Wolsey was constrained to tell them the story of a courtier who asked his King for the grant of a forest; when his relatives denounced his presumption, he replied that he only wanted in reality eight or nine trees.[404] The French and imperial chancellors not merely demanded their respective forests, but made the reduction of each single tree a matter of lengthy dispute; and as soon as a fresh success in the varying fortune of war was reported, they returned to their early pretensions.

Wolsey was playing his game with consummate skill; delay was his only desire; his illness had been diplomatic; his objects were to postpone for a few months the breach and to secure the pensions from France due at the end of October.[405] [Footnote 402: See his various and ample commissions, _ibid._, iii., 1443.] [Footnote 403: _Ibid._, iii., 1462.] [Footnote 404: _L.

and P._, iii., 1622.] [Footnote 405: _Ibid._, iii., 1507.

"The Cardinal apologised for not having met them so long on account of his illness, but said he could not otherwise have gained so much time without causing suspicion to the French" (Gattinara to Charles V., 24th September, 1521, _ibid._, iii., 1605).] The conference at Calais was in fact a monument of perfidy worthy of Ferdinand the Catholic.

The plan was Wolsey's, but Henry had expressed full approval.