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of the words and additions newly devised as ye can get; which ye may do under this form and colour, that is to say, to shew unto the Pope's Holiness, by way of sorrow and dolence, how your Courier, to whom ye committed the conveyance of the said Pollicitation, so chanced, in wet and water in the carriage thereof, as the Pacquet wherein it was, with such Letters as were with the same, and amongst other the Rescripts of Pollicitation, were totally wet, defaced, and not legible; so as the Pacquet and Rescript was and is detained by him to whom ye direct your Letters, and not delivered amongst the other unto the King's hands; and unless his Holiness, of his goodness unto you, will grant you a double of the said Pollicitation, ye see not but there shall be some notable blame imputed unto you for not better ordering thereof, to the conservation of it from such chance. And thus coming to a new Pollicitation, and saying, ye will devise it as near as ye can remember, according to the former, ye by your Wisdoms, and namely ye Mr. Stevins, may find the means to get as many of the new and other pregnant, fat, and available words as is possible, the same signed and sealed as the other is, to be written in Parchment; the politick handling whereof, the King's Highness and I commit unto your good discretions; for therein, as ye Mr. Stevins know, resteth a great strength and corroboration of all that shall be done there, in decision of the King's said Cause; and as ye write, may be in manner as beneficial to the King's purpose, as the Commission Decretal.

And to the intent ye may the better know how to proceed in this Business, I advertise you that the King's Highness hath now received fresh Letters out of Spain, answering to those sent by Curson jointly with a Servant of the Queen's, for exhibition of the Original Brief here, of whose expedition you Mr. Stevins were privy before your departure. The Letters were of sundry dates, the last whereof is the 21 of April, at which time the Emperor was at Cæsar Augusta, upon his departure towards Barselona. In effect, the Emperor minding by his departure thither, and other his Acts, to make a great demonstration of his coming into Italy, who is to nothing, as the King's Ambassadours write, more unmeet and unfurnished than to that voyage, not having any Gallies there but three, which lay on dry Land unrigged, as they have done a long time passed, none Assembly of the States of that Land, none order, provision of Victual, towardness in conscription of Men of War, or appearance of such thing, but that his going to Barselona is chiefly under pretext to attain certain old Treasure there

remaining, and to give the better reputation to his Affairs in Italy. As to the matter of Peace and Truce, he seemeth not so alien from it, but that he would, under colour thereof, be glad to separate and dis-join other from the sincerity of confidence that is between them, working somewhat with the French King, which he himself confesseth to be but abuses. On the other side, he maketh overture of Peace or Truce to be had with the King's Highness apart; and in the mean time entertaineth the Popes Holiness, as one whom, won from the residue of the Confederates, he thinketh himself most assured of: Howbeit in all this his Business, ye may constantly affirm, that his Compasses cannot prevail in any thing that may be excogitate to the separation of the King's Highness and the French King, who so entirely proceed together, that the Emperor coming or not coming into Italy, the said French King intendeth to prosecute him in the place where his Person shall be. To whom the King's Highness now sendeth the Duke of Suffolk, with the Treasurer of his honourable Houshold; who if the Pope will not really and actually intend to the maintaining of the Peace, coming to the convention of his Holiness, moved as the case shall require, shall be furnished of a substantial number of Men of War out of his Realm to the assistance of the said French King, if the Emperor happen to descend in Italy. So as his things there be not like to be in such surety as might bring the Pope's Holiness to this extremity of fear and respect. And all the Premisses touching this knowledg had out of Spain, and the French King's Interest with the King's Concurrence, as afore; It shall be well done ye declare to the Pope's Holiness, whereby peradventure the same shall be removed from some part of his said overmuch respect to that part.

As to sending of the Brief, the Emperor refusing to send it into England, sheweth some towardness of sending it to Rome, minding and intending to have the King's Matter decided there and not here; howbeit all be but vain Collusions: For as ye shall perceive by such things as be extracted out of the Letters of the King's Orators Resident in Spain, a Copy whereof I send you herewith, the more the said Breve cometh into light and knowledg, the more falsities be deprehended therein; and amongst other, one there is specially to be noted, making, if it be true, a clearer and manifest proof of the same Falsity; which because if it were perceived by the adverse Party, or any of their Friends, Counsellors, or Adherents, it might soon by a semblable falsity be reformed, is above all other things to be kept secret, both from the Pope, and all other there,

except to your selves: for in computation of the Year of our Lord is a diverse order observed in the Court of Rome in Bulls and Breves; That is to say, in the Bull beginning at the Incarnation of our Lord, in the Brief at the Nativity; So as the thing well searched, it is thought it shall be found, that the date presupposed to be of the Breve, which is 26 Decemb. Anno Dom. 1503. Pontificatus Julii anno primo, well conferred with the manner and usages of of that Court: He that counterfeited the Brieve, not knowing such diversity between the date of the Bull and Breves, and thinking to make both Dates of one day, dated the Breve at a day before Pope Julii was Pope; which ye shall more plainly perceive by the said Copy, and specially if under some good colour ye ripen your selves there, whether the year in the date of Breves change upon Christmass day, or upon New-years day, wherein the King's pleasure is, that ye ensearch and certifie here what ye shall know and perceive. And if ye shall by such inquiry find matter making to the purpose, as it is not doubted but ye shall do, then for the more sure justification and proof thereof before the Judges; It shall be expedient ye in writing make mention of such a doubt, finding the means that it may be answered and declared in the same Writing, by certain expert Persons of the Secretaries, and other Officers of that Court, with subscription of their Answer and Names; whereby it may appear here before us as Judges, as a thing true and approved: Howbeit, great dexterity is to be used for the secrecy thereof; for if such Exceptions might come to the knowledge of the Adverse Party, they might, as the said Orators write, soon reform that default by detrahing one Letter, or Title, or forging a new Brief, alledging error in the Transumpts, which might be the total disappointment of deprehension of the falsity in that chief and principal point. I pray you therefore to regard that Matter substantially, and to order it by your good Wisdoms accordingly.

XXIV.

The two Legates' Letter to the Pope, advising a Decretal Bull. A Duplicate.

(Cotton Libr. Vitel. B. 11.)

PRIORIBUS nostris ad Sanctitatem Vestram literis quid hic ageremus, quove in statu causa hæc esset exposuimus; postea quum, et res ipsa, et desiderium Regis admodum urVOL. I, PART II.

geret, ut ad Causæ ipsius merita agnoscenda accingeremur, quando in suspenso, non modo horum Regum vota, sed nec hujus Regni firmandi ratio, diutius haberi potest, omni suasionis genere horum animis prius adhibito, ut alterius voluntati alter cederet, eique morem gererent, cum nihil profecerimus, ad Judicii institutionem accedentes, de modo causam ipsam pertractandi, multa longioribus colloquiis inter nos commentati sumus; qua in re, dum quæ necessaria sunt adornantur, exhibitum est per Reginam exemplum Brevis Julii 2. eodem tempore quo et Bulla super hac materia, dati et scripti, sed attentiore cura et longe consideratiore mente confecti, quod, quia in substantialibus etiam ab ipsa Bulla diversum est, non modo Regium, sed nostrum quoq; animum, mire suspensum habuit, usq; adeo ut de ejus veritate plurimum suspicari libeat; nam præter insperatam in tanta opportunitate ejus apparitionem, incredibile videtur, ut eodem tempore idem author, eisdem partibus, in eadem Causa, diversa admodum ratione caverit, et permansuro Diplomati ejusq; Decreto, ad perpetuam rei memoriam, proferendo, et plumbeo caractere excudendo dormitaverit, brevioribus vero literis, molli cera communiendis exactissimi studii et sobriæ cogitationis speciem impresserit: ne tamen Majestas hæc rem hanc damnatam priusquam exploratam habeat, quippe quæ magis inveritate quam in voto suo, Causæ hujus eventum susceptura videtur, ad ipsius Brevis exhibitionem instat, quod, quia honestum et rationi consonum videtur, a nobis etiam probatur, propterea omni studio curamus, ut Breve ipsum, quod in Hispaniis esse dicitur, et a quo exemplum hoc effigiatum aiunt proferatur; atque ut hoc expeditiore cura, et majore compendio assequamur, præter primam et summam illam de causa cognoscendi potestatem, quam a Sanctitate Vestra habemus, aliam quoque ad hunc specialiter articulum habendam putamus, per quam possimus etiam per censuras, omnes etiam Regia et Imperiali Authoritate fulgentes, monere et adigere ut dictum Breve nobis exhibeant, sine quo causa hæc nedum absolvi, sed nec commode tractari queat. Atque hoc primum est, quod Majestas hæc, in tanta animi fluctuatione qua nunc æstuat, a nobis curandum putat, quo impetrato, Judicii via insistentes ad Causæ cognitionem procedemus; quod si non proferatur, vel inutile et vitiatum, et fide sua facile rejiciendum, prolatum fuerit, nihil prohibebit, hoc sublato obice, 'quin ex officio nostro reliqua prosequamur: sin vero exhibeatur, et veritate sua, vel adeo scite conficta fallacia, ita se tueatur ut acriori examine id inquiri debeat, pate. facto jam patronorum cavillis et calumniis foro, quibus un

dis et judicii fluctibus non solum articulum hunc Brevis, sed universam Causam implicaturi simus, nullus non viderit; neque enim deerunt quæ suspectam ipsius Brevis fidem faciant, vel ex hoc maxime, quod cum maxime Regis et Regni hujus intersit, nihil prorsus de eo antehac auditum fuerit, nec ejus memoria aut ratio ulla extet in Scriniis Regiis, in quibus etiam minima quæque ad Regnum'spectantia asservari solent: nam verisimile non est in Hispaniis majorem Anglicæ rei curam fuisse quam in ipsa Anglia, neq; quempiam solerti et acri adeo ingenio fuisse, qui hujuscemodi dissidium vigesimo quinto ab hinc anno suboriturum, et hac sola ratione sublatum iri posse divinaverit, nulla ut diximus apud hunc Regem, et in hoc Regno talis rei memoria extante. Porro si ex Brevi ad Bullam, et ex Bulla ad Breve transitus fiat, atque illius jejunitatem et ari.. ditatem insectemnr, hujus prægnantia verba, et ad omnes fere exceptiones tollendas, superstitiosam quodammodo vigilantiam conferamus, et quæ utrinq; deduci poterunt in Rescriptis Apostolicis æquo animo audiamus, periclitaturi certe sumus, ne, quod minime cupimus, Sedis Apostolicæ Authoritatem patientia nostra in discrimen rapiamus, atque dum Regno, et Regni hinc suppetias ferre volumus, rem dignitatemq; nostram multo minorem faciamus, cui tum posita etiam anima, favere et adesse semper cupimus et debemus. Propterea, Beatissime Pater, non solum pro Regis et Causæ hujus commodo, sed pro dignitate quoq; Ecclesiastica et Sanctitatis Vestræ Autoritate hic tuenda et conservanda, nullo pacto committendum ducimus, ut nobis spectantibus et audientibus, de Potestate Romani Pontificis, de literarum Apostolicarum sub plumbo et sub an nulo scriptarum fide, et repugnantia, deque juris divini abrogatione disceptetur, maxime in Regum causa oppugnanda et defendenda, qui, ut sublimiore sunt fastigio collocati, ita iniquiori animo patiuntur Causæ suæ casum, cum qua et dignitatem et existimationem suam diminutam iri intelligunt, quæ si ignobilium etiam animos quosq; exulcerare, ipsa rerum experientia docti cernimus, qualiter quæso putamus Regios et generosos affectura. Itaq; quoniam hanc carybdim et hos scopulos evitasse semper tutum erit, propterea hujusmodi incommoda quodammodo prætervecti, ubi ad litis molestias et incertas fori fluctuationes causam deducendam perspicimus, suadere, rogare et sum. mis precibus pariq; reverentia contendere non desinemus, ut si exhibito Brevi pura veritas ita latitaverit, quod rectumne an falsum, vitiatum ceu adulterinum fuerit judicare ac decernere minime valeamus, Sanctitas Vestra Causam hanc ad se avocet, non solum ut tanto discrimine, et per

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