distulisset. Verum si Petri liberatione gaudet, si rei miraculum agnoscit, quid impedimento fuit quo minus ei ad januam lætabunda occurrerit, eumque meritas Deo gratias agens, introduxerit, Herode præsertim mortuo, omniq; ejus imperio ad eam delato? An fortassis Divina Providentia quæ te dilectum Petri Filium et ei Virum destinarat, illam timore aliquo tantisper affici permisit, dum venisses, ut utriusq; ad rem tam præclaram et salutarem agendam, opera atque officium conjungeretur: Equidem sic antea hunc Mariæ Reginæ conjugis tuæ timorem, quod etiam ad eam Scripsi sum interpretatus: Ac propterea ad te nunc, Virum ejus, Principem Religiosissimum, scribo, et abs te ipsius Petri Christi Vicarii nomine postulo, ut illi omnes timoris causas prorsus excutias: Habes vero expeditissimam excutiendi rationem, şi consideres eique proponas, quam indignum sit si dum te illa Corporis sui sponsum accerserit, cum non deessent quæ timenda viderentur, tamen omnem timorem sola vicerit, nunc te tano Principi illi conjuncto, timore prohiberi quominus aditum ad se aperiat sponsæ animæ suæ, mecum una et cum Petro tamdiu ad fores expectanti; qui præsertim tot et tam miris modis custodem ejus se, defensoremq; esse declaravit. Noli enim, Rex, putare, me aut solum ad vestram Regiam domum, aut uno tantum Petro comitatum venisse; cujus rei hoc quidem tibi certum Argumentum esse potest, quod tamdiu persevero pulsans Nam sive ego sulus venissem, solus jampridem abiisem, querens et expostulans quæ aliis omnibus pateant, mihi uni occlusas esse fores; sive una mecum solus Petrus, jampridem is quoque discessisset, meque secum abduxisset, pulvere pedum excusso, quod ei preceptum fuit a Domino ut faceret quotiescunque ejus nomine aliquo accedens non admitteretur. Cum vero nihil ego, quod ad me quidem attinet conquerens, perseverem, cum Petrus pulsare non desistat, utrumque scito ab ipso Christo retineri, ut sibi sponso animæ utriusque vestrum aditus ad vos patefiat. Neque enim unquam verebor dicere, Christum in hac Legatione, qua pro ejus Vicario fungor, mecum adesse: Quamdiu quidem mihi conscius ero me nihil meum, me non vestra, sed vos ipsos toto animo omnique studio quærere. Tu vero, Princeps Catholicæ, cui nunc Divina Providentia et Benignitate additum est alterum hoc præclarum Fidei Defensoris cognomen, quo Reges Angliæ Apostolica Petri Autoritate sunt aucti atque ornati, tecum nunc considera quam id tuæ Pietati conveniat, cum omnibus omnium Principum ad te Legatis aditus. patuerit, ut tibi de hoc ipso cognomine adepto gratularentur, solum Successoris Petri qui hoc dedit, Legatum, qui propterea missus est ut te in solio Regni Divina summi omnium Regis quam affert pace et gratia, confirmet, non admitti? An si quidquam hic ad timorem proponitur, quominus eum admittis non multo magis Christi hac in re metuenda esset offensio, quod ejus Legatus qui omnium primus audiri debuit, tamdiu fores expectet, cum cæteri Homines qui multo post venerunt, nulla interposita mora, introducti auditiq; sint et conorifice dimissi. At hic conqueri incipio; conqueror quidem, sed idcirco conqueror, ne justam tuæ Majestati causam de me conquerendi præbeam, quam sane præberem, si cum periculi, quod ex hac cunctatione admittendi Legati à Christi Vicario Missi, nobis vestroq; Regno impendet, Reginam sæpe admonuerim, nihil de ea re ad Majestatem tuam Scriberem ; quod officium cum tibi à me pro eo quo fungor munere maximè debeatur, id me satis persoluturum esse arbitror, si his Literis ostendero quantum periculi ei immineat, cui illud vere dici potest, distulisti Christum tuum. Is autem Christum differt, qui Legatum missum, ab ejus Vicario, ad requirendam Obedientiam Ecclesiæ, ipsi Christo debitam, ex quo nostra omnium pendet salus, non statim admittit. Differs vero, tu Princeps, si cum accercitus fueris, ut pro munere Regio viam ad hanc Divinam Obedientiam in tuo isto Regno restituendam munias, ipse alia agas. XXXI. The Lord Paget's and the Lord Hastings's Letter concerning Cardinal Pole. An Original. (Paper Office.) Ir maie please your most Excellent Majesty to be advertised, that arriving here upon Sunday last in the Forenoone, we had Audience of the Emperor's Majestie in the Afternoone, notwithstanding that the same had that Daie received the Blessed Sacrament, wherby we noted a great Care in him, for the Expedicion of us hence again: After dew Commendation made unto him by us, on your Majesties Behalfe, and the Causes of our comyng declared unto him with suche Circumstances, as by the Tenure of our Instructions, we have in Charge to open unto him, he rejoyced verey much to here the same; and first giving unto you both most hearty Thanks for your Commendations, and then inquiering very diligently of your good Prosperities and Wellfares, aud specially (Madame) of the State of your Majesties Persone, he roused himself with a merry Chere, and said, that among many great Benefits, for the which he thought himself most bounden unto God, this was one of the greatest, that it had pleased him to hold his Blessed Hand over that Realme; and so taking occasion to reherse in what good Estate, and great Reputation, he knew the Realme of England had bene in the Beginning; and afterward into what Calamities the same fell into, much (he said) to his Regret; he gave God Thanks, not only for the great Miracles, which he had shewed upon your Majestie to make you his apt Minister for the restoring of that Kingdome to the Auncient Dignite, Welth, and Renowne, but also for that it hath pleased him to give you so sone, so certaine a Hope of Succession; wherof like as he hathe Cause for his Parte (he said) to Rejoyce and take great Comforte, so hath all England greater Cause to think themselfs most bounden unto God, to please him, and to serve him for the same: These Tydings, he said, of the State of your Majesties Persone (Madame) with the Reaport that we had made unto him of the great Conformite, and hole Consent of the Noble Men, and others in their Proceedings before your Majesties, touching the receiving of my Lord Cardinal into England, and their earnest Submissions to the Obedience, and Union of the Catholique Church, were so pleasant unto him, as, if he had been half Deade, yet they shuld have been ynoughe to have revived him again. These and many other suche like Wordes he used to declare the Joy, and Contentment of his Minde, for the good Successe of this Matter. In the mayning whereof there, if any Thing (said he) shuld fortune, wherin his Advise might be thought requisite, your Majesties shuld not onley find the same ready, but also in any other Thing, that laie in him, which might serve to your Honors, and the Benefite of the Realme: To this when we for our Parts had joined such Talk, as to this Purpose seemed to our Poor Witts Convenient, declaring your Godly Dispositiones in this Mater, how much you reposed your selfs upon his great Wisdome and Experience; what Confidence you had in his Fatherly Love, and Friendly Affections towards your Majesties, and the Benefite of your Realms: We toke our leaves of his Majestie, and repaired furthwith unto my Lord Cardinal, whose Gladnes of our comyng we shall not need with many Words to declare unto your Majestie; nor yet what Speech he used to set furth, how much he was bounden unto your Majesties for your Gracious Disposition towards him, and how much both you and he were bounden to Almighty God, for the bending of your Harts this waies, for your Majesties shall and maie perceive the same more plainly by himself at his comyng unto your Presence. This under your Majesties Corrections we maie be bold to write unto you, that we believe verely that whensoever he shall be in England, the same shall fare the better for him, for he is the Man of God, full of all Godlines and Vertue, ready to humble himself to all Facions that may do good; and therefore he is contented, not only to come into England in such sort as your Majesties have appointed, not as a Legate, but as a Cardinal, and Ambassador to your Majesties, but in any other sort whatsoever it be, that your Majesties will appoint; he assuring your Majesties, that touching the Matter of Possessions, all Things shall come to passe, on the Pope's Behalfe, in such sort as every Man there shall have Cause to be contented. Yesterday Night he toke his Leave of the Emperor, and so did we also. This Daie he repaireth onwards his Journey, to an Abbaye Two Miles hence, whither he hath used much to resorte, the Tyme of his abode here. To Morrow at Night to Dendermount; Thursday to Gawnte; Friday to Bruges; Saturday to Newport; Sunday to Dunkirke; Monday to Calice; (for his weake Body can make no great Journies) and his Estate also is to be considered. In this Journey we shall not faile to do him all the Honour and Service we can, aswell for that we take it to be our special Charge, as for that also his great Virtues have wonne us, and bind us to the same: We have written now, besides our speaking at our passing by, to the Lord Depute of Calice, for all Things to be in a redines for his Transportation; so as we trust we shall not have occasion to tarry long there. And thus we beseeche Almighty God to preserve both your Majesties long, and long to live together to your own good Contentments, and to the great Comfort, and Benefit of us your poor Subjects. From Bruxells the 13th of November in the Morning, 1554. Your Majesties Most Humble, Faithful, To the King and Queen's Majesties. XXXII. An Original Letter of Mason's, of a Preacher that pressed the Restitution of Church-Lands. (Paper-Office.) AFTER most hartie Commendations, I have sent to my Lords at this present the Emperor's Commissaries Answere made at the Diett, to a Letter lately sent from the French King to the said Diett, of the Circulls of Germanye assembled at Francfort. And forasmuche as yt chanced me at the Closing up of my Lettre, to have the Sight of an other Answer made to the saied Lettre, by some bearing good Will to the Emperor's Affaires, I thought good to coppye it, and to send it unto you; albeit by the reading therof, yt may appere yt was made by some Man, rather to assaye his Witte, and to declare his Affection, then of intent to answere perticulerly the Matier. It was this morning told me, by one of the Emperor's Counsell, who misliked muche the Matier, that a Preacher of ours, whose Name he rehersed, betithe Pulpet jolyly in England, for the Restitution of Abbaye Lands. If it be so meant by the Prince, and be thought convenient so to be, then doth he his Duetie; but yf contrarely, yt be neither meant nor thought convenient, it is a strange Thing in a well ordered Commonwelth, that a Subject shall be so hardie to erye unso the People openly such Learning, as wherby your Winter Works maye in the Somer be attempted with some Storme. And wer the thing fitt to be talked of, yet were the Princes and the Counsell, who might remedy it, meter to be spoken with therin, then the Multitude, who therby may receyve an yll Impression, and an Occasion of lewd Thinking, and lewde Talking, and lewd Doing also, if it may lye in their Powers; and that is all, that of Sowing thies Maters amongs them can ensue. These unbridled Preachings were so much to be misliked in the yll governed Tyme, as Good Men trusted, in this Good Governance, it should have been amended. And so maye it be, when it shall please my Lords of the Counsell as diligently to consyder it, as it is more then necessarie to be loked unto. The Partye, me thinketh, might well be put to Silence, if he were asked, How, being a Monk, and having professed and vowed solemply wilfull Poverty, he can with Conscience keep a Deanery, and Three or Four Benefices? I heare, by the Report of other Ambassadors here, of the Return of the Realme to the Unitie of Christen Church, wherof all good |