Cardinal Wolsey, Henry's chief counselor,--the man who thought that he
ruled both King and Kingdom,[2]--lent his powerful aid to bring about
the divorce, but with the expectation that the King would marry a
princess from France, and thus form an alliance with that country. If
so, his own ambitious schemes would be forwarded, since the united
influence of the two kingdoms might elevate him to the Papacy.
[2] The Venetian ambassador in a dispatch to his government, wrote of
Cardinal Wolsey: "It is he who rules both the King and the entire
Kingdom. At first the Cardinal used to say, `His Majesty will do so
and so'; subsequently he went on, forgetting himself, and commenced
saying, `We shall do so and so'; at present (1519) he has reached such
a pitch that he says, `I shall do so and so.'"
When Wolsey learned that the King's choice was Anne Boleyn (S343), he
fell on his knees, and begged him not to persist in his purpose; but
his entreaties had no effect, and the Cardinal was obliged to continue
what he had begun.