Venice: January 1541 | British History Online

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.

'Venice: January 1541', in Calendar of State Papers Relating To English Affairs in the Archives of Venice, Volume 5, 1534-1554, (London, 1873) pp. 91-92. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/venice/vol5/pp91-92 [accessed 25 April 2024]

January 1541



1541. No date. MS. St. Mark's Library, Cod. xxiv. Cl. x., printed in v. iii. pp. 32–34. “Epistolarum Reginaldi Poli.”	235. Cardinal Pole to Francis I, King of France.
	Thanks the King for having remembered him, whilst by friends and kindred he is forgotten, they seeking to deprive him of all support. With regard to the Bishop of R. . . . . . (Episcopum Rudensem ?) whom the King recommends to him, he was presented to him at Venice by the Bishop of Lavaur? (Episcopo Vaurensi). Will not fail to aid the Bishop of R. . . . . . , and will pray God that King Francis may preserve that piety which transpired in his conversations with the Pope, with Cardinal [Gasparo] Contarini, and himself, during the Congress of Nice.
	Viterbo ?.
	[Latin, 39 lines.]
Jan. 7. Original Letter Book of Francesco Contarini in St. Mark's Library.	236. Francesco Contarini, Venetian Ambassador with the Emperor, to the Signory.
	The English ambassador late resident here, (fn. 1) absented himself with a single servant, nor is it known whither he is gone. He had some suspicion that his King was not well satisfied with him, and therefore feared to enter his presence. He was in truth a very admirable and worthy man, and I believe also a good Catholic.
	There are letters from Worms, dated the 20th December, and it seems that affairs there are not proceeding very prosperously, there being on the contrary some discord amongst the Catholics, with small hopes of agreement.
	The French Ambassador, the two who lately arrived from England, and I came hither by land, the journey being shorter, but more fatiguing. The Nuncio and the Portuguese Ambassador are coming by way of Cologne by water, which is longer but more convenient.
	Luxemburg, 7th January 1541.
	[Italian.]
Jan. 19. Original Letter Book of Francesco Contarini in St. Mark's Library.	237. The Same to the Same.
	The Emperor arrived here late last evening, as did I on the day before. Mons. de Granvelle has also come from Worms, and it seems that the entire negotiation will be transferred to the Diet, and, from what I hear, with small hope of adjustment. They lately disputed during four consecutive days about original sin, on which point they will have agreed, as yesterday morning Bucer admitted that sin which remains after baptism, is sin without transgression (colpa), and this is what the Catholics insist on.
	Spires, 19th January 1541.
	[Italian.]
Jan. 26. Original Letter Book of Francesco Contarini in St. Mark's Library.	238. Francesco Contarini, Venetian Ambassador with the Emperor, to the Signory.
	On the 24th we were to have departed hence for Ratisbon by wav of Nuremberg, but the Emperor having been seized with a fit of the gout on the preceding day the departure was delayed, nor can it yet be known when his Majesty will depart, as he is still in bed, and has suffered much pain.
	The Bishop of Feltre, the Master of the Sacred Palace, and many others of the Catholic Doctors have come hither from Worms; nor in short, during the two months and upwards of their colloquy, have they done more than was written in my foregoing letters. First of all, they waited for the most illustrious De Granvelle [Antoine de Perrenot, Bishop of Arras], who did not arrive until the 22nd of November; then on the 25th, after making his lordship sing High Mass in the cathedral, they assembled in the place appointed for the conference. After perusal of the letters addressed by the Emperor to the Princes and States of Germany, as also of Mons. de Granvelle's commission, which was most ample, his lordship made so very fine an oration that it moved many persons to tears. A few days later the Bishop of Feltre, in the name of the Pope, made another oration, no less fine than the first. They next commenced discussing the mode of procedure, either according to the treaty of Franckfort, or to that of Haguenau, and spent many days in debate on this matter, determining at length to proceed on the basis of the treaty of Haguenau. Concerning these treaties your Lordships can obtain full information from Messer Marin Giustinian, his magnificence being better acquainted with the subject than anyone. They then mooted another difficulty respecting who was to speak, and much time was spent on this likewise, it being at length settled to have one spokesman for each side, the Catholics electing Eckius, and the Protestants Melancthon. At length, on the 14th inst., and not before, and being agreed on the first article (De Trinitate), they disputed for four consecutive days about the second article (De peccato originali), concerning which they at length became agreed. Then on the 17th letters arrived from the Emperor, commanding that whether the conference (colloquio) had been commenced or not, the entire business was to be transferred to the Diet. Thus has this conference been dissolved, nor have they proceeded farther because, concerning the other articles which follow (De giustificatione, etc.), it seems that the Catholics are not well agreed amongst each other, and it is thought that unless the Emperor himself in person produce some good effect with the Princes of Germany, small fruit will be gathered from amongst these Doctors. The Pope's determination to send Cardinal [Gasparo] Contarini to the Diet is much commended, by reason of his eminent qualities.
	Spires, 26th January 1541.
	[Italian,]