Series 2 > Origins of the 'Forty-five

CARDINAL YORK’S MEMORIAL TO THE POPE 445
ensure that the propagation of the line should be carried on, in order
to procure him a legitimate successor. This was effected by the marriage
of James III. with the Princess Sobieski; which was not a little facilitated
by letters written by the Pope to the Emperor. In a few months it
became known that the hopes for an heir were to be realised, and
towards the last days of the year 1720, as the time of his birth
approached, the Holy Father knowing on the one side the necessity of
rendering the legitimacy of the birth indisputable, and on the other,
realising that the Holy See must in nowise contradict herself, but must
act in such a manner as to show most decidedly her protest against the
unjust Decree, by recognising the future offspring as heir-apparent and
legitimate successor to the throne of England, he took upon himself to
see that this event should take place with the greatest possible solemnity ;
and therefore, by the wish of the Holy Father, there were called to be
present at the birth, the Sacred College, the Roman Senate, the highest
Roman Princes and Prelates, and the foremost nobility of Rome; and
although there was a delay of three days before the birth took place,
during the whole of this time the ante-rooms of Her Majesty were filled
with these most venerable personages, who relieved one another by
turns, while some of the Cardinals sat up each night. Thus, in the
midst of so honourable an assembly was born on December 31*£ of the
aforesaid year, Charles Edward, Prince of Wales, acknowledged as such,
and consequently as heir-apparent to the Crown, by the Supreme
Pontiff himself, who without delay had the birth announced to all the
people by means of a salute from the cannon of the castle. And here it
is allowable to reflect that even had King James III. been in peaceful
possession of his throne the aforesaid newly-born Prince could not have
received greater honours, nor could his right to succeed to the Crown
have been proclaimed more unquestionably. The only formality which
could have put a finishing touch to the rest was the traditional
Delivery of the Swaddling Clothes, which it was the custom to send only to
the heirs of crowned heads (and then only to those reigning by succes¬
sion, not by election): hut, as Clement xi. of pious memory died
before this matter was concluded, it fell to his successor, Innocent xni.,
to complete it, which he did with all possible solemnity, sending an
ambassador, with all the formality and ceremonies observed with other
Courts.
From all this, it cannot be denied that the obligations under which
the Royal House of Stuart lay to Clement xi. of blessed memory are very
plainly shown, but it is also shown just as plainly how much His
Holiness had at heart the dignity of the Holy See, and how well he
realised the absolute necessity by which he was bound to sustain the
rights of the aforesaid Royal House inviolable. The Holy Father saw
plainly that all these repeated acts of recognition must necessarily
greatly embitter the English Government against the Catholics, and, in
consequence, must, in a manner, be an obstacle to the success of the
missions. He also understood that he alone was the one Catholic prince
who had made this act of recognition. With all this, keeping before his