Note 110 — ERRATA

[104]Continuation of Weekly Newes, No. 43, 1624.

[105]The following extract from J. Evelyn's State of France (1652) shows the opinion which cultivated Protestants held of French Catholics:—

"The Roman Catholicks of France are nothing so precise, secret and bigotish as are either the Recusants of England, Spain and Italy, but are for the most part an indifferent sort of Christian, naturally not so superstitious and devout, nor in such Vassallage to his Holinesse as in other parts of Europe where the same opinions are professed: which indifferency, whether I may approve of or condemn, I need not declare here."

[106]See Avenel: Lettres de Richelieu, passim. The importance of winning over the English Catholics is dwelt upon in the instructions given to ambassadors; see also the memorial on the state of England drawn up by Fontenay-Mareuil, in 1634, which dwells upon the pro-Spanish tendencies of the English Catholics and the means of overcoming them: those English Catholics who desired benefits from France were wont to consider, "that whereas the Catholics of England have been traduced to be all of the Spanish faction, that is a mere calumny."—Archives of the See of Westminster.

[107]The original of this letter is preserved among the Archives of the See of Westminster.

[108]During the singing of the hymns and psalms he knelt down, and during the prayers he said his rosary: "Cela édifia fort les Catholiques Anglais qui ne manquoient pas d'épier les actions des ministres de France, pour les rapporter aux Espagnols avec lesquels ils étoient fort unis."—Mémoires de Brienne (Ville-aux-clercs), Petitot (1824), p. 391.

[109]Bib. Nat., MS. Dupuy, 144.

[110]Bib. Ste Geneviève, Paris, MS. 820. Tillières to Puisieux, January 9th, 1624.

[111]He seems to have been much liked by the English Catholics; he is said to have held a special commission to advance their interests. P.R.O. Roman Transcripts.

[112]Arch. Nat., M. 232.

[113]Aff. Etran. Ang., t. 44. This document goes on to say that the request of the Parliament for the execution of the recusancy laws was founded "sur la crainte des Espagnols desquels les Catholiques sont tenus pour fauteurs et pensionnaires," and also in the fear that the liberty promised at the time of the marriage would enable the Catholics "de faire quelque entreprise contre le bien de l'Estat." Dod, in his Church History, gives the names of only two priests who suffered the death penalty during the years of Charles' power.

[114]See the letters which, just before her marriage, she wrote to her brother the King of France and to the Pope on this subject. Green: Letters of Queen Henrietta Maria, pp. 8, 9.

[115]P.R.O. Roman Transcripts.

[116]Charles wished Father Philip to be consecrated Bishop, but this suggestion did not meet with the approval of the French Government. Aff. Etran. Ang., t. 43.

[117]P.R.O. French Transcripts.

[118]"Je ne dis rien de l'assiduite de ces pères a ouir les confessions depuis six heures du matin iusques a midi et demy, l'assistance qu'ils rendoyent aux malades et aux prisonniers. . . ."—Henrietta Maria to Card. Barberini, 1658. P.R.O. Roman Transcripts.

[119]A translation of these memoirs is published at the end of the Court and Times of Charles I; they are inaccurate in detail, and though amusing reading, do not give a high opinion of the intellect of the writer.

[120]Panzani: P.R.O. Roman Transcripts.

[121]Salvetti: Add. MS., 27,962, I, f. 263.

[122] Aff. Etran. Ang., t. 47.

[123]A chapel had been built at St. James's at an earlier date; the "new chapel at St. James's" is mentioned in 1630.

[124]"Les royales ceremonies faites en l'edification d'une chapelle de Capucins a Londres en Angleterre dans le Palais de la Roine; faite par son commandement et par la permission du Roy; en laquelle chapelle elle a posé la premiere pierre."—Paris, 1632.

[125]"Si cette genereuse Princesse, soeur du plus juste et du plus vaillant de tous les roys . . . s'est ainsi acquise ceste liberté de conscience chez elle, pensez-vous qu'elle en demeure la? et qu'elle ne l'acquiere pas bien tost en faveur de tous les Catholiques qui sont en Angleterre."—Ibid.

[126]The French were inclined from experience in their own land to believe that Protestants and Catholics could live peaceably together. See Remonstrance au roy d'Angleterre sur la miserable condition des Catholiques ses subjects en comparaison du favorable traictement que Huguenots recoivent en France. MDCXXVIII.

[127]Arch. Nat., M. 232. The letter is endorsed "coppie d'une lettre dressée par le R. P. Général pour la Reyne Mère à la Reyne d'Angleterre."

[128]Aff. Etran. Ang., t. 44.

[129]The Queen's attempts to soften her husband's heart towards the Scotch Catholics are mentioned in Memoirs of Scottish Catholics during Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries, by W. Forbes Leith, S.J.

[130]P.R.O. Roman Transcripts.

[131]The French translation of this petition is entitled: "Remonstrance et Declaration des Catholiques Anglais faites au roi d'Angleterre à son Couronnement du royaume d'Escosse."

"Pour obtenir de sa Majesté la Liberté de la Religion Catholique dans l'estendue de ses royaumes" (1633).

[132]Tillières (see his Mémoires) believed that the Queen, during the years of Weston's power, could have obtained much more liberty for the Catholics than she did had she been willing to work with him: he dwells, as do Salvetti (Add. MS., 27,962) and Fontenay-Mareuil (Mémoires), upon the favour she showed to Puritans; the latter says that the peace of the Catholics came from their insignificance between the nearly equal parties of the Protestants and the Puritans, but his personal hostility to Henrietta may have made him unwilling to give her the credit which in this matter she certainly deserved.

[133]Archives of See of Westminster: Summarium de rebus religionis in Anglia, 1632.

[134]P.R.O. Roman Transcripts. As early as 1629 a letter from London speaks of the confidence of the Catholics in the protection of the Queen—"gia piu volte isperimentata" (ibid).

[135]"Elle [Henrietta Maria] edifia ce Temple magnifique dans son Palais de Somerset ou les Pères Capucins qu'elle y logea chanterent en toute liberté les louanges de Dieu. La s'assembloient comme dans le Temple de Jerusalem, tous les fidèles d'Angleterre: là Jésus-Christ étoit offert à Dieu son père dans le très auguste Sacrifice: la se préschoient hautement les veritez Catholiques: là les Sacrémens s'administroient: là se vendroient à la porte les livres saints: là tous les jours le pavé s'étoit baigne de larmes de joye et de douleur des justes et pécheurs penitents: là les enfans venoient adorer le Dieu de leurs Pères: là s'abjuroit publiquement le schisme et le heresie: là le Pape étoit honore comme le Vicaire de Jésus-Christ: là les Images, les Huiles saintes, les prières pour les Morts estoient en usage et en respect: la en un mot l'Arche Vivante renversoit Dagon sur terre: là elle exercoit ses jugements sur les Philistines: là elle triomphoit des faux Dieux de Samarie."—François Faure, Oraison Funèbre de Henriette Marie de France, Reyne de la Grande Bretagne (1670).

[136]Henrietta Maria speaks of nine hundred persons converted by the Capuchins, besides some ministers. P.R.O. Roman Transcripts. Henrietta Maria to Cardinal Barberini, 1658. Du Perron says that every year between two and three hundred persons were converted by means of the Capuchins and the Oratorians, and that besides a large number were converted by English priests working under the protection of the toleration.

[137]See Memoirs of Père Cyprien de Gamache.

[138]Prynne, Popish Royal Favourite.

[139]The King contented himself with taking one-third instead of two-thirds of the property of recusants.

[140]Archives of See of Westminster.

[141]Bishop Hacket: Memoirs of the Life of Archbishop Williams (1715), p. 87.

[142]Madame de Motteville, in the account of the troubles of England, which she heard from Henrietta Maria, says, "l'Archevêque de Cantorberi qui dans son cœur étant très bon Catholique...."—Mémoires de Mme. de Motteville (1783), t. 1, p. 242.

Heylin, who knew a good deal of Laud's mind, says: "I hold it probable enough that the better to oblige the Queen unto him (of whose prevailing in the King's affections he [Laud] could not be ignorant), he might consent to Con's coming hither over from the Pope."—Cyprianus Anglicanus, IV, p. 411.

[143]Archives of See of Westminster.

[144]Quod non fecerunt barbari, fecerunt Barberini.

[145]Panzani: Memoirs, ed. Berington (1793), p. 191.

[146]Archives of See of Westminster.

[147]This statement rests on the authority of Panzani, who had a considerable prejudice against the Jesuits.

[148]Père Suffren, the confessor of Mary de' Medici, seems to have been the only Jesuit whom he ever regarded with favour.

[149]Jean Jaubert de Barrault, Bishop of Bazas.

[150]"Les religieux et particulierement les Jesuites sont estimes en Angleterre broullons, aux affaires destat et les Prestres seculiers n'ont iammais estés soubsonés de ceste faulte."—Archives of See of Westminster.

[151]The Proclamation against the Bishop dates from 1628, but it seems only to have been intended to frighten him; he did not leave England until 1631.

[152]P.R.O. Roman Transcripts.

[153]Archives of See of Westminster. Bishop Smith had compromised his position at Rome by expressing himself willing to resign his See and afterwards refusing to do so.

[154]The details of Douglas' mission are to be found in papers among the Roman Transcripts P.R.O.

[155]Archives of See of Westminster. This unfavourable description occurs in a curious paper, drawn up in 1625, headed: "Que les ecclesiastiques qui seront aupres de la Royne d'Angleterre doivent etre natives d'Angleterre mesme." A later section of the same paper is headed: "Que les ecclesiastiques qui seront aupres de la Royne d'Angleterre doivent plustost estre Prestres seculiers que Religieux." See note 1 on p. 113, which contains an extract from the same paper.

[156]Vita Mariæ Stuartæ Scotiæ Reginæ Dotariæ Galliæ, Angliæ et Hibernis Heredis, scriptore Georgia Conæo. MDCXXIV.

[157]P.R.O. Roman Transcripts. Henrietta Maria to Urban VIII, 163-8/9.

[158]P.R.O. Roman Transcripts.

[159]Archives of See of Westminster.

[160]See chapter III.

[161]She never made any great effort to bring up her children as Catholics. She took Prince Charles to Mass sometimes, but desisted at her husband's request. In the marriage contract all that was said about the religion of the children of the marriage was, that they were to have free exercise of the Catholic religion, but it was provided that they were to be brought up by their mother until they reached the age of thirteen years.

[162]Bib. Nat., Paris, MS. Cinq Cents de Colbert, 356. Greffier to Du Perron, December 9th, 1632.

[163]P.R.O. Roman Transcripts.

[164]There were two oaths which troubled the Catholics, that of supremacy and that of allegiance; the first declared the King "supremo Capo della Chiesa Anglicana," the second was aimed at the deposing power of the Pope, and was drawn up in 1606. A good many Catholics, particularly the Benedictines, believed that the second, or oath of allegiance, could lawfully be taken by Catholics (who suffered commercially from their refusal) notwithstanding its condemnation by Paul V. Panzani's Relazione, Add. MS., 15,389.

[165]Archives of See of Westminster.

[166]Ibid.

[167]Ibid.

[168]Deus, Natura, Gratia (1635). The real name of the author was Christopher Davenport; he died in 1680.

[169]Archives of See of Westminster.

[170]"Il Laboru sacerdote secolare m'ha detto che pochi giorni sono il Cantuarieuse diose alia Duchessa di Buchingam che presto questo Regno sarà reconciliata alia Chiesa Romana. Io non volevo credere questo ma detto Laboru me l'ha giurato. Io manco lo credo e se l'ha detto havrà burlato."—Panzani to Barberini, April 9th, 1636. Add. MS., 15,389.

[171]Archives of See of Westminster. Letter of Peter Fitton, agent of English secular clergy in Rome, July, 1636.

[172]Add. MS., 15,389.

[173]P.R.O. Roman Transcripts. Henrietta Maria to Cardinal Barberini, October, 1637.

[174]"Da questo e da altri motivi puotiamo vedere che la quiete che godiamo per la gratia di Dio non e per ragione del Stato come alcuni politici a Roma discorrono, perche tal quiete non e giudicata a proposito da questi ministri di Stato ma piu presto il contrario accio che tanto piu apparisca il zelo constante della Regina alla quale sola in terra si deve tutto."—June, 1639. Add. MS., 15,392, f. 64.

[175]P.R.O. Roman Transcripts. In 1629 she had accepted the dedication of the English translation of Richeome's Pilgrime of Loretto.

[176]Add. MS., 15,389.

[177]MS. Français, 23,597.

[178]Rous: Diary, Camden Soc. (1856), p. 12.

[179]Cf. Prynne: Popish Royal Favourite (1643). "By all these our whole 3 Kingdomes ... must of necessity now see and acknowledge that there is and hath bin all his Majesties Reigne till this instant a most strong cunning desperate confederacie prosecuted (wherein the Queens Majestie hath been chiefe) to set up Popery in perfection and extirpate the Protestant party and religion in all his Majesties dominions" (p. 35).

[180]150,000 is the number given by a Catholic reporter in 1635 (Westminster Archives), and Panzani gives the same number. Add. MS., 15,389.

[181]The population of England and Wales was probably about 5,000,000.

[182]Archives of See of Westminster.

[183]Du Perron: Proces Verbal de l'assemblée du clerge, 1645.

[184]It can hardly be doubted that when the marriage dispensation was given it was hoped that Charles' successor would be a Catholic. The English Catholics resident abroad shared to some extent the continental opinion of the King and Queen of England.