eatenus pertinere, ut in gradibus divina lege prohibitis dispensare possit: non opinionibus Scripturientium, qui_Pontificis Authoritatem imminutam velint, sed ipsius Pontificis sententia constat, quem suæ Jurisdictionis modum, et optime novisse et ampliare velle potius quam restringere credendum est; quæ quum ita sint, etiam si humani juris prohibitio per Dispensationem sublata videatur, mapet nihilominus immotum, quod divinum est, si ipsis contra seipsos credimus Pontificibus.

Deinde, ut posse Pontifices dispensare fateamur, et in ea parte tribuamus plus Authoritatis quam ipsi sibiipsis audeant arrogare, tamen non passim, non quocunq; modo, non temere, et sine omni consideratione, posse eos dispensare; atq; fatendum est ne suo testimonio Dissipatores verius, quam Dispensatores appellentur. Itaque ut causam urgentissimam ei evidentissimam, tum etiam manifestissimam debet habere Dispensatio, precibus deniq; veris, non ementitis atq; confictis inniti.

In Dispensatione autem, quo constat hoc Matrimonium, verbis quidem pacis causa proponitur, sed non ideo quia sic refertur, re ipsa subsistit, Pontificis facta non ad verborum superficiem, sed rei ipsius solidam veritatem expendi convenit.

Certum est, pacem multis modis, tum firmissimam fuisse unoq; Matrimonio conciliatam, pactorum deniq; ac fœderum vi constantem, istud necessario Matrimonium non desiderasse, et jam Dispensationem sine causa intervenisse dicimus, et consequenter nullam esse, manereq; adhuc divinam prohibitionem atq; adeo et humanam.

Porro etiam, si aliqua sit, et causam haberet, tum mendaciis conflata est, subreptitia et obreptitia merito appellanda, jure tum divino, tum humano reprobata.

Nam quum quod alioqui Canonibus cautum sit, ipsius etiam Dispensationis proæmium contineat, "Romani Pontificis Autoritatem concessa sibi desuper uti potestate, prout personarum, causarum, et temporum qualitate pensata, id in Domino salubriter conspicit expedire ;" Quomodo potuit S. D. N. hujus Serenissimi Regis qualitates pensare quas ignoravit? Neque enim de ætate quicquam, quæ in contrahendo hoc Matrimonio præcipua qualitas erat, narrabatur, et tamen illum annum eo tempore duodecimum non excessisse notorium est; et tacita ad hunc modum ætate, mendacium pro causa suggestum est manifestissimum; Cupisse, viz. tunc Serenissimum Regem contrahere Matrimonium, ad hoc ut pacis foedera continuarentur: facti veritas est, tum quid ageretur ignorasse, et etiamsi tum scivisset, tamen non fuisse verum quod cuperet

ad hoc ut pacis foedera continuarentur, ætas ostendit, quæ per communis juris dispositionem discretionem non admittit; cupere quidem affectus est, cæterum cupere contrahere Matrimonium, ad hoc ut pacis foedera continuarentur, judicii est et discretionis. Porro autem, quum de continuandis inter duos Principes foederibus ageretur, alter ante mandatam exequutioni Bullam fatis concessit, et re integra, causa, si quæ fuit, cessauit.

Sed producitur aliud Breve tenoris tam efficacis ut istas Objectiones non admittat.

Sed manet nihilominus eorum sententia, qui Pontificem non posse dispensare affirmant, secundum quos nec Breve nec Bulla consistit; deinde Breve falsum esse, et pro falso judicari deberi, multis rationibus convincitur; denique falsum cum sit, et tamen prioris Bullæ errores corrigat, illam opinionem merito confirmet, ne prior Dispensatio efficax videatur, vel eorum judicio, qui hoc Matrimonium defendere studuerunt, viz. qui veris allegationibus diffisi, ad falsas et confictas Dispensationes, vita objecta removentes confugere coacti sunt.

Ista, si singula minus sufficiant, saltem collata, obtineant et persuadeant licere. Illa vero opinio multis persuasa, Pontificem, viz. non potuisse dispensare, ut sola infirmet Dispensationem, non petitur, sed habet nihilominus aliquid considerationis, quanquam enim refellatur a quibusdam et reprobetur, manet tamen scripta, atque adeo testimonio ipsius Pontificis comprobata. Perpendatur deinde causa et suggestionis veritas, si mendacium intervenisse apparet, et quod est notorium, illam Dispensationem adversariorum factis in novi Brevis fabricatione tacite reprobari, quis non videt ex his causis licere ut sententia Divortii proferatur?

Postremo expedit ut id pronuntietur, quod in omnium sententias consentiat, Reprobatio autem Dispensationis cum omnibus convenit opinionibus, sive quia Authoritas abfuit, sive quia non recte interposita dicatur; Approbatio vero cum istis dissentit omnibus.

Expedit ut firma sit et inconcussa Regni Successio, quæ contra has opiniones confirmari non potest.

Expedit ut conscientia Serenissimi Regis his scrupulis impedita, et turbata, expedita et tranquilla reddatur.

Breviter, expedit votis Serenissimi Regis satisfieri, qui pro genuinis et innatis suis virtutibus, non nisi optima cupit, et modo etiam optimo votorum suorum compotem effici laborat; si non virtutem spectaret, cætera nihil haberent difficultatis, sed omnium virtutum cogitationem quandam esse animadvertens, suum justitiæ decorum, quod tempe

rantia est, quærit, ut justum, justo modo, obtineat et assequatur. Itaq; expedit ne auxilium denegetur, vel differatur ei qui id juste implorat.

XXII.

The second part of a long Dispatch of the Cardinal's concerning the Divorce. An Original.

(Cotton Libr. Vitel. B. 11.)

To my loving Friends Master Stephen Gardiner Doctor of both Laws; Sir Francis Brian, and Sir Gregory Cassalis, Knights; and Mr. Peter Vannes, Secretary to the King's Highness for the Latin Tongue; His Grace's Orators, Residents in the Court of Rome.

ANOTHER part of your Charge consisteth in expedition of the King's great and weighty Cause of Matrimony, whereupon depend so many high Consequences, as for no earthly Cause to suffer or tolerate tract or delay, in what case soever the Pope's Holiness be of amendment or danger of life; nor as is aforesaid, oweth to be by his Holiness preteromitted, whether the same be in the state of Recovery, or in any doubt or despair thereof: for one assured and principal fundamental and ground is to be regarded, whereupon the King's Highness doth plant and build his Acts and Cogitations in this behalf, which is from the reasonable favour and justice, being the things from the which the Pope's Holiness, in prosperis nec adversis, may lawfully and honestly digress; and when the plainness of his Cause is well considered, with the manifest Presumptions, Arguments, and Suspitions, both of the insufficiency of the 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 delaied, 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 alleged, and that so craftily as by undue and perverse ways, the same, without good reason 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 hearken 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 expressly deny and refuse the said Justice, which to be done either in health or sickness, in a matter of so great moment, is in no wise tolerable? But for the same reasons that he 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 itself, and is meet to be an Example, a President, and a Law, in all like Cases emerging, the Circumstances and Specialities 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 extreme 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, no 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 unacquitted for his kindness with any special Grace, and also denied 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 delaied, 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 means 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 open it 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 departures from hence, the things have, by reasons of the Pope's sore sickness, otherwise chanced than was here supposed, by means 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