1623

ATTEMPT TO CONVERT CHARLES.

35

him if he had no matter to propose for their consideration. "Nothing at all," replied the Prince; "I have no doubts whatever." Olivares then suggested that an attempt should be made to enlighten him. Upon this Antonio de Sotomayor, the King's confessor, argued at some length in behalf of the Pope's claim to be the Vicar of Christ. To clinch the argument, Father Zacharias chimed in with the passage in which the Saviour addressed the failing apostle, "And thou, when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren." Charles at once replied that they were straining the text by forcing such an interpretation upon it, and requested that it might be read again in French. After it had been twice repeated, he said something to Buckingham in English. Regardless of those decencies of life which were so dear to the Spanish heart, Buckingham leapt from his seat, and, after expressing his contempt for the friars by unseemly gesticulations, threw his hat upon the ground, and stamped upon it. After this the conference was of course brought to an end.1

Charles's behaviour about his religion.

That Charles gave any direct support to the prevailing opinion that he intended to change his religion, is contradicted by every scrap of evidence which exists. He was ready, he told one of the friars who had taken part in the discussion, to abjure his religion as soon as he was convinced of its falsehood. Under ordinary circumstances, such language is usually taken as a polite form of refusal, but, situated as Charles was, it would have saved much misapprehension if he had absolutely declined to take part in religious conversations, lest they might give rise to those false hopes to which it was his duty to put an end.2

It was not with James's good-will that the slightest ground was given to the Spaniards for supposing that they could effect a conversion of the Prince. A ship which sailed from England crowded with the attendants whose presence was needed to enable Charles to keep his Court

Chaplains sent by James.

Francisco de Jesus, 58.

2 "Le voci continuano che il Prencipe inclina assai all abjurare le heresie, quando ne sia illuminato, cosi si e espresso col Capucino." Corner to the Doge, May Venice MSS. Desp. Spagna.

ΙΟ

20'

in state, carried also two of the Prince's chaplains, Mawe and Wren. From these men James expected great things. When they arrived at Madrid they were to take care to have 'a convenient room appointed for prayer,' which was to 'be decently adorned, chapel-wise, with an altar, fonts, palls, linen coverings, demy carpet, four surplices, candlesticks, tapers, chalices, patens, a fine towel for the Prince, other towels for the household, a traverse, wafers for the Communion, a basin, flagons, and two copes.' The chaplains were further directed to see that prayers 'be duly kept twice a day, that all reverence be used by every one present being uncovered, kneeling at due times, standing up at the creeds and gospel, bowing at the name of Jesus.' The Communion was to be celebrated in due form, with an oblation of every communicant, and admixing water with the wine.' In the sermons there were to be 'no polemical preachings,' but the doctrine of the Church of England was to be confirmed by all positive arguments either in fundamental or moral points, and specially to apply ourselves to moral lessons to preach Christ Jesus crucified.' The chaplains were not to engage in disputation, excepting at the request of Bristol or Cottington; and, lastly, they were to carry with them 'the articles of religion in many copies, the book of Common Prayer in several languages, store of English service books,' and 'the King's own works in English and Latin.'

ashamed of

"The Spanish Ambassador," wrote James a month later, "let fall a word to Gresley, as if there would be some question Exhorts his made that my baby's chaplains should not do their son not to be service in the King's palace there; but he concluded his religion. that that business would be soon accommodated. Always in case any such difficulty should be stuck at, ye may remember them, that it is an ill preparation for giving the Infanta free exercise of her religion here, to refuse it to my son there; since their religion is as odious to a number here as ours is there. And if they will not yield, then, my sweet baby, show yourself not to be ashamed of your profession; but go sometimes to my Ambassador's house and have your service

Directions to the Prince's chaplains, March 10, S. P. Spain.

1523

ARRIVAL OF THE DISPENSATION.

377

there, that God and man may see ye are not ashamed of your religion. But I hope in God this shall not need."

No doubt there was enough of folly in the idea that it was possible to make a Protestant service palatable to the Spaniards; but there are few persons of upright minds who will not prefer the folly of the father to the prudence of the son.

English

hibited in the Royal Palace.

James's plan for exhibiting what he considered to be a service 'decent and agreeable to the purity of the Prince's Church, and yet as near the Roman form as can service pro- lawfully be done,' 2 was never carried into execution. Olivares sent for Cottington, and told him plainly that any attempt of the chaplains to enter the Royal Palace would be resisted by force.3 Against this intimation Charles was powerless. Once, indeed, it appears, in a moment of pique, Buckingham caused Charles to attend the ministrations of his religion in Bristol's house; but the practice was not continued, and a month later, in the instructions given to Cottington when he was about to return to England, the Prince charged him to give his Majesty satisfaction in that his Highness hath not had the exercise of his religion in hearing sermons.' 24

hands of the

Nuncio.

On April 24 the dispensation was placed in the hands of the Nuncio at Madrid, accompanied by a letter to Philip from The dispen- the Pope, exhorting him to do everything in his power sation in the for the advantage of the Catholic religion in England, and by secret instructions in which the Nuncio was recommended to urge the concession of complete freedom of worship. He was also informed that the dispensation was absolutely null till the King of Spain had sworn that the King of England would perform his obligations, and would obtain the consent of the Privy Council and the Parliament to the articles, and had engaged that he

Oath required of Philip.

1 The King to the Prince and Buckingham, April 7, Goodman's Court of King James, ii. 297.

The King to the Prince and Buckingham, March 17, Hardwicke S P. i. 406.

3 Francisco de Jesus, 59.

• Instructions to Cottington, May 21, Clarendon S. P. i. App. xviii,

would himself keep his fleets ready to enforce at any time the execution of the treaty.1

tween Buck

That Olivares should object strongly to such a startling demand, as derogatory to the honour of his master, was natural Quarrel be enough; but the Nuncio simply referred to his ingham and orders, and the Spanish minister was forced to inOlivares. form the Prince of Wales how matters stood. The reception with which he met, as may well be supposed, was not a favourable one. The alterations made at Rome in the articles themselves were by no means unimportant. The age at which the education of the children by their mother was to cease was now fixed at twelve; whilst James had only expressed his willingness, as an extreme concession, to go as far as ten. The Infanta's church, it was again required, was to be open to all, and the oath drawn up by the Pope for her servants was to be substituted in the case of every English Catholic for that oath of allegiance which had been settled by Act of Parliament. After these demands, the question of the King of Spain's oath, excepting so far as it led to fresh. claims, was in reality unimportant. The articles themselves were utterly incompatible with James's notion that he was about to grant favours to his Catholic subjects of his own free grace. For a sovereign to agree with a foreign power to set aside the laws is to sign away the independence of his crown, whatever may be the form in which the concession is couched; and the Pope's demand that Philip should become a guarantee for James's conduct, and should hold himself in readiness to enforce the execution of his engagements, merely ripped away the veil from the ill-concealed monstrosity behind.

The meeting between Olivares and Buckingham was a stormy one, and for two days after it the favourites refused even to speak to one another By the English it was alleged that when the Prince came to Madrid he did not expect to be asked to make fresh concessions. They were answered that the Prince had come of his own accord ; that, if Gondomar had spoken to him on the subject, he had done so merely as a private

Francisco de Jesus, 64

1623

CHARLES'S OFFERS.

39

person, and that, as it had always been understood that the Pope was to be satisfied, nothing added at his request could be properly regarded as a new demand.1

May 3.

The quarrel thus begun was hushed up for the time, and on May 3 the whole question was referred to the Marquis of Montesclaros, the Count of Gondomar, and the Secretary Ciriza, who were appointed to treat as commissioners with Buckingham, Bristol, Aston, and Cottington on behalf of the Prince.

The marriage referred to

commis

sioners.

Charles

offers to try to induce Parliament to repeal the penal laws.

Before this body Charles appeared. He and his father, he said, were ready to swear that the penal laws should be suspended, and they would also do their best to obtain as soon as possible from Parliament a confirmation of the articles and also of the suspension of the laws, if it were impossible to have them altogether repealed. To this offer the Spanish Commissioners replied by asking how soon all this was likely to happen, and Charles, who knew perfectly well that there was not the slightest chance that Parliament would do anything of the sort, answered boldly that it might possibly be in three months, or in six. It would probably be in a year; but it would certainly, and without fail, be done in three.

May 6. His offer refused by the Council of State.

The next day was taken up with hearing Charles's arguments against the additional articles. It was needless, he observed, to state that the nurses of the children must necessarily be Catholics, as they were in any case to be selected by the Infanta herself. To admit the Catholics generally to the Infanta's church was an uncalled-for innovation, as they would have the benefit of their religion in their own houses. He would promise, however, to connive at their occasional presence. To do more would amount to a public toleration of the free exercise of the Roman Catholic religion, to which, as the King of Spain knew well, his father had always refused to accede. To the universal application of the new oath he also objected as unnecessary. Besides, he added, it was unfit that the Pope should dictate the

1 Du Fargis to Puisieux, May, Bib. Imp. MSS. Harl. 228, 16, fol.