Henrietta Maria Part 9

[Footnote 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 superst.i.tious and devout, nor in such Va.s.sallage 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."]

[Footnote 106: See Avenel: _Lettres de Richelieu, pa.s.sim._ The importance of winning over the English Catholics is dwelt upon in the instructions given to amba.s.sadors; 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.]

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

[Footnote 108: During the singing of the hymns and psalms he knelt down, and during the prayers he said his rosary: "Cela edifia fort les Catholiques Anglais qui ne manquoient pas d'epier les actions des ministres de France, pour les rapporter aux Espagnols avec lesquels ils etoient fort unis."--_Memoires de Brienne (Ville-aux-clercs), Pet.i.tot_ (1824), p. 391.]

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

[Footnote 110: Bib. Ste Genevieve, Paris, MS. 820. Tillieres to Puisieux, January 9th, 1624.]

[Footnote 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.]

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

[Footnote 113: Aff. Etran. Ang., t. 44. This doc.u.ment 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.]

[Footnote 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.]

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

[Footnote 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.]

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

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

[Footnote 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.]

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

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

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

[Footnote 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.]

[Footnote 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 pose la premiere pierre."--Paris, 1632.]

[Footnote 125: "Si cette genereuse Princesse, soeur du plus juste et du plus vaillant de tous les roys ... s'est ainsi acquise ceste liberte 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._]

[Footnote 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.]

[Footnote 127: Arch. Nat., M. 232. The letter is endorsed "coppie d'une lettre dressee par le R. P. General pour la Reyne Mere a la Reyne d'Angleterre."]

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

[Footnote 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.]

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

[Footnote 131: The French translation of this pet.i.tion is ent.i.tled: "Remonstrance et Declaration des Catholiques Anglais faites au roi d'Angleterre a son Couronnement du royaume d'Escosse."

"Pour obtenir de sa Majeste la Liberte de la Religion Catholique dans l'estendue de ses royaumes" (1633).]

[Footnote 132: Tillieres (see his _Memoires_) 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 (_Memoires_), 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.]

[Footnote 133: Archives of See of Westminster: _Summarium de rebus religionis in Anglia_, 1632.]

[Footnote 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_).]

[Footnote 135: "Elle [Henrietta Maria] edifia ce Temple magnifique dans son Palais de Somerset ou les Peres Capucins qu'elle y logea chanterent en toute liberte les louanges de Dieu. La s'a.s.sembloient comme dans le Temple de Jerusalem, tous les fideles d'Angleterre: la Jesus-Christ etoit offert a Dieu son pere dans le tres auguste Sacrifice: la se preschoient hautement les veritez Catholiques: la les Sacremens s'administroient: la se vendroient a la porte les livres saints: la tous les jours le pave s'etoit baigne de larmes de joye et de douleur des justes et pecheurs penitents: la les enfans venoient adorer le Dieu de leurs Peres: la s'abjuroit publiquement le schisme et le heresie: la le Pape etoit honore comme le Vicaire de Jesus-Christ: la les Images, les Huiles saintes, les prieres pour les Morts estoient en usage et en respect: la en un mot l'Arche Vivante renversoit Dagon sur terre: la elle exercoit ses jugements sur les Philistines: la elle triomphoit des faux Dieux de Samarie."--Francois Faure, Oraison Funebre de Henriette Marie de France, Reyne de la Grande Bretagne (1670).]

[Footnote 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.]

[Footnote 137: See Memoirs of Pere Cyprien de Gamache.]

[Footnote 138: Prynne, _Popish Royal Favourite_.]

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

[Footnote 140: Archives of See of Westminster.]

[Footnote 141: Bishop Hacket: _Memoirs of the Life of Archbishop Williams_ (1715), p. 87.]

[Footnote 142: Madame de Motteville, in the account of the troubles of England, which she heard from Henrietta Maria, says, "l'Archeveque de Cantorberi qui dans son coeur etant tres bon Catholique...."--_Memoires 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."--_Cypria.n.u.s Anglicans_, IV, p.

411.]

[Footnote 143: Archives of See of Westminster.]

[Footnote 144: Quod non fecerunt barbari, fecerunt Barberini.]

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

[Footnote 146: Archives of See of Westminster.]

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

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

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