II. BOOK tra et Regem et Regnum hoc plane servaverit. Quod si alia ratione vel aliunde paranda sibi fuerint auxilia, veremur ne de Regno et Rege hoc actum sit, quicquid enim alia manu huic vulneri impositum fuerit, nihil minus faciet quam sanitatem, seditionibus enim et tumultibus omnia exponentur, atq; imprimis Ecclesiastica Dignitas et Apostolicae Sedis Authoritas hinc deturbabitur; quod non erit difficile, aut ingratum quibusdam, qui Rege cum Sanctitate Vestra nunc conjunctissimo, impietatis suæ venenum perbelle dissimulant; Cujusmodi jacturam si dura hæc tempora nostra y fecerint, quod deinde sperandum sit, non videmus. Conservandus itaq; Rex est, ejusq; eximia in Apostolicam Sedem voluntas et fides, ne eo à nobis abalienato, non modo Angliæ Regem, sed Fidei quoq; Defensorem amittamus, cujus virtutes et Religionem tanto plausu orbi commendavimus. Brevitati studentes multa præterimus, et præsertim quid Regni proceres, Nobiles æque atque ignobiles dicant, qui fremunt et acerbissime indignantur, se tamdiu suspensos haberi, atque ab aliorum nutu et voluntate 2 exspectari, quid de fortunis eorum omnibus et capitibus statuant, aut a decernant : atque hac potissimum via insistunt, qui nullam aut certe diminutam hic Romani Pontificis Authoritatem vellent, quorum plerique in his disceptationibus, quibus alter alteri, ut usu venire 'solet, re in ambiguo posita, adversatur, ea dicunt quæ non absque horrore referri queant; nam inter cætera illud maxime in ore obvium habent, et prædicant, se nunquam satis demirari, aut ridere posse quorundam ignaviam, qui patienter audiunt, Pontificibus in Jure Divino figendo et refigendo licere, Pontifici Pontificis ceram aut plumbum conflare non permitti; nos, ut hos scopulos et has syrtes evitemus, nihil non agimus, et ne præceps, huc vel illuc, Rex hic ruat, curamus, quem in officio vix contineri posse confidimus, dum à Sanctitate Vestra his literis rescribatur: quibus si ut speramus et cupimus aliquid rescriptum fuerit, per quod et Regem et horum omnium animos quietiores reddere valeamus, accedet nobis quoque vis aliqua cætera fœlicius perficiendi sin minus, omnia in deterius itura non ambigiQuæ ut celerius Majestas sua cognoscat, præsentes hos mus. II. nuntios suos per dispositos equos ad Sanctitatem Vestram mit- BOOK tit, ex quorum sermone plura quoque intelliget quam literæ ipsæ commode capere potuerunt. Ignoscet vero Sanctitas Vestra literarum nostrarum prolixitati, quæ tametsi modum excedunt, rei tamen hujus difficultatem et periculum majori ex parte minime attingunt. XXV. May 21. 1529. Richmont. Another Dispatch to Rome. An Original. Vitell. Fol. 119. RIGHT well beloved Friends, I commend me unto you in my Cotton Lib. most hearty manner, by the Hands of Alexander, Messenger; B. 11. I have in good diligence received your Letters of the 4th of this Month; and semblably the King's Highness hath received your other Letters, sent by the same Messenger unto his Grace: By tenour whereof it well appeareth that the King's Highness is now frustrate of the good hope and expectation that his Grace and semblably I were in of the Pope's bfirm determination, to have done for his Highness in this great and weighty Cause of Matrimony, as his Holiness by his Chamberlain promised; not only that which might be done of power ordinary, but also absolute; and that ye be utterly in despair to consecute or attain any thing to the purpose there, to the benefit of the said Cause, with the strange demeanour that hath been used in calling you to make answer, why the d supplication presented by the Emperor's Ambassador for advocation of the Cause should not proceed; and how discreetly and substantially ye have answered and ordered your selves therein: Affirming finally, that as to that Matter, ye think it shall not serve to any purpose, but only to stop your suit in the obtaining of a new Commission, and desiring to be ascertained of the King's pleasure touching the Protestation mentioned in your Instructions, and how the same is meant and understood, with many other things b firm om. VOL. I. P. 2. C also of absolute; d supplications I BOOK comprised in your said Letters, right well and substantially II. couched and handled; for the which the King's Highness giveth you hearty thanks, and I also thank you in most hearty manner for my part. 鹦 Ascertaining you, that by Thadeus, Courier, upon receipt of your former Letters sent by him, who I trust be arrived with you long before this time; I wrote unto you the King's mind and pleasure, as well to forbear any further pursuits of the Degrees committed unto your Charge, except only the expedition of a new Commission and Pollicitation mentioned in the same, as also that you Mr. Stevins, and Sir Francis Brian, should return home, like as my said Letters purported. And forasmuch as now it appeareth, that there is no hope for you to attain the said Commission and Pollicitation, the King's Highness supposing that ye the said Mr. Stevins and Sir Francis be on your way homeward; and perceiving that it should be necessary for his Grace to have there a substantial Counsellor of his, well learned in the Laws, as well to defend all such things as shall be procured or set forth by the Casareans, to the hindrance of the King's Cause, as to let and im peach any Advocation, Inhibition, or other thing that may be dammageable thereunto, hath dispatched thither this Bearer [and] Mr. Bennet, who hath Commandment to shew unto you, and every of you, wheresoever he shall meet with or find you, his whole Instructions, by tenour whereof ye shall be advertised of the King's further mind and pleasure in that Behalf; wherefore this shall be only to signifie unto you, how his Highness will that ye now forbear any further pursuit, either for Commission, Pollicitation, or Rescript to be sent to the Emperor for exhibition of the Brief, either here or at Rome, but that following in every part the tenor of the said Instructions, ye Mr. Stevins and Sir Francis Bryan use all the diligence possible in your Voyage homeward, and the residue of you to intend to such things as be mentioned in the said Instructions; ascertaining you, that whereas ye were in doubt what is meant by the Protestation spoken of in my former Let * Advocations, Inhibitions, II. ters and your Instructions, it was none other thing than in the BOOK same Instructions was plainly specified and declared; That is to say, Failing of all your Requests and Pursuits touching the King's great Matter, to have shewed unto his Holiness the danger that might ensue, by losing the entire favour of this Prince, by mean of his so strange and unkind dealing with his Grace; howbeit, considering in what state the things now be, and how much the Pope's Holiness seemeth to be inclined to the Emperor's part; and yet as appeareth both by your Letters, and by such other knowledge as the King hath, his Holiness would gladly conserve the King's Love and Favour, and is loth to do any thing to the prejudice of his Cause: It is no time to come to any rigorous or extream words with his Holiness, but in gentle and modest manner to shew & himself such words as be mentioned in my said last Letters sent by Thadeus; and so without irritation of him, but with conservation of his favour to entertain his Holiness in the best manner that may be, without medling in any other Protestation, but only to look what may be done touching such h Protestation apart, as is mentioned in the said Instructions given to Mr. Bennet, which with these Letters shall be a sufficient information of you all, what to do in the Causes to you committed, not doubting but in all other particular suits of Bulls, and other things committed unto you, ye Mr. Stevins and Sir Francis Bryan, have or will do your best to bring the same with you; the expedition whereof, if they be not sped already, the King's Highness committeth to the Wisdoms of such of you as shall fortune to be in the Court of Rome at the receipt hereof; wherein, and in all other things, his Highness trusteth, and I do the semblable, that ye will order your selves with all effectual diligence, as the special confidence that is put in you doth appertain. And forasmuch as the greatest thing that is to be looked unto is the importune Suit of the Cæsareans, not only to stop any further things to be granted to the King's Highness, but also to revoke the Commission given to the Lord Legate Campegius and to me, which should be a clear disappointment and II. BOOK frustration of the King's Cause; ye shall therefore look substantially by all politick means to withstand, that no such thing be granted; assuring the Pope and all the Cardinals, and such other as have respect to the weale of the See Apostolick, that if he should do such an high injury to the King and his Realm, and an Act so contumelious to us his Legates, and so contrarious to his Faith and Promise, he should thereby not fail so highly to irritate the King and all the Nobles of this Realm, that undoubtedly they should decline from the obedience of the See Apostolick, and consequently all other Realms should do the semblable, forasmuch as they should find in the Head of the same, neither justness, uprightness, nor truth; and this shall be necessary, as the case shall require, well to be inculked and put in his head, to the intent his Holiness by the same may be preserved from granting, passing, or condescending to any such thing. After these Letters perfected hither, and read unto the King's Highness, albeit that mention is made in sundry places heretofore, that as well ye Mr. Stevins, and Sir Francis Brian, if ye be not returned from the Court of Rome, as also the rest of the King's Ambassadours, which at the arrival of Mr. Doctor Bennet shall fortune to be there, shall forbear to make any further means or pursuit for the New Commission and Pollicitation, but clearly to use silence therein; yet nevertheless regarding, and more profoundly considering the effect of your Letters last sent, it doth plainly appear, that tho' after the overture made to the Pope's Holiness of the said New Commission, the Business chanced to be made by the Emperor's Ambassador, upon preferring a Supplication for advocation of the Cause; which thing by your writing, Mr. Stevins, to Capisuke was well avoided; yet was there none express refusal made by the Pope's Holiness to condescend unto the said New Commission, but order given that you should consult and confer with the Cardinal Anconitane and Symonette upon the same; which Conference, by means of the said Business, was deferred and disappointed, without any final conclusion or resolution taken i well |