her presence. If this court was any. and the judgment of the convocations thing hut a mere mockery, reasonable having been read and confirmed, Kathemen argued its decision should have rine, on Saturday, the seventeenth inpreceded, not followed, the second marstant, was cited to appear and hear riage. Rut the King's will was absojudgment ; hut as she had been advised lute, and the opinions of the universities* to abstain from any act that might be construed into an acknowledgment of * It is in vain that Burnet attempts to persuade his readers that the opinions of the unitbe Archbishop's jurisdiction, she took versities were not gained by bribery : the reno notice of these proceedings. cords of Strype, Collier, and other authorities It being Ascension week, Cranmei attest to the fact; and it is evident, from the correspondence of Cardinal du Bellai, that the decisions of the French universities were influenced not only by gold, hut by the au thority of their King. But, to their honour be it recorded, the Lutherans atone were proof against the temptations which extorted from the learned in France and Italy a declara tion most degradatory to their professed prin ciples. Of the truth of these remarks, the following lottar from Henry's active agent, the learned Croke, dated Venice, July, 1530, furnishes a curious Illustration :— "My fidelity bindeth me to advertise your Highness that all Lutherians be utterly against your cause, and have letted as much with their wretched power, malice without reason or authority, as they could, as well here as in Padua and Germany. I doubt not but all Christian universities, if they be well handled, will earnestly conclude with your Highness. As from the seignoryand dominion of "Venice towards Rome and beyond liomc, 1 think, there can be no more done than is done already. Albeit, I have besides this seal, which cost me one hundred crowns, procured unto your Highness an hundred and ten subscriptions; yet it had been nothing in comparison of that that might easily and would have been done, if that in time I had been sufficiently furnished with money. At this hour, I assure you, I have neither provisions nor money, and have borrowed one hundred crowns, the which also are spent. About the getting of this seal, of the which my need and divers impediments in your Highness' cause, 1 have advertised your Highness by many and sundry letters In most humble wise beseeching your royal clemency to ponder my true, sure, and good endeavours, had to wait till Friday, May twentythird, the first open day, when he formally pronounced the marriage between her and Henry null and invalid, declaring it to have been a marriage de facto, but not de jure ; and therefore withovt force or effect from the beginning. "Of this divorce," says Hall, " every man spoke as his discretion and wisdom was ; some pitied the Queen, others said that it was goodly and honourably done, for the discharge of the King's conscience, and profitable for the surity of the realm, whilst many declared that the Popò would curse all England, and that the Emperor and he would invade the realm, and destroy the people ; the Spaniards especially boasted much, but, thanks be to God, their doings were much less than their words. However, after every man had talked enough, there was no more communing of the matter, but all was in peace." and not suffer me to be destitute of money, to my undoing and utter loss of your most high causes here, for of myself I have nothing whereby to help myself. And thus the most Hles-sed Trinity keep and preserve your Highness in his most Royal Estate.