and its proceedings show the greater boldness which had been infused into the Roman party by the Queen's marriage with Philip. Not only did they receive the Pope's absolution, at the mouth of Cardinal Pole, with becoming humility, but they petitioned, and petitioned successfully, for the repeal en masse of the whole antipapal legislation of Henry VIII. from the twentieth year of his reign onwards. The one point in which they failed was that of the restoration of the Church lands, and in this their failure was as conspicuous as was their success in other matters. Yet, had Mary's reign been prolonged, or had the birth of an heir perpetuated the sway of the Spanish dynasty, it seems that the English clergy would have been indeed in evil case as a result of their own success. They had sold themselves to the Pope more completely than their predecessors had ever done: and yet, if we look at the share which the Crown had had in the bargain, it might be fairly doubted how far they had efficiently emancipated themselves from State control, as the next reign, indeed, sufficed to show; and in the meanwhile they had failed to regain that position of wealth, and of the independence which wealth gives, which had for ages gone so far in enabling them to oppress the people, and to make their own terms often with the Crown itself.
The subsequent Convocations of this reign were of little importance, inasmuch as they were practically over-shadowed by the Legatine Synod which Pole assembled in November 1555. It is worthy of notice that Pole thought it necessary, or at any rate wise, to obtain a warrant under the Great Seal as a condition preliminary to assembling this Synod,[1] since it showed,
- ↑ Lathbury, p. 152.
