Wolf Hall

In January, Parliament works to officiate King Henry’s supremacy. Henry is perplexed that the clergy’s allegiance is to the pope and not himself. He vents this frustration on Stephen Gardiner. In private, Thomas assuages the king’s anger toward Gardiner. Thomas thinks “you owe me, Stephen. The bill will come in by and by” (315).

The king gradually advances his suit, identifying, weeding out, and dividing his enemies. Thomas Boleyn, Anne’s father, is given the title of Monseigneur. Thomas wants to use his closeness with Anne to obtain an official position beyond being a mere councilor.

Thomas Wyatt apologizes to Thomas for his antics on New Year’s. Thomas wants to take his role as Wyatt’s father seriously. Wyatt tells Thomas “If Anne is not a virgin, that’s none of my doing” (321). He says he courted Anne for two years, explaining they would kiss, but always stop short of sex. She would always imply that there were other men in her life in order to make him jealous.

Thomas More visits and threatens Thomas for his association with Stephen Vaughan, a Protestant and friend of Tyndale. When More leaves, Thomas recalls witnessing an old woman punished for her faith when he was a child. Thomas is guarded about revealing his past, but Eustache Chapuys tries to get him to tell bits of his life’s story. Doing so makes Thomas’ past seem alien to him.

King Henry “appoints [Thomas] Keeper of the Jewel house,” a position from which Henry Wyatt “had said, you are able to take an overview of the king’s income and outgoings” (332).

Hugh Latimer, a reformer priest who was imprisoned, visits Thomas. They discuss Bainham, who is in the Tower awaiting execution for preaching Tyndale. Henry will not pardon him. As he is burning, Bainham calls out to God to forgive Thomas More.

The bishops submit to the king. Henry will have the final say on their actions for now on. Thomas More is stripped of his position as Lord Chancellor.

Thomas approaches Stephen Gardiner and asks the bishop to give up the manor, which Henry gave him upon making him Master Secretary, for Anne Boleyn to use as a country house. Thomas “now sees the king almost every day,” a fact that is noted by Chapuys (340).

Cranmer writes from Nuremberg that something significant has happened, too significant for a letter, and he needs Thomas’ advice.

Hans Holbein, an artist and friend of Thomas, visits and brings news of the chaos on the continent. Thomas speculates that if Gardiner falls out of favor, Cranmer will be made the next Archbishop of Canterbury after William Warham.

Henry Percy, the Earl of Northumberland, claims he is married to Anne Boleyn, making his marriage to Mary Talbot illegitimate. Mary Talbot “is preparing to petition Parliament for a divorce” (344). This enrages Anne, who throws a temper tantrum. Thomas and Francis Bryan visit the Boleyn household, finding the family in a panic. Anne denies everything, but the king wants an inquiry into Percy’s claim. Norfolk exclaims that the rumors spreading from this incident will undo their family.

Thomas begins to try and fix the situation. He and Wriothesley find Henry Percy and his men at a pub, Sign of Mark and the Lion. Percy is distraught; he is adamant that he and Katherine were pledged to each other, and that Cardinal Wolsey bullied him out of the arrangement. He views Anne Boleyn as his wife and loves her still.

Thomas reminds Percy that he is nearly bankrupt, and that his family, along with the Howards, is charged with defending the north from the Scottish. With no money, he will be unable to fulfil his duty. He threatens to call in Percy’s debts: Thomas knows that the world is run by bankers, not kings. He attacks Percy verbally, destroying any hope he had for Anne, and promising his ruination if he does not give up his stance.

The next day, Henry and Archbishop William Warham attend the council meeting. Warham is ancient and in ill health; he is evidently dying. Thomas asks Warham about Elizabeth Barton, a prophetess who “is telling her followers that if the king marries Lady Anne he has only a year to reign” (350). Henry Percy arrives, and King Henry follows shortly. Percy is made to swear on the Bible that his claim is false.

Thomas makes inquiries into the background of Elizabeth Barton. She has risen in popularity as a seer of visions and a miracle worker. Thomas is suspicious of her prophecy about King Henry: Elizabeth Barton has spoken with Thomas More and Bishop Fisher, who support Queen Katherine.

Henry makes Anne Boleyn the Marquess of Pembroke. Her ascension is all but guaranteed. A dance is held in honor of the event. Thomas runs into Jane Seymour and inquires how things are in Wolf Hall in the wake of her father’s scandal. Thomas advises her to serve Anne.

In October, the king is to go to Boulogne to meet with the King Francois of France “who intends to oblige him by speaking to the Pope in favor of his new marriage” (360). Henry is taking along the Yorkist and Lancastrian claimants to the throne “to show how tame they are and how secure are the Tudors” (361).

Charles Brandon, the Duke of Suffolk, blows up at Anne for insinuating that his wife, Henry’s sister, will be her attendant. Henry dismisses Brandon and sends Thomas after him. Thomas manages to assuage his anger.

None of the French royal women wish to host Anne, who they view as Henry’s mistress or concubine. This enrages Henry to the extreme, and nearly causes him to call off the trip. They decide that Anne will be left in Calais, English territory on the French mainland.

The king’s procession reaches Canterbury, where pilgrims visit to pray for the late Archbishop Warham. Henry does not attend the shrine, but wants to be seen by his subjects, so he goes out “against all advice” (366). They run into Elizabeth Barton, who warns Henry to burn the heretics around him, indicating Anne. Chaos begins to erupt, so Henry leads Anne away. Thomas follows Elizabeth. Thomas inquires after the soul of Cardinal Wolsey, which she will attempt to locate—for a price.

The king’s entourage sets sail for France. Thomas is on deck with Henry Fitzroy, the king’s bastard son. He regrets that the cardinal is dead because Norfolk is his guardian. They discuss Castiglione’s The Courtier. The king joins them, and they discuss sprezzatura, “the art of doing everything gracefully and well, without the appearance of effort” (370).

They arrive in Calais. Thomas has private business and slips off alone. In a bar in a dubious part of town, he meets with three old men. He inquires after Maitre Camillo, who is not there. The meeting is unsatisfactory. He asks the boy who works there to let him know if the old men “bring out any parchments, scrolls, anything of that kind” (373).

During the course of the talks in Boulogne, King Francis summons Thomas. Francis questions him, confused about the presence of a commoner in Henry’s entourage. He discusses Mary Boleyn in explicit detail. When Thomas leaves, the king gives him a pair of embroidered gloves as a gift. In the gloves is a ruby, which Thomas gives to King Henry.

Anne Boleyn dances with King Francis at that night’s feast. Henry grows jealous, so Thomas asks Norfolk to take Anne away. Henry is satisfied. That night, Thomas asks Edward Seymour about his sister Jane’s age and if she is intended for marriage.

Later, Thomas writes a letter to Cranmer and then runs into Mary Shelton. Mary says that her sister is in bed with the queen. The two have sworn on the Bible to be married and to officiate it when they return to England. The two share an intimate moment, which is interrupted by William Stafford, who Thomas nearly stabs in surprise. They part ways. Thomas recalls an intimate night in Cypress, long ago, with a woman named Anselma.

The king goes to mass early. Rafe wakes Thomas. Based on the king’s bearing, he has consummated his relationship with Anne.