“And as you see that amongst a great flock of sheep some be rotten and faulty, which the good shepherd sendeth from the good sheep; so the great wether which is of late fallen, as you all know, so craftily, so scabedly, yea, so untruly juggled with the king, that all men must needs guess that he thought in himself, either the king had no wit to perceive his crafty doings, or else that he would not see nor know them.

“But he was deceived, for his Grace’s sight was so quick and penetrable that he saw him; yea, and saw through him, both within and without; and according to his desert he hath had a gentle correction, which small punishment the king will not to be an example to other offenders; but clearly declareth that whosoever hereafter shall make like attempt, or shall commit like offence, shall not escape with like punishment.

“And because you of the Commons House be a gross multitude, and cannot all speak at one time, the king’s pleasure is, that you resort to the Nether House, and then amongst yourselves, according to the old and antient custom, choose an able person to be your common mouth and speaker."[216]

The invective against “the great wether” was not perhaps the portion of the speech to which the audience listened with least interest.  In the minds of contemporaries, principles are identified with persons, who form, as it were, the focus on which the passions concentrate.  At present we may consent to forget Wolsey, and fix our attention on the more permanently essential matter—­the reform of the laws.  The world was changing; how swiftly, how completely, no living person knew;—­but a confusion no longer tolerable was a patent fact to all men; and with a wise instinct it was resolved that the grievances of the nation, which had accumulated through centuries, should be submitted to a complete ventilation, without reserve, check, or secrecy.

For this purpose it was essential that the Houses should not be interfered with, that they should be allowed full liberty to express their wishes and to act upon them.  Accordingly, the practice then usual with ministers, of undertaking the direction of the proceedings, was clearly on this occasion foregone.  In the House of Commons then, as much as now, there was in theory unrestricted liberty of discussion, and free right for any member to originate whatever motion he pleased.  “The discussions in the English Parliament,” wrote Henry himself to the pope, “are free and unrestricted; the crown has no power to limit their debates or to controul the votes of the members.  They determine everything for themselves, as the interests of the commonwealth require."[217] But so long as confidence existed between the crown and the people, these rights were in great measure surrendered.  The ministers prepared the business which was to be transacted; and the temper of the Houses was usually so well understood, that, except when there was a demand for money, it was rare