II. BOOK modum facientes, uberius exponentes, partim vero eam remunerationem illis dantes, quæ judicio vestro conveniens habebitur, dummodo optatum res sortiatur effectum. Et ut omnia queatis præstare commodius cum his, meas literas accipietis quas ad Cardinalem Sanctorum Quatuor et Collegium Cardinalium scribo, easque reddetis ut expedire censueritis, plane confidens nihil à vobis omissum iri, ut hac in re eorum gratiam, atq; favorem queatis obtinere, in quem eventum ea munera offeretis, quæ convenientia visa fuerint, Regiaque Majestas quicquid ejus nomine promiseritis, id fidelissime, uberrimeq; præstabit, pro quarum rerum expeditione, illis pecuniis uti poteritis per literas Cambii Venetias transmissis, m quos ut suffecerint necessariumq; vos existimaveritis rei impetrandæ. Et quum ambiguum sit an vobis licuerit hoc tempore ad Pontificis præsentiam accedere, hujusmodi accessus defectus, si aliæ rem ad bonum exitum perducendi rationes non excogitarentur, causa esse posset longioris moræ, et totius rei impedimento; proinde Regia Majestas, ut modos omnes experiatur, nec uni soli inhæreat, hæc eadem in mandatis dedit Domino Secretario, quem non procul ab Urbe esse intelleximus, quemadmodum in his aliisq; meis brevioribus literis continentur, ita quod alter vestrum, vel uterque si fieri possit, ad Pontificis præsentiam accessum habeat, nihil tamen sub spe Domini Secretarii, vestræ vos diligentiæ aut industriæ omittetis, nec ille sub spe vestra, in re hac modis omnibus promovenda remissior erit, sed nihil conjunctim aut divisim intentatum relinquetis. Quod si uterq; vestrum ad Pontificem admittatur, alter de altero nescius, id non oberit, sed multum proficiet, etiam si ante alterius adventum negotium hoc alter impetrâsset, sed si aliquis vestrum cognoverit causam hanc expeditam esse, omniaq; pro certo impetrata esse, tunc labori et sumptibus Pontificem pro eadem re accedendi parcere poteritis, neq; in nea amplius ingerere, neq; necessarium aut opportunum erit, ut pro ulla alia re in præsentia quam pro hac apud Sanctissimum Dominum Nostrum agatis, sed solum nunc procurabitis de Commissione et Dispensatione juxta formam ad vos missam obtinenda, necnon de pro II. festinatione illa, quam compendii ad vos dedi, in quibus om- BOOK nibus et singulis apte tractandis Regia Majestas magnam fiduciam in vestra prudentia collocavit, in quibus cum tam magni sint momenti, ex Regiæ Majestatis sententia nunc vobis maxime elaborandum est. Deniq; quum intelligam Dominum Lautrek nonnihil mirari, quod Regiæ Majestatis istic agentis, nullam suorum mandatorum partem cum eo conferunt, ad eum nunc scribo, et nonnulla Domino Roberto Jernyngham ei exponenda committo, concernentia actiones cum Ferrariæ Duce, et alia quædam eodem Domino Lautrek; significans vos missos esse ad dictas causas juvandas, et Pontificis liberationem promovendam, quemadmodum ex literarum ad Dominum Jernyngham exemplo cognoscetis: expediens itaq; fuerit, ut præ se feratis, vos dictæ rei gratia missos esse, ne forsan Dominus Lautrek in falsam aliquam conjecturam aut suspicionem incideret, quæ communibus rebus nocere posset, et in vestrarum quoq; actionum impedi mentum redundare. Illud deinde reticere nolui, quod si ullo pacto vobis liceat ad Sanctissimi Domini nostri præsentiam accedere, nihil omittatis in favorem et gratiam Reverendi Domini Datarii, de cujus animo nihil dubitamus, comparandam; eiq; asseretis quod quum in nostris omnibus occurrentiis illius opera ac Patrocinio semper usi fuerimus, ipse vero tanta semper fide ac sedulitate omnia effecerit quæ nobis grata et optata esse cognovit, ut nostram omnem operam suis rebus reddiderit promptissimam, et suæ utilitatis et exaltationis cupidissimam. Quocirca hæc Regia Majestas hac in re, qua nullam magis cordi habet, nec gravioris momenti quicquam sibi accidere posse judicat, ex animi sui sententia conficienda, post Sanctissimum Dominum nostrum, in Domino Datario spem omnem collocavit, qui ex hac occasione, si operam suam ad optatum usq; exitum interponere non gravetur, Regiæ Majestatis animum Pac pectus, sic omni ex parte promerebitur, ut dicta Majestas non solum omnia curatura sit, quæ ex Domini Veronensis commodo et ornamento fuerint, sed eam etiam munificentiam et gratitudinem addet, quæ BOOK majorem vel integram partem, à captivitate Redemptionis perII. solvendæ compensabit; in me vero non aliam fidem et amicitiam experietur, quam ab ullo fratre posset expectare. Et bene valete. Londini ex meis Edibus. Die V. Decemb. MDXXVII. Vester tanquam frater Amantiss. T. Cardinalis Eborac. IV. Rome Jan. 1. 1528. Two Letters of Secretary Knight's to the Cardinal and the King, giving an Account of his Conference with the Pope about his Divorce. Taken from the Originals. Cotton Lib. PLEASE it your Grace to understand, That immediately upon Vitell. B. 10. Fol. 2. the receipt of your Grace's Letters, severally directed unto Mr. 1 quinto Gregory yours and his S t unto Liberty, om. "Gregory II. away; which for lack of Heir Male of our Sovereign's Line, BOOK and Stemm, should undoubtedly follow, with other Considerations at length contained in our Instructions. We desired his Holiness to commit the Knowledge of the Dispensation that was obtained in Time of Juli, of famous Memory, for Matrimony to be had between the King and the Widow, Relict late of Prince Arthur; and that he might have it in Form as that was that your Grace sent hither. His Holiness answered, That our Sayings had great likelihood of Truth, for lacking of Issue Male of the King's Stemm, considering the nature of men being prone unto Novelties, and disposed unto Parties and Factions, the Realm of England would not only enter into their accustomed Divisions, but also would owe or do small Devotion unto the Church; wherefore his Holiness was right well content and ready to adhibit all fRemedies that in him was possible as this time would serve. And because he was not expert in making of Commissions, he would consult with the Cardinal Sanctorum Quatuor, and use his Advice, which we should shortly know. unto our We perceiving that the obtaining of our Charges after the King's and your Grace's Pleasure, depended much upon the Advice of Sanctorum Quatuor, did prevent his going unto the Pope, and delivering your Grace's Letters with Recommendations accordingly, we desired him to be good and favourable Requests in the King's behalf; and for the better obtaining of our Desires, we promised to see unto him with a competent Reward. And this Communication had, we shewed unto him the Commission, which he said could not pass without perpetual Dishonour unto the Pope, the King, and your Grace; and a great part of such Clauses as & beth omitted, he hath touched and laid Reason for the same in a Writing, which I do send unto your Grace with this. Considering his great Experience, Wisdom, Learning, and the entire Affection that he beareth unto the King and your Grace; and that it was far from the King's Desire, and nothing for your Purposes, that I should first have sent the said Cardinal's Sayings unto your II. k BOOK Grace and abide Answer, and eft-soons h peradventure to do the same: Considering also that the said King desireth a Commission convenient and sufficient, we desired him to make the Minute of one, which he gladly did; When it was made, the Pope said, That at his being in the Castle of St. Angelo, the General of the Observants in Spain, required his Holiness, in the Emperor's Name, not to grant unto any Act that might be Preparative, or otherwise, i to Divorce to be made between the King and the Queen and moreover desired an Inhibition, that the said Cause should not come in Knowledge before any Judge within the King's Dominions. The Pope answered that Inhibitio non datur nisi post litem motam. And as unto the first his Holiness was content, if any like thing were demanded, to advertise the Emperor before, that he did let it pass; and this was in a manner for his Holiness being in Captivity. But his Holiness being yet in Captivity, as your Grace reporteth, and esteemeth him to be as long as the Almaines and Spaniards continueth in Italy; he thought if he should grant this Commission, that he should have the Emperor his perpetual Enemy, without hope of any Reconciliation: Notwithstanding he was content rather to put himself in evident Ruin, and mutterly Undoing, than the King, or your Grace, should suspect any point of n Ingratuyte in him, heartily desiring cum suspiriis et lacrymis, that the King and your Grace, which have always been fast and good unto him, will not now suddenly precipitate him for ever; which should be done, if immediately upon delivering of the Commission, your Grace should begin Process. He intendeth to save all upright thus: If Monsieur de Loutrec would set forwards, which he saith daily that he will do, but yet he doth not, at his coming the Pope's Holiness may have good Colour to say, He was required by the Ambassador of England of a like Commission. And denying the same, because of his Promise unto the General, he was eft-soons P requyred by Monsieur de a Loutrec, to grant the said Commission, inasmuch as it was but a Letter of Justice. And by this Colour he would cover |