The Correspondence of Reginald Pole

Volume 3 A Calendar, 1555-1558: Restoring the English Church

Thomas F. Mayer

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2017
• Print ISBN: 9780754603283
• eBook ISBN: 9781351963886
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: World History
• Index: History

Reginald Pole (1500-1558), cardinal and archbishop of Canterbury, was at the centre of reform controversies in the mid 16th century - antagonist of Henry VIII, a leader of the reform group in the Roman Church, and nearly elected pope (Julius III was elected in his stead). His voluminous correspondence - more than 2500 items, including letters to him - forms a major source for historians not only of England, but of Catholic Europe and the early Reformation as a whole. In addition to the insight they provide on political history, both secular and ecclesiastical, and on the spiritual motives of reform, they also constitute a great resource for our understanding of humanist learning and cultural patronage in the Renaissance. Hitherto there has been no comprehensive, let alone modern or accurate listing and analysis of this correspondence, in large part due to the complexity of the manuscript traditions and the difficulties of legibility. The present work makes this vast body of material accessible to the researcher, summarising each letter (and printing key texts usually in critical editions), together with necessary identification and comment. The first three volumes in this set will contain the correspondence; the fourth and fifth will provide a biographical companion to all persons mentioned, and will together constitute a major research tool in their own right. This first volume covers the crucial turning point in Pole's career: his protracted break with Henry and the substitution of papal service for royal. One major dimension of this rupture was a profound religious conversion which took Pole to the brink of one of the defining moments of the Italian Reformation, the writing of the 'Beneficio di Christo'.

CHAPTER ONE
January-June 1555

1021
4 January 1555
Pole - nuncio in France [Sebastiano Gualteri], n.p.

MSS: BAV, Vat. lat. 6754, fos 150v-151r; BL, Add. 41577, fos 168v-169r; BNM, Ital. X 24 (6527), fo. 120r; ASV, Fondo Borgh. IV 93, fos 79v-80r, with some minor variations; ASV, Misc. Arm. II 6, fo. 235r-v; BAV, Ottob. lat. 2432, fos 145v-146r.

Printed: Lutz, no. 82.

Calendar: CSPV, 6:1, no. 3.

Received yours of 22 December¹ along with cardinal of Lorraine's² about his and king's joy at reconciliation. Replied as by enclosed copy³ and communicated Lorraine's letter to their majesties. Lorraine could be big help to peace.

1022
4 January 1555
Pole - [Charles de Guise] cardinal of Lorraine, London

MSS: BAV, Vat. lat. 6754, fos 151r-152r; BL, Add. 41577, fos 169r-170r; BNM, Ital. X 24 (6527), fos 120r—121r; ASV, Fondo Borgh. IV 93, fos 80v-82v; ASV, Misc. Arm. II 6, fos 236r-237v; BAV, Ottob. lat. 2432, fos 146r-147v.

Calendar: CSPV, 6:1, no. 4.

Knowing Henry's attitude to religion in England from talk with him,⁴ thought it appropriate to congratulate you as I did king⁵ and take opportunity to remind you about peace. Have yours of 22 December written before you got mine⁶ in which you express joy about reconciliation. Now concluded with parliament's abrogation of Henry VIII's laws and restoration of jurisdiction to clergy.⁷ Condescension to weakness about ecclesiastical property. Help with peace.

1023
4 January 1555
Pole - duchess of Mantua [Margherita Paleologo], London

MS: ASM:AG, b.578, fo. 157r-v, orig. in Marcantonio Faita's hand.

Have yours of 12 October congratulating Mary on pregnancy.⁸ Told her about you and your great stato. Glad to hear of daughter's [Isabella] marriage to Pescara,⁹ as wrote from Brussels.¹⁰ Glad for him as well, especially because of aunt [Vittoria Colonna]. PS Have also told Philip how much you like him.

1024
6 January 1555
Cornelio Musso - Pole, Bitonto

MS: BAV, Borgiani lat. 300 (register of Musso's letters), fos 9r-12v, date and place from typescript catalogue in BAV. Imperfect, prob. cancelled.

This letter was probably inspired by a proposed mission to Philip II in England for Musso on behalf of his new bishopric of Bitonto.¹¹ Acc. Musso's biographer, he had preached before Pole and others in the 1540s.¹²

Much rejoicing at news from England. From time you left Garda have imagined miracle that has occurred. Encomium of Philip and Mary. Hope to see all of Germany converted by you. Your praises carved in all stones, but you are historia viva ['living history {or story}'].

1025
9 January 1555
Innocenzo Del Monte - Pole, Rome

MS: ASV, Misc. Arm. II 79, fo. 61r; PRO, PRO 31/9/67, p. 71; certified copy from ASV, Lettere di segreteria di stato di Giulio III ..., vol. 393, pp. 129 and 136 in Archives of the British Province, Society of Jesus, Farm Street, London on loan to the editor.

At instance of Cardinal Alvarez, Julius wants list of all Carthusian martyrs in London at beginning of schism. Try hard. Make processo autentico.¹³

1026
11 January 1555
Pole - Gualteri, London

MSS: BAV, Vat. lat. 6754, fo. 157r-v; BL, Add. 41577, fo. I75r-v; BNM, Ital. X 24 (6527), fo. 124r; ASV, Fondo Borgh. IV 93, fos 94r-95r and BAV, Ottob. lat. 2432, fos 155v-156r dated 12 January 1555; ASV, Misc. Arm. II 6, fos 249r-250r.

Printed: partially in Lutz, p. 237n3.

Calendar: CSPV, 6:1, no. 1 from BNM, dated 2 January 1555.

The missing letter of 26 December referred to here is apparently the one in which Gualteri proposed a peace conference, although that had been Pole's idea already in 1552 (no. 596 ab.). At the end of January 1555 the Venetian ambassador to France reported that Gualteri had 'some days ago' suggested a meeting and that Pole had replied that he was too busy with the reconciliation.¹⁴ This is contradicted not only by Pole's letter of 13 December 1554 to Henry II and the king's reply of 28 December (nos 1003 and 1015 ab.) thanking Pole for his concern for peace and declaring himself ready to negotiate, but also by Gualteri's reports to Rome of 23 and 27 December, in the second of which he claimed to have proposed a conference.¹⁵ The ambassador also said Pole had replied to Gualteri on 13 January, which must be a mistake for this letter.

Have yours of 26 December carried by French ambassador's brother.¹⁶ Both came yesterday evening to give me Henry II's, Lorraine's,¹⁷ and Montmorency's.¹⁸ Confirm French goodwill. Today discussed it with their majesties, including your proposal for deputations. King said would write emperor. Have written this to Girolamo Muzzarelli¹⁹ and know he will do his duty. Will reply to others on suitable occasion.

1027
11 January 1555
Pole - Girolamo Muzzarelli, London

MSS: BAV, Vat. lat. 6754, fos 157v-157ar; BL, Add. 41577, fos 175v-176r; BNM, Ital. X 24 (6527), fo. 124r-v; ASV, Fondo Borgh. IV 93, fos 95r-96v, dated 2 January 1555; BAV, Ottob. lat. 2432, fos 156r-157r, dated 19 January 1555.

Printed: Lutz, no. 83.

Calendar: CSPV, 6:1, no. 2, dated 2 January 1555.

You already know about Di pace from letter I wrote about rejoicing with Henry II about developments in religion.²⁰ Did same with Montmorency and Lorraine. Have Henry's reply about peace²¹ and send copy. French ambassador and Gualteri proposed a conference in neutral place between two representatives of each side. He suggested somewhere near Calais. French ambassador's brother has come and says nothing more can be done by letter and messengers. Philip says he will write emperor.

1028
13 January 1555
Gualteri - Pole, Poissy

MSS: ASV, Misc. Arm, II 125, fos 85v-86r, copy; PRO, PRO 31/9/67, pp. 78-9.

Printed: Ancel, 2, no. 80.

Have yours of 4 January²² with renewed willingness to make peace and your hopes of these two kings. Working on it here. If this sounds general, am sure these people really want peace. Good idea (I repeat, referring to other letters) to arrange conference between French and imperialists.

1029
14 January 1555
Pole - Ruard Tapper, n.p.

MSS: BCQ, F III 7, m. 2, fo. 39r, C18 copy, prob. sent from Flanders. Not mentioned in Thomas Philippe Cardinal d'Alsace-Boussu - prob. Angelo Maria Querini, Malines, 7 March 1748.²³

Printed: ERP, 5:63, perhaps from Epistolarum ab illustribus et claris viris scriptarum centuriae tres. Quas passim ex autographis colligit ac edidit Simon Abbes Gabenna (Hariingae Frisiorum: ex officina Heronis, 1565), noted in Paolo Simoncelli, II caso Reginald Pole: eresia e santità nelle polemiche religiose del Cinquecento (Rome: Edizioni di storia e letteratura, 1977), p. 108. I am very grateful to Dominic Baker-Smith for collating the text in the 1664 edition against ERP and finding it identical.

Have yours²⁴ about De summo pontifice, which I gave you and Iodochus Diletanus²⁵ to read and let...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Abbreviations
• Introduction
• Chapter 1 January-June 1555
• Chapter 2 July-December 1555
• Chapter 3 January-July 1556
• Chapter 4 August-December 1556
• Chapter 5 January-April 1557
• Chapter 6 May-December 1557
• Chapter 7 1558
• Errata/Corrige
• Index