Page:On papal conclaves (IA a549801700cartuoft).djvu/225

Rh King of Poland, to put away his wife, merely because she belonged to the Eastern Church, in direct violation of his solemn oath when wedding her, that he never would subject her to any compulsion on account of their difference in faith. At p. 288, vol. ii. of the ''Mon. Pol.'' will be found a Brief from Pope Alexander with date 8th June 1501, in which we read,—'Declaravit orator tuus quod cum nohilem Helenam in uxorem tuam acciperes, per medium oratorum tuorum patri ejusdem inter cetera pollicitus es, quod etiam juramento forte dictornm oratornm sub nomine tuo confirmatum extitit, nunquam eandem compulsurum ad ritum Romanæ ecclesiæ suscipiendum.' This promise the Pope commends Alexander for having observed during five years, but as in spite of his indulgence the said Helena persisted in remaining an obstinate schismatic he absolves him from his pledge ('Non obstantibus promissionibus et juramentis prædictis, qui bus te nullatenus teneri tenore præsentium declaramus'). The Duke is directed, however, once more to seek the effect of kind persuasion to induce his wife to fall away from the 'pessima Ruthenorum secta,' but if she still proves recalcitrant, then the Bishop of Wilna 'eandem Helenam a cohabitatione thori tui separet, et aliis maritalibus obsequiis privet, ac penitus a te dimoveat.' But in spite of this Papal authorization there was a practical difficulty about effecting this repudiation. Helena was the daughter of the powerful Duke of Muscovy, who was likely to resent an affront to his child in a manner the force of Poland might be unable to defy.