Rome: February 1577 | British History Online

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.

Citation:

'Rome: February 1577', 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/pp290-294 [accessed 28 November 2024].

February 1577



1577. Vat. Arch. Nunt. di Francia, vol. x. pp. 47–48.	569. Antonio Maria Salviati [Late] Bishop of S. Papoul, Francia, Nuncio in France to the Same. … “The English ambassador was with the King the other day, doing offices in favour of the Huguenots; and the King answered him so brusquely that it is all but impossible that he should ever again dare to address him in regard to such matters. It is reported that Casimir is about to send an envoy upon a like errand, craving the observance of the Edict of Pacification, but he will also get a pertinent answer.” 7 Feb., 1577. Montlivau[l]t, Italian.
Vat. Arch. Nunt. di Spagna, vol. xiv. f. 316.	570. Don John of Austria to Pope Gregory XIII. “Thomas Stucley has given me the brief which he brought from your Holiness; and for many reasons, which he will explain to you, I deem it meet that he return to your Court, as accordingly he does. I pray your Holiness as earnestly as I may to treat him with the honour, favour and consideration that his personal qualities and his good will merit; for, besides that it is a work very meet for your Holiness to be the patron of those who, for so holy a cause, have, as he has, forfeited fatherland and substance, I, who for this reason esteem and love him, shall make such particular account of the favour and grace that you shall show him, as if it redounded to my personal advantage. Our Lord preserve your Holiness to such length of prosperous years as accords with my desire and the need of His universal Church.” 17 Feb., 1577. Marche [en Famenne]. Spanish. Postscript.—“I entreat your Holiness ever to make especial account of Thomas Stucley, for I warrant you his good qualities merit it, and will daily merit it more and more.”
Vat. Arch. Nunt. di Spagna, vol. ix. f. 364.	571. Don John of Austria to His Catholic Majesty. “Thomas Stucley has come hither with intent to serve your Majesty if in aught he may, as he wrote from Genoa, and likewise thinking to find me with some order of your Majesty as to his case; and whereas I had none, and the affairs of these States have now by the grace of God reached the point of pacification, I deemed that he should return to Rome. He has represented to me that, for lack of the succour and bounty that your Majesty was wont to afford him, he is in extreme need since he quitted your Court, and that this will increase hourly if your Majesty afford not relief; and in fine, constrained thereby, he has told me that he is thinking of sending a servant to solicit it. Your Majesty knows him, and for what cause he has forfeited fatherland and substance, and I know that he has suffered and suffers much, and moreover that the zeal and love which he has for your Majesty's service merit some requital; and so, to the best of my power I supplicate you that for pity of his hard case you requite him with the means of getting out of debt and enjoying himself for the future, for, besides that it will be a work right worthy of your Majesty, I shall account the requital that you make him as a favour done to me. He would have gone himself to solicit it, but I have told him not to put himself to such pains, but to trust your Majesty to accord it him. God preserve your Majesty.” 17 Feb., 1577. Marche [en Famenne]. Spanish. Copy. Postscript.—“There are many reasons why your Majesty should grant this grace so justly craved by Thomas Stucley; for his services are ever meritorious, and bid fair to be such a sort that whatever he may receive will be on your part a good investment, and to me also a very especial favour.”
Ibid.	572. The Same to Secretary Antonio Perez. “You will see what I write to his Majesty on behalf of Thomas Stucley. The cause for which he suffers, together with his zeal and devotion to his Majesty's service, makes it obligatory not only to compassionate him, but also to relieve his necessity. I give him what I can, and it is in his Majesty's power to give him what he needs. As you love me, Señor Antonio Perez, help him, and see that his servant be despatched speedily, lest he be spoiled by discouragement, which holds not that work is its own reward. And if the fact that I shall thereby be gratified may stand him in stead, know that I shall be very much gratified by every good office that you shall do in this cause. Our Lord have your Magnificence in His protection.” 17 Feb., 1577. Marche [en Famenne]. Spanish. Copy. Postscript.—“Of Thomas Stucley's merits, Señor Antonio Perez, there can be no doubt, and it is meet that he receive favour and support, for the inclination that he has to his Majesty's service he evinces to the best of his power; and I take him to be a man that will know how to give yet more signal proof thereof whenever he shall have opportunity, and especially in this which he craves, besides that it will be a favour done to me in proper person.”
Vat. Arch. Nunt. d' Inghilt. vol. i. f. 193.	573. Sir Thomas Stucley to Pope Gregory XIII. “I cannot omit, as I have occasion, and now in my hour of greatest need, to have recourse in all humility to your Holiness, and to supplicate you to intervene on my behalf with his Catholic Majesty, writing to him very warmly in the same sense and substance as the Lord Don John of Austria writes to him—I shall furnish the Cardinal of Como with a copy of the letter—that my affairs and expectations of his Majesty may be crowned with the same prosperous conclusion which for the sake of the service of God and your Holiness and all Christendom I desire. And also I would have your Holiness write to the Nuncio in Spain, bidding him speak to his Majesty and his secretary, Antonio Perez, on your Holiness' part, and press for the good despatch of my business; to which effect Don John of Austria writes, as the Cardinal of Como will see by a copy of the letter which his Highness sent to Antonio Perez. This grace and favour being done me will, I hope in God, greatly redound to your Holiness' service, and provide me with forces adequate to the accomplishment of my desires and designs. I have sent Agustin del Rio, my secretary, to Spain with instructions as to this matter. And herewith I remain &c.” [Feb., 1577. Marche en Famenne. Italian.]
Vat. Arch. Nunt. di Spagna, vol. ix. p. 368.	574. [Ptolemy Galli,] Cardinal of Como to [Nicholas Ormanetto,] Bishop of Padua, Nuncio in Spain. “The English Bishop of St. Asaph is a poor and worthy prelate, as you very well know. And so the Pope, besides the ordinary alms which he bestows on him, has determined to recommend him to the Catholic King, craving for him some token of his royal benignity in the distribution of the many pensions which he has occasion to confer. And his Holiness would have this office be done by you, as he knows the affection that you bear to the said bishop, and that you will find time and occasion meet that his Majesty may take in good part the suggestion of this act of charity and true almsgiving.” 23 Feb., 1577. Rome. Italian. Draft.
Vat. Arch. Nunt. di Portog. vol. iii. p. 41.	575. [Ptolemy Galli,] Cardinal of Como to John Andrew Caligari, Collector and Commissary. “I take occasion of the arrival of this Irish gentleman to acknowledge receipt of your letters of the 24th and 27th of November [1576]…. “The office of charity which you have done in writing to the Bishop of Cork is very gratifying to his Holiness, who desires you not to fail to take the good opportunity afforded by the arrival of this gentleman to renew the said office on the part of his Holiness also, that the bishop may be the better encouraged to endure all manner of travail with patience for the sake of the evangelical verity.” 25 Feb., [1577]. Rome. Italian. Draft.
Ibid	576. The Same to the Same. “The bearer of this will be James Geraldine, (fn. 1) an Irish nobleman, who, having been for some days at Rome to do his devotion in visiting the holy places, is now departing to return to his country. He has chosen to go by way of Portugal, that he may see a little son whom he has in the Jesuits' College at Lisbon. While he has been here he has been received with favour, and gladly seen by the Pope as being a very honourable gentleman and most devoted to the Catholic religion. And now his Holiness has commissioned me to commend him to you, that he may not lack your favour whereinsoever you shall find yourself able to gratify him; and in particular in aiding him to find a ship and other conveniences for safe passage to his home, which, as you will learn from him, is what he particularly desires.” 25 Feb., 1577. Rome. Italian. Draft.
Vat. Arch. Nunt. di Spagna, vol. ix. f. 369.	577. The Same to [Nicholas Ormanetto, Bishop of Padua,] Nuncio in Spain. “Doubt still prevails as to whether the Turk will come out this year with a powerful fleet, as the last advices by way of Naples affirmed, or whether he will be compelled to divert his forces for his defence against the Persian, who by other advices seemed likely to make war upon him. However, at last people incline to believe that the Sofi will probably give him some trouble; so that no harm would have been done if you had gone on with the preliminaries to the despatch of those men to the Moscovite and the Persian, especially as the Prior of England (fn. 2) not only is not dead, but has not been in the least degree indisposed, and happily retains all his stoutness of heart and health. So his Holiness would have you resume those preliminaries, leaving nothing undone to induce his Majesty to send the said Prior, who would travel through the country of the Moscovite, and could treat with him to the same purpose as with the Persian, inciting both potentates to the destruction of the common enemy. For if he be assailed to purpose on both those sides, and if we do the like, we cannot but anticipate some great advantage. “We have also done our part with the ambassador of Portugal, to induce him to write to his King in the Pope's name, urging him to bid his ambassador in Persia be instant with the Sofi to the same effect. And, to neglect no means, it would be well for his Catholic Majesty to do the same office with the King of Portugal, that he may be the more readily induced so to instruct his said ambassador.” 26 Feb., 1577. [Rome.] Italian. Draft for cipher.