, apud
Birch, 215); and if better authority be required, I have in my possession
the original warrant itself, with the king's signature and private seal,
bearing the arms of the three kingdoms, a crown above, and C.R. on the
sides, and indorsed in the same handwriting with the body of the warrant,
"The Earle of Glamorgan's espetiall warrant for Ireland." Of this original
the above is a correct copy.

April 30. The king having heard that Rinuccini had been appointed nuncio,
and was on his way to Ireland, sent to Glamorgan a letter for that prelate
and another for the pope. The contents of the second are unknown; the first
is copied in the Nuncio's Memoirs, "Nous ne doubtons point, que les choses
n'yront bien, et que les bonnes intentions commences par effect du dernier
pape ne s'accomplisseront par celuys icy, et par vos moyens, en notre
royaume d'Irelande et de Angleterre."--Birch 28. He then requests the
nuncio to join with Glamorgan, and promises to accomplish on the return of
the latter, whatever they shall have resolved together.--Ibid.

The king, on his return to Oxford, after the disastrous campaign of 1645,
still placed his principal reliance on the mission of Glamorgan; and, to
induce the court of Rome to listen to the proposals of that envoy, wrote,
with his own hand, the two following letters, of which the originals still
exist in the Archivio Vaticano, one to the pope himself, the other to
Cardinal Spada, requesting of both to give credit to Glamorgan or his
messenger, and engaging the royal word to fulfil whatever should be agreed
upon by Glamorgan, in the name of his sovereign:--

"BEATISSIME PATER,

"Tot tantaque testimonia fidelitatis et affectus consanguinei nostri
comitis Glamorganiae jamdudum accepimus, eamque in illo fiduciam merito
reponimus, ut Sanctitas Vestra ei fidem merito praebere possit in quacumque
re, de qua per se vel per alium nostro nomine cum Sanctitate Vestra
tractaturus sit. Quaecumque vero ab ipso certo statuta fuerint, ea munire
et confirmare pollicemur. In cujus testimonium brevissimas has scripsimus,
manu et sigillo nostro munitas, qui nihil (potius) habemus in votis, quam
ut fevore vestro in eum statum redigamur, quo palam profiteamur nos.

"Sanctitatis Vestrae

"Humilimum et obedientissimum servum,

"Apud Curiam nostram, CHARLES R.
Oxoniae, Oct. 20, 1645."

_Superscription_--

"Beatissimo Patri Innocentio decimo Pontifici Maximo."

"Eminentissime Domin