Henry VIII by Helen Simpson

The treaty thus sealed amid jealousy, treachery, and folly, suffered the same fate as previous pacts ratified in circumstances more auspicious. Within two years the Duke of Albany, with Francis' connivance, was troubling Scotland on pretence of assisting Henry's sister to rule; French sailors pursued English merchant ships and sacked them off Margate, 'even in the King's streams.' Henry wrote in anger to the Estates of Scotland, to the effect that Albany was an adventurer, without credit or backing; 'in order to accomplish his damnable purposes in covert manner, he has come out of France without the cognizance, assurance, or even knowledge of the said French King.' And he added a significant paragraph reminding the lords, and the King of France through them, that there had been an oath, sworn upon the four Evangelists, which precluded all such French cognizanoe or assurance. Francis' answer was a plea of ignorance, and an offer to make restitution for such damage as his subjects had done. Neither money nor goods was forthcoming. The yearly payments for redeeming Tournai were delayed, promised, abandoned. Lawyers still were busy in dispute over the jewels and dowry of Henry's sister. [*] The bad faith of France was evident. There was every excuse for war, and preparations were made for it; ships were put in readiness, and 'a general muster by commission was taken of all able men from sixteen years and upward, of every hamlet, village, borough, city, hundred, and shire throughout England, which seemed to many another Domesday book; and yet was there neither peace nor war against France.'

[* She was married by this time to the Duke of Suffolk. Henry was angry, for she had taken this step without consulting him, being completely in love, and afraid that he would refuse consent. Suffolk wrote to Wolsey: 'The Queen would never let me be in rest till I had granted her to be married; and so, to be plain with you, I have married her heartily and have lain with her, insomuch as (I fear) that she be with child.' It is from this hasty but never repented marriage that Lady Jane Grey descended.]