Introduction

This volume extends over the bulk of Pole's final legation for the reconciliation of England to Rome. It thus includes a much larger number of official documents than the previous volumes. As a result some compression has been necessary. Subject matter not directly relevant to Pole is usually lightly touched on, for example reports of Wyatt's rebellion, especially when the full texts are readily available in collections such as Heinrich Lutz's. At the same time, an effort has been made to include every act naming English clergymen and any foreigners with whom Pole had dealings. As the introduction to volume 4 will demonstrate, the vast majority of the first group turn out to be reasonably high-profile men to whose careers further information can be added from the sources used in this collection. More important, this roster provides one of the best ways to get at how Pole tried to reconstruct the Church in England. Most of this information is largely new when used for this purpose. As for the foreigners, many remain unidentified, but the range of their likely places of origin suggests a very intriguing new light on both Pole's legation and on the draw that England exercised on Habsburg Europe during King Philip's temporary ascendancy.