PART II ERNESTE VAN AMSTELJAXTER Prologue
Text of a letter from Atta Olivia Clemens, en route from the Papal States to Orleans in France, to Ragoczy Sanct' Germain Franciscus, in care of Andre Pesselent, printer, in Bruges; written in Imperial Latin, carried by private courier and delivered nine days after it was dispatched.
To my constant friend, Ragoczy Sanct' Germain Franciscus, currently Grav Saint-Germain, Conte di San-Germano, and whatever other names you may be using at the moment, the greetings of Atta Olivia Clemens, Roman widow, currently traveling into France, and for that reason, this letter must be brief, for I find writing in a moving vehicle, a most trying exercise, and for that reason I ask you to excuse any infelicities of style or execution. When we stop this evening, I will engage a courier to carry this to you, in care of your printer in Bruges, and hope you will have it in good time.
Yes, in spite of my earlier intentions, I have realized that it is prudent for me to be away from the Papal States just now, what with Charles and Clemente still locked in conflict, so I am returning to my horse farm near Orleans, in the hope that I may avoid some of the less pleasant developments in the current upheaval among the Christians, who cannot decide how best to deal with their faith, and are therefore killing one another over their doubts. Magna Mater! how I miss the days of my breathing life, when such concerns weighed little on the people of Roma. No one bothered then about what others believed so long as it was no imposition upon anyone.
I am sorry to say that my companion, Dionigi Eso, has been taken in charge by the Church to be examined for possible heresy. Something he wrote in one of his scholarly works has drawn the criticism of a Dominican, who read it and decided it was subversive, although I cannot see how his explication on the possible improvements in accuracy in navigation could be heretical. Sadly, at present I have only one real ally in the Papal Court, and I am wary about seeking his support at this time, for he, himself, is under scrutiny. On the advice of Cardinal della Rovere, I have arranged to place my estate in the care of my manager, and he has promised to send me regular reports about Sanza Pari, which should be enough to alert me if any mishap requires my presence and attention. He has also pledged to learn as much as he can about Dionigi Eso's fate. I am afraid things will not go well for him.
I apologize for the blot in the previous line; this nib is giving out, and the coach is rocking heavily.
Niklos Aulirios is remaining at Nepete until I send for him. He will set up the care of your Roman estate as well as mine, and he will prepare a full report for you before he leaves Roma to come into France. I am certain that Niklos will be most careful in his arrangements-he has always been so in the past. I have allocated funds for him to use, and I have drawn on the monies you left with me so that Villa Ragoczy may be kept properly, as you would wish.
I do not yet know how long I will stay in France, but you may be sure that I will inform you when I have made up my mind on that point. If the Spanish continue to war on all Protestants, then I may seek another part of the world entirely. You know how to direct your messenger to find me at my horse farm, as I know how to reach you through your printer. I ask you to keep me informed of your travels. I would prefer to know where you are rather than send four letters toward the cardinal points of the compass in the hope that you may receive one. With that in mind, I bid you a safe and rapid journey north, and a swift resolution to the problems that have beset you.
With my continual love,
Olivia
By my own hand en route to France, on this, the 21stday of September, 1530
States of Grace Page 11
