How far it may go in this direction, or whether Henry
VIII. and his parliament went too far, is a difficult
An exceptive problem : their best justification is an excep-

elaDfleintro- *. . , •% ^ . y t.-i

duoed, to tive ciause introduced into the act, which was
erineanap- intended obviouslv to give Queen Catherine

pearance of, ii«t

advantage, the utmost advantage which was consistent
with the liberties of the realm. " In case," says the
concluding paragraph, " of any cause, or matter, or
contention now depending for the causes before I'e-



163;;.] The Act of Appeals. 409

«

bearsed, or that hereafter shall come into contention
for any of the same causes in any of the foresaid courts,
which hath, doth, shall, or may touch the fcing, i^ ^5,^^^
his heira or successors, kings of this realm ; Sng*J!r thi^*
in all or every such case or cases the party J^^^^^J'
grieved as aforesaid shall or may appeal from g^™*^**
any of the said courts of this realm, to the cJSfto the
spiritual prelates and other abbots and priors 0/*^^^^
of the Upper House, assembled and convocate **®'*-
by the king's wi-it in convocation." ^ If Catherine's
cause was as just as Catholics and English high church-
men are agreed to consider it, the English church might
have saved her. If Catherine herself had thought first
or chiefly of justice, she would not perhaps have ac-
cepted the arbitration of the English convocation ; but
long years before she would have been in a cloister.
