Mary, except for the cautious support of Paget, stood otherwise alone coquetting with her fancy, and played upon by the skilful Renard. The Queen and the ambassador were incessantly together, and Philip was the never-tiring subject of conversation between them. She talked of his disposition. She had heard, she said, that he was proud; that he was inferior to his father in point of ability; and then he was young, and she had been told sad stories about him; if he was of warm temperament, he would not suit her at all, she said, considering the age at which she had arrived.[1] Moreover, when she was married, she must obey as God commanded; her husband, perhaps, might wish to place
- ↑ 'Que s'il vouloit estre voluptueux ce n'est ce quelle desire pour estre de telle eaige.'—Renard to the Emperor: Rolls House MSS.
Lordship said, having a Christian Queen reigning over us, I trust there will shortly be a reformation and an order taken with these heretics.' 'Submit yourself unto my lord,' he said to Mountain, 'and you shall find favour.'
'Thank you, sir,' Mountain answered, 'ply your own suit, and let me alone.'A bystander then put in that the parson of St Michael's was a traitor as well as a heretic. He had been in the field with the Duke against the Queen.'Is it even so?' cried Gardiner; 'these be always linked together, treason and heresy. Off with him to the Marshalsea; this is one of our new broached brethren that speaketh against good works; your fraternity was, is, and ever will be unprofitable in all ages, and good for nothing but the fire.'—Troubles of Thomas Mountain: printed by Strype.The portraits of Gardiner represent a fine, vehement-looking man. The following description of him, by Fonet, his rival in the See of Winchester, gives the image as it was reflected in Ponet's antipathies.'The doctor hath a swart colour, hanging look, frowning brows, eyes an inch within his head, a nose, hooked like a buzzard's, nostrils like a horse, ever snuffing in the wind; a sparrow mouth, great paws like the devil, talons on his feet like a gripe, two inches longer than the natural toes, and so tied with sinews that he cannot abide to be touched.'
