Catholic book circulation at the Spanish embassy in Early Stuart London: transnational exchange, collaboration and conflict

Spanish confessional diplomatic efforts in London greatly influenced English Catholicism during the first half of the seventeenth century, including through the circulation of illicit Catholic imprints across the Channel. A survey of Spanish and English sources showcases the different actors and mechanisms that allowed for the flow of English Catholic books through the embassy courier, from the Spanish ambassadors themselves to English transnational family networks tied to their entourage. This article identifies the activities and attitudes of key protagonists, thus revealing patterns of transnational exchange, collaboration and conflict involving Spanish diplomats and local Catholics. It argues that the Spanish embassy in London functioned as a vibrant site of cross-border mobility that fostered the integration of the English Catholic community within Global Reformed Catholicism. The dynamics of book circulation simultaneously expose some of the fundamental tensions that underlaid its patronage relationship with the Spanish Monarchy.