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1547.]
THE PROTECTORATE.
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A smart reply was despatched, therefore, to the Pope's request, that the time was unsuited for the move which he proposed, and that the Holy See must be more
attendre jusques la conduite de la nouveaulx gouvernement se vit, et par icelle sur quoy l'on se debvroit fonder, et selon ce, ce que l'on y debvroit faire: et despuis que le Roy est mort, et le Duc de Norfolk (it was not known that Norfolk's life had been spared) et son filz le Conte de Surrey executiez, le jeune Roy qu'est ja couronné envoyoit vers l'Empereur pour l'advertir du trespas du feu Roy et couronnement du nouveaulx ung gentilhomme de la chambre dudit nouveaulx Roy, et il a semblé que les raisons allegués par Chappuys militent encores.'
Her Majesty, he continued, is afraid of doing anything which might compromise Mary: 'Quia ubi opus est, comme vous dictes, ibi non verentur;'—those English will stick at nothing—and things being as they were, the Emperor would recognize Edward as king. Not to irritate the Pope, however, no funeral service should be said for Henry; 'S'il ne vous semble aultre chose l'on se resoult de ne faire exéques pour le Roy d'Angleterre, tant pour non irriter sa Sainctité que pour non se pouvoir faire avec bonne conscience: et que ceulx qui s'en mesleroyent seroient irreguliers étant nominativement excommuniés, et à l'instance mesme, comme il me semble, de sa Majesté.'—Arras to Granvelle, Feb. 12, 1546–7: Granvelle Papers, vol. iii. p. 245, &c.The allusion to the death of Surrey as affecting the resolution of the Imperial Government confirms and explains a remarkable passage in 'The Pilgrim,' a tract written in the spring of this year 1547 by an Englishman named William Thomas.'A poor soldier,' says that writer, 'that came even now from the Emperor's camp, told me in Florence, not four days gone, that he had heard a whispering among the soldiers, how that the said Earl of Surrey, at his being with the Emperor before Landrecy, was entered into intelligence with divers great captains, and had gotten promises of aid towards the furniture of his intent. Yea, said he, and farther, he should have been the Emperor's man from the selfsame purpose. I will not say, quoth he, that this is true; but when the private soldiers are grown so commonly to talk of these things, it is to be presumed that there should be something of importance, for without some fire there was never smoke.'It is possible enough, said a gentleman present, for I myself, who have been in the Emperor's camp, have heard much reasoning of the matter. It was doubted whether this young prince was legitimate or no.'—'The Pilgrim,' MS. Harleian, 355.
