of 1539 and 15421 two swords of honour with two belts are mentioned. It may be observed that the belts are here mentioned specifically for the first time. They were apparently regarded, like the scabbard, so much as an appendage of the sword, that they are seldom separately referred to. Even in the accounts recording the gift of Pope Julius II. the belt is never mentioned, nor is there any reference to it in the gift of Pope Paul III. But if we assume that a belt formed part of the gift of the latter, as it unquestionably did of the former, then the entry in the inventory of 1539 which mentions the two swords and the two belts refers to the gifts of these two Popes. In the inventory one belt is entered as the "auld belt," and is described as wanting "four stuthis," Dominici nocte benedixissemus, et ad quem potissimum mitteremus eos animo volveremus, tua in primis Majestas nobis occurrit quae dignissima eo munere nobis videretur: id enim aetati et virtuti congruit tuae, tum religioni animi tui debitum est, et hoc tempore aptissimum, cum multum gaudentibus nobis Christianissimi Regis pietati tua pietas etiam affinitate conjuncta est, et vicini tibi Regis impietas divina ultione concutitur. Ad te igitur, quem Catholicum Principem et hujus Sanctae Sedis devotissimum filium habemus, hunc ensem cum pileo, per dilectum filium Joannem Antonium comitem de Campeggio camerarium nostrum praesentium latorem mittimus, Deum suppliciter deprecantes, ut tibi qui tuum regnum venenis vicinarum haeresium, quamvis saepius sollicitatus, nunquam inquinari passus es, foelicitatem concedat, dextram ense firmet caputque tuum hoc pileo vi Spiritus Sancti per Columbam figurati protegat ad tutelam Sanctae Ecclesiae et Catholicae fidei adversus eos in quos Dei justitia atque judicium nunc praeparantur. Tu igitur pro tua pietate hoc munus nostrum Christiano affectu et devota veneratione suscipies, nec tam muneris qualitatem quam mysterium et vim spiritualem ejus perpendes, ob quae maximi quique Principes semper se hoc munere a Sede Apostolica valde honestatos putaverunt, sicuti et te pro nostra in te benevolentia, tuaque in nos observantia, nunc existimaturum speramus. Ut autem ipsum debita cum caeremonia, sicut a nobis benedictum est, etiam tuae Serenitati tradatur, mandamus venerabili fratri Archiepiscopo Glasguensi, vel cuivis alteri Catholico antistiti per te eligendo, ut solemni Missa in aliqua ecclesia per te pariter eligenda, ab eo in tua praesentia celebrata post eius solemnia, dictum ensem cum pileo tuae Majestati et ex parte nostra assignet. Datum Romae xix. Januarii MDXXXVII. anno [pontificatus nostri] III."-Raynald. Annal. Eccles. ann. 1537, § xl. t. xiii. p. 453. Statuta Ecclesiac Scoticanae, vol. i., preface, p. cxxxviii. 1 25th March 1539. Item, twa swerdis of honour, with twa beltis, the auld belt wantand foure stuthis.--Thomson's Inventories, p. 49. 28th November 1542. Item, twa swordis of honour, with twa beltis, wantand four stuthis.-Thomson's Inventories, p. 76. while the new belt was apparently perfect. The former may therefore have been the Julius belt, and the latter that given less than three years previously by Pope Paul III. The supposition does not seem unwarranted, that if as little care was taken of the belt as was manifestly taken of the sword, it would accurately correspond with the description "the auld belt," not only in respect to its age as compared with the newer belt, but also in appearance. If we assume these facts in regard to the two belts, the question at once arises, what were the four studs recorded as amissing? Neither the buckle nor the belt now have anything that could be described as studs, and, although the supposition might be hazarded that they referred to mountings in metal for the holes in the belt, that was purely conjectural. No help in determining the matter could be obtained from any Scottish source, and the problem was regarded as insoluble until it was discovered that an exactly similar belt, also the gift of Pope Julius II., was still preserved at Zurich.1 The same purpose that led to the Scottish gift also prompted that to the Pope's allies in Switzerland;2 but there was this difference, that 1 The Society is much indebted to Henry Angst, Esq., British Consul at Zurich, for his good offices in obtaining photographs of the Sword, Belt, Hat, and Hat-box presented by Pope Julius II. to the Swiss. It is also a great pleasure to acknowledge his unfailing courtesy, and the great readiness with which he answered the many inquiries addressed to him with the view of accurately comparing the two belts. 2 A brief statement of the peculiar circumstances which led to the Papal gifts ultimately finding their resting-place in Zurich may not be uninteresting, nor out of place. In 1511, Pope Julius II. formed an alliance with Venice, Naples, Arragon, and England against France-the Pope proclaiming that it was for the defence of the Church, while history said it was for the extension of Church property and secular power. Some small campaigns followed, which seem to have ended chiefly in favour of France. To quiet the demands of the Continental allies for payment of them troops, Cardinal Schinner, the Pope's chief adviser, was sent as Legate to Venice. He promised payment, and, as an earnest of the Pope's good intentions, showed them a costly sword, valued at 500 ducats, and a splendid ducal hat, as gifts ultimately intended for them-this being the first mention of these presents from Pope Julius II. The allies sustained an overwhelming defeat at Ravenna, and envoys were sent to seek assistance at Zurich, where great enthusiasm for the Pope was aroused, and substantial offers of assistance offered. By the help of the Swiss allies, in a short and brilliant campaign the French were driven out of North Italy, back over the Alps. whereas the former was presented as a bribe to obtain the aid of the Scottish King, the latter was offered to the Swiss as a reward which was only to be given after they had rendered the aid they promised. The sword at Zurich (fig. 1) may be said to be, with one or two trifling exceptions, almost a fac-simile of that now in our Crown Room. One of the quillons of the transverse guard and the two acanthus leaves which overlap the mouth of the scabbard are amissing, but otherwise it is in excellent condition, and has sustained nothing like the damage which has befallen the Scottish sword. It is figured in fig. 1, and a minute description of it is unnecessary. But it is desirable to describe in detail the Zurich belt and its buckle (Plate. II.). The belt proper measures 6 feet 7 inches in length and 2 inches in width. The figure or pattern, with the papal arms and the ornament of oak branches, is similar to that in the Scottish belt, and is eleven times repeated. There are seven pairs of holes for fastening the belt, and at the extreme end of the belt there is an eighth pair. These are all mounted with silver-gilt studs in the form of acorns and oak-leaves displayed. The colours of the silk with the gold and silver thread, as well as the brown silk lining in the inside of the first portion of the belt, are exactly similar to those details in the Scottish belt. But the buckle or clasp of the belt is different both in size and design from the Scottish one. It is 13 inches long and 2 inches wide (exactly the width of the belt), and is carried out at the top by a series of wire mouldings to a width of 21 inches. It is mounted at each side by a decorated wire moulding, and is divided into two portions by a bar Schinner met the allies at Verona, on their way home, and formally handed over to them the Papal gifts. At a diet held subsequently in Baden, amidst representatives from all the powers, the gifts were finally disposed of. The Sword and Hat were handed over to Zurich; the two new Banners to the church at Einsiedeln; and the Pope's own Banners, which had been lost at Ravenna, but recovered again, were given to Berne and Lucerne. Shortly afterwards an engraving was made of the gifts to bring the knowledge of them to the public. (This illustration has been of considerable value in this investigation. From it can be ascertained the fact that the buckle of the Zurich belt was damaged apparently when it was presented, and it has also been possible from the details shown in this engraving to fill in the portions now amissing in the consecrated hat.) |