Page:The Life of Sir Thomas More (William Roper, ed by Samuel Singer).djvu/89

 authorities he had gathered out of them. Which although the king (as disagreeable to his desire) did not very well like of, yet were they by Sir Thomas More (who in all his communication with the king in that matter had always most discreetly behaved himself) so wisely tempered, that he both presently took them in good part, and oftentimes had thereof conference with him again.

After this were there certain questions among his council proponed, Whether the king needed in this case to have any scruple at all? and if he had, what way were best to be taken to deliver him of it? The most part of them were of the opinion that there was good cause of scruple, and that for the discharging of it, suit were meet to be made to the see of Home, where the king hoped by liberality to obtain his purpose; wherein, as it after appeared, he was far deceived. Then was there, for the examination and trial of this matrimony, procured from Rome a commission in which Cardinal Campegius, and Cardinal Wolsey were joined commissioners, who for the determination thereof sat at the Black-Friars in London, where a libel was put in for the annulling of the said matrimony, alleging the marriage between the king and queen to be unlawful. And for proof of the marriage to be lawful was there brought in a dispensation, in which after divers disputations thereupon holden, there appeared an