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: June 1550', in Calendar of State Papers Relating To English Affairs in the Archives of Venice, Volume 5, 1534-1554, (London, 1873) pp. 318-325. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/venice/vol5/pp318-325 [accessed 24 April 2024]
June 1550
| June? MS. St. Mark's Library Cod. xxiv. Cl. x. No date of time or place. | 668. Cardinal Pole to Cardinal [Innocenzio] del Monte. |
|---|---|
| Were it not for the hope reasonably entertained by me, that the affection which has moved our Lord to promote your Right Reverend Lordship to the Cardinalate, will also induce his Holiness to use all care and diligence to protect you from all such crosses and perils as are wont to accompany dignities and high offices at such an age (in questa età) (fn. 1) I should not dare to congratulate you on this your elevation, as I do; relying chiefly on this hope, and at the same time praying his Divine Majesty to vouchsafe to favour in this matter the goodwill of his Holiness, by giving your Right Reverend Lordship the grace to acknowledge this care on the Pope's behalf, as a far greater benefit than any dignity or advantage that you have received or may anticipate from him. And know that you have no other means of evincing your gratitude to God and his Holiness at the same time, than by endeavouring, with the aid of the Divine grace, to be such as daily more and more to justify (comprobare) the opinion and hope of you entertained, by his Holiness. To this I exhort you with the utmost earnestness, offering you my services as I am bound; and I humbly kiss your hands, praying our Lord God always to have you under His holy protection. (fn. 2) | |
| Rome, June? 1550. | |
| [Italian.] | |
| June 13. Parti Comuni, Consiglio X., v. xix. p. 118. tergo. | 669. Glass Manufactory of Edward VI. |
| Motion made in the Council of Ten about Venetian glassmakers employed by Edward VI. | |
| That to gratify the most Serene King of England, it be conceded to the under-mentioned glassmakers there, who were summoned to return hither within the period of eight months, that notwithstanding said proclamation, they may continue working in England until the expiration of the term of their contract (mercato) stipulated with said most serene King, which will expire in about 18 months, as stated in the ambassador's letter from England, dated the 24th February last. On the expiration of that term of about 18 months, they must immediately return hither, under the penalties in the proclamation aforesaid. And be the Signory's ambassador in England written to accordingly, so that he may explain to the King, that for his Majesty's satisfaction (gratificatione) they have thus chosen to make this concession. The ambassador to act in such wise with his Majesty, that at the period assigned, leave be given them; and that he do also desire said glassmakers to return at the time aforesaid. | |
| Ayes, 13. Noes, 0. Neutrals, 0. (fn. 3) | |
| [Italian.] | |
| June 14. Original Letter Book, Venetian Archives. | 670. Matteo Dandolo, Venetian Ambassador at Rome, to the Signory. |
| On Monday, in Consistory, the Pope conferred the legation of Viterbo on Cardinal Cornaro, with a monthly pension [to be derived from it] of 100 crowns for the Cardinal of England, who, since upwards of a month, is out of Rome. Heretofore he had 150 crowns per month upon that legation, but it is expected that they will give him 50 on the “Datario,” until through this legation or some other, they can give him farther supply. | |
| Rome, 14th June 1550. | |
| [Italian.] | |
| June 17. MS. St. Mark's Library, Cod. xxiv. cl. x. Printed in v. iv. “Epistolarum Reginaldi Poli,” pp. 53–65. | 671. Cardinal Pole to the Bishop of Badajos [Francisco Navarrete]. |
| Apologises for having so long delayed, contrary to his wont, answering his loving letter, especially as the Bishop had written a second, sending a most eloquent messenger, Pedro Frago, whom he allowed to return to Trent, (fn. 4) without taking the reply which he had promised him. Perhaps the cause of his not having been ready to answer, was the excessive praise with which Badajos overwhelmed him in his letter, so he lays the blame of the delay in part upon the Bishop, and will now pay the fine for his neglect, by giving him his, Pole's, own portrait; requesting he will believe it to be a true one. Should he find it fall short of what some people say, he is not to attribute it to modesty; as to convince him of his own impartial sincerity, he will indeed also mention such things as may perhaps do him honour. For instance, the Bishop in his letters praises him for greatness of mind and fortitude. On reading those words he was of opinion that those who accused him of pusillanimity and indolence (ignavia) were less far wrong; and he certainly believed that those were nearer the truth, who considered him alarmed by the heaviness of the burden, and therefore less inclined to bear it, attributing this however not to that timidity which proceeds from a pusillanimous mind, and arises spontaneously without any cause, but from that fear which from just causes sometimes seizes even intrepid men (eo timore qui justis de causis in fortes etiam viros cadit interdum). From this sort of fear Pole's mind was not altogether free, but as he did not covet the honour before the Conclave, when not goaded by fear, which he owns to having felt very strongly later, so does he yet more disclaim any merit for intrepidity. (fn. 5) Badajos will say “Is it then untrue what I knew from the letters of others, that at the time of the papal election (cum de Pontifice maximo deligendo ageretur), when the votes (sententiœ) of so many persons demanded you alone, and most earnestly insisted that honour or burden (for either epithet may be applied to it) should rest on your shoulders, you canvassed no one (neminem a te ob hanc causam pensatum), you solicited no one (neminem rogatum), nor did you give any sign of joy or desire (appetitionis)?” | |
| This Pole admits, adding that not only did he ask no one to favour him in this matter, but when many favoured him spontaneously, he requested them no longer to insist on electing him alone (ne in me uno eligendo pertinatius agere vellent), but that from amongst so many eminent men they should elect the one who would be most serviceable to the church, who if preferred to him—whoever he might be—Pole would not only bear it patiently, but value their choice as much as if it had fallen on himself. This he said to one and all when the tide in his favour ran strongest, and having promised Badajos to acquaint him with the truth of the business, he will not conceal this, lest it be attributed to modesty. But the Bishop rejoins, “If the case stands thus, does it not clearly show that the honour was not only not held in such account by Pole as by others who are wont to revere and admire it, but that he openly despised it, and by this same contempt displayed greatness of mind?” But, as already shown, he was not deterred from desiring the popedom by the weight of the burden or by fear, but by the individual character given him by God (ita fuit illa persona quam mihi Deus imposuevat); nor did he assume it spontaneously, but having received it from his maker, he acknowledged and sustained it, not unwillingly (non invitus quidem et agnovi et gessi.) | |
| This character he will sketch when describing what he felt, when first many votes were spontaneously offered him, or rather what he did not feel, being no more affected by them than if he had been one of those asses which, not having received any innate sense of it from nature, neither desire honour, nor despise it. (fn. 6) Insists on the aptness of this simile, narrating to the Bishop that when a most distinguished cardinal promised him all his influence, which was very great, to secure his election, Pole, as if the words had been addressed to an ass (jumento), remained quite silent; whereupon the Cardinal seeing him so mute, added that he gave him time to consider, for which he ought at least to have been thanked; and although Pole showed subsequently that he was not quite dumb and corrected this failing of taciturnity, yet at the moment he quitted the Cardinal like a sort of mute ass. (fn. 7) But that he was made of the ass species, (fn. 8) which nature entirely deprived of all sense of honour, is yet more proved by the very grievous and most bitter calumnies with which (as written by Badajos) he was assailed at the same time, and which took not the slightest effect upon him. The Bishop, with his usual indulgent partiality, attributes this to magnanimity, but in like manner as the sense of honour gave way to the ass's sense (jumenti sensus), so did this last prevent him from being disturbed by any fear of contumely. | |
| But in like manner as these and other things which happened to him at that time sufficiently show that this character (hane personam) was assigned (impositam) him by God, so was he never more convinced of it, than on that night when two cardinals invited him on behalf of the Conclave to allow himself to be conducted to the chapel where the Pope is elected, that they might test their election, styled adoration, of him; on hearing which mandate he will confess to the Bishop, he verily bethought him of that ass's colt (fn. 9) (illius aselli) standing tied at its master's door, which Christ sent the two apostles to loose and bring to Him that He, seated on it, might enter the Holy City. Thus did he think within himself when he heard the commission of those two, and that they were come to take him from that place to the right on entering the portal of the principal chapel, where he stood, tied as it were to his master's door, his cell being thus situated. So he listened to them as if they had been sent by Christ, as they came from those to whom Christ gave the right and power of electing his Vicar upon earth, and considered himself the ass's colt (asellum) already mentioned by him, this species presenting itself most especially to his mind when thus thinking of himself. And should it perchance seem to some that he laid aside this character because he did not allow himself to be taken away immediately, whilst others may perhaps argue that he truly sustained the asinine character, by not embracing their offer at once, yet did he never refuse that consent, (fn. 10) but, to say the truth, he greatly feared the night and darkness. (fn. 11) Will not argue farther whether he did right or wrong in this matter, and merely purposes acquainting the Bishop with his conduct. | |
| It therefore seeming to him that the darkness of the night was ill suited to the loosing of that ass (illud jumentum) on which the Saviour entered Jerusalem in broad daylight, he requested that the matter might be delayed until the dawn; but when two other Cardinals vested with the same authority came to him showing that they required nothing but what was usual, just, and legitimate, with regard to the hour, Pole then said he would be at their orders, whereby it seemed to him that he resumed the character of an ass (ad jumenti personam rediisse); though, to say the truth, scarcely had they departed ere he began to repent him of his assent, and therefore sent a messenger forthwith to the chief negotiators of this matter, requesting that if possible the consummation (res integra) might be deferred until the dawn; and the messengers found that of their own accord they had at length formed the same opinion. The Bishop will perhaps say that if nothing further ensued, if Christ did not use this ass (jumentum), why is it to be supposed that he assigned (imposuit) its nature (personam) to Pole; but if it was not Pole's lot to carry Christ publicly on his entry into the Holy City, this does not show that he is not invested with the character of his ass, (fn. 12) : but that the Lord had no need of this ass. | |
| The indifference of Pole in the midst of so many hopes and fears, was a Divine favour. He was alarmed at the sight of the pontificate, viewing it as divested of all honour and riches, and well nigh naked, (fn. 13) and this prevented him from advancing whilst the favour of the Sacred College forbad him to retreat. That the term sacred is applicable may be proved by the fact that this conformity of opinion (consensus) lasted, not days, but whole months; but of the many who entertained it, and they certainly formed a very great part of the College, no one was found during so long a period to take any steps either with Pole himself or through his attendants concerning their own private interests. Pole was assuredly convinced that such conduct could proceed solely from men who had given their suffrages to the [Christian] Republic and to the Church, that is to say, to God himself, and to Christ the spouse of the Church, consecrating their souls and votes entirely to this cause. Perceiving their perpetual constancy, their extreme affection for him, such as children show their father, they striving solely for this, that he should have the supreme honour and be assigned the place of father to them, and again considering (what he may term) his sterility with regard to effecting this unanimity, having well nigh nothing in common with them save intercourse in the College—neither country nor kindred—with many of them having scarcely a private friendship, while with very few indeed was he linked by habit and custom, nor with any of them could he claim the merit of benefits conferred, which in matters of this sort are usually of great avail; when therefore he considers his own manifold deficiencies, and how much was wanting to produce or encourage this unanimity, the Bishop may suppose how often he said to himself the words of the prophet in the person of the spouse who was first barren and then became fruitful, “Ego sterilis et captiva et transmigrate, et quis mihi genuit ipsos ?” The conformity of opinion with regard to his election he therefore attributed to Divine providence, and feared to combat it, yielding like an ass (ut jumentum), entirely under the guidance of the Lord, to be led whither it should please him. The Bishop may thus congratulate him on having escaped unhurt from so great a contest, not through his own strength, but by the help of God. | |
| Badajos is surprised that on the night when Pole received unexpectedly the news that the parties had at length agreed to put him aside and elect another, he not only was not in the least disturbed, but seemed rather to rejoice as it were. The reason was this: the disputes about the election were at an end, Christendom was relieved from the anxiety of suspense, and God had at length declared his will. Ought this to have caused Pole the slightest vexation? Had this been the case he would have shown plainly how unworthy he was to bear this burden. Assures the Bishop that of the many and great benefits vouchsafed him of the Divine goodness, none gave him greater joy than this, that when the parties decided against conferring on him the gift and honour of the Popedom, he had the means of experiencing in his own person how graciously, how munificently the Lord treats his asses (jumenta). (fn. 14) Hopes that throughout the rest of his life he may have the same delight in renouncing honours. Has not yet decided whether he is more indebted to those who hesitated to take him from the manger to bear the burden, or to those who at the commencement strove so earnestly to subject him to it, save that the latter first caused him to know the manger, and to taste the fodder presented to him there. (fn. 15) The precious, sweet, and salutary fruit derived by him from these circumstances will certainly seem as incredible to those who never bore the burden of the Lord (onus Domini), as what is written by Apuleius in his fable of “The Golden Ass”; but by the mercy of God the utter truth of the fact is hourly impressed upon him. What he would never have written to others, Pole has chosen to confide unreservedly to the Bishop of Badajos, who from his youth upwards has dedicated himself to the yoke of the Lord, and by whom Pole knows he is loved in visceribus Christi; and writing as he is to a person well acquainted with the Court of Rome, he considers explanation on many points unnecessary. (fn. 16) | |
| Bagnarea, 17th June 1550. | |
| [Latin, 366 lines.] | |
| June 20. Lettere Secrete, Capi Consiglio X., File no. 4. | 672. The Chief of the Ten to [Matteo Dandolo] the Venetian Ambassador at Rome. |
| Their most beloved noble Ser Daniel Barbaro, LL.D., ambassador in England, has sent them the power of attorney, made by him in England, to accept the renunciation by the Patriarch [Giovanni Querini], save that in England they would not insert the clause where mention is made of the Pope's Holiness (eccetto dove si fa mentione in essa minuta della Santità del Pontifice). As on this account the instrument may possibly not be admitted at Rome, their said ambassador has drawn up another, appointing an agent in Venice, with authority to make in his name another power of attorney, according to the form of the draft sent by him (Dandolo). Enclose the two, desiring him immediately on the Patriarch's arrival at Rome to acquaint him with the whole, so that after obtaining the necessary information, choice be made of one of the two “powers” admissible at Rome, praying his Lordship to despatch this matter. To give him every assistance and favour, both with the Pope and in all other quarters. Should his Lordship be still out of Rome, to acquaint him with the whole by letters. In the “power” drawn up at Venice, it being necessary to mention that Macasuola is to be substitute for the Proctor (che ha it Macasuola di sustituir it procurators), lest had they copied the instrument made in England, in virtue of the aforesaid power (as is occasionally done), some difficulty be made at Rome about the words “Ecclesiœ Anglicance supremum Caput,” they have said “as proved by the instrument seen and read by me, notary.” But as an act of superabundant caution, in case it should be chosen at any rate to see the document, they inclose it, so that he may make such use of it as necessary; in which case he is to apologise for the ambassador [Barbaro], who, being where he is, could not obtain the instrument in any other form; demonstrating moreover that this would not matter, as it is not registered anywhere, the attestation having been merely made by the notary, and seen by their secretary. | |
| With regard to the words “Revdus et Magcus D. Daniel Barbarus Clericus Venetus,” warn him that he is not a clergyman, but in these cases it is usual to give the term of six months in which to become a clerk, as is well known (they are aware) to the Patriarch and to him (Dandolo). | |
| Nicolò Justinian, C.C.X. | |
| Petrus Maurocenus, C.C.X. | |
| Borto Zane, C.C.X. | |
| Lectæ Clarmis D. Saps utr. manus. | |
| [Italian.] | |
| June 27. Lettere Secrete, Capi Consiglio X. File no. 4. | 673. The Chiefs of the Ten to [Daniel Barbaro] the Venetian Ambassador in England. |
| In addition to the accompanying letters from the Council of Ten and Junta, inform him that for greater security it would be well that he should have another power of attorney (instrumento di procura) drawn up by his secretary, although not a notary, according to the draft which they sent him, to be used in case the one which he transmitted them, or that which they are drawing up at Venice, be not admitted at Rome for the reasons alluded to in his letters. The deed to be witnessed by Venetian subjects, and sent as speedily as possible. | |
| Nicolò Justinian, C.C.X. | |
| Petrus Maurocenus, C.C.X. | |
| Borto Zane, C.C.X. | |
| Lectæ Clarmis D. Saps utr. manus. | |
| [Italian.] | |
| June 27. Parti Secrete, Consiglio X. File no. 7. | 674. The Chiefs of the Ten to Daniel Barbaro, Venetian Ambassador in England. |
| Have received his letters addressed to them on the 8th instant, and perused the power of attorney sent by him, accepting the renunciation of the Patriarchate of Aquileia, as also the other, whereby he (Barbaro) appoints a commissioner to draw up another power in Venice in case the first instrument be inadmissible at Rome. | |
| Will send the power of attorney to Rome that the writing may be duly legalized, nor will the State fail hereafter, when opportunities offer, to do what they can for his advantage and benefit, as due to his qualities and the affection demonstrated by him towards the Republic. | |
| Ayes, 23. Noes, 0. Neutral, 1. | |
| Papalists were ordered to withdraw. | |
| [Italian.] | |
| June 28. Deliberazioni Senato (Secreta), v. lxvii. p. 49. | 675. The Doge and Senate to the Venetian Ambassador and Bailiffs (Baylis) at Constantinople. |
| By letters from their ambassador with the most Christian King, in date of the 19th ultimo, are informed that his Majesty, was at Boulogne superintending the repairs of that city, as also of the other places recovered by him, in virtue of the peace made with the most Serene King of England. | |
| Ayes, 198. Noes, 4. Neutrals, 4. | |
| [Italian.] | |