Page:Cassell's Illustrated History of England vol 2.djvu/346

332 dispensing with it. Fourteen months after his installation at Gloucester, that bishopric was united to Worcester, and a fresh bonus provided for the greedy courtiers, by the bishop receiving a less income from the two bishoprics than he had done for the one, the rest of the lands and revenues going amongst the men who in this reign founded the most ample estates, and embellished them by the aristocratic titles which they have handed down to their posterity, even till our own times. The see of Gloucester was degraded to an exempted archdeaconry.

The attention of the nation at this juncture was called from ecclesiastical affairs, however, to the struggle again commenced betwixt Somerset and Warwick. Somerset had escaped from his enemies and the block for a time by the deepest humiliation. After such a fall and exposure, such an ample confession of his rapacity and his weakness, it might have been supposed that he would never again dare to aspire to the brilliant, but dizzy elevation from which he had been precipitated. He never again regained the respect or confidence of the nation; but the frivolity of his character soon led him to review his condition, and his nearness of affinity to the king seemed to make a re-ascent possible, and not over difficult. The king, as was not unnatural towards an only uncle, soon began to evidence a return of kindliness, if that, indeed, had ever been extinguished. He granted him a general pardon, he cancelled his bonds, restored his personal property, admitted him again, not only to Court, but into his Council; and by the end of March, within less than two months since his liberation from the Tower, appointed him a lord of the bedchamber.

Warwick, as if he would make some amends for his harsh proceedings against him, or deeming that he could make him useful in pushing his own fortunes, whilst he could apprehend nothing from his revenge unsupported by courage or ability, made an apparently sincere reconciliation with him, and even now entered into an alliance with his family by the marriage of Lord Lisle, his oldest son, to Anne, one of Somerset's daughters. This marriage was followed the next day by one still more remarkable—that of Warwick's fourth son, Robert Dudley, afterwards the famous Earl of Leicester, and the lovely but unfortunate Amy Robsart, the daughter of Sir John Robsart.

The king, delighted at the restoration of harmony betwixt his uncle and his able minister, Warwick, accompanied by his Court, joined in all the festivities of the time. But this calm did not last long. With all the outward show of friendship, and the apparent union of this new alliance, it was impossible that Somerset and Warwick could be sincere friends. They were equally ambitious, equally unprincipled; and Somerset could as little forgive what he had suffered as Warwick could believe himself forgiven. Somerset could not rest without regaining the power and dignity which had been wrung from him; Warwick was not likely to resign those which he had gained. Warwick, however, was far the stronger in the firmness and caution of his disposition, and in having all his old associates around him in the Council. Somerset, to regain his lost footing, endeavoured by his agents to secure the interest and votes of some of the peers in Parliament. This did not escape the lynx eyes of Warwick, and on the 16th of February we find by the king's journal that a person of the name of Whaley was examined before the Council, on the charge of persuading several peers of the realm to make Somerset Protector in the next Parliament. Whaley stoutly denied it, but it was as stoutly asseverated by the Earl of Rutland.

Foiled in this attempt, Somerset next ventured on the imprudent step of endeavouring to persuade the king to marry his daughter, the Lady Jane Seymour. For this purpose he employed the good offices of Lord Strange, who was much in favour with the king. This scheme, also, was defeated by the vigilance of Warwick's party, and to cut off the possibility of such an endeavour, the Council came to the resolution of immediately asking the hand of Elizabeth, the daughter of the French king. The occasion, however, did not pass over without mutual animosity and alarms. Lord Gray at once departed for the northern counties, and Somerset was about to follow him, when he was solemnly assured by Sir William Herbert that no injury was intended. A second reconciliation was formally gone through by the adverse parties; and to satisfy the country of their amity—for strange rumours of discord and danger were getting abroad—on the 24th of April the lords of the two factions met in the City, and for four days entertained each other at banquets.

No time, however, was lost in seeking to effectuate the French marriage. On the 17th of May all was in readiness, and the Marquis of Northampton, attended by three earls, the eldest sons of Somerset and Warwick, and a numerous train of other nobles and gentlemen, set out for Paris on the negotiation. Betraying, however, the undying regret of the English Court for the loss of the young Queen of Scots, the ambassador first demanded her hand for Edward; which, as was certain to be the case, was as promptly declined as before. He then solicited that of the Princess Elizabeth, which was as readily conceded; and it was proposed that, as soon as she reached her twelfth year, the marriage should take place. When they came, however, to settle the amount of dowry, the French offered 200,000 crowns, and the English demanded 1,200,000. This vast difference betwixt the offer and the demand appeared as if it would be fatal to the negotiation; but no doubt the Warwick party at home urged the necessary reduction of terms on the English part; and after a suspension of treaty for two months' duration, the English ambassador accepted the French proposal, and agreed to give her the same annual value in Crown lands as had been granted to Catherine of Spain, the first wife of Henry VIII., namely, 10,000 marks yearly.

The English embassy was soon followed to London by the Marshal St. Andre and a numerous retinue, bringing to the King of England the order of St. Michael, in return for that of the Garter, which Edward had sent to his proposed father-in-law. The envoy was met on landing by the gentlemen of the county and 1,000 horsemen; and, avoiding London, which was suffering from a severe attack of the sweating-sickness—which, though it lasted only about eleven days, carried off 872 people—they conducted the embassage to Hampton Court, where the king was, and where they were received by Somerset and Warwick, and conducted to his presence. A succession of banquets and entertainments were given, which lasted till the end of March, when the marshal took his leave,