II. BOOK nec absque ratione majestas hæc desiderio huic suo inhæreat: interea vero, dum hac vel illa ratione huic rei occurritur et breve ipsum perquiretur, posset utique sanctitas vestra iterum reginæ animum tentare, et ad religionem emollire, curando (ut quod maxime apud eam gratia et autoritate esse edebent) et literis, et precibus, et nuntiis, omnique alia ratione, hac ipsa via, sibi, suisque rebus omnibus atque aliis optime consulat. Cujusmodi multa, pro salute regni et publica cum dignitate, tum tranquillitate animo agitamus, ut tandem optimo regi præsidio simus, qui incredibili patientia et humanitate, nostram et sanctitatis vestræ opem expectat, sed tanta obsessus cura, sollicitudine et anxietate, ut nullus facile explicare possit, vix enim in hoc ipso, oculis et auribus nostris credimus; cujus usque adeo nos miseret, ut nihil ingrato magis animo audiamus quam ejus de hac re verba, querelas et cruciatum: jure, an injuria liceat nobis hoc, beatissime pater, cum sanctitate vestra tacere, ne præjudicium nobis aut aliis faciamus, sed quem non excitet tot annorum conscientiæ carnificina, quam ut transversum et modo in has et modo in illas partes agant theologorum disputationes, et patrum decreta, nullus non videt; qua in re enucleanda ita ambiguo laboratur sensu, ut jam non doctioris sed melioris hominis lumine et pietate egeamus et propterea factum est fut cum ab utraque parte stent assertores maximi, in illam magis majestas sua hinclinet, quæ ab offensionibus et periculis magis remota videtur. Quem præterea non moveat dulcis illa insitaque sobolis successio, in qua morientes et animam exhalaturi conquiescere, natura ipsa, videmur omnes? quem insuper non accendat, regni atque imperii propagatio, et per solos liberos continuata quædam fruitio? quem deniq; populorum fidei ac ejus curæ commissorum tranquillitas et securitas, quæ in designatis jam regibus et principibus nutritur et vivit, non sollicitet? ita ut tanti adeoq; communis boni fundamenta nulla à se jacta, non doleat et suspiret, cum in extremis ejus diebus, extrema quoque tempora eis adventare sentiat, atq; secum omnia quodammodo in ruinam trahi? Majores habet, beatis debeant f ut om. stant hinclinat, II. sime pater, causa hæc anfractus et difficultates, quam super- BOOK ficie tenus inspectantibus offerantur, in qua vel hæ potissimæ sunt quod nec moram patitur, et in alteram partem non inclinat quidem, sed omnino cogit, ni velimus ab ea præcipites et maxima cum privatæ tum publicæ rei jactura cadere ; nam qui vel reginæ odio, vel speratæ, nec dum forsan notæ, futuræ conjugis illecebra et titillatione regem agi putant, ii excordes plane et toto, quod aiunt, cœlo errare videntur : ut enim credere dignum est, nullis illius quamlibet duris moribus aut injocunda consuetudine, vel ulterioris sobolis spe desperata, regium animum tanto periculo ad odium impelli posse; ita nec in hominis bene sani mentem cadere debet, regem hunc imbecillo adeo esse animo, ut sensuum suadela eam abrumpere cupiat consuetudinem, in qua adolescentiæ suæ florentes annos exegerit persancte adeo, ut in hac quoque fluctuatione, non sine reverentia et honore versetur. Inest, credite omnes, voluntate ejus non modo divinæ legis timor, sed humani quoque juris ratio eximia, hæcq; non privata sed publica, ad quam cum ejus animum trahant, utriusq; juris peritissimi, et regni hujus sui proceres, et primates omnes, nihil tamen suo, aut suorum tantum arbitrio constitutum habere cupit, sed apostolicæ sedis judicio; qua in re quanta sit pietate, maxime ostendit, quum non ex magorum carminibus, et circulatorum imposturis, aliisve malis artibus, sede sanctissima pontificis manu, tanto huic vulneri suo opem petat, de quo vel plura forte quam licuisset sanctitati vestræ subjecimus, quoniam hæc ipsa ulcera manibus nostris contrectavimus, et quantum vitales spiritus exhalent, cognovimus: proinde sanctitas vestra, pii patris et peritissimi medici more, dum virtus adhuc stat, dum salus non desperatur, dum æger ipse sese sustinet et legitima petit auxilia, regem de se et apostolica sede optime meritum in pietatis suæ sinu foveat, illudq; ei indulgeat quod nec disputationum immortalia dissidia, nec litium immensum chaos unquam dabit, nec sine maximo discrimine unquam tractabitur; atque illud etiam secum reputet, quam injurium, et cum privatis tum publicis rebus incommodum sit, extremos BOOK juris apices consectari, quanquam non expediat ex scripto II. jure semper judicari, cui, quia pontifices et principes miro omnium consensu, à Deo ipso præfecti, censentur spiritus et animæ vice, merito in ambiguis, et ubi multa periclitatur hominum salus, arbitrio suo ejus duritiem moderari possunt et debent, in quo sanctitas vestra 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 apostolicæ 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 1fecerint, 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 mexspectari, quid de fortunis eorum omnibus et capitibus statuant, aut ndecernant: 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 1 fecerunt, m exspectare, n decernent: II. illuc, rex hic ruat, curamus, quem in officio vix contineri BOOK 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 ambigimus. Quæ ut celerius majestas sua cognoscat, præsentes hos nuntios suos per dispositos equos ad sanctitatem vestram mittit, 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. b. RIGHT well beloved friends, I commend me unto you in Cotton lib. my most hearty manner, by the hands of Alexander, mes- fol. 11. 119. senger; 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 a firm 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 balso 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 supplication presented by the emperor's ambassador for advocation of the cause should b also of absolute; supplications ■ firm om. с II. BOOK 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 comprised in your said letters, right well and substantially 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. 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 Cæsareans, to the hindrance of the king's cause, as to let and impeach any dadvocation, 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, d advocations, inhibitions, |