Prince Charles to the Pope.

20th April, 1623.

Your holiness' letters I have received with no less gratitude and reverence, than that feeling of uncommon good will and piety demanded, wherewith I know they have been indited. And that exhortation from your holiness has been to me especially welcome, that you have set before me the examples of my ancestors, which can never be sufficiently commended for my inspection and imitation. They, although they encountered the difficulty of various fortunes, and the danger of life itself, that they might more widely propagate the Christian faith; yet never did they carry the standard of Christ's cross against his most violent enemies with a more cheerful spirit, than I will use all aid and endeavour, that the peace and unity of the Christian commonwealth, which hath been so long banished, may be brought back, returning, as it were, from captivity or the grave; for, since the subtlety and malice of the father of discords hath sown the seeds of such unhappy differences among those who profess the Christian religion, this measure I deem most necessary, in order to promote more successfully the

1 MS. Lansdowne, 1236, art. 1. translated from the Latin. An early antiquated translation occurs in MS. Harl. 295, art. 106. This letter is a curious example of the power of circumstances over the mind in matters of faith, when religion has made no impression of fervour for a particular sect. Wilson says, "it seems he had either a good will to write this letter, or a bad counsel to indite it, or both conjoined, that were as careful to please the pope as they were hopeful it would never come to see the light till the flame of it would be too visible."

hallowed glory of God and our Saviour, his Christ; and I shall esteem it no less honour to myself to tread in the well-worn track of my ancestors, and to approve myself a zealous imitator of them in holy and religious undertakings, than to have derived my descent and origin from them. And to this same the inclination of my lord king and father very much fires me, and the ardent desire, wherewith he is animated to put forth a helping hand to so pious a work, as well as the grief which preys upon his royal breast, when he weighs and ponders what cruel slaughters, what deplorable calamities have arisen from the dissensions of Christian princes.

Further The judgment which your holiness hath formed of my desire of contracting affinity and marriage with the house of the Catholic prince, is a test both of your charity and wisdom; for never should I feel so earnest as I do to be joined to any one living in that close and indissoluble bond, whose religion I hated. Wherefore be your holiness persuaded that I am and ever shall be of such moderation as to keep aloof, as far as possible, from every undertaking, which may testify hatred towards the Roman Catholic religion; nay, any rather I will seize all opportunities, by a gentle and generous mode of conduct, to remove all sinister suspicions entirely; so that, as we all confess one undivided Trinity, and one Christ crucified, we may be banded together unanimously into one faith. That I may accomplish this, I will reckon as trifling all my labours and vigilance, and even the hazards of kingdoms, and life itself.

It remaineth only that, in returning your holiness the greatest possible thanks for the letters which I hold in the light of an illustrious gift, I pray for your every prosperity and happiness everlasting.

Your holiness's most devoted,

CAROLUS P.

The Prince and Duke to James I.1

April 23, 1623. Madrid.

Dear Dad and Gossip,-We are sorry we are not able to continue the advertisement of the dispensation's arrival; it is certainly granted, and is as certainly upon the way hither; and although clogged with some new condition, yet such as we hope to remove with ease. They are these: two years more to the education of the children; no other oath to be ministered to the Roman Catholic subjects, than that which is given to the Infanta's servants, and that they may all have free access to her church. We hope in granting the first, yet making it hard, we shall not only facilitate the other two conditions, but, in a little time hereafter, bring more years back again with the two; to this we both recommend secrecy here, and to you there. If we receive your directions in time to this, we will punctually follow them. To the second our answer will be, the oath was made by Act of Parliament, and that you cannot abrogate it without the whole consent of your people. In

1 MS. Harl. 6987, art. 34.

the last, we hope to let them see, as it will bring but a pester and inconvenience to the infanta herself, so it will less satisfy the Catholics, because it will make the act more public and less useful to their ends, than to have the exercises of their consciences freely in their own houses; for all meeting in one centre, the number will seem greater, and so make the state jealouser, and consequently make their security more uncertain, this being no less than in covered words to ask liberty of conscience, which you have neither mind nor power to grant ; many other reasons we have, and so powerful, that we make neither question to speed the business, nor to end it to your own liking, which sweet Jesus grant, and your blessing to your majesty's humble and obedient son and

servant,

Your majesty's humble slave and dog,

CHARLES.

STEENIE.

Prince Charles and the Duke of Buckingham, to James I. for more jewels.1

Sir, I confess that ye have sent more jewels than (at my departure) I thought to have had use of; but, since my coming, seeing many jewels worn here, and that my bravery 2 can consist of nothing else, besides that some of them which ye have appointed me to give to the Infanta, in Steenie's opinion and mine, are not fit to be given to her; therefore I have taken this boldness

1 MS. Harl. 6987, art. 39.

2 Fashionable appearance.

to entreat your majesty to send more for my own wearing, and for giving to my mistress, in which I think your majesty shall not do amiss to take Carlisle's advice. So, humbly craving your blessing, I rest your majesty's humble and obedient son and servant, CHARLES.

I, your dog, says you have many jewels, neither fit for your son's nor your daughter's wearing, but very fit to bestow of those here who must necessarily have presents, and this way will be least chargeable to your majesty in my poor opinion.

Madrid, the 22nd of April, 1623.

The Prince and Duke to James I.1

Madrid, April 27, 1623.

Michael Andrew 2 is now come back from Rome, but the dispensation got hither before him; that you may the better judge of the conditions it is clogged with, we have sent you Gage's letters; this comfort yourself with, that we will not be long before we get forth of this labyrinth, wherein we have been entangled these many years; we beseech your majesty be secret in the conditions, and be assured we will yield to nothing, but what you may perform both with your honour and conscience; if you should not keep them so, it will beget dispute, censures, and conclusions there to our prejudice. The chief end

1 MS. Harl. 6987, art. 42.

2 The prince had despatched this person to Rome, as he says, in a letter to James, not here printed, "with a direction to send the nearest way to you, as soon as any resolution is taken."