Rooke, and conceiving that his relation unto your Honour of the process would be very lame, without such papers as he sent me from Padua, and as passed between me and the Podestà touching the business, I have thought fit to transport the same unto you herewith. And if this other purpose (which hath kept me in suspense) shall fall out, I will take it de lucro. I had hoped likewise with these papers to send your Honour (for your especial comfort) a Greek Testament wherein your son, before his meals, was wont every day to read two chapters, as I am since informed; which giveth me this assurance, that though his end was fatal and sudden, yet he had always good thoughts about him, even in the midst of some imperfections, rather of his age than of his nature. But this book I can by no means recover out of the hands of the Inquisitor, whom I have urged so far both by private and public means, as that he hath been forced to deny the having of it.

I will conclude with begging your Honour's pardon for my former silence, and with beseeching God to give me some more comfortable occasion to serve you.

Your Honour's to be commanded by you,
HENRY WOTTON.

Post.-Your Honour hath, I think, been already acquainted with some moneys that were disbursed by me in the process and burial (the Caponi refusing to do it); whereof you shall now receive an accompt, under the hand of George Rooke, who dispensed the same, which it may please your Honour to discharge unto Mr. Nicolas Pey, the presenter of the said accompts, at your conveniency.

151. TO THE EARL OF SALISBURY.

S. P. Ven., holograph, extract. The Pope's comment on Fulgenzio's

preaching.

Venice, the 24th of April, 1609.
Style of the place.

The resident ambassador of the Signory at Rome hath written to this Duke that the Pope himself having (after the Cardinal Lanfranco) expostulated with him touching the sermons of Fulgentio1 he gave him this answer, that the said Fulgentio (as he had been informed from hence) did preach but the Gospel and word of God. Et non sapete voi (replied the Pope in a

In his dispatch of March 27 Wotton mentions that the Papal Nuncio at Venice complained to the Doge of Fulgenzio's preaching, and describes the answer of the Senate to his remonstrance. It was discovered that the Nuncio

great passion) che il predicare la pura Scrittura et il puro Evangelio è un voler ruinare et distruggere la fede Catholica '?'1 These were his formal words; which being rehearsed in Senate out of the ambassador's letter, did cause a general murmur and scandal amongst them. And Padre Paulo is of opinion that nothing was to be wished more for the opening of their eyes here than such a voice from the Pope himself.

152. TO THE EARL OF SALISBURY.

S. P. Ven., holograph. Wotton sends to England the mosaic picture of Lord Salisbury.

Venice, the 24th of April, 1609.

Style of the place.

RIGHT HONOURABLE AND MY VERY GOOD LORD,

I will present unto his Majesty no other occurrence by this post than the enclosed paper, for which God's eternal will and wisdom be praised. In the rest of this sheet I will take the boldness to advertise your Lordship, that having here caused your picture to be made in mosaic, as the best present that I could conceive for my Lord of Cramborn, your son, in humble acknowledgement of my great obligations towards your own noble person and memory, and having long expected an opportunity to transport the same into England by sea, I have this week adventured it on a ship called the Thomas of London, bound directly homewards, whereof the master is one Gardiner, whom, that he might take the better care thereof, I have here delivered by intercession with the State of some difficulty wherein he stood." His vessel doth not exceed 100 ton, but she is a well conditioned ship, and himself hitherto fortunate in his voyages.

had attempted to suborn witnesses to prove that Fulgenzio preached heresy, and the Senate informed him that they were well aware of his insidious practises against the Friar; that there never had preached in the city 'a learneder nor honester nor modester man; that God's word was free for all nations to hear it; . . . and lastly that his doctrine was Catholic, and if the Nuncio could convince them it was otherwise, he should be willingly heard, for it was the intention of the State not to change their faith.' (S. P. Ven.) See also Wotton to Duplessis-Mornay. (Mornay, x, p. 290, wrongly dated March 14.)

1 Sarpi repeats the saying of Paul V in slightly different words: Il Pontefice, querelandosi dell' istesso (Fulgenzio), ha detto che quel predicare la Scrittura ha del sospetto, e chi vorrà star attacato alla Scrittura, ruinerà la fede Cattolica,' (Lettere, i, p. 225.) See also Table Talk, Appendix IV.

The previous letter.

3 According to Venetian regulations, no ship could relade in Venice if it had discharged cargo in any Adriatic port on its voyage thither. Gardiner had unloaded a part of his cargo at Ragusa, and being forbidden to take in goods at Venice, Wotton interceded for him, describing him to the Doge as an honest simple man', who had offended in ignorance of the law. Wotton's request was allowed, as a proof, he was informed, of his extraordinary influence with the

The picture is made precisely according to the draught of that wherewith your Lordship upon my humble request did honour me; I mean, as nearly as the natural colours of stone can approach to artificial, and so near indeed as I must confess unto your Lordship hath much exceeded mine own expectation. Only there is added a year more unto your Lordship's age, and to your titles Gran Tesauriere d'Inghilterra, the rest being likewise in Italian; for the workman would by no means give his consent (nor I neither) to the French superscription. It is directed to your Lordship in this time of my Lord of Cramborn's absence, whom I have advertised thereof by the way of Lions; and it is the workman's special suit and remembrance, that it may be set in his true light, and at a little more height from the eye than a coloured picture would require. I will hearken after the success of it on the way, that if it should chance to miscarry (which I hope it will not), yet I may cause another to be made by the same hand and pattern. And so, having discharged this small duty towards your Lordship, which mine own conscience and sense of your favours imposed upon myself, I must humbly rest as I am bound,

Your Lordship's always to serve and honour you,
HENRY WOTTON.

...

153. TO THE EARL OF SALISBURY.

S. P. Ven., holograph, extract. Monks punished; Wotton going

to the baths of Abano.

From Venice, this 1st of May, 1609.

They have here within these two days sentenced to ten years' close imprisonment the friar who, a year since, was banished for lending the Nuntio and Angelo Badoero1 his cell during their secret conference, and now presumed to return, not only within their territory, but to his former convent in this city, where he was apprehended. And it is said that another monk of Perugia (who under some colours came hither to practise the death of Maestro Paulo) was this week by sentence of the Council of Ten drowned secretly in the night. Thus do I entertain your Lordship with nothing but the chastisement of friars, while from other of his Majesty's servants abroad you receive subjects of greater noise; but I hope God doth, under these small

Senate. They said it was a favour that they probably would not have granted any one else, so important they felt it that their laws should be strictly enforced, and they hoped the ambassador would not in future allow himself to be troubled by such applicants. (Cal. S. P. Ven., xi, p. 261.)

See ante, p. 410.