This is a unique and interesting question because the answer must include historical evidence in order to rationalize the impossibility of physical immortality within the context of your question. Any individual at King Henry's court between 1509 and 1547 would have been witness to the many dynamics and complexities of the king. For example, as a young king he was open to the new Renaissance philosophy of Humanism and contemplated the value in reason and scientific discovery. However, when Henry was denied a divorce from Catherine of Aragon by the Pope, philosophy, reason and the liberities of those who protested against his will paid the ultimate price. It could be argued that Henry's position regarding the progressive attitudes towards humanistic thought shifted from a genuine desire to acquire knowledge to that of a self serving prophecy. I think it is fair to say that to survive in King Henry VIII's court one had to be smart, resourceful and possess to power to adapt to the king's mindset, or at the very least appear to adapt to the king's mindset. If an individual possessed immortality and survived King Henry VIII's court there is a good chance that they would possess qualities of self awareness and adaptability to weather the storms of the last 400 years. Although not an historical statement, the inference is based upon the history of King Henry VIII. Interestingly, 17th century political philosopher John Locke would argue that self awareness was an essential factor in understanding the human experience. A Courtier may or may not have agreed with the changing winds of Henry's reign, but to remain in the king's good graces and in his court the Courtier understood the value there was in observation. If human immortality were plausible from King Henry VIII's reign through the 21st century I would hope 400 years of wisdom would sustain the ebb and flow of the politics of experience.
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