Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 2.djvu/29

1533.] said good brother hath such causes of his own as may particularly tend to his own benefit, honour, and profit—wherein he shall do great and singular pleasure unto us; giving to understand to the Pope, that ive know ourselves and him both, and look to be esteemed accordingly.'

Should it appear that on receipt of this communication, Francis was still resolved to persevere, and that he had other objects in view to which Henry had not been made privy, the ambassadors were then to remind him of the remaining obligations into which he had entered; and to ascertain to what degree his assistance might be calculated upon, should the Pope pronounce Henry deposed, and the Emperor attempt to enforce the sentence.

After forwarding these instructions, the King's next step was to anticipate the Pope by an appeal which would neutralize his judgment should he venture upon it; and which offered a fresh opportunity of restoring the peace of Christendom, if there was true anxiety to preserve that peace. The hinge of the great question, in the form which at last it assumed, was the validity or invalidity of the dispensation by which Henry had married his brother's widow. Being a matter which touched the limit of the Pope's power, the Pope was himself unable to determine it in his own favour; and the only authority by which the law could be ruled, was a general council. In the preceding winter, the Pope had volunteered to submit the question to this tribunal; but Henry, believing that it was on the point of immediate solution in another way, had then declined, on the ground that it would cause a needless delay. He was