Thomas Wolsey was an English statesman and Catholic bishop. His appointment as a cardinal by Pope Leo X in 1515 gave him precedence over all other English clergy.
Chapters
1 Introductory Note and The Prologue 10 min 2 Part One-Earning the King's Trust 36 min 3 Part Two - His Household 8 min 4 Part Three - Being an Ambassador, Attending to Westminster, Repairing to the court in Greenwich 10 min 5 Part Four - The King's Visit to the Cardinal 10 min 6 Part Five - Wolsey intervenes to stop Anne Boleyn and Lord Percy's plans 15 min 7 Part Six - Anne's Grudge against the Cardinal develops 6 min 8 Part Seven - The Cardinal moves the King to attack France 15 min 9 Part Eight: A plot against the Cardinal succeeds in having him lead an "ambassy" to the Pope 16 min 10 Part Nine: Wolsey meets the French King but disagreements surface among courtiers 25 min 11 Part Ten: The Cardinal writes to his King and attends a boar hunt with the French King 8 min 12 Part Eleven: The Cardinal suffers Divers Displeasures and leaves for England 6 min 13 Part Twelve: French noblemen, the Cardinal and the King proclaim perpetual peace and amity. The Cardinal and the King hold sumptuous banquets 27 min 14 Part Thirteen: The French delegates return home, the King tells the Cardinal he wants to marry Anne Boleyn and to secure the Pope's indulgence. The Cardinal organizes a commission to study the request and approach the Pope 12 min 15 Part Fourteen: The Cardinal convenes a Court to consider the King's marital plea. The Queen leaves and refuses to return 16 min 16 Part Fifteen: The King orders Wolsey to encourage the Queen to accept his plea, she refuses and Wolsey's fellow Cardinal Campeggio announces he will make no judgement until the Pope's mind is known 14 min 17 Part Sixteen: The Cardinal learns of the King's displeasure, but meets with him in secret talks, to be continued the next day 16 min 18 Part Seventeen: The King demands the Cardinal's ouster from office as Chancellor of England 13 min 19 Part Eighteen: The Cardinal is assured that the King thinks well of him but the Cardinal laments his inability to reward his servants. Thomas Cromwell strongly encourages the Cardinal's chaplains to donate funds for the Cardinal's servants 23 min 20 Part Nineteen - The King sends a messenger with word of his support and love for the Cardinal, but members of Parliament accuse the Cardinal of Treason, against which Thomas Cromwell strenuously argues 10 min 21 Part Twenty: The Lord of Norfolk assures Wolsey of the King's love and support but Master Shelley arrives with the King's demand for Wolsey's house, York Place 15 min 22 Part Twenty-One: Wolsey falls dangerously ill and the King commands his doctors to cure him. Cromwell works to sidetrack Wolsey's enemies 17 min 23 Part Twenty-Two: Wolsey recovers but his council enemies continue to conspire against him 15 min 24 Part Twenty-Three - Cromwell succeeds in obtaining a grant from the king, allowing the Cardinal to afford to begin his move, as requested, to his benefice of York. Wolsey visits various abbeys and chapels on his journey 14 min 25 Part Twenty-Four - Wolsey continues his journey to York, meeting various noblemen, some of whom try, unsuccessfully, to have him join them in a hunt. Wolsey contrives to fool them by leaving early for his next destination 21 min 26 Part Twenty-Five: Wolsey meets with the York church leaders who inform him he must follow the church rules for his investiture. Wolsey asks to see the written rules and agrees to comply. Meanwhile, unknown to him, area noblemen and others gather the makings of a sumptuous feast in his honor. He is secretly arrested 9 min 27 Part Twenty-Six: The Cardinal's enemies convince the King to have him arrested for treason. The Earl of Northumberland and Master Walshe are sent to arrest him. Wolsey falls into a great depression 27 min 28 Part Twenty-Seven: Under Northumberland's control, Wolsey travels to Sheffield Park where he convinces the Earl of Shrewsbury to write to the King, asking for an audience with the Cardinal so he can confront his accusers. The Cardinal hears that the constable of the Tower, Sir William Kingston, has arrived 24 min 29 Part Twenty-Eight: Wolsey is assured that Sir Kingston has been assigned by the King to bring him safely to him. Wolsey takes sick and is close to death 21 min 30 Part Twenty-Nine: Wolsey, declining fast, demands meat to sustain him. Sir Kingston hears Wolsey's passionate plea to resist and destroy the Lutherans, to save the king and the Church. As he prophesied the day before, Wolsey passes at 8 in the morning 14 min 31 Part Thirty: The Cardinal is buried, the King assures the Cardinal's servant (the author, George Cavendish) that he will receive his back wages plus a reward, horses and a cart in honor of his service to the Cardinal. The King also places Cavendish among his close servants 17 min
