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
The 17th day of November, 1534.
HENRY
REX.