Page:Readings in European History Vol 2.djvu/175

 Protestant Revolt in Switzerland and Engla?id 137 IV. Henry VIII, Wolsey, and Queen Catherine The sagacious Venetian ambassador, Giustiniani, thus describes King Henry VIII, Queen Catherine, and Wol- sey, in 1 5 1 9 : His Majesty is twenty-nine years old and extremely hand- some ; nature could not have done more for him. He is much handsomer than any other sovereign in Christendom ; a great deal handsomer than the king of France ; very fair, and his whole frame admirably proportioned. On hearing that Francis I wore a beard, he allowed his own to grow, and, as it is reddish, he has now a beard that looks like gold. He is very accomplished, a good musician, composes well, is a most capital horseman, a fine jouster, speaks good French, Latin, and Spanish ; is very religious, — hears three masses daily when he hunts, and sometimes five on other days. He hears the ofhce every day in the queen's chamber, — that is to say, vespers and compline. He. is very fond of hunting, and never takes his diversion without tiring eight or ten horses, which he causes to be stationed beforehand along the line of country he means to take ; and when one is tired he mounts another, and before he gets home they are all exhausted. He is extremely fond of tennis, at which game it is the prettiest thing in the world to see him play, his fair skin glowing through a shirt of finest texture. He gambles with the French hostages, to the amount occasionally, it is said, of from six thousand to eight thousand ducats in a day. He is affable and gracious, harms no one, does not covet his neighbor's goods, and is satisfied with his own domin- ions, having often said to me, " Sir ambassador, we want all potentates to content themselves with their own terri- tories ; we are satisfied with this island of ours." He seems extremely desirous of peace. He is very rich. His father left him ten millions of ready money in gold, of which he is supposed to have spent one half in the war against France, when he had three armies 266. A Venetian ambas- sador's de- scription of Henry VIII, Queen Catherine, and Wolsey. The king's athletic tastes.