Correspondence of Reginald Pole

Reginald Pole (1500-1558), cardinal and archbishop of Canterbury, was at the centre of reform controversies in the mid 16th century - antagonist of Henry VIII, a leader of the reform group in the Roman Church, and nearly elected pope (Julius III was elected in his stead). His voluminous correspondence - nearly 2400 items - forms a major source for historians not only of England, but of Catholic Europe, Italy in particular, and the early Reformation as a whole. In addition to the insight they provide on political history, both secular and ecclesiastical, and on the spiritual motives of reform, they also constitute a great resource for our understanding of humanist learning and cultural patronage in the Renaissance. The present work makes this vast body of material accessible to the researcher, summarising each letter (and printing key texts), together with necessary identification and comment. The first three volumes in this set contains the correspondence; the fourth provides a biographical companion to all persons mentioned, and should in itself constitute a major research tool. In the period covered by this volume Pole reached the summit of his already high standing in Rome, as twice legate to the council of Trent and nearly successful candidate to succeed Paul III, only to trade this all for an unexpected chance to become "pope" in England as Julius III's direct representative with extraordinarily broad powers for the restoration of the Catholic Church.