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propense and redy to the Administration of Justice to our Contentation therin, thenne he hathe been accustumed in tymes past Discending for Demonstration herof as you take it to those Particularities folowyng, whyche Sir Gregory hath also sent by way of Instructions to Bonner; that is to say, that in cace we woll be content to sende a Mandate requiring the Remission of our Cause into an indifferent Place, He wold be content to appoint Locum indifferentem, and a Legate and Two Auditors from thense, ad formand' Processum, reserving always the Jugement therof to himself; or else if we woll consent and be agreable, inducing also our good Brother and perpetual Allye the French King, to be also content to conclude and establish for iii or iiij Yeres, a General Truix; that then the Popes Holiness is pleased, if we and our said good Brother wol agree therunto, to indicte with al celeritie a General Counsail, wherunto his Holynes would remyt our Cause to be finished and determyned. Which Overtures being also proponed and declared unto us by the Popes Nuncio here, be set forth by him, and also in a Letter to hym, as though they had been by the said Sir Gregory in our Name desired of the Popes Holyness, and by him assented to, for our Contentacion and Satisfaction, in that Behaulf: wherof we doo not a litle mervayl, considering that we of late never gave unto the said Sir Gregory or any other, any suche Commission or Instructions for that purpose, but fully to the contrary. Nevertheless forasmoch as bothe by the Relation of our said Chaplain and by the Purporte and Effecte of the fore said Letters, Instructions, and also by the Behaviour of the Popes Ambassadour here, and by such Overtures as he on the Popes behalfe hathe made unto us, We nowe considering the Benevolent and towarde Mynde of his said Holines expressed and declared in the same, have moche Cause to conceyve in our Mynd, as we doo indede, good Hope, that he depely pondering the Justnes of our said Cause, wil now take more respecte to put us in more Quietnes therein, thenne we had any Expectation heretofore: And therfor our Pleasure is that you discretly relating to his Holynes in what good parte we doo accepte and take his Overtures and Persuasions, doo gyve unto him our right harty Thanks for the same, adding thereunto that we veraylie trust and be now of that Opinion that his Holynes calling to his Remembrance the manifold Commodities, Profitts, and Gratuities heretofor shewed by us, to him, and the See Apostolique, demanding nothing for Reciprocation of Frendship and mutual Amytie to be shewed at hie Hand, but only Justice in our great Matior,

according to the Lawes of God, and the Ordenances of the Holy Counsailes, for the Encrease of Vertue, Extirpation of Vice, and Quiet of al Christendom, established by our Forfathers, wil now in Discharge of his Duetie towards God, shewing unto us Correspondence of Friendship according to our Deserts, putting aparte all Shadowes of Delayes, more benivolently extende his good Wil and Gratuitie towards us in the Acceleration and speedye finishing of our said Cause, thenne those Overtures doo purporte, whyche if it come so to pass, hys Holines maye be wel assured to have us and our Realme as benevolent and loving towards him and the See Apostolique as hath at any Tyme hertofor been accustumed. And as concernyng the General Truix for three or four Yeres, albeit we do inwardly considre the greate good therof, and be of our oune Nature asmoche inclyned therunto as any Prince Christened, and on thother Side asmoche desirous to avoyde Contencion, wherupon many Tymes ensueth Extremytie, to the Hurte of many; yet nevertheless two things at this Tyme enforceth us to absteyne and forbere sodenly to consent to the same: One is, that we being afflicted, troubeled, and encombered in our oune Conscience, and our Realme therby greatly perplexed, cannot sodenly resolve our self to innovate or renewe any perfite Establishment of Peax with other, tyl we may be satisfied and have pure and syncere Peax in our own Harte: and cause seying that it is wonly wyll and unkynd Stubbernes with Oblivion of former Kyndnes, whyche occasions. the Lette of the Spede finishyng of our Cause, whyche ye may say that hys Holynes yf it please hym may soon redres, havyng so good Gronds for our part as he haveth, yf he wyl hartely therto applye hym, and then summe good Effecte myght happen to come thereof. An other Cause there is also that we being moost perfitely by an indissoluble Amyte and Leage unite and knyt unto our good Brother and perpetual Allye the French King, maye not in any wise, nor wil put our Consent to any such Request without the Knowledge and Assent of our said good Brother, and other our and hys Confederates and notwithstanding yf hys Holynes thynketh that myne Endeavour and Labour herin may do hym any Gratuyte and Pleasure, or confer to hys Purpose in any thyng, he advertesyng us thereof, shall well persayve that there shall lack no goode Diligens in us, to set forthe suche thyngs as may stonde with our Honour, and be also pleasant to hym, he shewyng to us sume Corespondnes of Kyndnes in thys our Just and Wayghte Cause. And as touching our Consent to the Indiction of a General Counsail, thoughe sundry Respects and Consi

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derations at the Tyme nowe present, move us to think it not necessary, and that we nothing doubte but our Cause being remytted to the same, we shuld withal convenient celeritie, that begonne have our desired End therein; yet we being nowe in veray good Hope that the Popes Holynes at the last digesting thoroughly the Justness of our Cause, wil so use us in the same that according to Trouth and Equitie good and speedye Successe therof shal folowe in other admyttyng the Excusatory, or else in remyttyng bothe the Knowlege of the Fact and finall Discition of the Cause into thys Realme where it was begon, accordyng to the olde Sanctions of Generall Concilles and divers of his Predecessours Assent, and as he hymselfe confesseth in hys Commyssion giffyn unto the Cardinall for thys Pourpose; We have now also suspended therfor our Assent and Consent therunto uppon two respects, wherof the first requireth a necessary Suspencion of our said Consent, forasmoch as the same dependeth uppon the Assent of our said good Brother and other our Confederates, and that the oon of us without the other canne ne will in any wise consent to any Acte of such highe Importance as this is, which toucheth the hole Bodye of Christendome. The Seconde is, that in our Opinion which our Pleasure is ye with good Dexteritie declare unto hys Holynes the good Respecte had of the State of the Worlde, and of the Time present; It were not expedient for the Pope himself to consent thereunto, considering that Themperour is in maner compelled by the Importunytie of the Germaynes and the Lutheran Secte to cause the Pope to indicte the said Council. And howe the said Germaynes be mynded towards him and the See Aposto lique, we doubte not but his Holynes dothe depely pondre and considre. But ye shal saye unto the Popes Holynes on our behaulf, that finding him towards us good and kinde, brefely expedyteyng our Cause as affore is rehersy'd, wherof we now perceyve some lightlywood, and perceyving him to contynue and persever ernestly mynding the spedy Ende and Determynation therof, for our Satisfaction, we canne do no lesse for Reacquital therof, thenne to procure and practise by al Wayes and Meanes, aswell with our said good Brother as with al other our Allyes, Confederates and Friends, to do all things that maye be moost for the Surety of his Holines and the Commodities of the See Apostolique, whyche we shall not faylle to do, yf he wyll dysclose to us the Menys how far. As touching the sending of a Mandate to require that the Cause might be harde in an indifferent Place, with Reservation of the Sentence to

himself, ye shall signifie unto hys Holynes that albeit we well considering hys towarde Mynde for the spedy finishing of our said Cause, if we were a private Person wold nothing mistrust to consent to his said Overtures, ne the good Effects that might ensue of the same; yet nevertheles this Persuasion soo toucheth contraryele to Generall Concilles, to the Libertie, Regalitie, and Jurisdiction of all Prynces, and most especially to our Prerogatyffe Royall, Privileages of our Realme, wherof we be Hed and Soveraign; within the whiche, by the Ancient Lawes of the same, al Causes of Matrymonye ther bygon and solemnized, cummyng after in Question, ought to have their Original Commencement, and fynall Discusse and Discition by the English Churche. Whyche Thyngs well consideryd, he havyng also Regarde to hys Othe, in the Resayte of hys Dyngnitie, whych he ther actually gyffeth for Observence both of the Generall Conselles, and the Antique Lauys of the Faders of the Chyrch; Consideryng also with himself, how we at the Tyme of our Coronation, be likewyse obligyd by Othe, to Support and Maintayne the Immunities and Pryncely Liberties of our Realme and Croone, whych to contrary, I make my self sure hys Holynes well informyd, will never requyre, syns it is prohybite bothe by Gods Precept, and Lawe of Nature, by these Words, Quod tibi non vis feri, alteri ne facias. Wherfore we fermely trust, that hys Holynes, ponderyng and wayng in the Balance of hys Just Hart and Equal Jugement, these most urgent both Resons and Causes, with respect of hys Duty to God, in Minystryng Justice and Equitie; And consideryng also the Obligation, whych we as King thowght not wordy, but by his Election, be bonde to our Realme, Scilicet de fendere Privilegias Corona et Regni, wyll not at thys Tyme thynk any Unkindnes in us, thowght that thys hys Request, scilicet, to send a Mandate, or to have it in any other Place than in thys Realme, determynyd by us, at thys Tyme be not acceptyd. For surly it so hyghtly touchyt the Prerogatyffe Riall of thys Realme, that thowght I wer myndyd to do it, yett must abstayne wythout the Assent of our Court of Parliament, whyche I thynke verely wyll never condescent to it. Nevertheless, ye may shew unto hys Holines, that for thys Offerre, we ascribe non Unkyndnes to hym, but rather take it in good Part; consideryng that by hys Ambassadour wee doo parsayve, that hys Mynde was to gratify and do Pleasure herin to us, thys Overture procedyng oppon Gregory's Motion, werin to speke of that Sort, I ensure you of us he had non Commission, but ra

ther to the contrary. And so we wyll ye shew the Pope; assuryng forther hys Holynes, that we be ryght sory that thys Overture was no more resonable, or consonant to our Honour. For surly in all resonable Thyngs, we wold gladly shew our selfe benivolent to hym, as long as we persayve any maner of Gratuitie in hym. More ye may say, that we thynke that we nor our Realme have hytherto gyven any Occasion to his Holynes, wherby he shuld be moved at the Contemplacion of any privie Person, to attempte the Violation of the Immunities and Liberties of thys our Realme, or to bring the same in any publique Contention, wherby he may compell us in the Maytenance of them, to shew and declare meny Thyngs peraventure it unknowne prejudiciall and hurtfull to the Papall Dyngnitie, as it is now usyd, whych not compellyd we intende not to do. Yet an other gret Reson as we thynk you may shew hys Holines, gederyd owght of his own Law, whych is thys: I beyng a Commune Parson, am not bondyn in re ardua, as thys is, to appere in hys Court, and I beyng not bonden to appere, am not bonde to sende a Proxtour. Wherfore his owne Law shewyth evydently, that this Mater owght not to be determynyd by hys Court, but per Anglicanam Ecclesiam: For yf hys Court were Juge, I shuld be obliged to appere there. And ye shal further understand, that we have conceyved by certain Lettres lately sent unto us by the said Sir Gregory de Cassalis, that the Popes Holynes, amongs other Persuasions, in the Furtheraunce of our Cause shewed unto hym, that the Laweis being of the contrary Parte of our Cause, doo agree, that the Pope in our Cause may not Dispence, without an Urgent Cause. Which Opinion hys Holynes thinketh moche more dothe avaunce the Goodnes of our Matier, thenne the General Opinion of the Devynes and Lawyers on our Parte, which doo affirm, that the Pope in noo wise maye Dispense. Whiche Matier being also persuaded by his Holynes to Themperour, who declared, that at the Tyme of the Dispensation, there was extreme Warres betwene our Derest Father of Noble Memory, whose Soule God pardon, and King Ferdinando, Father to the Quene. And for Pacifieng thereof the said Dispensation was obteyned; wherupon the Mariage ensued: Which bereth a Visage of an urgent Cause, if it were true, as it is not. And therfore, as wel for the Satisfaction of the Pope's Holynes in that Behaulf, as for a clere Resolution of the Doubte by his Holynes proponed, whether the Quene were Cognita by our Brother Prince Arthure, or noo; Our Pleasure is, that ye shal signifie to His Holynes, that in the League betwene our said Derest Father, and the said Fer

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