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INTERESTS OF GREAT BRITAIN, 371induced, by commercial considerations,to concede to theemperor the neutrality of the Netherlands, the only point inwhich he was capable of doing him any injury. The consequence was, that he gave his ally no assistance, and as hisattention was engaged during the war, by religious matters,and the question of his own marriage, he appeared whollyto have forgotten the important part which he was to play,and took no share in the third war between those twomonarchs, which was concluded by the ten years' armisticeof Nice (1538). But when the fourth broke out, (1541,) heformed a close alliance with Charles, not because he thenfeared the power of France, but because he wished to gratifyhis own capricious humours. The compact which he concluded with Charles V., is a striking example of the politicsof that time ;the conditions show that there was no intentionthey should be observed, because their observance was impossible. Henry VIII. desired nothing less than the Frenchcrown, and, in order to conquer the whole of France, hewent to Calais with an insignificant force, while Charles invaded Champagne. But the allies fell out amongst themselves; Charles concluded a separate treaty at Cressy, (1544,)and left his ally to get out of his difficulties as he best could ;Henry was content with the promise of an annual payment,which, on the other side, there was no intention of discharging, although Boulogne, 1which he had taken, was leftin his hands as a pledge for eight years.From all this it is clear, that the pretended maintenanceof the balance between the two great powers of the continent, in these times, existed only in name. A monarch,who was ever the slave of his inclination, and the tool ofthose by whom he was surrounded, was incapable of adhering to a firm line of politics and this remark applies with;equal truth to his minister, Cardinal Wolsey, who was notless guided by his passions than his master. It might havebeen expected, that the new interest created under HenryVIII. by the Reformation, might have caused a connexionbetween England and the continent; but the conduct ofHenry rendered thisimpossible, notwithstanding the sharewhich he took in these transactions. As long as he claimed1This, during the reign of his son, was recovered by France, on the payment of a much smaller sum than had been originally stipulated.