Rome: March 1578

Calendar of State Papers Relating To English Affairs in the Vatican Archives, Volume 2, 1572-1578. Originally published by His Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1926.

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'Rome: March 1578', in Calendar of State Papers Relating To English Affairs in the Vatican Archives, Volume 2, 1572-1578, ed. J M Rigg( London, 1926), British History Online https://prod.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/vatican/vol2/pp387-396 [accessed 28 November 2024].

'Rome: March 1578', in Calendar of State Papers Relating To English Affairs in the Vatican Archives, Volume 2, 1572-1578. Edited by J M Rigg( London, 1926), British History Online, accessed November 28, 2024, https://prod.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/vatican/vol2/pp387-396.

"Rome: March 1578". Calendar of State Papers Relating To English Affairs in the Vatican Archives, Volume 2, 1572-1578. Ed. J M Rigg(London, 1926), , British History Online. Web. 28 November 2024. https://prod.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/vatican/vol2/pp387-396.

March 1578

1578.
Vat. Arch.
Nunt.
di Francia,
vol. xii. p. 79.
763. [Antonio Maria] Salviati, [late] Bishop [of S. Papoul,] Nuncio in France to [Ptolemy Galli,] Cardinal of Como.
… “Don Bernardino de Mendoza has arrived here from Spain on his way to England, there to reside as his Catholic Majesty's ambassador, whereby the business in hand seems likely to be greatly expedited…
“A gentleman of some consideration told me the other day that he knew that the Catholic King had no other purpose than to effect a settlement of the affairs of Flanders; and that he would be willing to recall all the foreigners that are there in his service, and to confirm Prince Matthias in the governorship. How this may be I know not, though it is understood that the said Matthias is not of much reputation with the Estates.”
3 March, 1578. Paris. Italian.
Vat. Arch.
Nunt.
di Venet.
vol. xix. p. 62.
764. News Letter.
… “By letters from London of the 22nd of February it understood that that Queen had commanded 10,000 foot to be levied in the realm and 2,000 [horse] in the said city; but it is not known as yet whither she means to send them, though it is surmised that they are intended for Flanders. For the service of the Estates about 800,000 crowns are already available: nothing else is thought of but how to provide aid for the Estates; and the return of the ambassador that departed hence on the 18th [Feb.], to learn what the Estates have resolved as to the assurance of the said money, is awaited.
“The said Queen is causing eight ships of war to be got ready and thoroughly equipped, being indisposed to trust either the French or the Spaniards, the ambassador (fn. 1) that she sent a while ago to Spain about peace having now returned with his Majesty's answer to the effect that he is determined to make war in retaliation for the wrongs done him by these countries.
“The Marquis of Havré has returned to England, and, it is supposed, merely for the purpose of conveying to the Queen the terms for assurance of the moneys which she is to lend the Estates in their present need.”
10 March, 1578. Antwerp. Italian.
Forwarded from Venice, 29 March, by Annibale di Capua, afterwards Archbishop of Naples, to the Cardinal of Como.
Vat. Arch.
Nunt. Germ.
vol. lxxxii.
p. 591.
765. Protonotary Portia to [Ptolemy Galli,] Cardinal of Como
… “Since the rout [at Gemblours (fn. 2) ] the Estates are accelerating the dispositions already made for collecting a goodly number of cavalry. Casimir is first on the list; and by way of Augsburg comes uniform intelligence that he should soon be ready and on the march thitherward. (fn. 3) There are, however, some that believe that the force equipped will be much smaller, and later in making its appearance than rumour would have it, as it is observed that there is still some incertitude as to the sort of assurance which in lieu of pawn England demands of the Estates for the aids furnished and promised.”
14 March, 1578. Munich. Italian.
Vat. Lib.
Urb. Lat.
1046. f. 105.
766. News Letter.
… “They say that his Highness will withdraw to Namur to provide himself with victuals and men in order to lay siege to some important place; but many of better judgment believe that his Highness' intention is to dispute the passage of the 5,000 reiters whom the Estates are bringing in, 3,000 under Casimir and 2,000 commissioned by the Queen of England, besides 10 ensigns of Germans, unmounted, and 3,000 Swiss; and also this evening we understand that without the King of France's commission there are coming 20 ensigns of Huguenots in support of the Prince of Orange, who is here in conference about the war with the Archduke Matthias.
“There were arrested of late and brought to Brussels two Spanish friars, one of whom is his Highness' confessor; and the Estates hope to elicit from him some secret. In the hope of getting men and money they have sent of late the Marquis of Havré to the Queen of England, who coldly received the ambassador [Mendoza (fn. 4) ] sent to her by the Catholic King, who, to placate her, purposes to liberate some English heretics that are in prison in Spain.”
15 March, 1578. Antwerp. Italian. Copy.
Vat. Arch.
Nunt.
di Francia,
vol. xii. p. 92.
767. [Antonio Maria] Salviati, [late] Bishop [of S. Papoul,] Nuncio in France to [Ptolemy Galli,] Cardinal of Como.
… “There is talk of tumults in Scotland: and on questioning the ambassador about them I am informed that many great personages of the realm have declared against the Regent [Morton] placed there by the Queen of England, and that the tussle will be between the faction of the said Regent and the rest who profess to be of the party of the Prince of Scotland, and to be minded to have no other superior than the Prince.
“The said ambassador has apprised the King of everything, and besought his Majesty to take the Prince under his protection, and to safeguard his interests. As to which, though there is no idea of a resolute policy, nevertheless the said ambassador tells me that he hopes that the King will send someone to Scotland to ensure accurate information of all that happens.
“For this purpose M. de Mondreville, (fn. 5) a Norman gentleman and steward to the Queen Mother, is designated.”
17 March, 1578. Paris. Italian.
Vat. Arch.
Nunt.
d'Inghilt.
vol. i. f. 79.
768. Nicholas Sander to [Ptolemy Galli,] Cardinal of Como.
Expressing immense gratitude for the Pope's largesse from the funds of the vacant archiepiscopal see of Toledo now paid to him pursuant to the Cardinal's letter to the Collector Apostolic Canobio, and acknowledging a yet greater debt of gratitude for the business initiated in the interest of the public weal, as public have precedence of private interests. He and his friends pray God assiduously that it may prosper to His glory, and hope that it will redound not a little to the honour of the Cardinal who is appointed by God to superintend so goodly an affair; for his glory is secure whose expectation thereof is founded in the exaltation of God's name: the more so as God rewards not so much results as good counsels: witness the temple which He resolved should be built for Him at the vow of David but by the hand of Solomon, rewarding the one far more abundantly than the other. The zeal and success with which the Bishop of Ripa handles the common cause at Madrid can hardly be described in terms adequate to the dignity of the subject.
20 March, 1578. Madrid. Latin. Holograph.
Vat. Arch.
Arm. xlii.
vol. 33. f. 352.
769. Pope Gregory XIII to David Crayg, Professor, of the Carmelite Order.
Authorizing his reception into the Monastery of St. James of the Scots of Ratisbon on the same footing as if he were of the original brotherhood.
21 March, 1578. Rome. Latin. Minute.
Vat. Arch.
Nunt.
di Spagna,
vol. xi.
ff. 176–8.
770. [Philip Sega, Bishop of Ripa,] Nuncio in Spain to [Ptolemy Galli,] Cardinal of Como.
… “On the 18th inst. there departed hence for Lisbon Baron Dacre, the Bishop of Killaloe and Stucley's secretary, to embark in Stucley's ship, which, it was arranged, was to put into Lisbon harbour; whither, with the captain, there had already departed Charles Browne [illegitimate], brother of the Count [sic Anthony, Viscount] of Montacute, (fn. 6) an English gentleman of high rank. To all of them his Majesty, at my instance, has been pleased to be especially bountiful, that they may go in good heart upon this enterprise, to which I have egged them on, being informed by Sander of their great consequence by reason of the following that they have. And they all go in very good spirits, albeit they know not that it is his Majesty that dispenses the bounty, for all the moneys have been disbursed upon my account, as also the instructions and letters are mine which the paymaster, who is the bearer of the 20,000 crowns, and who departed on the 20th inst., takes with him, his Majesty being minded that I should be the mainspring of all the business, as if it were my very own, in order that he may reveal himself in nothing; and the better to ensure concord between Stucley and Geraldine, (fn. 7) and that Geraldine be not cheated of that lively hope which he places in his Holiness, I have written to each at length, instructing them how to behave, counselling them to be united, and telling them that in that case the 20,000 crowns will be disbursed by the paymaster in Ireland for the hire of 1,000 foot and 400 horse for so long as they shall continue to act in harmony: and that should they differ in opinion, the same paymaster is instructed to disburse a moiety at the instance of Stucley, and the other moiety at the instance of Geraldine.
“I have since written to all the bishops of Ireland, exhorting them to lend aid to the enterprise; I have written to the Italian soldiers, encouraging them to go cheerfully: I have written to the Collector of Portugal as much as seemed to me opportune, since he must needs be consulted in all these matters.
“Sander has made a manifesto setting forth the just cause of this movement, a performance as learned as trenchant and true. The paymaster that goes with the forces, Oberto Spinola by name, is a sagacious man, and receives from his Majesty a special stipend for this journey, which, albeit he supposes that it is from me that he gets it, is not paid out of the 20,000 crowns.
“Now this haste has been made notwithstanding that from Paris by letters of Juan de Vargas, his Majesty's ambassador resident at that Court, it is understood that the Queen of England's ambassador at the Court of the Most Christian King [Sir Amias Paulet], who is an uncle of Thomas Stucley, had by letters from some English at Florence tidings of Stucley's departure, and had sent a detailed report thereof to the Queen; notwithstanding also that by the Collector of Portugal I was apprised that on the morning of the Epiphany, when Geraldine, after running the hazard of a great tempest and capturing an English ship laden with stuffs, had put into harbour in Galicia, and landed with most of his men to receive the communion, the master of the ship that he had brought from Portugal made off with the said ship and all the munitions, leaving him, as he himself wrote to a certain Father David [Wolf], who resides at Lisbon, to do as best he might, naked, as it were, and in a desperate plight on that shore: notwithstanding, moreover, that two days since it was said by some that a ship with soldiers aboard had gone to the bottom off Malaga, which ship may with probability be surmised to have been Stucley's.
“I have adopted the expedient of assuring his Majesty that even if Stucley was known by the Queen to be on his way to Ireland, that would not hinder his landing in Ireland. As to the other two advices I have said nothing, lest they should upset the plot now so well arranged, especially since in regard of Geraldine the said Collector writes me that Father David aforesaid had told him some days before, that by means of two Bretons he had learned that Geraldine had brought the English ship into port in Brittany near to a place where the master of the runaway ship had placed all his goods in the hands of the legal authorities, and that he hoped that Geraldine had recovered them; and since, neither as to Stucley nor as to the ship lost off Malaga do I find any evidence more than indifferently clear, I am indeed sadly at a loss to investigate and ascertain the truth.
“Our affairs thus halt betwixt hope and fear: God grant them a successful issue, as I cease not to supplicate Him from my very heart, cherishing a lively hope that, if these men effect a landing in Ireland, they may accomplish so much as to prompt his Holiness and his Majesty so to reinforce them as to warrant hopes of substantial progress. Among other bounties given to those that have gone is one to Baron Dacre of 1,000 crowns d'oro in oro, for which, as he desired payment of them in Lisbon, I have given him a bill payable there; and as he then made a difficulty about the charges for his journey from here to Lisbon, and I had already arranged everything with his Majesty, I, to avoid entering upon a fresh negotiation, decided to pay him 50 crowns d'oro in oro on my own account and that of Mgr. Canobio. Be pleased therefore to bid Canobio to reimburse me, because one has nothing to hope from these ministers of the King; for if you knew the difficulty that I have experienced in bringing matters to this point, and in getting the money out of the hands of the ministers, you would be astounded.”
22 March, 1578. [Madrid.] Decipher. Italian.
Postscript.
—“This resolution his Majesty has taken after consultation with the Archbishop of Toledo, Francisco de Giuara, [Guevara] the Accountant Garnica and Secretaries Antonio Perez and Escovedo, all of whom are very well disposed to the business; so that it may be hoped that, if Stucley gets safely ashore and makes some progress, they may advise his Majesty to go ahead with larger subsidies; which I shall not fail to solicit, albeit to this moment I have received no answer to the writing which I gave him; and as business here moves with that extreme sluggishness which is notorious, I shall take occasion of the return of the courier Lucchino to communicate what shall seem to me proper in this case.”
Vat. Arch.
Nunt.
d'Inghilt
vol. i. f. 80.
771. Nicholas Sander [Nuncio to Ireland (fn. 8) ] to Pope Gregory XIII.
Thanking the Pope for his grant of about 400 aurei from the fruits of the vacant archbishopric of Toledo, and a new pension from the fruits of the see of Plasencia; for which he prays God to reward him with a speedy victory in Ireland, to be followed by a similar triumph in England. This, however, is not to be expected if action waits on Spanish dilatoriness. The Pope is therefore implored to take upon himself the burden of the war, reckoning to recoup himself in great measure, not merely from his Catholic Majesty but also from the English themselves.
His Holiness' nuncio, the Bishop of Ripa, has in the matter of the Irish expedition shown what may be expected of him in regard to the subsequent English expedition, if the English province should be entrusted to him. For he has displayed resource in devising and applying means for surmounting difficulties, and not only plausibility but persuasiveness in conciliating the minds of Princes and senators. He has so promoted a most difficult business among people biassed against it that he has got what he sought, and praise and favour into the bargain. He initiated the business, he made himself master of it; and he is also acquainted with some English nobles both in Belgium and in Spain, so that from another in many months such progress towards the accomplishment of this work could hardly be hoped as he has already achieved. Moreover, as to all the steps to be taken, the bishop has the sedulous advice “officii ratione” of the writer, who is prepared to spend the rest of his life in the business, and is thankful indeed that the enterprise coincides with the pontificate of his Holiness, for whom he ceases not, as always, now especially, to entreat of God success, life and health.
23 March, 1578. Madrid. Latin. Holograph.
Vat. Lib.
Urb. Lat.
1046. f. 120.
772. News Letter.
“The Estates have received letters from the Queen of England and the Cardinal of Liège touching the completion of the Peace, for the Catholic King sticks to that, as does likewise his Highness, in order to discover the mind of the Estates; which is that his said Highness quit the country, and the Archduke Matthias remain in his stead.
“The German and English troops are about ready, having got their pay, and should be entering immediately as Colonel Slench [Schenck] with his 1,000 horse has done; and Casimir will follow suit with his 3,000, the Count of Swartzemburgh [Schwarzburg] with 2,000, the Marquis of Havré with 1,500, the brothers of the Walloon Count Ronghen [Rumeghem] with 1,200 and Captain Ludovic Runf [Rumpff] with 300, making in all 9,000 horse. (fn. 9)
“There have arrived here two ships with the Scots that were routed under Namur.
“Don John has assumed the conduct of the campaign, and has taken the town of Hal (fn. 10) with two little villages besides. He has been joined by the Spaniards of the terzo of Naples; and they debate the question whether they shall go to the siege of Mons or that of Brussels, as if they supposed that the war is to be everlasting.
“Plots have been discovered in Mons, in Ares [Arras], in Maastricht, in Bruges, and in other places, where the Estates with much promptitude have changed the governments and the garrisons, and have also caused many of the chief men who favoured the Catholic King's cause to be beheaded.
“The eight companies of Walloons that were in the service of the Estates, and only under compulsion fought on the side of his Highness, have now returned to their former service, quitting under a false pretence that of his said Highness, who, however, is expecting cavalry commanded by the Duke of Brunswick (fn. 11) to the number of 4,000, and by the quondam Archbishop of Cologne to the number of 2,000, besides other troops from divers parts.
“It is understood that the Queen of England is certainly sending an ambassador to Casimir, to assure him for all her crown is worth that pay will not be lacking for the service of the Estates, and another to the Prince of Orange most ardently exhorting him to be diligent and vigilant in the protection of the said Estates, which have no lack of money, troops and victuals for many a month.”
24 March, 1578. Antwerp. Italian. Copy.
Vat. Arch.
Nunt.
di Venet.
vol. xix. p. 70.
773. News Letter.
… “The Marquis d'Aureh [Havré] writes from England that that Queen, besides the Scotsmen that have already arrived, had all the soldiers promised to the Estates in readiness. They were awaiting only the reiters from Germany, on whose arrival the said Marquis d'Aureh, too, will put himself in motion with the rest.”
25 March, 1578. Antwerp. Italian.
Forwarded from Venice, 12 April, by Annibale di Capua, afterwards Archbishop of Naples, to the Cardinal of Como.
Vat. Arch.
Nunt.
di Spagna,
vol. xi.
ff. 187–9.
774. [Philip Sega, Bishop of Ripa,] Nuncio in Spain [Ptolemy Galli,] Cardinal of Como.
“From my former letters you will have seen the beginning which I have made in the matter of Paolo Giordano [degli Orsini], in which I shall not fail henceforth to show myself more energetic, albeit I see that there is little more that I can do than what I have done hitherto; and I would have you believe that the counsellors that have the handling of this matter, or the more part of them, are excellently well intentioned. God grant that so likewise be he whom they counsel; and by what I see I am disposed to believe that Ludovico Orsino is coming to Court for this purpose. Would to God he had come before, as then he might perhaps have facilitated the business.
“The truth is that so far I find not here that concurrence which you assume as to the person to command, besides which I deem it certain that all the levers in the world would not move the King a step further until he has tidings of the disembarkation of Stucley and Geraldine. (fn. 12) As to whom I refer you to what I wrote in my other letters; nor have I aught else to communicate save that by letters from Alicante of 13 March it is understood that off there two ships were making, with Italian soldiers aboard, some said for the King of Portugal, others for Flanders. Which letters were from merchants to merchants, but as they were from Alicante on this side of Malaga, I am not relieved of that apprehension of danger (fn. 13) of which I wrote, albeit I am persuaded that these are our soldiers. William Cleyburne, of whom you write, is the same man that I have always nominated for Stucley's captain. I had already procured the despatch that he craved from his Majesty, and sent it by means of the nuncio of Savoy to Mistress Angelica, his wife, in Asti; besides which I caused 100 crowns of gold to be given him to make his journey the more agreeable, and told him that I proposed to go in person upon that enterprise: and even so I told all the rest, that they might go with a more cheerful courage, and to appease the resentment which they felt that they were not accompanied by Sander, who had told me that he had meant to go, but his Majesty would not suffer it, because it is notorious in England that for many months and years he has been entertained by him in this Court; and so I have feigned that he defers his going because I reserve him for my companion when I go: and although I have thus said merely for the purpose of facilitating their departure, nevertheless, if his Holiness shall deem that it will subserve the cause of God that I sacrifice myself for this enterprise, if it come to pass, I already devote and dedicate myself as servus adscriptitius, deeming that there is no more acceptable sacrifice that I can make to God for my sins, and no better discharge of the obligation that I owe to his Holiness and the Apostolic See than thus to dedicate my zeal to their service, because, save this, I have nought to offer them: and this I say in the very spirit that is due from me, and in no wise by way of form. God grant me power and wisdom in some measure answering to the spirit, that this my tenderness may not be ascribed to temerity.”
25 March, 1578. [Madrid.] Decipher. Italian.
Vat. Arch.
Nunt.
di Francia,
vol. xii. p. 107.
775. [Antonio Maria] Salviati, [late] Bishop [of S. Papoul,] Nuncio in France to [Ptolemy Galli,] Cardinal of Como.
“The ambassador of Scotland has shown me a letter from M. de la Mauvissière, ambassador resident of the King of France in England, in which the machinations in Scotland are handled. In order to afford you as much light as I can on the matter, I have made a copy of the passage and send it herewith; and I am thinking that, for all that I see and learn, I detect no word that conclusively shows that there is anyone that gives a thought to the restoration of the Catholic religion in that realm, though that is the matter of main importance, and given that, I should be able to make more capital out of all the rest.”
31 March, 1578. Paris. Italian.
Enclosure:
—“We have intelligence from Scotland that Mr. Randel [Thomas Randolph] having to the best of his ability negotiated the accord between the lords, the Prince was in his presence put out of tutelage, the kingdom being divided into four governments with a council of twenty-four, of whom the six chiefest are to be about the person of the said Prince. The Earl of Morton was accorded no other status than that of a mere chief and councillor; whereupon he resigned the office of Regent, and resolved to retire to his house, if that may be allowed. Whereby you may see that the Scots are minded no longer to be subject to the authority and caprice of one man.”
Vat. Arch.
Nunt.
di Francia,
vol. xii. p. 99.
776. [Patrick O'Hely,] Bishop of Mayo to [Ptolemy Galli,] Cardinal of Como.
Apprising him that on his departure from Portugal he had hoped to make a speedy passage to Ireland, and thence to send him intelligence of some glorious victory over the enemies of the Church; but that the course of events had been quite otherwise. The wind was against them when they sailed from Lisbon on 18 Nov., and falling in with an English ship they attacked and took her; but, at the intercession of the writer, James [Fitzmaurice Fitzgerald] refrained from massacring the prisoners, and sent them ashore under escort to be dealt with by the Spanish Inquisition. They then attempted to continue their voyage, but after battling for more than a month with adverse winds they were compelled to hug the coast of Spain, off which they lay weatherbound for twenty days, by which time their provisions began to fail, and many of their soldiers deserted: and one feast day, while the writer and some of his intimates were ashore, the master and mariners deserted with the ship and sailed away to Brittany, taking with them provisions, money, arms and all else. The writer and James [Fitzmaurice Fitzgerald] therefore followed him to France in the hope of recovering their property. James [Fitzmaurice Fitzgerald] remained at S. Maclou, (fn. 14) while the writer repaired to Paris to procure a royal warrant for restitution of the goods, which warrant he had not yet obtained; and meanwhile the robbers had warned the Queen of England to be on her guard, and prevent their passage to Ireland. The cause of all these misfortunes was that James [Fitzmaurice Fitzgerald], being unable on his arrival in Portugal to purchase a ship or hire an Italian or Spanish vessel, and being in a hurry to do his Holiness' bidding, placed himself and all that he had in the power of French seamen, who were by no means to be trusted. Had the writer on his second visit to Rome been, as he had craved of the Pope, the accredited representative of James [Fitzmaurice Fitzgerald] at the Papal Court, and had his advice prevailed, his Holiness would never have made a vain show by displaying the standard of the Church unsupported by military force, lest the authority of the Church should be diminished, and occasion of derision should be given to the adversaries; nor indeed would James [Fitzmaurice Fitzgerald] ever have quitted the Roman Court, had he not expected to be provided with some such force by the Collector Apostolic in Portugal, to whom he brought letters from the Cardinal of Como.
However, the enterprise, once begun, could not now be abandoned without disgrace and disaster, but should be strenuously prosecuted; and therefore James [Fitzmaurice Fitzgerald] should by all means be helped to make the passage to Ireland. He is now in Brittany, not that he expects any subsidy from the Most Christian King, from whom nothing is to be sought or hoped, but he counts on his Holiness' helping hand. Should it not be accorded him speedily, it is to be feared that the Holy See will be greatly lowered in reputation among its adversaries, and incur the disgrace of having attempted what it is not able to accomplish. Nay, there is not a little reason to apprehend that, unless he get to Ireland as soon as possible, all the magnates and nobles of that country, and his friends, and indeed all the Catholics of England and Ireland may shortly be slain; in which case the door will be closed to improvement in other kingdoms. For the Queen of England, having heard some rumours about James [Fitzmaurice Fitzgerald] and Stucley, is much more ruthless against the Catholics than she has ever hitherto been, and patrols and searches the ocean and most of the ports of Ireland with her ships. Moreover, it is no ordinary opportunity that now presents itself of doing the business once and for all; for the Scots, who speak the same language as the Irish, and are united with them by a league of friendship, are all in arms and bestirring themselves might and main.
Information is also to hand that there are in insurrection against the Queen of England three of the most potent magnates of Ireland, to wit, O'Neyle, O'Donell and O'Royrck, from whom James [Fitzmaurice Fitzgerald], if he get to Ireland speedily, will derive very great support; and delay is fraught with no little peril.
The writer thinks there are two methods by which his Holiness can aid James [Fitzmaurice Fitzgerald]. The one would be that he should send a brief apostolic addressed to all Kings, Princes and other rulers, of whatever nation, throughout the Christian world, granting them each and all, if they lend James [Fitzmaurice Fitzgerald] a helping hand, and promote the cause of religion against the Queen of England, remission of all their sins and a plenary indulgence, and strictly inhibiting on pain of excommunication all hampering on their part of James [Fitzmaurice Fitzgerald] in the carrying out of the work, and all abetting of the other side by counsel or aid, whether covertly or openly. The other would be that his Holiness should by the nuncio of France furnish James [Fitzmaurice Fitzgerald] with money enough to purchase just one well-equipped and armed ship. In default whereof it is greatly to be feared that the work just begun will have little or no result, and all the pains spent upon it prove to be wasted. For Stucley could do nothing in Ireland without James [Fitzmaurice Fitzgerald], even though he had ten times as many soldiers as he has with him. But if James [Fitzmaurice Fitzgerald] might have but one ship, notwithstanding the activity of the English cruisers, he and the writer, in God's name and in virtue of the obedience owing by them to the Apostolic See, would, doubting nothing, fearing nothing, resume their voyage to their country. And as the business is of the utmost importance, and brooks no delay, the Cardinal is entreated, for the love of Christ, immediately upon receipt of this letter, to approach his Holiness and crave of him the immediate despatch of this business, and of an answer to the writer instructing him what to do.
31 March, 1578. Paris. Latin.

Footnotes

  • 1. Cf. Cal. State Papers, Spanish, 1568–79, p. 571.
  • 2. Cf. Cal. State Papers, Foreign, 1577–8, pp. 484–5.
  • 3. i.e. towards the Low Countries. Cf. p. 363 supra.
  • 4. Cal. State Papers, Foreign, 1577–8, pp. 539, 547.
  • 5. Cf. Lettres de Catherine de Médicis (Docc. Inédd. sur l'Hist. de France), vol. vi. p. 31. Papiers d'État relatifs a L'Hist. de L'Ecosse, ed. Teulet, vol. ii. pp. 369–77.
  • 6. Cf. Cal. State Papers, Ireland, 1574–85, p. 254. Burke's Extinct Peerage, “Browne,” and The Complete Peerage, “Montagu.”
  • 7. i.e.James Fitzmaurice Fitzgerald.
  • 8. Cf. Letters and Memorials of Cardinal Allen, ed. Knox (Rec. Engl. Cath.), p. xxxi.
  • 9. Cf. Cal. State Papers, Foreign, 1577–8, pp. 407–8.
  • 10. Cf. ut supra, p. 524.
  • 11. Cf. ut supra, p. 547.
  • 12. i.e. James Fitzmaurice Fitzgerald.
  • 13. Cf. p. 390 supra.
  • 14. i.e. S. Malo. Cf. p. 402 infra.