holye church as any Thomas euer was seyng he was as able the newe Thomas Then the newe Thomas as glorious as the old toke the mater in haÌ„de and persuaded the kinges grace And â—hen the kinges grace toke a dyspensatyon for hys othe made vppon the apoyntment of peace betwene him and the French king and promysed to helpe the holy seate where in Pope Peter neuer sate But the Emperour Maximilian myght in no wyse stand still lest the frenchmen shuld money hym get ayde of hym seynge the Almaynes refuse not money wheÌ„ce soeuer it be profered then quod Thomas wolfse Maximliâ— Oh and lyke youre grace what an honoure shulde it be vnto youre grace if the emperour were youre sodyare So greate honoure neuer chaunced any kyng christened It shulde be spoken of while the world stode The glory honour shall hyde and darken the coste that it shall neuer be sene though it shulde coste halfe youre realme Dixit factum est it was euen so And theÌ„ a parliament and then paye and then vpon the Frenche dogges â–ª with cleane remission of all his sinnes that slew one of them Remision of synnes â–ª or if he be slayn for the pardons â–ª haue no streÌ„gh to saue in thys life but in the lyfe to come only theÌ„ to heauen strayght wythout felynge of yâ— paynes of purgatorye Then cam oure kyne with all hys might by se and by lande and the Emperour wyth a strong army and the Spanyardes and the pope the Uenecyans all at once against king Lewes of fraunce As sone as the pope had that he desyred in Italy then peace immediatlye And frenchmen were chrysten men and pytie yea and great synne also were it to sheade their bloud and the frenchkinge was the most chrysten kyng agayne And thus was peace concluded and oure Inglyshmen or rather shepe came home against winter and lefte theyr fleces behynde them Wherfore no smal number of them whyle they sought them better raymente at home were hanged for theyr laboure ¶ Why the kinges syster was turned vnto fraunce WHen this peace was made oure holye Cardynalles and Bysshoppes as their olde Gyse is to calke and caste .xl â–ª L. yea an hundred yeare before what is lyke to chaunce vnto theyr kingdome considered how the Emperour yâ— now is was moost like to be chosen Emperour after hys graundfather Maximilian for Maximilian had already obteyned of dyuerie of the ELECTOURS that is shulde so be They coÌ„sidered olso howe mightye he shuld be first Kyng of Spayn with all that perteyneth therto which was wont to be v. vi or .vij. kyngdoÌ„s then Duke of Burgoyne Earle of FlauÌ„ders of Hollande Zelande and Braband wyth all that parteine therto then Emperour aÌ„d hys brother Duke of Austrych and hys sister quene of Hungrye Wherfor thought our prelates if we take not hede betymes oure kyngdome is lyke to be troubled we to be brought vnder the fete For thys maÌ„ shal be so myghty that he shall with power take out of the french kynges handes out of the haÌ„des of the Uenetians and froÌ„ the Pope also what soeuer parteyneth vnto the empyre aÌ„d what soeuer belongeth vnto hys other kyngdoÌ„s and dommions therto And then he wyll come to Rome and be crouned there and so shall he ouerlooke our holye father and see what he doth And then shall the olde heretykes ryse vp agayne say that the Pope is Antichryste and styrre vp agayne and bryng to lyght that we haue hyd broghâ— a slepe with muche cost payne and bloudeshedyng more then thys hundred yere longe Considred also that hys aunte is quene of England and hys wyfe the king of EnglaÌ„ds sister consydred the old amitie betwene the house of burgom the old kinges of eÌ„gloÌ„d so that they coulde neuer do ought iÌ„ frauÌ„ce with out theyr helpe last of all coÌ„sidered that course of marchauÌ„dise yâ— iÌ„glaÌ„d hath iÌ„ those parties also the naturall hart that eÌ„glishmeÌ„ bear to freÌ„chmeÌ„ Wherfore if we shall vse oure old practyse and set the french king agaynst hym Then he shall lyghtelye obtayne the fauour of the king of Ingland by the meanes of hys Aunte and hys wyfe and ayde wyth men and money Wherfore we must take hede betimes and breake thys amytie Whych thinge we maye by thys oure olde craft â—easely bringe to passe Let vs take a dispensation breake thys maryage and turne the kinges sister vnto the French king Yf the frenche Kynge Practyse gette a male of her then we shall lyghtly make our kyngepro tectoure of fraunce and so shall Inglande and Fraunce be coupled together and as for the quene of Inglande we shall trymme her well ynough and occupye the kynge with straunge loue and kepe her that she shall beare no rule And as the goddâ—s had spoken so it came to passe Our fayre yong doughter was sent vnto the old pocky king of fraunce the yeare before our mortall eÌ„nemye and a myscreaunt worse then a Turke and disobedient vnto oure holy Father and no more obedient yet then he was coÌ„pelled to be against his wyll The cause of the iourney to Calyce IN shorte space thereafter Thomas wolfse now Cardinall and Legate a latere and greatlye desyrous to be Pope also thought it exceading expedient for his many secrete purposes to bring our Kyng and the Kyng of Fraunce that now is together both to make a perpetual peace and amitie betwene them and that whyle the two kynges and their lordes dalyed together the greate cardinalles and Bisshoppes of both parties mighte becraye them both and the Emperour and all Chrysten kinges therto Then he made a iourney of gentelmen arayed all together in sylk so much as thâ—ir very showes and lynynge of theyr boutes much more lyke their mothers then meÌ„ of warre yea I am sure yâ— many of theyr mothers wolde haue bene ashamed of so nyâ—â— and wanton aray how beit they went not to make war but peace for euer and a daye longer But to speake of the Pompouse apparell of my lorde hym selfe and of hys chaplaynes it passeth the .xij. apostles I dare swere that if Peter and Paule had sene them sodenly aÌ„d at a blush they wold haue bene harder in beleue that they or any such shuld be theyr successours then Thomas â—â—dimus was to beleue that Chryst was rysen agayne from death When all was concluded betwene the kyng of Fraunce and ours that Thomas wolfâ—e had deuised and when the prelates of both parties had cast theyr peny worthes agaynst all chaunces and deuysed remedyes for all mischeues· Then the ryght reuerend father in God Thomas cardinall aÌ„d Legaâ—â— wolde go se the young Emperoure newlye chosen vnto the roume and haue a certayne secrete communicacion wyth some of his prelates also And gatte him to bridges in Flaunders Prelates where he was receaued with great solempnitie as belongeth vnto so mighty a pyllar of Christes church and was saluted at the
mariage of som doughter vnto the duke of Uenyce then the holy father that succedeth wheÌ„ he seeth his ceason sendeth for it agayne sayenge that it is not laufull for lay men to with holde sainct Peters patrimony Yf they allege that they bought it and so forth his fatherhod answereth that the old Pope had none auctoritie to make any such cheuisaunce with sainct Peters enheritaunce he coude haue but the vse of it his lyfe longe and after it must nedes returne vnto his successoure agayne And vpoÌ„ that he interdytâ—th them and curseth them as blacke as coles and doune to the pyt of hell But the Uenecians knowing more of oure holye fathers practyse for their nyenes then we which dwel a farre of and wyser then we of cold contrees perceauing also that their colour chauÌ„geth not with his cursynge and that they syncke not aÌ„d that their meate digesteth as well as before and that as Erasmus sayeth they sâ—yte as easyly as before with reuerence of the holy course I speake it therfore feare not his interdiction nor excommunicatyon Then our holy father raiseth vp all his power that he is able to make in Italy agaynste them sendeth for the zwytzers to come and helpe Yf he be not yet strong ynough then he sendeh vnto the bysshops of fraunce warning them that if hys seate decaye theyrs can not longe prosper and therfore that they put theyr kynge in remeÌ„braunce how that he is called most chrysten kyng and that they desyre hym to do somwhat for hys tytie against this disobedieÌ„t rebellyons vnto the most holy se of Rome our mother holy churche FreÌ„chmen Yf an other tyme the frenchmen come to nye our holy father as they be euer gaping for Italy to brynge the empyre home agayne to fraunce Then the moost holy vicare bryngeth his whole power agaynste them with the power of the venecians and with hys old frendes the zwytzers If he be not yet stronge ynough then he sendeth to the bisshops of England EnglishmeÌ„ to help their god and to moue their kyng to do somwhat for holy churche puttyng him in remembraunce of whom he holdeth his croune of hys othe and how many cappes of mayntenaunce haue bene euer sent vnto hys forefathers and what honour it was vnto them and that he maye easely gett as greate honoure as they and happly a more excellent title yf he wyl take our holy fathers parte besydes that he shall purchase remyssyon of all hys synnes Then must the peace and all the apointementes made betwene vs and fraunce be broken and the kynge must take a dyspensacion for hys oth For the kynge of fraunce wyll attempte nothing in Italy vntyll he haue sent hys ambassadours and haue made a perpetuall peace wyth oure kynge the Sacrament of the bodye of oure sauiour broke betwene them to confyrme the appointement But I suppose that the breakyng signifyeth that the appointemeÌ„t shall not long endure for a greate deale of flower wolde not make so manye hoostes The abuse of the sacrament as they call them or synginge loues as hathe bene broken in our dayes betwene christen princes as they wylbe called to confirme promises that haue not long bene kept Other vse of that blessed sacrament wyll the priÌ„ces none know but christ ordeined it to be a perpetuall memorye that his bodye was brokeÌ„ for oure sinnes vpoÌ„ the crosse that all that repent shuld receaue as oft as they eaâ—e of it forgeuenes of their misdeades thorow fayth Yf the kiÌ„gs of the earth wheÌ„ they breake that sacrameÌ„t betwene them do say on this wyse The body of our sauiour which was broken on the crosse for the synne of al the repeÌ„t haue good harts wold faine kepe his law be brokeÌ„ vnto my daÌ„nacion if I breake this oth theÌ„ is it a terrible oth and they had neade to take heade how they make it â—d if it be lawfully made not to breake it at all But as they care for the â—rothe whiche they make in wedlockeâ— so they care for this Whatsoeuer nead the pope hath he wyl not send to the Emperour to come helpe hiâ— in Italy for feare lest he wold take to hiÌ„self what soeuer he coÌ„quered of the freÌ„chmen and waxe to strong and minish oure holy fathers power and become our holy fathers vicar as he is saint Peters Neuerthelesse if we englishmen will hyre the Emperour to com and fyght agaiÌ„st frauÌ„ce for the right of the church in these quarters that â—e next vnto vs his fatherhod is coÌ„tent to admyt his seruice When our king hath graunted to take our holy fathers part then the pretence cloke out ward must be that the kyng wil â—alenge his ryghte in fraunce And to ayde the king in his ryght must the commens be mylked tyll they blede agayne Then to do the king seruice the lordes sell or laye their landes to morgage Then is cleane remission geuen to sleo french dogges Remissioâ— of synnes He that dyeth in the quarell shall neuer see purgatorye but file tor heauen streyght euen with a thought WHen the Pope hath what he desyreth in Italye then muste we make peace wyth the Frenchmen agayne immediatlye that fraunce be not all together trodeÌ„ vnder the fete but that it remaâ— alwaye in a meane state stronge Inough to match the emperour to kepe hym doune but not to myghtye for oppressinge the pope and then oure prelates to bringe the peace about sende immediatly a fryer forest or a vicar of croiden to preach before yâ— king his lords which preacher roreth aÌ„d cryeth vnto theÌ„ as though he halowed hys houndes and maketh exclamations sayenge Alas what wyll ye do spare Chrysten bloude wyll ye slea youre owne soules Be not the freÌ„chmeÌ„ as well christeÌ„ as ye Moreouer ye slea pore innocents that neuer offeÌ„ded make peace for the passioÌ„ of christ kyll not one an other as though Christ had not dyed for you but fyght rather agaynst the turkes TheÌ„ come in the Ambassadours of frauÌ„ce and money a fewe prelates and certayne other the kynges playfellowes yâ— be sworn with them to betraye both the kinge and the royalme too And then is peace concluded But outwardelye there is nothinge saue a truce taken for halfe a yeare tyll our souldiers be at home again for feare least they wold not be conteÌ„t â–ª Then coÌ„meth the whole host home beggerd both great and smal And the poore that can not sodenlye gette work fall to stealyng and be hanged at home Thys could More tell in hys Utopia before he was the cardenalles sworn secretarye and fallen at hys fete to betraye the truth for to gett promocyon HeÌ„ry the .v. Take an ensaÌ„ple the bysshops sent king Henrye the fyft out to conquere Fraunce The cause was sayth the chronicles that the kynge went about to take theyr temporallyes from them And therfore to bringe the kynge into an other imaginacyon they monyed hym and
entering into the toune of a mery felow which sayd salue rex regis tui atque regni sui salutaâ—ioâ— â–ª â— Hayle both kyng of the king and also of his realme And thogh there were neuer so great stryfe betwene the Emperoure and the French kynge yet my lorde Cardynall iugled hym fauour of them both and fynally brought the Emperour to Calays vnto the kinges grace where was great tryumphe and great loue amytie shewed on both parties in so much that certayne men maruelynge at it asked the olde bisshope of Deram How it might be that we were so great with the Emperour so shortlye vppon so stronge and euer lastinge a peace made betwene vs and the frenchmen the Empâ—rour and the kyng of Fraunce being so mortall ennemyes My lorde answered that it might be wel inough if he wist al. A certeine secret But there was a certayn secret sayd he wherof all men knew not Yea verely they haue had secretes this .viij hundred yeares which though all the laye meÌ„ haue felt theÌ„ yet fewe haue spyed them saue a few Iudases whiche for lucre haue bene coÌ„federate wyth them to betray their owne kinges and all other Then were we indifferent slode still And the Emperoure and the French kyng wrastled together And Ferdinandus the Emperours brother wanne Mylane of yâ— frenchmen and the Emperour turnay our greate conqueste whiche yet after so greate coste in Buyldynge a Castell Milane Turnay we delyuered vp agayne vnto the frenchmen in ernest aÌ„d hope of a mariage betwene the dolphine our princesse ¶ How the Emperour cam thorow Englond AFter that the Emperour wolde into Spayne and cam thorowe Englond where he was receaue with great honour with al that pertayneth to loue and amyte The kings grace lent hym money and promysed hym more And the Emperour shuld tarye a certayne yeares mary our princesse Not that the cardinall inteÌ„ded that thou mayest be suâ—e for it was not proffitable for theyr kingdom but his mind was to dallye wyth the Emperour and to kepe him without a wyfe that in so much as he was yong and lusty he might haue bene noselled and entangeled wyth hores which is their nurteriÌ„g NurteriÌ„g of kynges of kinges and made so effeminate and that he shuld neuer haue bene able to lift vp his harte to any goodnesse or vertue that cardinalles and bysshopes myght haue administred his dominions in the meane time vnto our holy fathers profyte The king of fraunce hearing the fauour that was shewed vnto the Empâ—roure sent immediatlye a diffiaunce vnto oure king not wtout our cardinalles bisshops counsell thou mayst well wyt For frenchmen are not so folish to haue done it so vnaduisedlye and so rashlye seynge they had to many in their toppes already Then oure king spake manye greate wordes that he wold dryue the frenchkyng out of his realme or els the frenchkyng shulde bryue him out of his â–ª But had he added as the legate Pandulph taught kinge IhonÌ„ with the popes lycence his wordes had sounded much better For there can no vow stande in effect except the holy father confirme it We sent out our sodiars two sommers agaiÌ„st the frenchmeÌ„ vnto whose chefe captaynes the Cardinall had appoynted how farre they shuld go aÌ„d what they shuld do â–ª And therfore the frenchkyng was nothiÌ„g afrayed but brought all hys Power agaynst the Emperour in other places And â—o was the Emperour euer betrayed And thus the cardinall was the emperours frend openly and the frenchkinges secretlie For at the mâ—â—â—ng wyth the frenchkinge besyd Calâ—s he vtterly betrayed the Emperour â–ª yet for no loue that he had to Fraunce but to helpe the Pope yea aÌ„d to haue bene Pope happely and to saue theyr kyngdome Whych treason though all the world smelled it yet it brake not out openlie to the eye tyll the sege of Pauye And the Cardynall sent the emperoure muche monye openlye and gaue the Frenchkyng more secretelye He played with both handes to serue their secret â–ª that all meÌ„ know not as the bisshop of Deram sayed But what soeuer the frenchmen did they had euer the worse noâ— withstondyng the secrete workyng of our holy prelates on their syde Fynallye vnto the sege of Pauye came the Frenchkyng parsonallye with .lx. thousand men of warre Pauye of whych .xij thousand were horsemen and wyth money ynough And the Emperours host was vnder .xx. thousand of whych were but .iij. thousand horsemen with no money at all For he trusted vnto the Pope for ayde of men and vnto oure Cardynall for money But the Pope kepte backe hys men tyll that the freÌ„chmeÌ„ had geuen them a felde and our Cardinall kepte backe hys money for the same purpose And thus was the selye Emperoure betrayed as all hys predecessours haue bene this .viiij. huÌ„dred yeres How be it there be that saâ—e how that the Emperours sodiars so thretened Pace Paceâ— the kynges graces embassadoure that he was fayne to make cheâ—esaunce wyth marchauntes for money in the kinges name to paye the soldyars with all Wherfore the cardinall toke from hym all his promocions and played tormeÌ„tours wyth him wheÌ„ he came home because that he presumed to do one Iore more theÌ„ was in his commissioÌ„ But how so euer it was the emperours meÌ„ in tarieng for helpe had spent out all their vitayles WhervpoÌ„ Burbon the chefe captayne of the Emperoure sayd vnto his vnder captaynes ye se Burboâ— helpe cometh not and that our vitales are spent Wherfore there is no remedy but to fight though we be vnequally matched If we wynne we shall fynd meate ynough if we loose we shall loose no more thâ—n we must lose with huÌ„gre thogh we fyght not And so they coÌ„cluded to set vpoÌ„ the FrenchmeÌ„ by night The king of fraunce and his lordeâ— purposing that the mone wolde soner haue faullen out of the skye then that the Emperoures host durst haue fought wyth them were som what negligent and weÌ„t the same night a mummynge that Burbon sett vppon them The Emperours host therfore with their sodayn comyng vppon theÌ„ amased the frenchmen and draue them vpon heapes to gether one on an other so that they neuer coulde com in aray agayne and toke the king and diuerse of his lords slew many and wanne the felde And there came out all the Cardinals preuye treason for in the frenchkinges tent say men were letters founde and besyde that in the Frenchkyngs treasure and in all the host among the sodiars were englysh shippes found innumerable whiche had come saylynge a thousande myles by land But what wonder shippes be made to sayle ouer the sea aÌ„d winges to fle into farre contrees to mount to the toppe of hye hylles When the frenchkyng was taken we sang Te deum But for all that singynge we made peace with frenchmen And the Pope Te deum the Uenecians Fraunce and England were knyt to gether lest the Emperours army shuld do any hurte in fraunce Wherby ye may coÌ„iecture of what mind the pope the cardinal were to ward the eÌ„perour â–ª and with what hart our spiritualty with theyr inuisible secretes sang Te deuÌ„ And froÌ„ the time hitherto the emperour aÌ„d our cardinall haue bene twayne After that when the king of fraunâ—â— was delyuered home agayne and hys sonnes left in pledge many wayes were sought to bryng home the sonnes also But in vayne except the frenchking wold make good the which he had promysed the Emperour For the bringing home of those Chylderne no Man more busyed his wittes then the Cardinall He wold in any wyse the emperour shuld haue seÌ„t theÌ„ home it had bene but for our kynges pleasure for the greate kindenesse that he shewed him iÌ„ times past He wold haue maryed the kinges doughter our princesse vnto the Dolphine agayne or as the voyce went among many vnto the seconde Brother and he shulde haue bene prince in Englonde and king in tyme to come so that he sought alwayes to plucke vs from the Emperour and to ioyne vs vnto Fraunce to make fraunce stronge ynough to matche the Emperour and to kepe him downe that the pope myght reygne a GOD alone the marte shuld haue bene at Caâ—â—â—ce and do what pleased him without countrollynge of anye ouerseer And for the same purpose he lefte nothing vnprouided to brynge the marte froÌ„ Andwerpâ— to Cales This be sufficient at this tyme though I coulde saye more and though other haue deserued that I more sayd ye and I could more depely haue eÌ„tred into the practise of our cardinall but I spare for diuerse consyderacions and namely for hys sake whiche neuer spared me nor any faythfull frende of his owne nor anye that tolde hym truth nor spareth to persecute the bloud of Christ in as cleare lyght as euer was aÌ„d vnder as subtyll colour of ypocrysy as euer was any persecution syns the creation of the world Neyther haue I sayde for hate of any parson or parsons God I take to record but of theyr wickednesse only and to calle them to repentaunce knowledginge that I am a synner also that a greuous How beit it is a deuelysh thyng and a mercylesse to defend wickednes against the open truth and not to haue power to repent And therfore I doubt not if men wyll not be warned hereby but that God wyll vtter more practise by whome he wyll not cease vntyll he haue broken the bande of the wytye hypocrytes which persecute so subtylly And fynally let them remembre that I to preuent all occasyons and all carnall beastes that seke fleshly lybertie sent forth the true obedience of a ChrysteÌ„ man with yet they condempned but after they had condeÌ„pned the newe testament as ryght was whence the obedieÌ„ce had hys aucthorytie Now theÌ„ if wheÌ„ the lyght is come abroad in which theyr wyckednesse can not be hyd they fynde no such obedience in the people vnto theyr old tyranny whose faute is it This is a sure conclusyon none obedience that is not of loue can longe endure and in your dedes can no man see any cause of loue and the knoledge of Chryst for whose sake onely a maÌ„ wold loue you though ye were neuer so euell yea persecute Now then if any disobedience ryse are ye not the cause therof youre selues Saye not but that ye be warned