With what great joy he discovered that Mary Tudor was not with child; and, although he himself had cast lascivious eyes on this attractive English girl, the Suffolk marriage seemed a happy enough conclusion to that affair.
He was ambitious and energetic, and in the first weeks of his accession he was turning his eyes towards Italy.
It was during March of that year that a Venetian embassy arrived in England with the blessing of Francis.
The position of the Venetians in Europe was dictated by their trade. They were first and foremost traders and asked only to be allowed to continue to sell those goods for which they were famous. Since Maximilian had captured Verona, he had proved a serious handicap to Venetian trade, and the people of Venice believed that an alliance with France would enable them to regain Verona; and as France was aware that her power in Lombardy depended on Venetian friendship there was a rapprochement between the two.
It seemed important to Venice that England should strengthen her alliance with France, which should have been cemented by the marriage between Louis XII and the Princess Mary; but with Louis dead and his widow already the wife of English Brandon it seemed necessary to send an embassy to England.
So on a sparkling March day the Venetian embassy arrived, having been entertained most lavishly on the way by the new King of France.
Henry was on his mettle. He believed that Francis would have made a great effort to impress the Venetians with his grandeur and elegance, and was determined to outdo the King of France whom he had always believed to be his especial rival ever since he had heard that Marguerite of Angoulême—who had once been suggested as a bride for Henry—had declared her brother to be the handsomest, wittiest and most charming man in the world and one whom she would always love beyond any other.
So he was prepared. He was a sight so dazzling on that morning that even those who were accustomed to his splendor were astonished.
The Venetians had sailed up the Thames to Richmond in a barge which was gaily decorated with cloth of gold and silver. Before they entered the King’s presence they were given bread and wine to sustain them, and then they were taken to the King’s chapel to hear Mass.
When this was over they were led into the presence of the King. The Palace had been decorated to receive them, and gold and silver cloth and tapestries had been hung in each apartment. In these rooms three hundred halberdiers, wearing silver breast plates, stood at attention, in order to impress the newcomers with the might of England. They were astonished because the halberdiers, who were chosen for their height, towered above the little Venetians, their fresh faces glowing in striking contrast to the swarthy ones of the men of Venice.
Then to the King’s chamber where Henry waited to receive them. He was standing when they entered, leaning against his throne. He wanted them to receive an immediate impression of his great height, which they could not do if he sat. Henry was indeed an impressive figure; his purple velvet mantle was lined with white satin, and fell behind him in a train four yards long; this mantle was fastened across his massive chest by a thick chain made entirely of gold; his doublet was of satin, crimson and white in color; and on his head was a cap of red velvet decorated with a white feather. About his neck was a gold collar with St. George picked out in fine diamonds; and below that another collar from which hung a round diamond the size of a big walnut; and from this diamond hung a large flawless pearl.
The Venetians blinked. Francis had been elegantly splendid, but Henry was more colorfully so.
Henry was delighted with the impression he so obviously created; the blue eyes, under the red hair which was combed straight about his head, sparkled; he held out a hand, the fingers of which seemed entirely covered by dazzling gems.
Henry welcomed the newcomers warmly, telling them how happy he was to have them at his Court. They would be in need of refreshment, so he had a banquet prepared for them, and when they had eaten they should see the joust which Henry believed had been perfected by his countrymen.
The Venetians, overwhelmed by the friendliness and the hospitality of the King, were then graciously received by members of the King’s Council at the head of whom was the new Cardinal Wolsey whom they well knew to be the most important man in the realm.
They met the Queen—herself gorgeously attired and glittering with jewels; but they had heard rumors of the King’s feelings towards his wife and they did not believe her to have any real influence with him now.
Henry led the way to the banquet where he surrounded himself by the leaders of the embassy and delightedly watched their incredulity at the dishes produced by his cooks and the ability of the English to consume large quantities of food.
He had no intention of talking of state matters; that would come later with Wolsey; but he was eager to know whether the newcomers were comparing him with Francis in their minds.
He was soon asking questions about his great rival. “You have recently left the King of France; tell me, is he as tall as I am?”
“There can be very little difference in the height of the King of France and the King of England,” was the answer. “Your Grace is a big man; and so is Francis.”
“Is he a fat man, this young King of France?”
“No, Your Grace. He could not be called a fat man. Far from it. He is lean and lithe.”
“Lean and lithe.” Henry caressed his own plump thigh.
“What are his legs like?” demanded Henry.
The Venetians were puzzled; they looked at each other. What sort of legs had the King of France? To be truthful they had not taken particular note of his legs; but they recalled that they must be spare because of the leanness of the King’s body.
“Spare legs, eh!” cried Henry. “Look at mine.” He held up his legs to display the fine calf, well shaped, firm, the leg of an athletic man. “Has he a leg like that, eh?”
The Venetians were certain that the King of France had not a leg like that.
Henry laughed, well pleased. Then he threw open his doublet. “Look at this thigh,” he said. “’Tis every bit as firm and well shaped as my leg. Has the King of France a thigh like that?”
When the Venetians assured Henry that the thigh of the King of France could not be compared with the thigh of the King of England, he was delighted and felt full of affection towards them and Francis.
“Methinks,” he said, “I am very fond of this King of France.”
After the banquet Henry retired to prepare himself for the joust; and later this was held in the Palace courtyard.
Henry excelled even his previous exploits on that day, shivering many a lance; which was as it should be; and one by one his opponents went down before him.
He was extremely happy.
When he joined the Venetians to be congratulated he said: “I should like to joust with the King of France as my opponent.”
But even as he spoke there was a shadow on his face. He was alarmed by this King on the other side of the water; he had heard so many tales of him, of his bravery, his wit and his lechery. He had scarcely been on the throne a week when he was talking of leading his armies to victory; and Henry had discovered that he himself had no great desire to place himself at the head of his armies.
What if he were to joust with Francis and Francis should win? Did Compton, Kingston and the rest go down before their King because they knew it was wise to do so?
“So,” he growled, “the King of France thinks to make war on Italy. He will cross the Alps. Will his people love him, think you, since he plunges them into a war at the very beginning of his reign?”
Then he was angry because he had longed to bring conquests to his people; and this he had failed to do. He burst out: “He is afraid of me. Why, were I to invade his kingdom he would not be able to cross the Alps into Italy, would he? So you see, all depends on me. If I invade France, Francis cannot make war on Italy. If I do not, he can. You see, my friends, in these hands I hold the future of France.”