XXVIII. 1520. monarchs. And as Henry himself loved fhow and CHAP. magnificence, and had entertained a curiofity of being perfonally acquainted with the French king, he cheerfully adjusted all the preliminaries of this interview. The nobility of both nations vied with each other in pomp and expence: Many of them involved themselves in great debts, and were not able, by the penury of their whole lives, to repair the vain splendour of a few days. The duke of Buckingham, who, though very rich, was fomewhat addicted to frugality, finding his preparations for this feftival amount to immenfe fums, threw out fome expreffions of difpleasure against the cardinal, whom he believed the author of that meafure: An imprudence which was not forgotten by this minifter. Charles WHILE Henry was preparing to depart for Calais, The em he heard that the emperor was arrived at Dover ; peror and he immediately haftened thither with the queen, arrives in in order to give a fuitable reception to his royal England. 25th May. gueft. That great prince, politic though young, being informed of the intended interview between Francis and Henry, was apprehenfive of the confequences, and was refolved to take the opportunity, in his paffage from Spain to the Low Countries, to make the king still a higher compliment, by paying him a vifit in his own dominions. Befides the marks of regard and attachment which he gave to Henry, he ftrove, by every testimony of friendship, by flattery, proteftations, promises, and prefents, to gain on the vanity, the avarice, and the ambition of the cardinal. He here inftilled into this afpiring prelate the hope of attaining the papacy; and as that was the fole point of elevation beyond his prefent greatnefs, it was fure to attract his wifhes with the fame ardour as if fortune had never yet favoured him with any of her prefents. In confidence of Polydore Virgil, lib. 27. Ibid. Herbert, Hollinghed, p. 855. C 3 reaching 1520. CHAP. reaching this dignity by the emperor's affiftance, he XXVIII. fecretly devoted himself to that monarch's interefts; and Charles was perhaps the more liberal of his promifes, becaufe Leo was a very young man; and it was not likely that, for many years, he should be called upon to fulfil his engagements. Henry easily obferved this courtship paid to his minifter; but inftead of taking umbrage at it, he only made it a fubject of vanity, and believed that, as his favour was Wolfey's fole fupport, the obeisance of fuch mighty monarchs to his fervant, was in reality a more confpicuous homage to his own grandeur. 30th May. } THE day of Charles's departure, Henry went over to Calais with the queen and his whole court; and thence proceeded to Guifnes, a fmall town near, the frontiers. Francis, attended in like manner, came to Ardres, a few miles diftant; and the two monarchs met, for the first time, in the fields, at a place fituated between these two`towns, but ftill within the English pale: For Francis agreed to pay this compliment to Henry, in confideration of that prince's paffing the fea that he might be present at the interview. Wolfey, to whom both kings had entrufted the regulation of the ceremonial, contrived this circumftance, in order to do honour to his mafter. The nobility both of France and England here difplayed their magnificence with fuch emulation and profufe expence, as procured to the place of interview the name of the field of the cloth of gold. THE two monarchs, after faluting each other in the most cordial manner, retired into a tent which had been erected on purpose, and they held a secret conference together. Henry here proposed to make fome amendments on the articles of their former alliance; and he began to read the treaty, I Henry King: Thefe were the firft words; and he stopped a moment. He fubjoined only the words of England, without adding France, the ufual ftyle of the English English monarchs". Francis remarked this delicacy, CHAP. and expreffed, by a fmile, his approbation of it. He took an opportunity foon after of paying a compliment to Henry of a more flattering nature. That generous prince, full of honour himself, and incapable of diftrufting others, was fhocked at all the precautions which were obferved, whenever he had an interview with the English monarch: The number of their guards and attendants was carefully reckoned on both fides: Every step was fcrupulously measured and adjufted: And if the two kings intended to pay a vifit to the queens, they departed from their respective quarters at the fame inftant, which was marked by the firing of a culverin; they paffed each other in the middle point between the places; and the moment that Henry entered Ardres, Francis put himself into the hands of the English at Guifnes. In order to break off this tedious ceremonial, which contained fo many difhonourable implications, Francis, one day, took with him two gentlemen and a page, and rode directly into Guifnes. The guards were furprised at the prefence of the monarch, who called aloud to them, You are all my prifoners: Carry me to your master. Henry was equally aftonished at the appearance of Francis; and taking him in his arms, "My brother," faid he, "you have here played me the most agreeable "trick in the world, and have fhowed me the full "confidence I may place in you: I furrender my"felf your prisoner from this moment." He took from his neck a collar of pearls worth 15,000 angels; and putting it about Francis's, begged him to wear it for the fake of his prifoner. Francis agreed, but on condition that Henry fhould wear a bracelet, of which he made him a prefent, and y Memoires de Fleuranges. z An angel was then eftimated at feven fhillings, or near twelve of our prefent money. XXVIII. 1520. CHAP. which was double in value to the collar. The XXVIII. king went next day to Ardres, without guards or attendants; and confidence being now fully established between the monarchs, they employed the reft of the time entirely in tournaments and feftivals. 1520. 24th June. A DEFIANCE had been fent by the two kings to each other's court, and through all the chief cities in Europe, importing, that Henry and Francis, with fourteen aids, would be ready, in the plains of Picardy, to answer all comers that were gentlemen, at tilt, tournament, and barriers. The monarchs, in order to fulfil this challenge, advanced into the field on horfeback, Francis furrounded with Henry's guards, and Henry with those of Francis. They were gorgeously apparelled; and were both of them the most comely perfonages of their age, as well as the most expert in every military exercife. They carried away the prize at all trials in thofe rough and dangerous paftimes; and feveral horfes and riders were overthrown by their vigour and dexterity. The ladies were the judges in these feats of chivalry, and put an end to the rencounter, whenever they judged it expedient. Henry erected a fpacious houfe of wood and canvas, which had been framed in London; and he there feafted the French monarch. He had placed a motto on this fabric, under the figure of an English archer embroidered on it, Cui adhæreo praeft; He prevails whom I favour: Expreffing his own fituation, as holding in his hands the balance of power among the potentates of Europe. In these entertainments, more than in any serious bufinefs, did the two kings pass their time, till their departure. HENRY paid then a vifit to the emperor and Margaret of Savoy at Gravelines, and engaged them to go along with him to Calais, and pafs fome • Memoires de Fleuranges. Mezeray. days XXVIII. 1520. days in that fortrefs. The artful and politic Charles CHAP. here completed the impreffion, which he had begun to make on Henry and his favourite, and effaced all the friendship to which the frank and generous nature of Francis had given birth. As the house of Austria began fenfibly to take the ascendant over the French monarchy, the interefts of England required, that fome fupport fhould be given to the latter, and above all, that any important wars should be prevented, which might bestow on either of them a decifive fuperiority over the other. But the jealoufy of the English against France has ufually prevented a cordial union between these nations: And Charles, fenfible of this hereditary animofity, and defirous farther to flatter Henry's vanity, had made him an offer (an offer in which Francis was afterwards obliged to concur), that he fhould be entirely arbiter in any difpute or difference that might arife between the monarchs. But the mafterpiece of Charles's politics was the fecuring of Wolfey in his interests, by very important fervices, and ftill higher promises. He renewed affurances of affifting him in obtaining the papacy; and he put him in prefent poffeffion of the revenues belonging to the fees of Badajox and Palencia in Caftile. The acquifitions of Wolfey were now become fo exorbitant, that, joined to the penfions from foreign powers, which Henry allowed him to poffefs, his revenues were computed nearly equal to those which belonged to the crown itself; and he spent them with a magnificence, or rather an oftentation, which gave general offence to the people, and even leffened his master in the eyes of all foreign nations. tween THE violent perfonal emulation and political jea- War beloufy which had taken place between the emperor Charles and the French king foon broke out in hoftilities. and Fran Polydore Virgil. Hall, cis. But |