DURING this year, 1523, the hopes of Wolsey were again raised, that he might become Pope by the help of the Emperor Charles; and so he paid assiduous court to Queen Catherine, as well as the King himself: and, great as he was in his business capacity, this wonderful man was no less remarkable as a courtier; for, to humour the King, he could throw off the cares of state, and enter with as much seeming zest into the roystering fun of the Court, as even the King himself could desire, so that in his great Chancellor Henry the Eighth found a boon companion, as well as a wise counsellor!
It was during this time, too, that Miles Paton began to understand how boundless was his master's ambition, and how eager he was to attain the highest honour earth could afford, by mounting the papal throne, which would make him the master of his present master the King.
Confidential letters were written by Miles to one and the other about the Court of the Emperor, all having the same end in view—the putting forward the claim of Wolsey to the tiara that had once more been laid aside.
He was therefore in somewhat close attendance upon his master for some weeks, and could give but small attention to his father and the business that had brought him to London. Sir Thomas fumed, and fretted, and grumbled about this, for he was by no means content in the lodging he had taken; and, though he managed to find out some old friends who had served with him in the wars, he still pined for his home, and the company of his wife and daughter, and was only half-reconciled to his son serving under Wolsey, although he received a good salary for his services, and was handsomely provided for among other gentlemen of his own rank in life.
Moreover, he had set his heart upon repeating the royal experiment, in marrying Miles to the Lady Audrey; and that Miles should not be willing to follow his advice in the matter fretted him sorely.
The young man sheltered himself behind the argument that they could not afford to purchase a special dispensation from the Pope, to enable them to contract such a marriage legally. And again, the cost of this would be so heavy as to outweigh all the advantages likely to accrue, by holding the lady and her dowry still in the family. But Sir Thomas was not easy to be convinced when he had set his heart upon a certain thing, and so Master William Tyndale and his translation had but scanty attention for a time, although Miles had by no means forgotten his friend, or what would have to be the next step when the whole of the books of the New Testament were done into English.
So, with this next further step in view, he took his father one day to see the printing presses of William Caxton, that were still at work in Westminster, and being rapidly improved by the introduction of new type and skilled workmen from some of the best printers abroad.
There was also a second printing press now, close to Temple Bar, which they also visited, and where Miles made cautious enquiries to discover if possible whether it would be wise to try and get their book printed in London when it was ready.
The Cardinal took a good deal of interest in these printing works and their improvement, and regarded printing as a most wonderful and beneficent gift to the world of learning, but he did not want this to spread too far—not to become common, as the gift of sunshine and rain; and therefore it was not clear to Miles yet whether Wolsey would approve or oppose the printing of the New Testament in English.
But, as one of the private secretaries of the man who was king all but in name, Miles was everywhere received with the greatest courtesy, and his questions answered fully, for they did not know but that the Cardinal had sent him on this mission; and so Miles gathered a good deal of useful information as to the cost of printing, and the time it was likely to take, and picked up many hints as to the size of the sheets to be printed, which he was careful to give his friend the next time he saw him, and had an opportunity for a little private talk to themselves.