BOOK It is from the universal practice of this system of general abuse of Protestants by the most reprobating epithets, and of the altum silentium as to their doctrines and opinions, that the great mass of the Catholic population of all classes, have been kept in total ignorance of every thing concerning the Reformation and its professors, than that both are execrable and foolish things. Our officers and travellers found many amusive instances of this perversion and delusion when they first entered Portugal and Spain. That the same system of ignorance is still pursued whenever it can be enforced, we see from Wolff's Journal in Syria, in May 1824: The Catholic archbishop, Pierre Coupery, pronounced excommunication against every Catholic who should enter into conversation with me about religion.' v. 2. p. 302. It is manifest that the contest was given up by the Romish church as an intellectual or as a scriptural question, within a few years after Luther's decided attack, and was then rested upon its traditions and on its power. The original tradition was in no written shape. It was invisible to every human eye, and undiscoverable by any human research. But it was inferred from the older ritual ceremonies, from some allusions in some fathers contradicted by others, from some decrees of councils, and principally from the papal determinations which had been issued in different ages, as discussions or expediencies had occasioned various pontiffs to assert them. Hence as the written Scripture was not their foundation, the written Scriptures were depreciated and put aside, and the Catholic population was forbidden or discouraged from reading them. Every other line of study and reading was recommended in preference to them. It was on this principle that some of the old French poets composed their poems. We see this in the instance of Jean Bouchet, who lived in 1536. The Catholic bibliographer, Gouget, says of him, Another motive which led him to write his Triomphes,' was to hinder women from reading the translations of the Bible made by the heretics and their works, and to substitute his poems for those dont la lecture devoit leur etre interdite." Biblioth. Franc. v. 11. p. 286. It was on this principle that the Jesuits forbade the queen mother of France from being present at the discussions between the Catholic and the Huguenot disputants at Poissy. In this system of wilful abuse and calumny, the Dominicans and the Jesuits have been peculiarly prominent. Few of their works mention Protestants in any other way. It was on this plan that Sanders was procured or induced to make up his History of the English Reformation under Henry VIII. Edward VI. and Elizabeth, which he wilfully composed of the most calumniating falsehoods; and being thus concocted and seasoned to their taste and purposes, it was made the standard authority for the Catholic historians on the continent, of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Ribadineira, a contemporary, quotes it as his authority; and so do many others that I have seen, of the same period. CHAP. XVI. AMBASSADORS TO ROME-NEW POPES-PAUL IV. DEGRADES THE foreign transactions of England during these domestic calamities, contributed no lustre of political glory, to divert or abate the national dissatisfaction. The heart of the country was not with its government, and its antient spirit sank to a wintry torpidity. Its arm was unnerved, and its character decayed; while the competition between France and the emperor was undiminished and inextinguishable. The war between these jealous potentates continued during the Spring and Summer of 1554, with a fluctuating success in Italy, and with a gradual progress of the French force in Flanders.' The great anxiety of the Parisian court was to keep England from intermeddling. Pole wished the pacification Thus in March, Strozzi, on the French side, gained a victory over the duke of Florence, and took the pope's nephew, Ascanio, a prisoner. Noailles, 3. p. 150. But tho he raised his force to 25,000 men, p. 275, yet on 24 August, he was totally defeated by the marquis Marignan, with the imperial army, near Lucignano, with the loss of 2,000 taken, and 4,000 slain. See Marignan's letter to Charles V. in Lett. Prin. v. 3. 155. In Flanders, the connetable Montmorency invaded the Netherlands, and took Marienburg, Durant, and other places, and defeated the emperor's vanguard at Renty. p. 268, 276, 317. In November Brisac entered Piedmont, and took Yvrea from the Spaniards. v. 4. p. 70. 2 See Henry 2d's letter of 24th May, Noail. v. 3. p. 234; the connetable's, p. 319; and the king's, of 24th Sept. p. 320; Mary's answer, of 14th Nov. 323; and the subsequent dispatches. CHAP. XVI. BOOK II. 4 of their hostilities, to combine their power against the Protestant cause.3 He endeavored to procure at least a truce; but both parties continued to fight and to listen to those who recommended negotiations. Gardiner evinced his jealousy and dislike of Pole, and would not consent to his being the mediating agent.' Nor was the parliament tractable to the queen's nuptial politics: it had allowed her to change the national religion, on the bargain, that the church lands should not be reclaimed; but it would not invest her Spanish husband with the matrimonial crown of England, nor admit foreigners into its fortifications, nor give her power or money for a foreign war. 8 The negotiations went on; while three ambassadors, a bishop, a lord, and a lawyer, were sent to Rome, to thank the pope for receiving the nation into his bondage, and to take the oath of obedience to him.10 The death of Julius III. gave birth to new See Pole's letter to Hen. II. of 13th Dec. p. 324. and to the connetable, p.326; their answers, 327, 9; and Noailles' interview with him, v. 4. p.31. The minister ordered the ambassador to thank him for what he had done towards a reconciliation, and to assure him of Henry's desire to promote sa grandeur et son advancement.' v. 4. p. 7. See also the abbe S. Salcet's avis, p. 42-7. 6 Lett. 16th December. Noailles, p. 63, 65. See Noaill. 4. p. 66, 84, 104, 111, 160. Pole wished the treaty to be carried on in England, to which the French objected. 106. Noaill. p. 120. 7 Ib. 129. Noailles, on 15th and 20th January, 1555, p. 138, 142, described his further conferences with Pole on this subject. Noailles' despatch of 20th January 1555. v. 4. p. 153. "Noail. v. 4. p. 167, 179, 118, 203, 216. On 10th March the emperor interposed delays, hoping to hear of the capture of Sienna, and thereby to make better terms. p. 224. But Brisac in the meantime surprised Casal. 227. The discussions continued till the pope's death. 232-260. 10 Noailles' lett. 13th February. p. 182. Henry ordered them to be handsomely accommodated thro his dominions. p. 189. Lord Hardwicke views and intrigues, to secure a favorable successor, for which the usual bribery was not omitted." The king of France was earnest for his partisan." The has printed an account of this journey, written by one of their train, which, as he truly remarks, contains many curious particulars of the face of the country, the appearance of the great towns, and the customs of Italy at that time. This is the last embassy which went from England to pay public homage to the see of Rome.' Hardw. State Papers, v. 1. p. 62-102. They thus notice the French sovereign Henry II.: The king is a goodly tall gentleman, well made in all the parts of his body; a very grim countenance, yet very gentle, meek and wellbeloved.' p. 68. At St. Andre they heard that the pope they were sent to, Julius III. died on 25th March. p. 73. They went on, notwithstanding. At Bologna they received news of the death of the next pope, Marcellus II. on 30th April, (p. 88,) but continued their journey. On the 10th June they made their oration to the new pontiff, Paul IV. kissed his foot, which had a crimson velvet slipper, with a cross of silver. He blessed them, and so they departed sanctified.' p. 97. On the 12th they went to his Chamber of Presence, and saw him go to even song, in a chair of crimson velvet wrought with gold, and two servants going before him, crying Abasso! abasso! which is to say, kneel down.' p. 98. On 13th when he went to mass at St. Peter's, two triple crowns were borne before him, of an inestimable value; and two men preceding, with great broad fans made of peacocks' tails, to keep the sun and flies from his holy face.' p. 98. Yet the writer, with all his veneration, adds, We saw a world of relics, very ridiculous and incredible.' p. 99. He computed the distance from London to Rome to be 1,158 miles. p. 100. They left the Papal court on 16th June. The cardinals had also their peacocks' tails, with their silver crosses and pillars, carried before them; and every time a cardinal went over the bridge near St. Angelo, a cannon was fired from the castle for an hour. The pope is bound to observe that to his well-beloved brethren, whenever they pass the bridge, whether they come to the court or no.' p. 97. We are accustomed to speak only of the pope, but it is probable that the combined aristocracy of the cardinals at Rome, who constitute his consistory, has, and exerts, more of the real power of the Papacy than the chosen pontiff. He has the name and state, but he can do little without them. "The king of France immediately, on 4th April, wrote to cardinal Ferrara, that he would omit nothing to make him pope, adding, The cardinal may also promise, in the king's name, to the other cardinals who will and can assist him, as far as 25,000 crowns of yearly revenue in benefices, out of the first which shall become hereafter vacant, and at the disposal of his majesty; and above all, to deliver to those to whom he shall make the promise, such assurance in the said name as he shall think requisite.' Lett. in Ribier, v. 2. p. 605. 12 On 9th April he directed his ambassador Lausac, when the conclave was assembled, to tell the cardinals, mes partisans,' that if they see that the cardinals Ferrara, or that those of Tournon, Bellay, or низ CHAP XVI. BOOK II. conclave met in a large body," and disappointed all expectants and corrupters by choosing the worthiest person in their consistory to be their chief.14 This election was the more extraordinary, because their acts commenced with abrogating the bull of their own reformation." The new pontiff was indeed too good Armagnac, cannot attain the papacy, but they must consent to an Italian pope, or to the cardinal St. Croix, who, from the great party he has, may be the one chosen, and if the cardinal of England (Pole) should not be named, I wish them to prevent the election of St. Croix, and that they should rather choose the Card. England.' p. 606. 13 Thirty-seven cardinals, on 5 April, entered the conclave, of whom twenty-five were required to be the deciding majority. As they are closely shut up till they elect, their first act was to open the windows and order away all the pots and dishes and victuals, that no air might be generated noxious to health. The official cardinals then locked the doors. Their form of voting was by delivering papers, I, cardinal A. elect B. to be the pope.' On the first scrutiny, were 12 for Naples, 8 for Croce, and 6 for Ferrara. This was no decision, and all the night passed in 'grandissime prattiche,' and especially by the cardinal Ferrara. Observing these, the imperials united, and thought of naming Croce, who, on this, had the next day, the 9th, twenty-five or twenty-six votes: very great words arose on this result, and Ferrara and his followers tried to make a disturbance. But the others fetched in Croce, who said, "I will not repugnare allo spirito santo.' He thanked them, and declared that he would never attend to his own particular interest, but solely to the universal good. The writer says, I was the first to kiss his feet, but he would not let me.' On 11th he dressed in white and washed the feet of twelve mendicants, which was a most beautiful ceremony.' 'On 6th May he will be 54.' Lett. Prin. 3. p. 162, 3. 14 On 13th April, Avanson announced to Henry, that on the preceding Tuesday (9th April) St. Croix was chosen. Yesterday morning he was to have been crowned, and after his coronation to be carried on the shoulders of twelve estafiers; but he stopped them, and had his chair set down, and said he meant to save the usual expense of 30,000 crowns, and to give half of it to the poor. One of his intimates told me to-day, that he intends soon to begin some grand reformations sur l'etat ecclesiastique.' Lett. 2. Rib. 606. He is described as 54 years old; large in person, hoary, of a fine countenance, full of gravity, of a delicate complexion, and weak; quiet; of few words, but sweet, and always resolute; of a most virtuous and excellent life, learned, good, and intelligent.' Lett. Prin. 3. p. 163. 15 Avanson's Lett. 5. Ap. p. 604. They also decreed, that they would not consent to any alienation of the domains of the church; that the pope should not make above four cardinals, of whom one should be the person to whom he gave his own hat, and two only of the others should be of his relations, until the number of cardinals should be reduced to forty. ib. 607. |