rer memora additis Ab. Vrsperg and said for his excuse that hee did he did prouoked of vs before and he would haue reuoked the curse but that hee was coped and kepte in against his owne liking Clemens 6. Clemens the 6. blowed vp the fire which Benedict his predecessour would haue quenched And euen at the Lordes supper he cursed the Emperor as Cuspinian writeth Io. Cusp in vita Ludou As Iudas was at the Lordes supper that betrayed his maister But notwithstanding the curses of Popes Ludouick reigned about 37. yeeres as Cuspinian accounteth Alber. Cranz Saxo. Lib. 8. cap. 22. and hee ouerliued two of the Popes that cursed him and hee dyed not without suspition of poyson as Albert. reporteth Philip the Emperour Philippe the Emperour about the yeere of our Lorde God 1198. as Vrspergensis accounteth is praysed of him for a milde and gentle Prince valiant in warres at chiof him with good successe yet because hee was not currant in the fauour of Pope Innocent the third Ab. Vrsperg in gest Phil. first hee vrged an excommunication of Pope Celestine against him And after by his practise and other Emperour called Otto was sette vppe against him but Philippe by treason ended his life in the ende Then Pope Innocent fell a cursing of Otto also Otto the Emperour whom as his darling he had Crowned before Thus a common practise it is with Popes to make quarrels to curse Princes if they stand not in their grace and bee not at their deuotions and if they make not their composition with them Philip the Emperour As Philippe the Emperour was 〈◊〉 come to composition with Pope Innocent the third Abbas Vrsperg in titulo de bellis Philippi by Ambassadours sent for that purpose who promised a mariage betweene the kinges daughter and the Popes brothers sonne for reconcilement of Phillippe to the Popes grace as Vrspergensis vowcheth of the reporte of credible men Frederick the first Emperour of that name Frider. the 1. was fayne to put a masse of gould into Pope Hadrian his mouth to make his composition with him by his solliciters for the recalling of his curse against him Ab. Vrsperg ex cremoneÌ„s and for reconcilement to him As the Abbat of Vrsperg out of the Cremonensis called Iohn the Priest rehearseth Otherwise if suit be not made for reconcilement and composition with them the common enginne and practise of Popes against Princes is to drawe out the banning blade vppon them As Hornets haue their stinges and Scorpians their tayles so the common enginne of Popes reuenge vppon Princes is their excomminging and cursing of them Saxo Craâ— Hist Danâ—s lib. 14. Saxo the wryter of the Danes storie sayeth the Bishoppes reuenge is his curse And the same Pope Innocent the third afore rehearsed didde drawe his banning blade vppon king Iohn of England King Iohn of England Fabian the 7 parte in anno 1212. Phil. le Bewa king of Fran. Who was fayne 〈◊〉 make his composition with Pandolph his Legate to pay a yeerely fee to the Pope of a thousand markes for the Realmes of Englande and Ireland and as his Feodarie to houlde the Crowne of him Boniface the eight did proceede in like sorte to cursing and banning of Philippe surnamed the fayre Ro. Gag in annalibus regum Fran. lib. 7. king of Fraunce but he in the steed of coÌ„position suborned Sarra the Italian and sent Nogaretus a French man to his aid and at Anagnia sodenly they surprised the Pope by force of armes and brought him to Rome where with chafe and greefe he died Gagwine generall of the order of the holy Trinitie in Fraunce Bonifacius 8 in his storie saith of Pope Boniface that being too proud he priued Philip of his kingdome and gaue it to Albert Duke of Ostrige together with the Empire of Germanie And after the same Gagwine had told of the taking of the Pope and of his death he saith Such an end of his life had Bonifacius the despiser of all men who without remembring the commaundementes of Christ went about to take away and to giue kingdomes at his pleasure Rob. Gagwins iudgement of Bonifacius 8. when he was not ignorant that hee occupied his place on earth whose kingdome was not of this world and of earthly thinges but heauenly Thus farre father Gagwin as they call him the generall of his order We see the Pope is sent into Christes schoole of his own deuout disciple as father Gagwin was and the birdes of his owne nest are readye to scratch out his eyes What treason was this against the Popes person and power to say that he remembred not the commaundements of Christ while he went about to take away and to geue kingdomes at his pleasure And yet he calleth him selfe Christes Vicar His kingdome was not not of wordly thinges but heauenly Thus father Gagwin who was in the Popes own bosome for his Religion yet is a witnesse against his vsurped power pride and tyranny in deposing of Princes and disposing of kingdomes And turneth them into Christes schoole whose Vicars they professe theÌ„selues to bee to learne an other lesson of him whose kingdome was not of earthly but heauenly thinges Thus of banning Bonifacius his ende and father Gagwines witnesse against the vsurped power of Popes in taking away and giuinge the kingdomes of the earth Paulus 2. Clemens 5. Paulus the second excomminged and cursed George kinge of Beme and Clemens the fifte the Venetians the Florentines and them 〈◊〉 Luke and diuers other Popes haue cursed and banned many other Princes and people And euen yet they blush not in the light of the Gospell to do the like as they were wont to do in darkenesse and in the night of grosse idolatrie and ignorance they cannot hould themselues but if Princes reuolt from their viâ—due obedience and hee reclaymed from their idolatrous errors then they fall to managings their cursings bannings in the names of Peter and Paul by whose doctrine their vsurped power and tyranny is condemned Thus of the vsuall enginne of the Bishoppe of Rome commonly vsed of them in contriuing and managing of practises of treason and rebellion against Christian Princes and Realmes which is their excomminging and cursing of them The 2. chiefe point of the first matter The second point and matter of my first parte is at what time chieflie the Bishoppe of Rome beganne to vse this engine of excommunicating and cursing of Princes and Realmes and practising of such treasons and rebellions gainst them OTto Bishoppe of Frising a famous writer of Cronicles Otto Bishop of Frising and of great account in the Church of Rome in his storie writeth that before Henry the fourth Emperour of that name hee could neuer finde Roman Emperour or king to haue beene excomminged and cursed of any Bishoppe of Rome This Otto by parentage was of the blood imperiall by his mothers side before hee was a
the Emperor withdrawing himselfe a while The Bishops of Mens Colon and Wormes with violeÌ„ce deposed their soueraigne Lord Henrie the 4. inuested himselfe in the Imperial robes returning These saith he â—â—e the Imperiall ornaments of estate these by the goodnesse of the euerlasting king and election of Princes haue bin bestowed on me God is able also in these to continue vs and to hold your hands froÌ„ the worke you intend although we be now disgarnished of our forces and armies for supposing our selues to bee in safetie we made no preparation against suche violence But let the feare of God stay you whom pietie doth not reclaime and if you reuerence neither behold we are in presence we cannot resist your force The Bishops staggered The Bishops pluck the crowne from the Emperors head but after they encouraged one the other to set on the Emperor to pluck the crown froÌ„ his head and wheÌ„ they had plucked him out of his seat they turned him out of his Imperiall robes ornameÌ„ts The Emperor fetting deep sighes saith thus vnto theÌ„ God the Lorde of reueÌ„ge see it take reuenge of the wickednes you commit I susteine ignominie and dishonor that neuer the like was heard before for the sins of my youth of the iust iudge I am punished you neuerthelesse shal not be free froÌ„ sin because you haue falsified your othes of loyaltie The Emperor coÌ„pareth his Bishops to Iudas the Traitour you shal not escape the vengeance of that iust iudge your honor neuer prosper your portion be with him that betraid Christ But they stopping their eares go back carrying the imperial robes ornameÌ„ts to his son Thus far the report of the storie of the deposing of Henry the 4. out of Alberâ— who telleth it out of the Chronicle of Germanie for he saith Haec est narratio nostrorum aâ—naliuÌ„ Who that hath bowels of good naturâ— in him would he not rue to heare the pitifull plaint of so valiant a Prince to his sworne subiects that had been aduaunced to so high dignitie of him Hee gaue ghostly counsell to them which shoulde haue giuen it to him But their eares were stopped like the deafe Aspes Psal 48. They wilfully brake the oth of their alleageance they layde violent handes on the Royal person of the Prince they vndertook the execution of treason and the Popes curse vppon the sacred person of their prince by whome they were mounted vp in high estate of honor Thus in the treason and rebellion of the sonne against Henry the 4. his father and in the deposing of him in the ende the bishops which chiefly should haue bene faithfull and loyall to him were the principall actors and instruments against him and tooke on them the execution of the Popes curse and the violent deposing of the Emperor from his Imperiall estate King Iohn of England Fabian 2. vo part 7. in anno 1205 So in king Iohn of England his time the execution of the Popes curse vpon him and the realme was committed to the Bishops of London Ely Winchester and Herford who after they had denounced it against the king the land were fain to flie the land And in that blind time when the Pope sate in the consciences of simple people to binde and loose the king by practise of the Pope and popish Prelates was so encountred and wrapped in troubles that at length he yelded himselfe to Randolph the Popes Legate by oth Fabian 2. vo part 7. in anno 1212 to stand to the Popes order Finally hee was driuen on his knees to take the crowne from his head as Fabian reporteth it to resigne it with solemne wordes into the Popes handes and after to resume it as Feodarie to the Pope as Fabian telleth vppon a yeerely fee of a thousand marks to be paid vnto him So wheÌ„ there is variance in the land and the Pope is vmpire by cursing of Princes and lands hee fingreth and filcheth gaine and setteth a sale his cursings and blessings againe Popish Prelates are the Popes hands and bowels in Countries To whom chiefly doth hee commit the trust of the execution of such things to popish Prelates They are as the Popes hands in countries they are as the bowels of his own body and as if their conscience liued of him they are made actors and instruments eftsoones against their own Princes for him as in the practise of stories we see Running to Rome And if there grow quarrell betweene the Prince them they goe round to Rome The Pope is the vmpire they keepe that string for their bowe whatsoeuer faileth at home Tho. Becket packed him to Rome againste Hen. the 2. Thomas Becket returned with authoritie froÌ„ the Pope against the Prince Anselme Archbishop of Canter Anselme Archbishop of Canterb. sped him to Rome against Henrie the first at his return held a conuocation at London by the authority of the Pope against the Prince Lanfrank Archbishop of Canterburie Lanfrank likewise Archbishop of Canterburie Thomas of York pleated the libel of their preemineÌ„ce at Rome vnder William the conqueror Abbat Benet Abbat Benet had 5. times been at Rome Rome was their paradise on earth to run in pilgrimage to it The Pope as a God sate in dark consciences as hauing Peters key to bind lose The Abbat of Vrsperg who himself had bin at Rome runneth in Romish religion with them and raileth vpon Hen. the 4. for resistance against Popes of Rome yet hee cryeth out on Rome for sucking the gaine of the world and saith Gaude mater nostra Roma Ab. Vrsperg in Chro. quia aperiuntur catarractae the sauroruÌ„ in terra vt ad te confluant riui aggeres nummorum in magna copia our mother Rome reioyce saith he because the sluces and Gulfes of gaine are opened on earth Mother Rome sacketh the treasure of the earth that streames and heapes of money may come flowing in to thee in great abuÌ„dance Thus the Abbat though hee were her deare sonne yet crieth out on his mother Rome for sucking the treasures of the erth And now because his mother Rome hath byn kept so long fasting froÌ„ England the gulf of her great gaine stopped there not only she is hungred but with rauening iawes gapeth coÌ„tinuallie ouer it by practise of monstrous treasons and rebellioÌ„s to pluck it in again Thus of the taking and deposing of Henrie the 4. and of the Bishops that were chiefe instruments and actors in it The fourth chiefe point of the discourse of this storie The 4. The death of Henry the 4. and the crueltie on his corps is of the death of Henry the fourth and the crueltie shewed on his corse After that Henrie the Emperor was of the bishops aforesaide thus deposed and dispoyled of the robes of estate and the Imperiall ensignes he fled to Limburg and lighting on a prince a hunting Alb.
of Edgar king of England after he had lost his retinue in hunting withdrew him selfe to the Castle of Corf where Queene Elfride or Estrild his stepmother with Egelredus her yong sonne kepte house Fab. in chro 6. par ca. 117 where being courteously inuited to lodge that night 〈◊〉 courteouse manner excusing himselfe as he sat on his horse drinking and the cuppe at his mouth of a traytor and murtherer suddenly set on by his stepmother he was stabbed and when he felt himselfe stricken suddenly he set spurres to his horse King Edward surnamed the martyr Fabian in Tab. 6. part and by ryding and much bleeding fainting fell and his foot hanging fast in the stirrop was trailed of his horse to a place named Corinsgate where hee was found dead This Edward was surnamed the martyr and being induced of a curteouse nature to visit his friends as he supposed and not suspecting any treason fell into the mouth of his enemies Charles of Fraunce Charles king of Fraunce surnamed the simple returning out of ciuill warre with victorie on Duke Robert that rebelled against him Ro. Gag in an Re. Fran. lib. 6. was by Hebert Earle of Vermendois in the waye of gratulation for his victory humbly inuited to lodge at his Castle of Peron The king of simplicitie not forecasting treason and ouercom with curtesie humbly offered yeelded to his request and after he was lodged there and his strength gon from him then Hebert set on by his wife tooke the kinge prisoner Earle Hebert his treason Fabian in Chro. 5. part cap. 89. and made him away that hee neuer came abroad to raigne any more Hengist the Saxon inuited Vortigern king of Britain with his Lords to his Castle called Thongcastle whither the king with his Lordes came Hengist Fabian in Chro. 5. part cap. 89. 〈◊〉 the middest of the feast and mirth a fayned fray began the Saxons fell on the Lordes and slew them all and tooke the king prisoner A daungerous thing it is for Princes to aduenture their royall persons with them of whome they haue not vndoubted assurance and in places where they are not garded with their strengthes The same Hengist fearing the great hoast of Britons appointed in readinesse made meanes for a parley and treaty of peace a day was prefixed on a May day on the plaine of Salisburie and so many Britons for so many Saxons should meete Thither king Vortigerne came with a certaine of Britons in peaceable manner In midest of the parley Hengist gaue the watch Nempnith your sexes as Fabian telleth it that euery one should draw his long knife out of his hose and the Britons were slaine like sheepe among Woolues as Fabian saith The Deuill neuer more raueneth then vnder the visard of friendly parles meetings entertainments curtesies and such like deuices which he vseth as occasions of aduantages opportunities to put placs of high treason in practise Trayterous and hypocriticall hartes are like a deepe hel on earth Queene Ethelburg alwayes gaping after opportunities to deuoure theÌ„ whose destruction they seeke Fab. in chro 6. par ca. 157 Ro. Gag in an Reg. Fraâ— lib. 2. Brightricus the first 〈◊〉 of the west Saxons was by Ethelburge 〈◊〉 wifâ—e after sundry attempts of treason for making him away poysoned with many other of his meany Fredegund Queene of Soisous in Fraunce before mentioned hired and sent two murtherers into the campe of Sigisbert king of the Countrie of Mees or Austracie as Fabian termeth it her brother in lawe who awayted for opportunitie aduauntage and they slew the king Queene Fredigond The same Fredigond that by treason procured the death of king Chilperick her owne husband and of king Sigisbert her husbands brother inflamed with enuy against Queene Brunchild because she was set vp in more fauour and honour then she as Gagwin reporteth it was conceiued with new treasons against her Ra. Gag in an reg Fran. lib. 2. and fell in trauel for the execution of them in this sorte There was an old executioner of murthers called Holderick Holderick the traytor a fit instrument to vndertake her treason him shee sent into Queene Brunchilds Court he according to the method of maisteries in the Deuils art of practising treasons first began with flattering and fawning about in the court as the Scorpion doth fawne with his taile ere hee strike but there he met with as cunning in that art as himselfe By his great flatterie he grewe in suspition and being coÌ„mitted 〈◊〉 â—â—ture confessed the whole plat One might 〈◊〉 that Queene Fred. in plats of treasons 〈◊〉 peere Queene Brunchild but Queene BruÌ„child king Sigisberts wife the aforsaid far surpasseth her hath won the prize of such plats practises froÌ„ her She was charged at her death to haue bene the death of ten Princes Continually she was traueyling with some plat or other as soone as she was deliuered she conceiued and fell in taruaile againe about the execution and practise of her plats Notwithstanding outwardly who was couÌ„ted so deuout as Brunchild Ro. Gag in an Reg. Fran lib. 2. the foundresse of many Colledges of Priestes Monkes in BurguÌ„dy as father Gag writeth of her Thus the Diuell vnder mists of hypocrisie worketh maisteries of murthers and treasons against Princes and vnder pretence of religion committeth such outrages in the world And in the taruaile and execution of their plattes the cheife point of practise of masteries in the Diuels art concerning the execution of suche things is fawning flaterie for life and double diuellish diligence seruile at all assaies to creepe into credit and fauour and to win opportunitie of the place for execution Gagwin the generall of his order in Fraunce saieth that Holderick mentioned before Holderick the traytors boldnes was Audax assuetus caedibus bolde and draween through many murthers He kept his course aforesaid for the execution of his plat vpon Queene Brunchild but that his cunning was soone incountered there Cum multis iam diebus saith Gagwin consuetudinem familiaritatis apud Reginam Brunchildem assentatiunculis blanditijsque comparasset WheÌ„ saith hee by the space of many dayes by flattery and fawning he grew to be familiar and conuersant with Queene Brunchild His fawning flateries familiarities at last hee began to bee blasted with suspition when in flattering and currying he went beyond himselfe and beganne to be too broade in it as Gagwin saith Blandior indies visus in suspicionem venit This is the monstrous method of the Deuils art and cheifly in these latter dayes The serpent The Aspe The SerpeÌ„t wil craule into the very bosome the Aspe wil be familier and play Plutarch wryteth and Volateran reporteth it out of him that in Egypt they haue familiar Aspes at their Tables Rapha Vela lib. 25. Plin. naâ— Hist lib. 10. cap. 74. they bring them vp with their childreÌ„ to eate with them to