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Strindberg, August, 1849-1912

"Historical Miniatures"

The Cardinal and the Nuncio wavered, and in
the seventh year the King lost patience. He had now found the man he
sought for. Sir Thomas More would not declare Katherine's marriage
null. The new man was Thomas Cranmer, who hated the Pope and the
monks, and dreamt of a free England--free, that is, from Rome. The
King and his new friend worked in secret at something which
Cardinal Wolsey did not know, and one day the preliminaries were
settled, the papers were in order, and the mine exploded.
* * * * *
The King's galley pushed off from the Tower. It did not look so
brilliant as the Cardinal's had once been. Cranmer sat by the King.
"I shall not sleep in the Tower any more," said the King. "I am
leaving it now, Thomas; this is my removal. I move to Whitehall, for
that will be the name of York Palace; because I, as a Lancastrian,
hate York, and because my white rose shall dwell in my castle. Now,
_you_ will sit in the Tower, my hell-dog! To think that this Satan
of a Cardinal has deceived me for six years. What troubles his
plotting has caused me! Six years! I have always hated the man, but
I needed him, for he was clever."
The King glanced at the north side of the Thames. "And I have lived
in the city which has not been my own; Rome possesses a third of it.


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