登陆注册
15313700000090

第90章 CARDINAL WOLSEY(26)

"Hush!" cried Herne, "or you will wake this sleeper.It is as you suppose.Will you not aid her now? Will you not bestow some of your treasure upon her before it is wholly wrested from you by the king? Iwill do aught you wish, secretly and swiftly.""Go, then, to my palace at Esher," cried the cardinal."Take this key to my treasurer--it is the key of my coffers.Bid him deliver to you the six caskets in the cabinet in the gilt chamber.Here is a token by which he will know that you came from me," he added, delivering him a small chain of gold, "for it has been so agreed between us.But you will be sure to give the treasure to Mabel.""Fear nothing," replied Herne.And stretching forth his hand to receive the key and the chain, he glided behind the tapestry, and disappearedThis strange incident gave some diversion to Wolsey's thought; but ere long they returned to their former channel.Sleep would not be summoned, and as soon as the first glimpse of day appeared, he arose, and wrapping his robe around him, left his room and ascended a winding staircase leading to the roof of the tower.

The morning promised to be fine, but it was then hazy, and the greater part of the forest was wrapped in mist.The castle, however, was seen to great advantage.Above Wolsey rose the vast fabric of the Round Tower, on the summit of which the broad standard was at that moment being unfurled; while the different battlements and towers arose majestically around.But Wolsey's gaze rested chiefly upon the exquisite mausoleum lying immediately beneath him; in which he had partly prepared for himself a magnificent monument.A sharp pang shook him as he contemplated it, and he cried aloud, "My very tomb will be wrested from me by this rapacious monarch; and after all my care and all my cost, I know not where I shall rest my bones!"Saddened by the reflection, he descended to his chamber, and again threw himself on the couch.

But Wolsey was not the only person in the castle who had passed a sleepless night.Of the host of his enemies many had been kept awake by the anticipation of his downfall on the morrow; and among these was Anne Boleyn, who had received an assurance from the king that her enmity should at length be fully gratified.

At the appointed hour, the two cardinals, proceeded to the royal lodgings.They were detained for some time in the ante-chamber, where Wolsey was exposed to the taunts and sneers of the courtiers, who had lately so servilely fawned upon him.At length, they were ushered into the presence chamber, at the upper end of which beneath a canopy emblazoned with the royal arms woven in gold, sat Henry, with Anne Boleyn on his right hand.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.""I will take care you have not, nor his holiness either," roared the king.

"By my father's head, he shall find I will be no longer trifled with.""But,my liege," cried Campeggio.

"Peace!" cried the king."I will hear no apologies nor excuses.The insult has been offered, and cannot he effaced.As for you, Wolsey--""Sire!" exclaimed the cardinal, shrinking before the whirlwind of passion, which seemed to menace his utter extermination.

同类推荐
  • 东谷所见

    东谷所见

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 三事忠告

    三事忠告

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 三洞修道仪

    三洞修道仪

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 佛说大乘圣吉祥持世陀罗尼经

    佛说大乘圣吉祥持世陀罗尼经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 诗纪匡谬

    诗纪匡谬

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 尼罗河恋人

    尼罗河恋人

    “我看见了昨天;我知道明天。你终究会回到这里。“吉亚,吉亚,你终于来了,我已经等待了你三千年。”“再见了,阿蒙,永别了。望我们能重生再见。”……“伟大的阿蒙神,请为我鉴证,我愿守护吉亚一生一世……”噩梦惊醒“埃赫那顿,我至死,也不远做你的王后……”“原来早早夭亡的法老图坦卡蒙,原来我一直一直等待的人就是你,那个一次一次入梦来的人便是你……”哀哀哭泣,手持花环,“我以神的名义起誓,扰你梦者,必受诅咒!”
  • 澳门往事

    澳门往事

    内地民办大学毕业生原水下岗后孤身一人来到澳门赌场得到了一份沓码仔(中介、为赌场拉客户的人)工作,通过多年的打拼赚了钱的他正准备自己干一番事业时,在一场骗局中被骗,不仅穷得身无分文,还身陷囹圄,一切都要从头开始。之后,通过引荐,原水认识了赌场某贵宾厅老板及女儿金晽,在他们的帮助下,原水加入了他们经营的贵宾厅一展抱负,——幸福就像花一样绽放。然而一个又一个精心布置的陷阱正在等着他……
  • 房子房子

    房子房子

    欲要结婚成家的任宁,决定买一套房子。他跑了多家楼盘,终于找到了中意的房子,交了订金,只待开盘。任宁的姐夫是平原市的副市长,分管土地城建等,正在为土地拍卖忙活。任宁的父亲是退休老教师,常常因身边的人事困惑。他认为的好孩子——大儿子任宝下了岗,小儿子任宁为房子困惑,调皮捣蛋的二儿子任宇却发了财。他认为不可救药的赖学生德运,如今却成了大房地产商,过上了致、酒醉金迷的生活……任宁预料不到的是,交了订金的房子开盘时,房价猛蹿得让他无法接受。房市仍一路蹿涨。土地越拍越贵,地王一个个出现。然而,幕后的土地交易并非常人所知。
  • 国学大讲堂Ⅰ:老子、庄子的做人绝学

    国学大讲堂Ⅰ:老子、庄子的做人绝学

    大智若愚,大巧若拙,大言若讷,大勇若怯。我们看世事。往往是聪明反被聪明误。而成大事、生活得轻松自如的,则常常是那些“笨蛋”、“傻子”。就像老子说的: “天下柔弱。莫过于水。而攻坚强者。莫之能胜。其无以易之。”老子认为,水虽然表面上看来是柔弱卑下的。但它能穿山透石。淹田毁舍,任何坚强的东西都阻止不了它,战胜不了它。因此,老子坚信柔弱的东西必能胜过刚强的东西。这里,老子所说的柔弱。是柔中带刚、弱中有强、坚韧无比。所以,对于老子柔弱似水的主张,应该加以深入理解,不能停留在字面上。由此推而言之。老子认为。体道的圣人就像水一样,甘愿处于卑下柔弱的位置。对国家和人民实行“无为而治”。
  • The Damnation of Theron Ware

    The Damnation of Theron Ware

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 灵魂契师

    灵魂契师

    我不再为神,但终有一日会再度回到巅峰,至少将你打落权柄之顶,我会回来,那时便轮到你颤栗。如若不能将我摧毁的,必将被我所摧毁。永恒与倏忽权因我一念而决定,是臣服,还是死亡?
  • 相思谋:妃常难娶

    相思谋:妃常难娶

    某日某王府张灯结彩,婚礼进行时,突然不知从哪冒出来一个小孩,对着新郎道:“爹爹,今天您的大婚之喜,娘亲让我来还一样东西。”说完提着手中的玉佩在新郎面前晃悠。此话一出,一府宾客哗然,然当大家看清这小孩与新郎如一个模子刻出来的面容时,顿时石化。此时某屋顶,一个绝色女子不耐烦的声音响起:“儿子,事情办完了我们走,别在那磨矶,耽误时间。”新郎一看屋顶上的女子,当下怒火攻心,扔下新娘就往女子所在的方向扑去,吼道:“女人,你给本王站住。”一场爱与被爱的追逐正式开始、、、、、、、
  • 天帝成长记

    天帝成长记

    蓦然回首,几百年混迹犹如昨日一般,品佳人、醉红颜,本想就此混迹碌碌一生,可你们非要逼我,本帝一怒,后果自负,重返天界路上,谁愿陪本帝血染战袍,睥睨天下……
  • 盗墓之七星海棠

    盗墓之七星海棠

    七星海棠花,千年陵墓,一场悬疑风波,究竟是什么人策划这场惊天阴谋?巫术流派,异种生物,皮影人,猴脸皇帝,四大美女之谜……盗墓不是请客吃饭,一把洛阳铲,寻龙点穴,任我风流。一切精彩皆在《盗墓之七星海棠》
  • 曾悔过的青春

    曾悔过的青春

    每个人的青春,不管是遗憾的,美好的,都是人生中的独家记忆,夏晗沫也是一样,她品尝过幸福,品尝过开心,品尝过失望,品尝过伤心,品尝过酸,品尝过甜,品尝过苦,品尝过辣,品尝过咸……可那都是人生中青春的色彩……