his envoy, who was perfectly well acquainted with the emperor's motives and character, gave him warning that the fole view of that prince, in making him fo liberal an offer, was to draw money from him. WHILE an univerfal peace prevailed in Europe, that event happened which had fo long been looked for, and from which fuch important confequences were expected, the death of Ferdinand the Catholic, and the fucceffion of his grandfon Charles to his extenfive dominions. The more Charles advanced • Guicciardini, lib. 12. in XXVIII. in power and authority, the more was Francis fen- CHAP. fible of the neceffity he himself lay under of gaining the confidence and friendship of Henry; and he took at last the only method by which he could obtain fuccefs, the paying of court by prefents and flattery to the haughty cardinal. BONNIVET, admiral of France, was difpatched to London, and he was directed to employ all his infinuation and addrefs, qualities in which he excelled, to procure himself a place in Wolfey's good graces. After the ambassador had fucceeded in his purpose, he took an opportunity of expreffing his master's regret, that by mistakes and misapprehenfions he had been fo unfortunate as to lose a friendship which he fo much valued as that of his eminence. Wolfey was not deaf to these honourable advances from fo great a monarch; and he was thenceforth obferved to exprefs himself on all occafions in favour of the French alliance. The more to engage him in his interefts, Francis entered into fuch confidence with him, that he asked his advice even in his moft fecret affairs; and had recourse to him in all difficult emergencies as to an oracle of wifdom and profound policy. The cardinal made no fecret to the king of this private correfpondence; and Henry was fo prepoffeffed in favour of the great capacity of his minifter, that he faid he verily believed he would govern Francis as well as himself". WHEN matters feemed fufficiently prepared, Bonnivet opened to the cardinal his master's defire of recovering Tournay; and Wolfey immediately, without hesitation, engaged to effect his purpose. He took an opportunity of reprefenting to the king and council, that Tournay lay fo remote from Calais, that it would be very difficult, if not impoffible, in cafe of war, to keep the communication open between these two places: That as it was fituated P Polydore Virgil, lib. 27. 1516. 1518. on 1518. CHAP. on the frontiers both of France and the Netherlands, XXVIII. it was exposed to attacks from both these countries, and must neceffarily, either by force or famine, fall into the hands of the firft affailant: That even in time of peace it could not be preserved without a large garrifon, to reftrain the numerous and mutinous inhabitants, ever difcontented with the English government: And that the poffeffion of Tournay, as it was thus precarious and expenfive, fo was it entirely useless, and afforded little or no means of annoying, on occafion, the dominions either of Charles or of Francis. THESE reafons were of themselves convincing, and were fure of meeting with no oppofition when Tournay they came from the mouth of the cardinal. A ceded to France. treaty, therefore, was entered into for the ceding of Tournay; and in order to give to that meafure a more graceful appearance, it was agreed that the dauphin and the princefs Mary, both of them infants, fhould be betrothed, and that this city fhould be confidered as the dowry of the princess. Such kinds of agreement were then common among fovereigns, though it was very rare that the interefts and views of the parties continued fo steady as to render the intended marriages effectual. But as Henry had been at confiderable expence in building a citadel at Tournay, Francis agreed to pay him 600,000 crowns at twelve annual payments, and to put into his hands eight hoftages, all of them men of quality, for the performance of the article: And left the cardinal fhould think himself neglected in these ftipulations, Francis promised him a yearly penfion of twelve thousand livres, as an equivalent for his administration of the bishopric of Tournay. THE French monarch having fucceeded fo well in this negotiation, began to enlarge his views, and to hope for more confiderable advantages, by prac 4 Memoires du Bellai, lib. 1. tifing XXVIII. 1518. tifing on the vanity and felf-conceit of the favourite. CHA P. He redoubled his flatteries to the cardinal, confulted him more frequently in every doubt or difficulty, called him in each letter father, tutor, governor, and profeffed the most unbounded deference to his advice and opinion. All these careffes were preparatives to negotiation for the delivery of Calais, in confideration of a sum of money to be paid for it; and if we may credit Polydore Virgil, who bears a particular ill-will to Wolfey, on account of his being difpoffeffed of his employment, and thrown into prison by that minifter, fo extraordinary a proposal met with a favourable reception from the cardinal. He ventured not, however, to lay the matter before the council: He was content to found privately the opinion of the other minifters, by dropping hints in converfation, as if he thought Calais a ufelefs burthen to the kingdom: But when he found that all men were strongly riveted in a contrary perfuafion, he thought it dangerous to proceed any farther in his purpose; and as he fell foon after into new connexions with the king of Spain, the great friendship between Francis and him began gradually to decline. THE pride of Wolfey was now farther increased Wolfey by a great acceffion of power and dignity. Cardinal appointed Campeggio had been fent as legate into England, in order to procure a tithe from the clergy, for enabling the pope to oppofe the progrefs of the Turks; a danger which was become real, and was formidable to all Christendom, but on which the politics of the court of Rome had built fo many interested projects, that it had loft all influence on the minds of men. The clergy refused to comply with Leo's demands: Campeggio was recalled; and the king defired of the pope that Wolfey, who had been joined in this commiffion, might alone be invested with the legantine power, together with the right of vifiting all the clergy and monafteries, and even with legate. |