The fact that Percy's engagement with Anne was broken off has also been substantiated. According to Starkey (2003), Percy's engagement with Anne was repealed and he married Mary Talbot, the daughter of earl of Shrewsbury in the August of 1525 or 26. The marriage failed. Mary demanded a divorce accusing Percy of a "pre-contract betrothal" to Anne. Anne was subsequently put on trial. Since this occurred during Henry's period of dissatisfaction with her, it was efficacious to Henry in that it resulted allegation of her adultery and in her execution.

Then again, there are also sources showing that the King had urged Cardinal Wolsey to end the engagement. All of these corroborate Cavendish's account and we may therefore decide to accept his statements as fact and as primarily, if not totally, objective.

On the other hand, we may decide to suspect the objectivity of the writer based on the following observations:

Firstly, facts are mingled with opinions. For instance, Cavendish's document relates that had Percy asked permission from his father and the king to marry Anne, the king may have relented. This opinion may well come from Cavendish's connections with Wolsely. It may be that the Cardinal felt regret for having ended their relationship in the way that he did, particularly so when the indirect and ultimate outcome ended in Anne's execution. (the Cardinal, too, was later held to blame for the collapse of the relationship). Wolsley may have rationalised his actions by having provided the preceding excuse. The truth in reality was, however, - as studies and research shows -- that the king was already in love with Anne (Weir, p.160) and would likely not have agreed to the engagement even had he been approached for consent. Besides which, people of the royal court often married each other without soliciting the King for consent. Cavendish's assertion on this point makes us suspect that this opinion comes from the Cardinal and that his perception of the entire case is flawed.

There are other indications of hearsay too. Cavendish goes on to relate that Percy's father was disappointed with his son but this may be another rationalization on Wolsley's part inserted in Cavendish's

No authoritative source is brought to support this allegation. Cavendish -- serving Wolsely is subjective and likely repeating his master's edition of the event . The truth may be that Percy's father may have been upset that his son had not consulted him. There is no basis, however, for saying that the Earl distrusted the girl.
More to the point, Cavendish was made gentleman usher to Cardinal Wolsey in 1526 or 1527, and kept his post till Wolsey's death in 1530, remaining always in close attendance on his master. Although this account does not have any specific date as to when it was authored, the extremely close relationship between master and servant (bartleby.com) and power of his master (Loades & Cross, 2002, p.13, p.16) makes the perspective of this account suspicious particularly since the Cardinal is himself involved in the incident in a not very commendable fashion.

As Ker (nd)(in Bartleby.com) describes it, Cavendish was "the "loyal servitor," wholly interested in the great man who gave employment for the busiest and fullest years of his life." Such a man cannot be expected to be fully objective about h is master's shenanigans. Finally, Cavendish's account was written 30 years after the occurrence of the event. Memory and objectivity, therefore, may have both conspired in rendering his account something to be suspect of.

In short, although the facts as written by Cavendish undoubtedly occurred, the atmosphere and opinions may well have been false given Cavendish's attachment to his master. Others (erg. Ker) may have been impressed by Cavendish's memoir. I think that his objectivity needs to be questioned.

Sources

1523, the romance..

http://englishhistory.net/tudor/ab-percy.html

Bartleby.com Critical Introduction by W.P. KerGeorge Cavendish (c. 1500 -- 1561)

http://www.bartleby.com/209/83.html

Ives, E. (2004)the Life and Death of Anne Boleyn Blackwell: UK

Loades D, & Cross, C (2002,) Law and Government Under the Tudors: Essays Presented to Sir Geoffrey Elton, Cambridge University Press, London

Weir a. (1991) the Six Wives of Henry VIII Grove press: NY