Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 2.djvu/22

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been validated.
2
REIGN OF HENRY THE EIGHTH.
[ch. 7.
April 22.The news of what had been done did not take him wholly by surprise. It was known at Brussels at the end of April that the King had married. The Queen Regent[1] spoke of it to the ambassador sternly and significantly, not concealing her expectation of the mortal resentment which would be felt by her brothers;[2] and the information was forwarded with the least possible delay to the cardinals of the Imperial faction at Rome. The true purposes which underlay the contradiction of Clement's language are undiscoverable.
  1. Mary, widow of Louis of Hungary, sister of the Emperor, and Regent of the Netherlands.
  2. She was much affected when the first intimation of the marriage reached her. 'I am informed of a secret friend of mine,' wrote Sir John Hacket, 'that when the Queen here had read the letters which she received of late out of England, the tears came to her eyes with very sad countenance. But indeed this day when I spake to her she showed me not such countenance, but told me that she was not well pleased.'
    At her setting forward to ride at hunting, her Grace asked me if I had heard of late any tidings out of England. I told her Grace, as it is true, that I had none. She gave me a look as that she should marvel thereof, and said to me, 'Jay des nouvelles qui ne me semblent point trop bonnes,' and told me touching the King's Highness's marriage. To the which I answered her Grace and said, 'Madame, je ne me doute point syl est faict, et quand le veult prendre et entendre de bonne part et au sain chemyn, sans porter faveur parentelle que ung le trouvera tout lente et bien raysonnable par layde de Dieu et de bonne conscience.' Her Grace said to me again, 'Monsieur l'ambassadeur, c'est Dieu qui le scait que je vouldroye que le tout allysse bien, mais ne scaye comment l'empereur et le roy mon frere entendront l'affaire car il touche a eulx tant que a moy.' I answered and said, 'Madame, il me semble estre assuree que l'empereur et le roy vostre frere qui sont deux Prinssys tres prudens et sayges, quant ilz auront considere indifferentement tout l'affaire, qu'ilz ne le deveroyent prendre que de bonne part.' And hereunto her Grace made me answer, saying, 'Da quant de le prendre de bonne part ce la, ne sayge M. l'ambassadeur.'—Hacket to the Duko of Norfolk: State Papers, vol. vii. p. 452.