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Vat. Arch.
Arm. lii.
vol. 31. |
558. On Behalf of Ireland.
Two briefs proposed: 1. To the Catholic King, apprising him that some Irishmen, and chief among them Brother Patrick, of the Order of Observants of St. Francis, created by the Pope Bishop of Mayo, have several times intimated to his Holiness, that there is now an excellent opportunity of wresting the island from the hands of the English, provided they receive the necessary aid, and offering to surrender it to his Catholic Majesty, or whomsoever he shall approve; and that, as the Pope, by reason of the remoteness of the kingdom, is unable to lend such aid as he could wish to so good a work, the said bishop has resolved to betake him to his Majesty, to lay the whole scheme before him, and crave his aid. Wherefore his Holiness exhorts and beseeches his Majesty not to miss such an opportunity, if such it be as it is affirmed, seeing that it is a question of restoring the holy Catholic faith and religion, and augmenting the strength and reputation of his Majesty, &c.
2. To Don John of Austria, notifying him of the matter aforesaid, and exhorting him to use his influence with his Catholic Majesty to promote the desire and good intention of these Irishmen for the reclamation of that realm to the Catholic Church and devotion to his Majesty, or in such other terms as may seem best.
Nov., 1576. Rome. Latin. With note by the Cardinal of Como of the Pope's mandate for despatch.
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Vat. Arch.
Nunt. di
Spagna,
vol. x. f. 371. |
559. [Antonio Clementino, Secretary to] the Nuncio in Spain to [Ptolemy Galli,] Cardinal of Como.
… “I have not yet received Secretary Perez' answer as to the choice of the person to command the English enterprise, the remittance of the remaining 50,000 crowns and the commission to be given to Don John: that it has not as yet been given is due to no lack of soliciting it with modesty; and perchance they will send it in writing to the ambassador there [at Rome], that he may give it to his Holiness.”
1 Nov., 1576. Madrid. Decipher. Italian.
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Ibid.
f. 376. |
560. The Same to the Same.
“I have omitted no good opportunity of soliciting the answer as to the choice of the Captain and the other matters necessary for the English enterprise; and Secretary Perez has of late told me that he will mention the matters to his Majesty. I believe we shall hardly have an answer until we get tidings of the arrival of Don John in Flanders, and of the manner in which he has been received. However, to-day letters of the 30th of October have been received from Paris, reporting his arrival in that city well and unrecognized, and that he purposed to push on apace. Here they are still thinking about despatching Escovedo.”
10 Nov., 1576. Madrid. Decipher. Italian.
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Vat. Arch.
Arm. xliv.
vol. 23. f. 237.
no. 330. |
561. Pope Gregory XIII to Philip, Catholic King of the Spains.
The Pope has been again and again assured by certain Irishmen, among them Patrick [O'Hely], of the Order of Observants of St. Francis, whom he has made Bishop of Mayo, that there is now an excellent opportunity of delivering Ireland from impious tyranny, and subjecting it to the sway of his Majesty. He regrets that by reason of the remoteness of the island he is unable to lend as much aid to the work as he could wish. The bishop is on his way to the King to expound the whole matter and crave his aid. The Pope therefore with all possible earnestness exhorts his Majesty not to neglect what he will learn from the bishop to be an opportunity of doing a grand thing, to wit, effecting the deliverance of a Catholic realm from the most grievous yoke of an impious Jezebel, the re-establishment of the holy religion, and the enhancement of his own power and glory.
10 Nov., 1576. Rome. Latin. Copy.
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Vat. Arch.
Nunt. di
Portog.
vol. ii. f. 408d.
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562. John Andrew Caligari, Collector and Commissary to [Ptolemy Galli,] Cardinal of Como.
… “I have received another letter, to wit, of the 25th of September, from the Bishop of Cork in Ireland, who likewise writes the enclosed to Cardinal Alciati; and apprises me that he has not been able to avoid the nets of the heretics; they were not, however, treating him harshly, but had committed him to the custody of the heretic Bishop of Waterford pending the Queen of England's answer to their request to know what was to be done with him; and the bishop says that, propagating the Gospel even in prison, he has converted the said bishop, his keeper, and induced him to abjure all heresies with many a tear and token of penitence. I replied forthwith, consoling him and encouraging him to play the man, and asking him to report to me from time to time how he fares; and at his instance I am sending to the Bishop of Padua a copy of his last letter to me.”
24 Nov., 1576. Lisbon. Italian. Enclosure missing.
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