MarginaliaA letter of the Cardinall to Steuen Gardiner, Lieger at Rome.MAister Steuen, albeit ye shalbe sufficiently with your colleages, by such instructions as be giuē to Monsier Vincent, informed of the kynges mynde and myne, concernyng my aduauncemēt vnto the dignitie Papall, not doubtyng but that for the singular deuotion, whiche you beare towardes the kyng and his affaires, both generall and particular, & perfect loue, whiche ye haue towardes me, ye will omit nothyng that may be excogitate to serue and conduce to that purpose, yet I thought conuenient for the more feruent expression of my mynde in that behalfe, to write vnto you (as to the person whom I most entierly do trust, and by whom this thyng shalbe most pithely set forth) these fewe wordes folowing, of my own hand. MarginaliaCraftie pretenses to serue ambitious purposes.I doubt not but ye do profoūdly consider, as well the state, wherin the Churche and all Christendome doth stand now presently, as also the state of this realme, and of the kyngs secret matter, whiche if it should be brought to passe, by any other meanes then by the authoritie of the Churche, I accompt this Prince and realme vtterly vndone. Wherfore it is expedient to haue such a one to be Pope and common father of all Princes, as may, can, and will geue remedie to the premisses. MarginaliaSimulation of modestie, and yet marke how here he auaunceth him self aboue all other.And albeit I accompt my self much vnhable, and that it shalbe now incommodious in this myne old age, to bee the sayd common father, yet when all thynges be well pondered, and the qualities of all the Cardinals well considered (Absit verbum iactanciæ) there shalbe none founde that can and will set remedy in the foresayd thynges, but onely the Cardinall of Yorke, MarginaliaBelike the Cardinall here lacketh good neighbors, seing he is compelled to prayse him selfe.whose good wil & zeale is not to you of all men, vnknowē. And were it not for the reintegration of the state of the Church, and sea Apostolicke to the pristine dignitie, & for the conducyng of peace amongest Christiā Princes, and specially to relieue this Prince and Realme from the calamities that the same be now in, all the riches or honor of the world should not cause me, Nedum aspirare, sed ne consentire, to accept the sayd dignitie, MarginaliaYou may long say so, before we will beleue you.although the same with all cōmodities were offered vnto me. Neuertheles conformyng my selfe to the necessitie of the time, and the will and pleasure of these ij. Princes, I am content to appone all my witte & studie, and to set forth all meanes and wayes, Vt bene faciam rebus Christianitatis, for the atteyning of the sayd dignitie. For the atchieuyng and atteyning wherof, for as much as therupō dependeth the health and wealth, not onely of these two Princes and their Realmes, but of all Christendome, no thyng is to be omitted that may conduce to the sayd end and purpose. Wherfore M. Steuen, since you bee so plainly aduertised of my minde and intent, I shall pray you to extende, omnes neruos ingenij tui, vt ista res ad effectū produci possit,  

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Part of a letter from Wolsey to Gardiner

Foxe text Latin

omnes neruos ingenij tui ... Westmonest. vij. Febr.

Translation

J. Barrie Hall

Wherefore M. Stephen, since you be so playnly aduertised of my mynde and intent, I shall pray you to extend all the sinews of your intellect that this matter may be brought to effect, sparing no expenses, promises or labours: as you see the minds and affections of men, whether in private matters or in public, so let you adjust your actions. You and your colleagues have no lack of very considerable power, a power not limited or restricted by any bounds or conditions, and, whatever you do, you may know that it is pleasing to and endorsed by the king and me. For, to be brief, we have reposed everything in your intellect and fidelity. Nothing further remains to be written, except to beg and entreat that almighty and all-powerful God make your actions bring forth fruit. From my heart farewell. From the palace of Westminster, 7 February, I who am most desirous of your safe-keeping and distinction, T. Ebor.

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Tuæ salutis & amplitudinis
cupidissimus. T. Ebor.

After this letter of the Cardinall, consequently here ensueth an other letter of the kyng, to the foresayd Steuen Gardiner, and other his Oratours at Rome, conteinyng such instructions and documentes, as they should practise with the Cardinals of Rome, in canuesing for the sayd Thomas Wolsey Cardinall of Yorke, to be elected Pope, if Pope Clement were dead. Or if he were not dead, yet at least, to instruct them, what to to do, when he should dye. The contentes of the letter, albeit they include no great matter worthy our knowledge, nor greatly necessary for our story, yet for þ^e ridiculous maner of þ^e handlyng, & the curious Secretariship therof, full of glorious affectatiō, I thought it not here vnmeete for þ^e studies & appetites of some, to exemplifie þ^e same, or at least, to make þ^e reader some pastime by þ^e way, in beholding þ^e glorious stile of this vainglorious Cardinall, being sute like to his glorious life. The copie of the letter, bearing the name of the kyng, but in deede sauoryng altogether of the Cardinals deuise and swelling vayne, doth thus proceede in forme and style, as followeth.MarginaliaMarke the stile, and you shal that it is all one w^t the Cardinals letter he wrote with hys own hand

MarginaliaInstructions in the kinges name, to his Legates at Rome.FIrst, where as a good season since the depeche of M. Steuen Gardiner, on Ambassiate towardes the Court of Rome, the kynges highnes by sondrye wayes, hath bene aduertised of the death of our holy father the Pope, Clement of that name the vij. whose soule Iesu pardon, by meane whereof, the charge heretofore committed by his grace vnto his Oratours, to haue ben now executed with the said late Pope, can not at his handes take effect, his highnes ponderyng and profoundlye consideryng, the present state of Christendome, miserablie & piteouslye afflicted with the intestine warres, dissentions, & dicordes, reignyng amongest the Princes of the same, and how the dignitie of the Sea Apostolicke, by such trouble & persecutiō, as hath ben inferred therunto, these yeares passed, is not a litle diminished and empayred, lyke to come to totall ruine, MarginaliaThe totall ruine of the Apostolicke Papacie, God send it.if by the helpe & assistaunce of good and vertuous Princes, the ambicion of those, which studie the extermmion therof, be not in tyme repressed: consideryng furthermore, that aswell to conduce rest & tranquillitie in Christendome, as to restore, repaire, and reintegrate the state, authoritie, and reputatiō of the sayd Sea Apostolicke, nothyng is more requisite and necessarye, then that such a head and common father, be now at this tyme of vacation of the dignitie Papall, prouided & elected to succede in the same, as both may, can, and will puruey to the restauration of the sayd Sea, and that hath, and may haue the asistaunce of such vertuous and puissaunt Princes, as tender the defence, mainteynaunce, and encrease of the dignitie aforesayd, and that may meete with the inordinate ambicion of the Emperour, who nothyng more studieth, then for his owne exaltation, to suppresse the Church and Sea Apostolicke: remembryng also the hygh importaunce of the kinges great and weighty cause of matrimony, MarginaliaHe meaneth the matrimony betwene K. Henry. 8. and queene Katherine, his brother Arthurs wife, whether it was lawfull or no.committed to the charge of his sayd Oratours, and how manifold daungers and irreparable damages depende vpon the tracte, delay, or disapoyntement therof, which by no way or meane can bee conduced to the kynges purpose, and desire, by the authoritie of the Church, but onely by speciall, assured, & perfect fauour of the head of the same Church, hys highnes also being as loth as any liuing Prince or person may bee, to recurre vnto other refuge, succour, or remedie in his sayd cause, then to the authoritie of the Sea Apostolicke, if his grace may there finde the fauour and benignitie, that to his merites towardes the same be correspondent, of whiche fauour his hyghnes should be clearely depriued and frustrate, in case the election of the future Pope, should passe vpon any person, of whom his grace were not perfectlye assured: his highnes for the respectes and considerations before specified, perceiuyng hys good brother and perpetuall alye the French kyng, in the sayd intention to be vnite, knitte, and in all actions and doynges of importance, assuredly combined vnto his grace, procedyng together in one will, minde, purpose, and conformitie, hath by good and mature deliberatiō, studied, deuised, and excogitate with him self, who were and might be the most able, mete, and conuenient person, hauyng the qualities before specified, to be auaunced at this tyme, vnto the sayd dignitie Papall. And finally when his grace hath well reuolued with hym selfe, all the respectes and considerations aforesayd, notyng also all thynges mete to be regarded in euery of the Cardinals of the Churche of Rome, both present now in the Court there, and absent from the same, it can not be founde that there is any person sufficiently furnished, with the requisites before specified, but onely the most reuerend father in God, and his most trustie Counsaillor, the Lord Legate Cardinall, Archbyship of Yorke, Primate and Chauncellour of this Realme. Who being well knowē to haue as feruent zeale, study, mynd, and desire, to the vniuersal weale, repose, and tranquillitie of Christendome, to the reintegration and restauratiō of the dignitie, authoritie, reputation, and rightes of the Churche and Sea Apostolicke, to the suertie, weale, and