II. BOOK Bull, and falsity of the Brief, such as may lead any Man of reason or intendment, well to perceive, and know, that no sufficiency or assured truth can be therein; How may the Pope's Holiness, ex æquo et justo, refuse or deny to any Christian Man, much less to a Prince of so high merits, and in a cause whereupon depend so many consequences, to his Holiness well known, for a vain respect of any Person, or by excuse of any Sickness, justifie, colour, or defend any manner refusal, tract, or delay, used in declaration of the truth in so great a Matter, which neither for the infinite conveniences that thereby might ensue, admitteth or suffereth to be delayed, nor by other than himself, his Act or Authority, may lawfully be declared? And well may his Holiness know, That to none it appertaineth more to look unto the justness of the King's desire in this behalf, than to his Highness his self, whose interest, whose Cause, with the same of his Realm and succession resteth herein; for if his Grace were minded, or would intend to do a thing inique or unjust, there were no need to recur unto the Pope's Holiness for doing thereof. But because his Highness and his Council, who best know the whole of this matter, and to whose part it belongeth most profoundly to weigh and ponder every thing concerning the same, be well assured of the truth of the Matter, needing none other thing but for observance of his Duty towards God and his Church, to have the same Truth also approbate and declared by him to whom the doing thereof appertaineth; his Grace therefore seeing an untruth alledged, and that so craftily as by undue and perverse ways, the same without good e remedy adhibited, may for a season bring things into confusion, doth communicate unto the Pope's Holiness presumptions and evidences enough, and sufficient to inform the Conscience of his Holiness of the very truth: which then, if his Holiness will not see, but either for affection, fear, or other private cause, will f have hearkenyng to every dilatory and vain allegation of such as led upon undue grounds would colour the Truth; What doth his Holiness less therein, than under a right vain colour expresly refuse and deny the said Justice, which to be done II. either in health or sickness, in a matter of so great moment, is BOOK in no wise tolerable? But for the same reasons that be before mentioned, is the thing, whether the Pope's Holiness be in hope or despair of life, without further tract to be absolved and determined; for if Almighty God grant his Holiness life, this Act is, and always shall be, able to bear it self, and is meet to be an example, a President and a Law, in all like Cases emerging, the Circumstances and Specialties of the same in every part concurring as they do in this; nor can the Emperor make exceptions at the same, when he best knowing, percase, the untruth shall see the grounds and occasions, that of necessity and meer justice have enforced and constrained the Pope's Holiness thereunto; which he could not refuse to do, unless he would openly and manifestly commit express injury and notorious injustice. For be it that the Pope's Holiness hearkning to the said frivolous and vain Allegations, would refuse to declare the Law herein to the King's purpose, then must his Holiness, either standing in doubt, leave and suffer the Cause to remain in suspence to the extream danger of the King's Realm and Succession for ever, or else declare the Bull or Breve, or both, to be good, which I suppose neither his Holiness, nor any true Christian Man can do, standing the manifest occasions, presumptions, and apparent evidences to the contrary. Then if the matter be not to be left in suspence, hne Judgment can be truly given to the approbation of the Bull or Breve; how can the Pope's Holiness of Conscience, Honour, or Vertue, living or dying, thus procrastinate or put over the immediate finishing thereof, according to the King's desire? or how may his Holiness find his Conscience towards God exonerate, if either living he should be the cause of so many evils as hereof may arise; or dying, wilfully leave this so great a Matter, by his own default, in this confusion, incertainty and perplexity? It is not to be supposed, that ever Prince most devout to the See Apostolick, could so long tolerate so high an injury, as being so merited towards the said See, is both iunaquited for his kindness with any special Grace, and also denied II. k 1 BOOK upon his petition of that which is evident to be plain Justice. This thing is otherwise to be looked upon, than for the Pope's Sickness, where most need were to put an end unto it, to be delayed, seeing that living and amending, it is of it self expedient and justifiable, and dying, it shall be an act both necessary, meritorious and honourable. For this cause ye now knowing the King's mind in this behalf, shall if ye have not already before this time spoken with the Pope's Holiness at length in these Matters, as the King's Grace trusteth ye have done, sollicite as well by the mean of Messiere Jacobo Salviati, as by the Bishop of Verone, and otherwise as ye can think best, to have such commodious access unto his Holiness, as ye may declare the premises unto him; which by your wisdoms, in as effectual and vive manner as ye can, opened unto his Holiness. It is undoubtedly to be thought the same shall rather be to his comfort and encrease of Health, than to any his trouble or unquietness; and that his Holiness hearing these reasons not evitable, will whether he be in way and hope of amendment, or otherwise, both proceed to the said indication, and also to the Declaration of the Law, and passing of a sufficient and ample Decretal, as hath been devised in the King's said Cause, with other such things, as by former Letters and instructions, by the Decrees, mentioned in the same, that failing have been committed unto you, to be solicited and procured there; in the labouring whereof, albeit since your m departure from hence, the things have by reason of the Pope's n said sickness, otherwise chanced than was here supposed, by mean whereof ye not instructed what to do in any such case, were peradventure not over-hasty or importune to labour these Matters, till the Pope's Holiness might be better amended, nor could percase find the means to have convenient access unto his presence for the same, ye must nevertheless adhibit such diligence, as howsoever the sickness of his Holiness shall cease, amend, or continue, these things be not for the same, or any other cause tracted or left in longer suspence; but finding possible means to come unto the Pope's presence, to declare all such things unto the II. same, mention'd both in the former Letters and instructions BOOK given unto you, and also in these presents, as may make to the purpose; and failing of often access in your own Persons to his Holiness, ye cause the Bishop of Verone, and other such assured Friends as ye can attain, being about him at such times as they may have with his Holiness, to Pinculke unto him the said Points and Considerations, and all other that ye can excogitate and devise to the furtherance and advancement of these Matters, not forbearing or sparing also, if ye shall see difficulty at the Pope's hand, or in audience to be given to you or your Friends there, being about his Person, to break and open after a good fashion and manner the same unto such of the Cardinals, as ye may perceive assuredly and constantly to favour the King's Highness, and the French King in Election of a future Pope, in case (as God forbid) the Pope's Holiness should decease; and to shew unto the same Cardinals, all such things as you shall think meet, both for their more ample instructions in the truth and specialties of the Matters, as well concerning the Indication of Truce, as the King's said Cause, and the presumptuous Reasons, and plainer Evidences, leading to the insufficiency of the Bull, and apparent falsity of the said Breve; to the intent, that as many of the said Cardinals as ye can win, made sure in those Matters, they may, both in time of sickness, and also of amendment, move and induce the Pope's Holiness thereunto, laying before him as well the Merits and Honour that may ensue by the perfection of the Premises, as the danger imminent by the contrary: and semblably it shall be expedient that ye win and make sure to the same purpose, as many of the Officers of the 9 Rote and other as ye can, who as ye write be not accustomed, 'ne will give counsel to any Person but s to the Pope's Holiness; for albeit ye cannot have them to be of the King's Council, yet nevertheless they may do as much good, or more, in training and counselling the Pope's Holiness, upon the great Reasons that tye can shew unto them, to hearken unto your Overtures in this behalf. To which purpose you shall adquire, make, and win, as many Friends of the Car II. BOOK dinals, of them, and other, as ye possibly may, as for the thing which the King's Highness and I more esteem than twenty Papalities; and amongst other, ye shall insist, by all means and good persuasions ye can, for the continuance there of the said Bishop of Verone, so as he may countervail the Arch-Bishop of Capuan; who, as it seemeth, is continually about the Pope's Person, and were necessary to be met with in the labours and persuasions, which by likelyhood he maketh to the hindrance of the King's Purpose: For the better y conteignyng of the which Bishop of Verone, not only the King's Highness and I write unto him at this time, as by the Copy of the same several Letters being herewith ye shall perceive, but also the French King will do the semblable. And furthermore, to the intent that the Pope's Holiness may well perceive that not only the said French King mindeth the King's said Cause, and taketh it to heart as much as it were his own, and will effectually join and concur with the King's Highness therein, but that also he is and will be conformable to the said Indication; He will send thither, with all speed, the Bishop of Bayon to further, sollicite, and set forth the same; who, before his departure from hence, which was a good season passed, was and is sufficiently and amply instructed in all things requisite to this purpose; and not only in these Matters, but also in such other as were written unto you by Vincent de Cassalys, and Hercules, upon advertisement given hither that the Pope's Holiness was deceased; so as ye may be sure to have of him effectual concurrence and advise in the furtherance and sollicitation of your Charges, whether the Pope's Holiness amend, remain long sick, or (as God forbid) should fortune to die; trusting, that being so well furnished by all ways that can be devised, ye will not fail to use such diligence as may be to the consecuting and attaining of the King's Purpose: wherein, tho' ye be so amply and largely instructed, that more cannot be; yet nevertheless having lately received from the Bishop of Worcester a Memorial of diverse great things to be well noted and considered, for trial of the falsity of the said Breve, I send you herewith a Copy y continuing z Cassalis, |