Venice: January 1539

Calendar of State Papers Relating To English Affairs in the Archives of Venice, Volume 5, 1534-1554. Originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1873.

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'Venice: January 1539', in Calendar of State Papers Relating To English Affairs in the Archives of Venice, Volume 5, 1534-1554, ed. Rawdon Brown( London, 1873), British History Online https://prod.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/venice/vol5/pp75-77 [accessed 25 November 2024].

'Venice: January 1539', in Calendar of State Papers Relating To English Affairs in the Archives of Venice, Volume 5, 1534-1554. Edited by Rawdon Brown( London, 1873), British History Online, accessed November 25, 2024, https://prod.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/venice/vol5/pp75-77.

"Venice: January 1539". Calendar of State Papers Relating To English Affairs in the Archives of Venice, Volume 5, 1534-1554. Ed. Rawdon Brown(London, 1873), , British History Online. Web. 25 November 2024. https://prod.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/venice/vol5/pp75-77.

January 1539

1539. Jan. 1. MS. St. Mark's Library, Cod. xxiv. Cl. x. No date. Printed in vol. ii. pp.117–119. “Epistolarum Reginaldi Poli.” 194. Cardinal Pole to David Beaton, (fn. 1) Cardinal of Scotland.
When it was first announced by the Pope that the King of Scotland demanded for his kingdom a pillar from the Roman Church, favoured the grant, although no name was mentioned, and subsequently on giving his vote when Beaton's name was proclaimed, he evinced extreme satisfaction. Now that the dignity has been conferred, congratulates Beaton by letter, but not more than he congratulates the entire realm of Scotland, which will be thus saved from the contagion of those neighbours, who, by confounding divine and human institutions (qui divina et humana permiscentes), seek to deprive the Church of order, decorum, and strength (ordinem ex Ecclesiâ, quasi pulchritudinem ejusdem, et robur tollere conantur). Scotland will now have her hinge and pillar, both to maintain the dignity of the hierarchy (decus ordinis) and preserve the country from the contagion of most corrupt men. The College of Cardinals relies on Beaton's piety and watchfulness, and most especially on the piety of King James, who has had great opportunity for illustrating it, as whilst the contagion infected the whole of the neighbouring country and corrupted its faith, his Majesty kept himself and kingdom pure and undefiled as a pillar of the Roman Church. He followed in this the example of the most noble kings, his ancestors, who, inferior to no sovereigns in this respect, so surpass them all in antiquity of lineage, that the Roman Church ranks them amongst her eldest sons (cum vero antiquitate sic superant, ut inter primogenitos Ecclesia Romana eos numeret); and for the Church of Rome to grant to such a son a demand so piously made, affords ample matter for the whole Church to rejoice and give thanks to God.
Individually, rejoices at Beaton's election, hoping that through this example and assistance, his own country—the neighbour of Scotland—heretofore eminently religious (in religione olim pulchram) and like a bride the ornament of her spouse, now deformed, abandoning her spouse like a painted adulteress in the arms of another, may recover her former lustre, and be reconciled to her spouse. May Christ and the spouse of the Church grant this, through his most precious purifying blood, his example rendering it a duty for them to shed theirs in like manner, (sanguine eam suo preciosissimo lavit, cujus exemplo, qui Dominus est omnium, nos pro eadem sanguinem fundere semper parati esse debemus) (fn. 2) especially all Cardinals, (fn. 3) who are reminded of it, even (amongst other things) by their vesture, so that, should any one ask them, as the Prophet did, “Why is thy robe red?” (quare rubrum est vestimentum tuum ?) they may answer, as Christ did, “Because it behoves us to answer by deeds rather than by words” (quod respondeamus: quod Christus fecit, quod nos factis potius, quam verbis respondere decet). This is what he hopes from Cardinal Beaton, nor does he hesitate to promise it himself for certain. In the meanwhile, requests Beaton to recommend him in most humble terms to his Majesty [James V.]; to whom although personally unknown, yet is he allied to him in blood and devoted to the King for whatever concerns his honour and welfare, as he hopes to prove very clearly, should the King ever test him.
Offers his services to Beaton at Rome for whatever may contribute his honour or advantage.
Rome, 1st January.
[Latin, 49 lines.]
MS. St. Mark's Library, Cod. xxiv. Cl. x. No date. Printed in vol. iii. pp. 63–66. “Epistolarum Reginaldi Poli.” 195. Cardinal Pole to Cardinal Sadoleto.
Laments the death of Cardinal Simonetta, (fn. 4) which must he universally regretted, but especially by their order of which he was an eminent ornament, and also because he was the friend of Cardinal Sadoleto. They ought, however, to congratulate each other on his release—not from life, but from misery—and on his exaltation to glory.
Apologises for not having written sooner as he was waiting for something certain to tell, but can only say that he is at ease, and speaks often of him to his host [Matteo Giberti, Bishop of Verona?] with such praise as he deserves, and by whom he is in like manner admired, and they expatiate on his virtues and literary science.
Begs him to embrace Paolo and his other nephews, and Gian-francesco, and the whole family; and were it possible, the entire city, (fn. 5) to which he (Pole) is and ever will be most grateful.
Verona, — 1539 ?
[Latin, 64 lines.]
MS. St. Mark's Library, Cod. xxiv. Cl. x. No date. Printed in v.iii. pp. 71–73. “Epistolarum Reginaldi Poli.” No date of time or place. 196. Cardinal Pole to the Cardinal of Mantua [Ercole Gonzaga].
Thanks him for the friendly hospitality conceded to a youth, his kinsman, (fn. 6) who also shares his fortunes, both being persecuted by the same enemy. Cardinal Contarini did not think it desirable for the young man to remain with him at Rome. Mantua seemed a more fitting residence, and this was also the opinion of the Bishop of Verona. Perceiving that the Cardinal of Mantua treated the youth as a mere guest, without employing him for any of those offices which young men are accustomed to render to Princes, proposed, in order to relieve the Cardinal from this burden, to send him to Padua, provided the Bishop of Verona approved of it. The Cardinal however was averse to this, and would not allow the youth to leave him, unless he went straight to him, Pole. Thanks the Cardinal cordially, but as the causes which forbad him to recall the youth have in great measure ceased, he now requests the Cardinal to give him leave to return.
Rome? 1539?
[Latin, 55 lines.]

Footnotes

  • 1. David Beaton was created Cardinal by Paul III., on the 20th December 1538. (See Cardella, vol. iv. pp. 205–209.)
  • 2. Cardinal Beaton was assassinated on the 28th of May 1546 (see Hume, vol. 3. p. 301), so the passage sounds prophetic.
  • 3. Probably an allusion to Bishop of Rochester, executed on the 22nd of June 1535. (See Hume, vol. in. p. 192.)
  • 4. Jacopo Simonetta was created Cardinal by Paul III. in May 1535, and died in 1539, which date I therefore assign to this letter. Simonetta had been one of the chief defenders of Queen Katharine in the divorce case and during the absence of Capizucchi conducted the trial. (See Cardella, vol. iv. p.149)
  • 5. In 1531 Cardinal Pole resided at Avignon (see Venetian Calendar, vol. iv. No. 677) six leagues from Carpentras; of which city Sadoleto had been made Bishop by Leo X., and Pole's affection for the place dated from that period.
  • 6. Gerald Fitzgerald, 11th Earl of Kildare. (See Collins's Peerage, vol. vi. pp. 155–157, edition, London, 1812.)
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