Norfolk told Giustinian, after Pace's departure, that the election would fall on a German prince, and such, said the Venetian, was the universal belief and desire in England.[265] (p.

103) After the election, Leo expressed his "regret that Henry gave no attention to a project which would have made him a near, instead of a distant, neighbour of the papal States".

Under the circumstances, it seems more probable that the first alternative in Pace's instructions no more represented a settled design in Henry's mind than his often-professed intention of conquering France, and that the real purport of his mission was to promote the election of the Duke of Saxony or another German prince.[266] [Footnote 259: _L.

and P._, iii., 149.] [Footnote 260: _Ven.

Cal._, ii., 1227.] [Footnote 261: _Ibid._, ii., 1246.] [Footnote 262: _Ibid._, ii., 1163.] [Footnote 263: _L.