DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.42863#0199
CHIERICATI IN ENGLAND
173
that he met with in distant lands. From Spain he
sent her a “ Treatise on the History of Castile,” which
greatly delighted her, when she was spending the
summer of 1515 at Porto, and when he went to
England as papal nuncio at the close of the year,
he wrote a whole series of interesting and amusing
letters, in which he describes these unknown regions
for her benefit. Chiericati was certainly fortunate in
the moment of his visit to our shores. He came to
London when, early in the reign of Henry VIII., the
young King’s accession had inspired all lovers of
learning with the highest hopes, in those happy days
when his friend Erasmus of Rotterdam declared that
the English court contained more persons of real
knowledge and ability than any university in Europe.
The Italian nuncio could not contain his amazement
at the high degree of civilisation and culture which
he found in this barbarous land. His letters to Isa-
bella abound in praises of the wonderful King, who
could sing and play on all manner of instruments,
who was so gallant a rider and fine a soldier, and at
the same time governed his land so wisely, and was
so generous a friend to scholars—a King indeed, as
Erasmus said, who might well bring back the golden
age. Chiericati spent Palm Sunday with King Henry,
and was charmed with the youthful monarch’s genial
manners, and deeply impressed with his wisdom in
the choice of his minister, the Cardinal of York,
who governed the realm with such prudence and
sagacity. The fame of the Mantuan court had
penetrated even to this far-off corner of the West.
Henry told the nuncio there were no horses to
equal those which the Marquis had sent him from
his stables, and which he always rode on state
173
that he met with in distant lands. From Spain he
sent her a “ Treatise on the History of Castile,” which
greatly delighted her, when she was spending the
summer of 1515 at Porto, and when he went to
England as papal nuncio at the close of the year,
he wrote a whole series of interesting and amusing
letters, in which he describes these unknown regions
for her benefit. Chiericati was certainly fortunate in
the moment of his visit to our shores. He came to
London when, early in the reign of Henry VIII., the
young King’s accession had inspired all lovers of
learning with the highest hopes, in those happy days
when his friend Erasmus of Rotterdam declared that
the English court contained more persons of real
knowledge and ability than any university in Europe.
The Italian nuncio could not contain his amazement
at the high degree of civilisation and culture which
he found in this barbarous land. His letters to Isa-
bella abound in praises of the wonderful King, who
could sing and play on all manner of instruments,
who was so gallant a rider and fine a soldier, and at
the same time governed his land so wisely, and was
so generous a friend to scholars—a King indeed, as
Erasmus said, who might well bring back the golden
age. Chiericati spent Palm Sunday with King Henry,
and was charmed with the youthful monarch’s genial
manners, and deeply impressed with his wisdom in
the choice of his minister, the Cardinal of York,
who governed the realm with such prudence and
sagacity. The fame of the Mantuan court had
penetrated even to this far-off corner of the West.
Henry told the nuncio there were no horses to
equal those which the Marquis had sent him from
his stables, and which he always rode on state