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FR. ARCHANGEL OF PEMBROKE AND GROTIUS 323 rius of Jan Hemelaers was himself converted from Calvinism to Catholicism by Justus Lipsius and was, at this time, a cleric of some distinction and one of the canons of Antwerp Cathedral. He was a firm friend of Grotius and had written a poem in the jurist's honour on his escape from prison. His biographers assure us that he worked hard to bring about the conversion of Grotius to Catholicism 36 • A letter of di Bagno to Hemelarius, dated January 4th, 1624, reveals that the Nuncio was aware of the straitened circumstances in which Grotius was placed. He informs the Canon that the pension granted to the jurist by the French King had been reduced, and tells him that he can write to Grotius to try to bring about his conversion. Moreover, he states that he is ready to recommend the exile's needs to the Pope 37 • A further letter of di Bagno to Hemelarius, written on January 16th, 1624, shows that the Canon had recently written to the Nuncio. It is this letter that brings Father Archangel into the affair, and we shall soon cite it at length. The contents of an enclosure accompanying this letter of Heme– larius seemed distinctly encouraging to di Bagno. He saw clearly that Grotius was a man of upright mind and open to conviction, but the Catholic case had to be put in the right way. He thought the matter important enough and sufficiently promising to begin to take practical steps about it. A man as perceptive and perspicacious as di Bagno readily realised that Grotius was a man of exceptional ability, and that if the jurist was to be approached personally - and the Nuncio thought that he should be - then it was of the utmost importance that someone of the right calibre should be found to make the approach. It seems safe to surmise that the enclosure that made di Bagno take the practical step that he did was a letter of the kind that Grotius had sent to his friend, the Canon, on November 7th, 1623. In this letter Grotius had stated that he appre– ciated the depth of friendship that Hemelarius manifested in his desire to lead him, Grotius, to accept the Catholic faith. « Quare cum vos, - he writes - extra Ecclesiae Romanae commu– nionem nullam spem esse aeternae salutis, non levi quadam opinione sed firmatissimo assensu arbitremini, sequitur, ut quo quemque amatis magis, eo magis eum studeatis ad illam communionem per- 36 P.J. GOETSCHALCKX, Geschiedenis der Kanunniken van O.L.V. Kapittell te Antwerpen {1585-1700), Antwerpen s.d., 152-155; C. DIERCXSENS, Antverpia Christo nascens et crescens, seu Acta Ecclesiam Antverpiensam eius Apostolos ad Viros pietate conspicuos concernentia usque ad saeculum XVIII VII, Antverpiae 1773, 336-337; J.F. FoPPENs, Bibliotheca Belgica II, Bruxellis 1739, 656; J.N. PAQUOT, Memoires pour servir a l'histoire litteraire des dix-sept provinces des Pays-Bas, de la principaute de Liege et de quelques contrees voisines XVII, Louvain 1769, 175-180. cr1 Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris, ms. Ponds latins 5174, f.214v; ms. Ponds latins 5175•, p.715; B. DE MEESTER, op. cit., 407.