Hidden Works of Darkness Brought to Public Light, Letter 157 – Letter 158
The second Letter was writ by Sir Kenelm Digby, and sent to Mr Walter Montague in the Tower and forti…ies the former, though in more obscure termes.
I Hope you have your book ere this time; Mr Gibson my Lord of Pembrooks Dwarfe took charge of it at his going h…nce, and I am confident he will be most carefull to deliver it into your owne hands, if it may be, if not, he will give it to—of the house as you direct: I sent it open, that it may give no ombrage, but as for the note under Standre…s hands, assuredly there is none ataIt seems Mr Montagues Cabinet of secret Papers are kept at Pontoise, a Nunnery in France, …y the Abbesse there. Pontoise. La Mere and I have looked over every paper in the Cabinets, she giving me them one by one through the grate: she had emptied all together, when she sent your Indian ones to be sold, which caused some confusion. We finde a copy of that note under Filbricks hand, attested by him and Tho. Cook to be a true copy, and mentioning, that Filbrick being then to goe into England, was to take the Originall note with him, to demand thereupon the money of Standrets brother Oliver. I understand that Filbrick will be here shortly with my Lord Iermyn, and then I will know of him what he did with the Originall note. In the meane time, I have desired La Mere to send this attested copy to Mr Foster to doe with it as you shall hereafter direct: I have given your fine Cane to*The Lady Abbesse. La Mere to keep carefully for you; I feare I shall not be so happy as to have much conversation with the Paradice of Pontoise, before my going into Italy, Note.for the Queen presseth much my departure; yet I hope so much time will slide away before, that I may heare of your enlargement from your close habitation, and obey your command of not going out of your call, till you give me my dismissory. La Mere and I have had much conference of what is fit to be done in your behalfe, and of what advantage the present resolution of your enlargement thence may be to you in the maine of the businesse.Note. And after much debate, both she andbLate Agent for the secular Priests at Rome, at whose house Mr Montague lodged for a time in Rome. Mr Fi…ton are come to my sentiment, That you should accept of your freedome, though clogged with the condition of not coming over hither. Me thinks your comming into France might as well be accorded unto, so that both you and this Queene give your words of not comming to the Court, nor negotiating any businesse; however that will be relished, I wish you and all your friends might lay your strength upon permission for you to goe into Italy. At the worst settle your abode in Monsieur Sabrans house, for time may enlarge their enlargement with more ease then from the strictnesse you now are under: Still the burden of my song is, get out upon any termes, for take my word, if in any reasonable time you gaine so much liberty as to be capable of it, your aThat is, hee shall bee made a Cardinall there.Italian businesse will be done, which otherwise the necessity of affaires (or at least the conceived necessity) will cast it upon the bThe Lord Aubeny.Lord you know, who hath very powerfull advancers, by his friends in this Court, by his being much liked (in a manner accepted of) in Italy, and by his own much pressing and publike declaring himselfe for it, and thereupon taking the sentane. The Queen is firm to you,Note. if you may be capable of it in any reasonable time, and accordingly hath declared to that Lord. But if it cannot be in your behalfe, then she hath promised him her powerfull assistance. I pray you write me as soone as you can, all your Sentiments and Orders upon this, as also upon what you may reflect upon concerning my journey: for I shall saile by your compasse, and lose no time in doing so; for I shall not be able to delay much.
I have desired La Mere to send Mr Foster the severall notes I have given for money received of you, that I may take them in, and give one formall one for the whole summe, (in case I pay it not before I goe) deducting the 100. l. you had of mine. I have had in all 480 pistols, out of which deducting 140 for that 100. l. (for that is the lowest and ordinary rate of exchange) I have had; though some more diligent persons have had 48 of advantage) there remaineth due to you 340 pistols, which in English money (at the same rate of 40 per cent.) is 243. l. sterling; which by the Grace of God shall ere long be reimbursed you, either here or in England, and peradventure before I goe hence. La Mere telleth me, there is no hope of getting above 200 pistols for the hanging though she have employed Madam le Cant. and other friends and severall Tapistiers about them. If you will let them goe now, I pray you let me have them to carry with me into Italy: That is, if I have money to pay for them when I receive them, for otherwise I will not have them (knowing how much you stand in need of present money. Farewell, deare Sir, I have interrupted your meditations too long.
The 21 Octob.
This Letter, written with Sir Ke…elm Digbies own hand, and sent by him to Mr Montague (a man best acquain…ed, of any living, with all the secret Negotiations and Treaties between Rome and us, and best able to discover them, having had a great share in the plotting and acting of them was intercepted, and brought to the Committee of Examinations, where the Originall remains, out of which I have transcribed this extract.
The third is the Clause of a Letter lately written by a Noble English Lady, now residing in Paris, to a Member of the house of Commons; wherein she writes thus to him for Newes in confirmation of the two preceding Letters, touching the intended English Cardinall, and Sir Kenelm Digbies Embassie from the Queene to Rome.
Paris Decemb. 8. 1644.
My Lord Aubeny is now made an Abbot, The Queene of France hath given him one worth 1500 Pistols a yeare:Note. There is a speech HE SHALL BE A CARDINALL. Sir Kenelm Digby GOES EMBASSADOVR TO ROME TO THE NEW POPE FROM THE QVEENE, &c.
What little hopes we can then have of a firme or reall Peace, whiles the Popish Party are so prevalent, active, audacious, as even in this very nick of time to send a speciall Embassadour to Rome from our Queen to the New Pope, to sollicite a Cardinals Cap for the Lord Aubeny (brother to the Duke of Lenox, a man so nearly allied to his Majesty, and many great Personages in this Realme) I shall humbly referre to the consideration of all understanding men, both here, and in his Majesties Quarters. Certainly I dare say with old FatheraHis second … before King Edward the …, f. 36. Latymer, That the Romish Hats never brought good into England, heretofore; and can they presage ought but much more evill …o us now? What good our last great Cardinall Poole of Noble extraction, brought to this our Realme, and Religion in Queen Maries dayes, you may read in the Statute of 1 & 2 Phil. & Mary ch. 8. in Mr Iohn Fox his Acts and Monuments, volum. 3. and can we now expect any better fruits from this intended Cardinall of more Noble Parentage? I feare me, no: Wherefore I can give no other sentence of him, and all others designed to this Antichristian dignity, or ambitious of it, thenb… Father Latymer hath long since passed against them, in the case of Henry Beaufort Bishop of Winchester (made a Cardinall by the Pope in King Henry the …ixt his reign:) He was made a Cardinall at Calys (in France, where our new Cardinall is now to be made) and thither the Bishop of Rome sent him a Cardinals Hat: Hee should have had a Tiburn-tippet, an half-penny halter, and all such proud Prelates. And they doe well deserve it, their only ayme and endeavour being to reduce, reconcile, and enslave our soules, bodies, estates, Realms to the Antichristian vassallage of the Sea of Rome, which is no lesse thenc… High Treason by our Lawes.
For my own particular, I have ever been a cordiall affecter, endeavourer, promoter of our publike Peace to the uttermost of my power, & shall ever (God willing) continue such; but my owne Judgement, Reason, Conscience perswade me, we shall never enjoy any reall, solid, lasting Peace one with another in any of our three Realmes, whiles we negotiate a Peace, or hold the least correspondency with the Sea of Rome, which hath lately drenched, and almost drowned us all in our owne blood, metamorphosed all our Kingdoms into so many Acheldamaes, after a long-enjoyed Peace, and by new Letters, Commissions to raise Irish Forces in Ireland, and new Contributions, Conspi…acies, Designs against us in France, Italy, and other Popish Realmes, during the overtures of a Treaty of Peace, threatens us only with a continuall succession of warres.
It was a memorable Answer that Iehu made to Ioram King of Israel, when he and Ahaziah King of Iudah went out against him, 2 King. 9. 21, 22. And it came to passe when Ioram saw Iehu, th… he said, is it PEACE Iehu? And he answered, WHAT PEACE, so long as the Whordoms of thy mother Iezebel, and her witchcrafts are so many? as long as we have any enchanting Iezebels domineering in our Councels, and solliciting us to Court at least, if not to commit open fornication with the whoore of Babylon (as to many have done of late yeares) alas what peace can we expect, or what have we to doe with Peace? Wee have all cause to consider what the Apostle writes, 2 Cor. 6. 14, 15, 16, 17. Be not unequally yoaked with Vnbeleevers: for what fellowship hath righteousnesse with unrighteousnesse? and what communion hath light with darknesse? and what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that beleeveth with an Infidell? or what agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols? Wherfore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and I will receive you: yea, I will be a father unto you, and ye shall be my sonnes and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. Doubtlesse we shall never enjoy any well-grounded Peace with God, or one another, till we utterly renounce and separate our selves wholly from all communion, fellowship, agreement, concord with the idolatrous Antichristan Church of Rome: and execute exemplary justice on all those who have been active instruments to reconcile, seduce us to her; of whom I can give no other Character nor issue of their Consultations, then that of the Prophet Isay *Isa ….They conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity: they hatch Cockatrice egs, and weave the Spiders web; he that cateth of their egs, dieth, and that which is crushed, breaketh out into a viper. Their webs shall not become garments, neither shall they cover themselves with their works; their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands. Their feet run to evill, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths: the way of peace they know not, and there is no Iudgement in their goings; they have made th…m crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace. Therefore is Iudgement farre from us, neither doth Iustice overtake us; we wait for light, but behold obscurity, for brightnesse, but we walk in darknesse. We grope for the wall like the blinde, and we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noon-day as in the night, we are in desolate places as dead men. We roare all like bears, and mourn sore like doves; we look for judgment, but there is none; for salvation, but it is farre off from us. As ever therfore we would enjoy peace or safety, let us eternally renounce all Leagues, Treaties, correspondencies with these enemies of our peace, these Authors of our forepast and present dangers, warres, desolations: If all our former smarting experiences of their Treacheries, Cruelties in Ireland, in England, with their many late Treacheries, Designes upon us, even since the late Overtures of this approaching Treaty of Peace, will not now awaken us unanimously and effectually to provide, secure our selves against them for all future Ages, God in his justice may and will deliver us over, one time or other, to their sword, power, va alage, and continue this warre among us (somented by their Councells, supplied by their Armes, and Contributions) till we be all consumed one of another, and made a Prey to our forraigne Enemies▪ which deplorable misery and Antichristian bondage, the God only Wise, of his infinite mercy make us all wise timely to prevent.
FINIS.