with a letter, or he wrote a letter with the intention of sending a copy, to James V. of Scotland.[1]
But Charles had refused to move; the book injured Henry not at all, and injured fatally those who were dear to Pole; he checked the circulation of the copies, and he declared to the Cardinal of Naples that it had been published only at the command of the Pope—that his own anxiety had been for the suppression of it.[2] Thirteen years after this, however, writing to Edward VI., he forgot that he had described himself to Charles as being himself engaged in the publication; and he assured the young King that he had never thought of publishing the book, that he had abhorred the very thought of publishing it; that it was prepared, edited, and printed by his friends at Rome during his own absence;[3] now, at length, he found himself obliged in his
- ↑ 'Eum ad te librum Catholice princeps nunc mitto, et sub nominis tui auspiciis cujus te strenuum pietatis ministrum præbes in lucem exire volo.'—Epistola ad Regem Scotiæ: Poli Epistolæ, vol. i. p. 174.
- ↑ 'Qui si postea editus fuit magis id aliorum voluntate et illius qui mihi imperare potuit quam meâ est factum, mea vero fuit ut impressus supprimeretur.'—Ibid. vol. iv. p. 85.
- ↑ 'Nam cum ad urbern ex Hispaniâ rediens libros injussu meo typis excusos reperissem, toto volumine amicorum studio et operâ non sine ejus auctoritate qui jus imperandi haberet in plures libros disposito quod ego non feceram quippe qui de ejus editione nunquara cogitâssem,' &c.
'Quid aliud hoc significavit nisi me ab his libris divulgandis penitus abhorruisse ut certe abhorrui.'—Epistola ad Edwardum Sextum: Poli Epistolæ. The book being the sole authority for some of the darkest charges against Henry VIII., the history of it is of some importance. See vol. ii. of this history, appendix.
This was not the only instance
work, I said that he published his book himself. There is no doubt, from the context, that in the word scripta, he referred to that book and to no other.
