Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 48.djvu/318

  Advertiser, 1809–25, and 27 April 1858; Daily News, 24 April 1858; Spectator, 1 May 1858; private information.] 

RINUCCINI, GIOVANNI BATTISTA (1592–1653), archbishop of Fermo and papal nuncio in Ireland, was born in Rome on 15 Sept. 1592. His father was the senator Camillo, a Florentine patrician; his mother, Virginia, was daughter of Pier Antonio Bandini, and sister of Cardinal Ottavio Bandini. His first studies were under the jesuits of the propaganda, and he went to the university of Bologna in his eighteenth year. He afterwards studied law at Perugia, took a doctor's degree at Pisa, and was elected a member of the Cruscan academy. Rinuccini subsequently became chamberlain to Gregory XV, and secretary to the congregation of ecclesiastical rites. At his accession in 1623 Urban VIII made him civil lieutenant of the cardinal-vicar, and archbishop of Fermo in 1625. In 1631 he declined the archbishopric of Florence, on the ground of his attachment to the people at Fermo.

Meanwhile the Irish rebellion had broken out in 1641, and in 1643 Scarampi was sent to the catholic confederates at Kilkenny to represent the pope. The Irish, however, requested a nuncio with full powers. Richard Bellings [q. v.] was sent to Rome, where he arrived in March 1645, to find that Rinuccini had been already appointed by Innocent X. Bellings, whose views were perhaps coloured by later events, says Rinuccini's appointment was a job to please the Duke of Florence (Confederation and War, iv. 2). Full instructions, both avowed and secret, were given to the new nuncio, whose main object was to secure the open exercise of the catholic religion in Ireland, with a view to the gradual extirpation of heresy in the north of Europe. The regular and secular clergy, whose discipline had been relaxed by circumstances, were to be brought into line. Ormonde, Charles I's lord-deputy, was to be gained if possible. The nuncio was enjoined to be absolutely impartial as between France and Spain.

Before leaving Rome Rinuccini openly declared his hostility to everything English, and it is not surprising that the English merchants at Leghorn plotted to intercept him at sea. At Genoa he was received in state by the doge. At Paris, where he arrived about the last week in May, Rinuccini was encouraged by Gaston, duke of Orleans, and by Condé; but no practical result came of these princely civilities. Mazarin was characteristically cautious, and his influence was paramount with the French queen. The news of Naseby (14 June O.S.) had a very chilling effect on French sympathy with the English royalists. Rinuccini found, too, that the English royalists generally looked on the conquest of Ireland only as a stepping-stone to the triumph of their cause in England, which was and would remain protestant. Rinuccini declined to see Henrietta Maria, except in public audience, and this was refused; for the English about her, without much distinction of creed, heartily dreaded the designs of Rome. At Paris Rinuccini was on friendly terms with Secretary Bellings, but he was especially anxious to prevent Bellings from reaching Ireland first. Bellings placed the interests of Charles I before those of the pope. Scarampi, writing entirely in the interests of the church, declared that peace between English royalists and Irish catholics, if concluded without Rinuccini's aid, would be fatal to papal interests (ib. p. 44).

Rinuccini remained three months in Paris. Bellings says he did not like the Irish mission, and tried to be made nuncio to France instead (Confederation and War, iv. 5). He was sharply reprimanded for loitering, contrary to his instructions (Embassy, p. 569). At last Mazarin allowed some small vessels to be equipped. Rinuccini drew upon the pope for about fifteen thousand dollars; Cardinal Antonio Barberini gave him ten thousand, and Mazarin added twenty-five thousand. About two-fifths of this was spent on arms, ammunition, and shipping, and the rest was to be taken to Ireland in specie (Embassy, pp. x, lii). The place named for Rinuccini's embarkation was Rochelle, but Rinuccini sailed finally from St. Martin, in the isle of Ré, with Bellings and about twenty Italians. He reached Kenmare on 23 Oct. (Confederation and War, iv. 5;, p. 62), and at once started with Bellings for Limerick. There they found Scarampi, who had persuaded that hitherto independent city to join the catholic confederacy. On 12 Nov. Rinuccini was received at Kilkenny with great pomp by the nobility, clergy, and populace.

Rinuccini's first residence at Kilkenny lasted six months. With hazy notions as to the meaning or strength of party divisions in Ireland, he made little allowance for local considerations in pursuing his aim of securing the full predominance and recognition of the Roman catholic religion. Negotiations for peace were going on between Ormonde, the representative of Charles I and of the protestant royalists on the one side, and the catholic confederates on the other, on the basis of the status quo, leaving the question of religion to be decided by the king. The catholic general, Thomas Preston [q. v.], and his friends thought these the best available