Books, Calendars, Letters and Papers Foreign and Domestic Henry VIII 1547

29 Jan. 756. Chapuys to Mary of Hungary. Spanish Calendar, viii., No. 386.

Received yesterday afternoon hers of the 27th requiring his opinion upon the two extracts sent. To deal with such a subject a wit unclouded by gout (of which he had a renewed attack two days ago) and personal consideration on the spot are requisite, for the English change continually. This she has foreseen by sending the present ambassador, who must now know them well. If the King favours these stirrers of heresy, the Earl of Hertford and Lord Admiral, which is to be feared both for the reasons given by the Ambassador and because the Queen, instigated by the Duchess of Suffolk, Countess of Hertford and the Admiral's wife, shows herself infected, words and exhortations, even in the name of the Emperor, would only make him the more obstinate to show his absolute power and independence, and might engender a coolness towards the Emperor which at present is undesirable. Nevertheless the Ambassador might, of himself, take occasion to praise his decrees promulgated some months ago for the extinction of heresy, and say that so dangerous a malady needed the ceaseless vigilance of all concerned since every case could not be brought to his (the King's) personal notice. The Ambassador might then lay before the King some of the evils of religious innovation, as he has already stated them to some of the Councillors. He might also confer with some of the Councillors, although he will hardly find any of them disposed to act against the Earl and Admiral, seeing the violent and injurious words used recently by the Earl against the Lord Chancellor and by the Admiral against Winchester. When Chapuys was last in England Winchester would have been sent to the Tower by the Earl and Admiral but for the intercession of Norfolk. To "hold a candle to the Devil," the Ambassador might, after speaking with the King, repeat his discourse to the Earl and Admiral, although their malady is incurable and they confirmed in it by their plans to obtain the government of the Prince. To gain a party they drag the whole country into this damnable error, to which there is no counteracting influence among the secular nobility except Norfolk, who has great power with the people of the North; and this seems to be the cause of his detention and that of his son, who is also called a man of great courage. Their only other obstacle is the authority of the bishops, and it is therefore to be feared that in the coming Parliament these will be divested of their property and given pensions out of the King's coffers. Hertford was taught this plan by Cromwell who, doubting his ability to reconcile the Emperor with the King, adopted heresy in order to place the whole realm against the Emperor; which before was so devoted to him that he might have done anything in favour of the Queen almost without effort. Neither French nor Scots are feared, because of the natural hatred of Englishmen to them, and since the Emperor did not attack when he had ample cause, for the advancement of the Princess, nothing that he says now will affect them (the English rulers); indeed they would turn fair words to their own profit, for, as Seneca says, Qui frigide rogat docet negare. The King's death would be more inopportune for us now than twenty years ago, and the Earl and Admiral are the only nobles of age and ability to undertake affairs. Disturbances might take place, and in these the Ambassador could use his dexterity. Will only suggest that if the King dies before the injuries of the Emperor's subjects are redressed, a ready means of both securing compensation and irritating the English against their Governors would be an embargo like that of two years ago. With this end the English merchants should be encouraged to come hither; and no doubt it would perplex the Governors, for last time the King himself was much upset by it and by the complaints of the people.

If Parliament enjoyed its ancient liberties, when it met to punish kings, a remonstrance might be addressed to Parliament; but now if St. Peter and St. Paul were to return to earth the King would not let them enter, as he once said to the writer who wished to be present when the legitimacy of the Princess Mary was under discussion. No man there dare open his mouth against the will of the King and Council. Still, no harm could be done by Granvelle addressing a remonstrance to the bp. of Winchester, to be used and amplified by the Ambassador. At present it is advisable for the Emperor to avoid action either spiritual or temporal; for doctors tell us that the Pope or other prelate should refrain from censures when such a course threatens to aggravate the malady, and physicians say that the best cure in some cases is to leave the evil untouched.

Louvain, 29 Jan. 1547.