(Continued from Vol. viii., p. 558.)

I am now enabled to forward, according to my promise, literal translations, so far as they could be made, of three more letters, which were written in the Latin language, and addressed by Henry VIII. to the Grand Masters of Malta. The first two were directed to Philip de Villiers L'Isle Adam, and the last to his successor Pierino Dupont, an Italian knight, who, from his very advanced age, and consequent infirmity, was little disposed to accept of the high dignity which his brethren of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem had unanimously conferred upon him. The life of Dupont was spared "long enough," not only for him to take an active part in the expedition which Charles V. sent against Tunis at his suggestion, to reinstate Muley Hassan on the throne of that kingdom, but also to see his knights return to the convent covered with glory, and galleys laden with plunder.

No. IV. Fol. 6th.

Henry by the Grace of God, King of England and France, Defender of the Faith, and Lord of Ireland, to our Reverend Father in Christ, Dominus F. de Villiers L'Isle Adam, our most dear friend—Greeting:

For a long period of time, Master Peter Vanes, of Luca, has been serving as private secretary; and as we have always found his service loving and faithful, we not only love him from our heart, and hold him dear, but we are also extremely desirous of his interest and advancement. As he has declared to us that his most ardent wish is by our influence and favour to be in some way invested with honour in his own country, we have most willingly promised to do for him in this matter whatever lay in our power; and we trust that from the good offices which your most worthy Reverence has always received from us, this our desire with regard to promoting the aforesaid Master Peter will be furthered, and the more readily on this account, because what we beg for may be granted without injury to any one. Since, then, a certain Dominus Livius, concerning whom your Reverend Lordship will be more fully informed by our same Secretary, is in possession of a Priory in the Collegiate Church of SS. John and Riparata in the city of Luca, we most earnestly desire that the said Livius, through your Reverend Lordship's intercession, may resign the said Priory and Collegiate Church to our said Latin Secretary, on this condition, however, that your Reverend Lordship, as a special favour to us, will provide the said Dominus Livius with a Commandery of equal or of greater value. We therefore most earnestly entreat that you will have a care of this matter, so that we may obtain the object of our wishes; and we shall be greatly indebted to your Reverend Lordship, to whom, when occasion offers, we will make a return for the twofold favour, in a matter of like or of greater moment.

May all happiness attend you.
From our palace of Greenwich,
13th day of January, 1526,
Your good friend,
Henry Rex.

No. V. Fol. 9th.

Henry by the Grace of God, King of England and France, Defender of the Faith, and Lord of Ireland, to our Reverend Father in Christ, Dominus F. de Villiers L'Isle Adam, our most dear friend—Greeting:

Although, by many proofs, we have often before been convinced that our Reverend Lordship, and your venerable Brethren, after the loss of Rhodes, have had nothing more to heart than that by your actions you might deserve most highly of the Christian republic, and that you might sometimes give proof of this by your deeds, that you have zealously sought for some convenient spot where you might at length fix your abode; nevertheless, what we have lately learnt from the letters of your Reverend Lordship, and from the conversation and prudent discourse of your venerable Brother De Dentirville has caused us the greatest joy; and although, with regard to the recovery of Rhodes, complete success has not answered your intentions, nevertheless we think that this your Order of Jerusalem has always wished to seek after whatever it has judged might in any manner tend to the propagation of the Catholic Faith and the tranquillity of the Christian Republic. But that his Imperial Majesty has granted to your Order the island of Malta, Gozo, and Tripoli, we cannot but rejoice; places which, as we hear, are most strongly fortified by nature, and most excellently adapted for repelling the attacks of the Infidels, should have now come into your hands, where your Order can assemble in all safety, recover its strength, and settle and confirm its position.[[5]] And we wish to convince you that fresh increase is daily made to the affection with which we have always cherished this Order of Jerusalem, inasmuch as we perceive that your actions have been directed to a good and upright end, both because these undertakings of your Reverend Lordship, and of your venerable Brethren, are approved by us as highly beneficial and profitable; and because we trust that your favour and protection will ever be ready to assist our nation, if there be any need; nor shall we on our part be ever wanting in any friendly office which we can perform towards preserving and protecting your Order, as your Reverend Lordship will gather more at length of our well affected mind towards you from Dominus Dentirville, the bearer of these presents.

May all happiness attend you.
From our Palace at Hampton Court,
The 22nd day of November, 1530.
Your good friend,
Henry Rex.

No. VI.

Henry by the Grace of God, King of England and France, Defender of the Faith, and Lord of Ireland, to our Reverend Father in Christ, Don Pierino de Ponte, Grand Master of Jerusalem.

Our most dear friend—Greeting:

We had conceived so great a hope and opinion of the probity, integrity, and prudence of your predecessor, that, from his care and vigilance, we securely trusted that the business and affairs of this your Order, which hitherto has always wont to be of no slight assistance to our most Holy Faith, and to the Christian name, would as far as was needful have been amended and settled most quietly and effectually with God and his Holy Religion. From the love then and affection which we have hitherto shown in no ordinary manner to your Order, for the sake of the propagation of the Christian Faith, we were not a little grieved at the death of your predecessor, because we very much feared that serious loss would in consequence be entailed on that Religion. But since, both from your letters and from the discourse of others, we now hear that your venerable Brethren agreed by their unanimous voice and consent to choose your Reverence as the person to whom the care and government of so weighty an office should be intrusted, considering this dignity to be especially worthy of you and your spirit of Religion, we cannot but sincerely be glad; and rejoice especially if, by your eminent virtues, it shall be effected that only such matters shall be undertaken, and presided over by the strength and counsels of the Order of Jerusalem, as are most in accordance with the True Religion of Christ our Redeemer, and best adapted to the propagation of his doctrine and Faith. And if you shall seriously apply your mind to this, as you are especially bound to, we shall by no means repent of the favours which we have bestowed neither seldom nor secretly upon this your Order, nay rather this object shall be attained that you shall have no reason to think that you have been foiled in that your confidence, and in our protection and the guardianship which we extend over your concerns through reverence for the Almighty God. And we shall not find that this guardianship and protection of your Order, assumed by us, has been borne for so long a period by us without any fruit.

Those things which the Reverend Prior of our Kingdom, and the person who brought your Reverend Lordship's letter to us, have listened to with attention and kindness, and returned an answer to, as we doubt not will be intimated by them to your Reverend Lordship.

May all happiness attend you.
From our Palace at Westminster,
The 17th day of November, 1534.
Henry Rex.

From the date and superscription of the above truly Catholic letter, it will be seen that it was written about the period of the Reformation in England, and addressed to the Grand Master of an Order, which for four centuries had been at all times engaged in Paynim war; and won for itself among the Catholic powers of Europe, by its many noble and daring achievements, the style and title of being the "bulwark of the Christian faith." Bound as the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem were in all ages to pay a perfect obedience to the Roman Pontiffs, it is not surprising that this should be the last letter which we have found filed away in the archives of their Order, bearing the autograph of Henry VIII.

William Winthrop.