Series 1 > Papal negotiations with Mary Queen of Scots during her reign in Scotland, 1561-1567

178 PAPAL NEGOTIATIONS WITH MARY [1563
31 October.—The Pope began to support Spain until his
interview with the Cardinal of Lorraine (Le Pape ne
sachant rien de ce que ledit Cardinal en avail negocie avec
[mot], entretenoit ladite pratique avec I’Espagne, mais depuis
sa Saintete Vavail laissee, el estoit en volonte d’aider el
avancer celle-cy.-—Message of the emperor to Queen
Catherine, in Le Laboureur, i. 326). Visconti’s departure
for Madrid happening to coincide with the cardinal’s
advent in Rome, the Pope allowed his envoy Visconti
to act as the cardinal’s spokesman, giving him the in¬
struction to be quoted below. He does not seem to have
had any other connection with Mary’s affairs. For the
objects and results of his mission, see R. de Hinojosa,
Diplomacia Pontificia en Espagna, i. 154-8. For the
visit of the Cardinal of Lorraine to Rome, see Musotti’s
Sommario, in Dollinger, Concil von Trient, ii. 35.
18 November.—The emperor sent Don Martin de Guzman to
ask Philip for explanations, and received the answer,
dated 18 November, referred to in (c) supra.
(f) Finally it may also be noted here that, much as the Pope must
have desired a Catholic marriage for Mary, this appears
to have been the last time that he saw his way to take
any step towards its realisation.
Instructions given to Monsignor Carlo Visconti, sent by
Pope Pius the Fourth to the Catholic King on the affairs
of the Council, 1563, the last of October.
[H is Holiness judges it befitting that you should be able to
give the king a sincere and faithful account of all that the
Cardinal of Lorraine has negotiated with him. He has con¬
fined himself entirely to matters of religion and the progress
of the Council. The only other measure he has advocated has
been a conference of Catholic sovereigns.]
The aforesaid cardinal has [also] spoken at length with his
Holiness about the negotiation for the marriage of his niece,
the Queen of Scotland, with the Archduke Charles. He con¬
stantly affirms that this will powerfully conduce to the public
o-ood and that there is no other way of restoring the Catholic
religion in that kingdom. Her subjects will not allow her to
go abroad, and if she went she would probably lose all hopes
of returning. For all that, she is so much loved that if she