Carta de Robert Persons S.J. sobre el embajador en Inglaterra.

Translation.

EUSEBIUS (PERSONS) TO ALLEN,

4 July, 1581.

                                                                         Jesus.

I wrote to you a few days ago(1) about a matter of no small moment, viz., about the departure from us of Señor Bernardino Mendoza, the Spanish Ambassador. This is thought to be imminent, and as it has a considerable bearing on the cause of the faith, I am obliged at the request of the Catholics to call your attention to it again. Now this is how the matter stands: the Catholics are informed that the above mentioned Señor Bernardino will be leaving England in a few month stime (2) and that the Catholic King has so decided at the Ambassador's own request, partly because of the failure of his eyesight, partiy because he has incurred the hatred and suspicion of the heretics through his zeal for religion, which is extraordinary; and this to such an extent that now he can no longer help the Catholic cause as much as could perhaps another man who was more persona grata to our opponents.For these reasons, I say, the Catholics see with great sorrow that it is almost a necessity that he leave England; yet they would like him, if it were possible, to remain somewhere near at hand whence he could be in the future no less a source of solace to them and to the whole cause than he has been hitherto. And they think that the most convenient way of bringing this about is for his Holiness to use his offices with the Catholic King to have him stationed in France, where he could work for the advantage of the faith and the conversion of this realm much more effectively than he could here, than some other man could who lacked knowledge of our affairs. For the man is now an expert on English, French and Scottish matters; and in England he has knowledge not only of all their affairs, but of the men themselves, and of their individual interests and circumstances: andand good faithhe has treated them up to now with such discretion and good faith and circumstances; that there is not a Catholic who would not trust him with his life and fortune-a thing they would not do to another man except after long experience of him. The zeal of this man, too, in promoting the faith is almost incredible; and added to this is the fact that he knows me and the other members of our Order more intimately than does anyone else, and that he knows how and when to do things; so that if he were to remain in Paris there is no doubt that he would become a wonderful support to us and our cause, and that by his aid in a short time (with the help of God) we should do great things in the cause of the faith. Nor would it be English interests alone that he would serve, but placed there he would be most useful for French and Scottish affairs as well. For this reason the Catholics all request you most earnestly to ask of his Holiness in their name, as soon as possible and with the utmost insistence, to be so good as to intercede with his Catholic Majesty so as to obtain this great benefit. I gather that (3) also wishes to write about this, but, as possibly he may not be able to do so as soon as its urgency demands, the Catholics beg that you will forestall him in the matter by your letters and that these may be frequent and to the point. I, too, beseech you to the utmost of my power to carry out their just desire, especially as it is the cause of God.

Farewell.

4 July, 1581.(4)

Yours Eusebius.

Notes

(1) The letter to which Persons refers is no longer extant.

(2) Actually Bernardino Mendoza did not leave England at this time, but remained as ambassador until 1584, when he was forced to leave by the English Government on account of his connection with the Throckmorton plot. Not many months after his dismissal he was appointed in the same year ambassador to the French court. Cf. Mendoza to Philip II,  26 and 30 January, 1584, Spanish Calendar, pp. 513-517.

(3) A cipher sign, presumably, for the name of some person whom it is now impossible to identify.

(4) In the same volume, Inghilterra, f. 268, there is a holograph letter on the same subject from Allen to the Cardinal of Como dated 8 August, 1581. It is printed in Knox, Allen (p. 99). Later, at the request of the English Catholics, Allen wrote to the Cardinal of Como, 20 December, asking that Mendoza should be retained in England (ibid., P. 105).