THE ARRAS.
Next day in the forenoon, Bishop Bonner repaired to Whitehall Palace, and found the King in a cabinet communicating with the great gallery. Philip was seated at a table covered with dispatches, and near him stood Rodomont Bittern, with whom he was conversing.
“I am glad you are come, my lord,” said the King to Bonner, as the latter entered the cabinet. “This gentleman is the bearer of a letter from the Lord Cardinal to her Majesty, in which his Eminence solicits an audience of her on a matter of importance. The Cardinal will be here at noon, and the important matter on which he comes relates to the delivery of Constance Tyrrell to your lordship. Is it not so, Sir?” he added to Rodomont.
“It is, my liege,” replied the other. “His Eminence is unwilling to give up the maiden, and desires to ascertain the Queen’s pleasure on the subject. As I have already told your Majesty, the Cardinal was much troubled on learning from Mistress Constance what had befallen her, and he declared that unless he had the Queen’s positive commands to that effect he would not surrender her to the ecclesiastical commissioners. I do not think I ever saw him more moved.”
“I make no doubt that his Eminence blamed me, Sir,” remarked Bonner.
“To speak truth, my lord, he did,” replied Rodomont; “and he said plainly to Lord Priuli that you should not have the damsel.”
“Your Majesty hears that?” cried Bonner. “This proud Cardinal defies your authority.”
“Nay, there was no defiance on his Eminence’s part of the King’s Highness,” observed Rodomont, “but only of your lordship. The representative of his Holiness, he said, should not be insulted with impunity, and he added some words which I care not to repeat, but they spoke of reprimands, censures, and possible privation of dignity.”
“His Eminence takes up the matter with great warmth,” observed Bonner, uneasily.