[278] It was long indeed since an English sovereign had knelt to mortal man; and those who saw the strange sight could not but think of that day of shame when John did homage for his crown between the hands of Pandolph.
In a short time a still more ostentatious pageant was performed in honour of the Holy See.

It was determined that the Nuncio should go to court in solemn procession.

Some persons on whose obedience the King had counted showed, on this occasion, for the first time, signs of a mutinous spirit.

Among these the most conspicuous was the second temporal peer of the realm, Charles Seymour, commonly called the proud Duke of Somerset.

He was in truth a man in whom the pride of birth and rank amounted almost to a disease.