At the foot of the throne stood Will
Sommers, and near him the Dukes of Richmond and Suffolk. Norfolk,
Rochford, and a number of other nobles, all open enemies of Wolsey,
were also present. Henry watched the advance of the cardinals with a
stern look, and after they had made an obeisance to him, he motioned
them to rise.
"You have sought an interview with me, my lords," he said, with
suppressed rage. "What would you?"
"We have brought an instrument to you, my liege," said Wolsey, "which
has just been received from his holiness the Pope."
"Declare its nature," said Henry.
"It is a citation," replied Wolsey, "enjoining your high ness to appear by
attorney in the papal court, under a penalty of ten thousand ducats."
And he presented a parchment, stamped with the great seal of Rome, to
the king, who glanced his eye fiercely over it, and then dashed it to the
ground, with an explosion of fury terrible to hear and to witness.
"Ha! by Saint George!" he cried; "am I as nothing, that the Pope dares to
insult me thus?"
"It is a mere judicial form your majesty," interposed Campeggio, "and is
chiefly sent by his holiness to let you know we have no further
jurisdiction in the matter of the divorce.
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