Number 12.

A Part of Cardinal Wolsey's Letter to the King concerning his

Marriage.

Taken from the Original.

BOOK
II.

brary, Vi

WE dayly and howerly musing and thinking on your Gracs Cotton Ligret and secrete Affayre, and howe the same may cume to good tellius, B. 9. Effecte and desired Ende, aswel for the Deliverance of your P. 146. Grace out of the thrauld pensif and dolorous Lif that the same is in, as for the Continuance of your Helth and the Suertie of your Realme and Succession, considering also that the Popes consent, or his Holines deteyned in Captivite, the Auctorite of the Cardinalls nowe to be convoked into France equivalent thereunto, must concurre for Approbation of such Processe as I shal make in that behaulf; and that if the Quene shal fortune, which it is to be supposed she will doe, eyther appele or utterly decline from my Jurisdiction (one of the said Auctorites is also necessaryly requisite) I have noon other thought ne studye but howe in avaylable maner the same may be attayned. And after long discussion and debating with my self, I finally am reduced and resolved to two Points: the oon is that the Poopes consent cannot be obteyned and had in this Case, oonles his Delyveraunce out of Captivite be first procured: the other is that the Cardinalls canne nothing doe in this behalfe, oonless there be by them Consultation and Order taken, what shall be doon in Administratione rerum Ecclesiasticarum durante dicta captivitate summi Pontificis.

As touching the Restitution of the Pope to Libertie the State of the present Affaires considred the most prompte sure and redy waye is, by conclusion of the Peace betwixt the Emperor and the French King: for the avancement and setting forward whereof I shall put my self in extreme devour, and by al possible meanes induce and persuade the said French King to strayne himself and condescende to asmuch of the Emperours Demands as may stande with Reason and Suertie of his and your Gracs Affayres; moving him further, that forasmuch as the Emperour taketh your Highnes as a Mediator making fayre

VOL. III. P. 3.

C

III.

PART demonstration in Words, that he wil at your Contemplation and Arbitre, not oonly declare the botom of his Mynde concerning his Demaund, but also remitte and relent in the same, he wil be contented that your Grace forbering the Intimacion of Hostilite maye in the managing of the said Peace and inducyng the Emperour to reasonable Conditions, be so taken and reputed of him, without any outward declaration to the contrary untyl such tyme as the conducying of the said Peace shalbe clerely desperate: Whereby if the said French King canne be induced thereunto, maye in the meane season use the benefit of their Entercourse in the Emperours Lowe-Countries: not omitting nevertheles for the tyme of solliciting the said Peace, the diligent Zeal and effectual Execution of the Sworde by Monseur de Lautrek in the Parties of Italy: wherby your Gracs said Mediation shal be the more set by and regarded.

And in case the said Peace cannot be by these means brought to effecte, wherupon might ensue the Popes delyverance, by whose auctorite and consent your Gracs affayre shuld take most sure honourable effectual and substancial ende, and who I doubte not considering your Gracs gratitude, wold facilly be induced to doe all things therin that might be to your Graces good satisfaction and purpose, thenne and in that case there is noone other remedy but the Convocation of the said Cardinalls; who as I am enformed will not nor canne conveniently convene in any other Place but at Avinion, where the Administration of the Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction hath been in semblable Cases heretofore exercised. To the which Place if the said Cardinalls canne be induced to cume, your Highnes being soo contented, purpose also to repare, not sparing any labour travayl or payne in my body chargs or expense, to doe service unto your Grace in that behalfe; according to my most bounden Dutie and harty Desyre, there to consulte and devise with them for the Governance and Administration of the Auctorite of the Church during the said Captivity: which shall be a good Grounde and Fundament for the effectual execution of your Gracs secrete Affayre.

I

And for asmuch as thus reparing to Avinion I shall be nere to the Emperours Confines, and within an hundred. Myles of Perpinian which is a commodious and convenient Place to

II.

commen and treate with the Emperors Personne, I think in my BOOK poor Opinion that the conducing of Peace by your Graces Mediation not being desperate, nor Intimation of Hostilite made on your behalfe, it should much conferre aswell for the Delyverance of the Poope, as for concluding of the Peace between the French King and the Emperor, if his Majestie canne be soe contented that a meating might be betwen him, my Lady the French Kinges Modre, and Me at the said Perpinian; to the which

This is all in the Copy written in Cardinal Wolsey's Hand.

Number 13.

A Letter written by King Henry VIII. to Cardinal Wolsey, re

calling him Home.

W. Cook's

My Lord this shall be to thank you of your great paines and Among S. travaile which you have sustained since your departure hence, Papers. for our busynesse and causes: wherin you have done to us no little honour, pleasure and profitt, and to our Realm an infinite goodnesse; which Service cannot be by a kind Master forgotten, of which fault I trust I shall never be accused, specially to youward which so laboriously do serve me. Furthermore because as yet since the Popes Captivity we never sent to salute him, nor have no Man resident there to advertize us of the Affaires there; and also lest the Queene should prevent us by the Emperour's means in our great Matter; We think it meet to send this Bearer thither, of whose Truth and Sincerity we have had long Proof, praying you to give him such Instructions and Commissions as shall be for our Affair's there Requesite: and that with convenient diligence, to the intent our Affair's there may have some stay. No more at this time, but that greatly I desire your Return home, for here we have great Lack of you, and that you give full Credence to my Secretary this Bearer; Written with the Hand of your loving Sovereign Lord and Friend

HENRY R.

PART
III.

Number 14.

Paper

Office.

A Letter from Rome by Gardiner to King Henry, setting forth the

Pope's Artifices.

An Original.

PLEASETH it your Majestie to be advertised that endevoring our selfs to the best of our Powers al joyntely and I my self aparte applying al my poore Wit and Lernyng to atteyne at the Popes hande sum parte of the accomplyshement of your Highnes desires, finally have nothing prevayled: but now see it called in Question whether the Auctorite geven to the Legats there shulde be revoked or noe. The circumstaunce wherof and what hath been doon and said therin, your Highnes shall understande by our commen Letters which we have writen to my Lorde Legats Grace, but to saye as I conjecture I think that Matier was moved but for a stop of our other Suts, and that it is not ernestely ment: And albeit there is mencion of the Queen in that Matier as thowe she should have a Procter for the same, yet the Pope two dayes before, in an other Comunication said that the Emperour had advertised him, how the Queen wolde do nothing in this Matier, in saying nor speaking to any Man for the let delaye or hindrance of this Matier, but as your Highnes shal wil and command her to doe: And that the Emperour said, he would therfore more earnestly looke unto the Cause himself. I marveled much when the Pope said this, and me thought he spoke it as though he wolde we shuld signifie the same unto your Highnes, and I noted it the more, for because your Highness had commanded me to enquire out who shuld be here the Queens Proctor: and it semed spoken for the nones, as to put me out of doubt therof. But whither the Pope hath this writen out of Spayne or out of Englande, I wot not what to saye. But it seemed strange to us to rede in Cardinal Campegnis's Letters, that neyther he nor Campanus, made on the Pope's Behalf, any Promyse to your Highnes, but only in general Terms, considering that upon these special Terms de plenitudine potestatis, and trust that the Pope wolde use that in your Highnes Cause, I was sent hither, like as in my Instruc

II.

tions is conteyned: Which failing, your Highness I doubt not BOOK right well remembreth how Master Wolman, Mr. Bell, and I showed your Highnes such Things as wer to be required, not to be impetrable: My Trust is that your Highnes wil accept in good Part my true Harte and good Will, which according to my most bounden Duty shall never want, but be holly applyed where your Highnes shall command without respeck or regard of any other lyving Creature, being very sory to see your Highnes Cause handled in this sorte. But your Highnes hath so much vertue in you, wherof God is to be thanked, as may suffice to converte other Mens Faults into Goodness, to your Highnes gret Glory, Renowne, and Immortal Fame: which is all that canne be said after my poor Witt herin, considering that your Highnes hath been not well handled, nor according to your Merits by the Pope, or sum other: it becometh not me to arrecte the Blame certaynly to any Man. And the Pope shewith Cardinal Campegnis Letters for his Discharge, which Thing your Highnes shall much better judge and consider by your high Wisdom thenne I canne write, most humbly desiring your Highnes that being in these Termes with the Popes Holyness, we may know of your Highness what to say further.

As touching the Bulles to be here impetracte for your Highness, I have spoken with the Popes Holynes, and he is content in all Points to grant as I required him, saving in that matier de animadversione in Clericos, to the which he wolde not absolutely assent, but said he wold with the Cardinal Sanctorum quatuor divise that shuld be to your Highnes Satisfaction: wishing then that he might grante as easely our other Peticions, which he knoweth your Highnes to have more to Harte, as he may these, adding by and by that he would for the Welth of Christendom, the Queen wer in her Grave: and as he thought the Emperour wolde be thereof most glad of al: saying allso that he thought like as the Emperour hath destroyed the Temperaltis of the Church, soe shall she be the Cause of the Destruction of the Spiritualties. Making exclamation of his Misfortune in whose Personne these two Adversites shuld chaunce, and upon the Occasion of that Famylie. Whenne we speak with him we think we shuld have all Things, and in the