preached and taught the hipocriticall life of moÌ„kes Also in his time Anno. 542. there was a terrible earthquake ouer all the world as Vspergensis sayth 28. Pelagius PElagius a Romaine aspired to the pontificall dignitie in that time when the tyrant Totila called Gods scourge to the great comfort of the Goathes being their king inuaded Italy as Procopius wryteth This Pelagius to please Totila and his companie made a publique decree that it was nedeful to haue the authoritie of the prince and consent of the people in creation of byshops He in the middest of troubles of that time hauing more regarde to aduaunce the Popedome then Christianitie decreed that the Clergie should momble euery daye seuentimes the canonicall howers Abbots should be chosen by order one magistrate should be sufficient to punishe an hereticke that in Lent priestes might say masse at nine of the clocke and that euery Prouince should contayne twelue or tenne cities at the least This man first auouched that the premacie of the churche of Rome was fette from Christe himselfe and not from men nor geneâ—all councels He buried together the bones of the firste Martyr Stephen and S. Laurences carkasse He allowed solemnities in remeÌ„braunce of the dead and for loue of gaynes he mingled them with the masse And because he sometime him selfe was accused in a libell that he had geuen occasion why Vigilius his predecessour was troubled and depriued therfore he prouided that such libelles should not be harde But it is reported that he purged him selfe from the infamy of that libell by takinge an oathe and kissing the crosse He liued in the extreame tyme when Rome was besieged died a confessour Anno. 566. About the yeare of our Lorde 557. Totila king of Gothes besieged Rome whiche being miserably oppressed with extreame famine was compelled to yelde it self to the slauery of the saluage people vnder whiche it continued tenne yeares In the time of this Pope a Pestilence raigned ouer all Italy beginning in Liguria so contagiously that the contreye was almoste destroyed of the inhabitours thereby Vrspergensis 29. Iohn the third IOhn the thirde a Romaine was an especiall friende to Narsetes the Eunuche gouernour of Italy when the Gothes were ouercome for he recouered his fauour towarde Rome when it was in displeasure and obtayned that hee was made consull for then the bishop had almoste all the swaâ—e in Rome This man decreed contrary to his predecessour that none ought to be called chiefe prieste or vniuersall bishop Distinctione 99. Nullus Furthermore taking away from the bishops chauncelours the laying on of handes graunted it only to bishops as Isidorus writeth Afterwarde turning his minde and taking delight in building he finished Philip and Iacobs churche whiche Vigilius had begonne and restored the Sainctes tombes in the citie Finally being a very olde maÌ„ taking great thought vpon occasion of straunge tempestes he died at Rome Anno 577. In his time the Armenians became Christians 30. Benedict the first BEnedict the first a Romain was bishop when the Lombarde spoyled Italy And wâ—s a good bishop because he did nothing worthy memorie as Barnus and Functius write of him But yet whiche is to be noted for the worthinesse of the dede he forbad that meÌ„ should treade on crosses made of marble stone or woode And when there was great dearth in Rome he or at the least wise Tiberius Augustuâ— in his steade brought corne out of Egypt to succour them withall He died for sorowe to se so many miseries in the citie Anno. 582. 31. Pelagius the second PElagius the seconde while the citie was besieged without the Princes coÌ„maundement coÌ„trary to the custome was made bishop Therefore to pacifie the Emperoure he sent one Gregory a monke to Constantinople afterwarde he made the cloyster of Hermes a martyr and builded vp S. Laurence pallaice from the foundacion He renewed the Canon for saying the howers and commaunded Subdeacons either to forsake their wiues or els their ecclesiasticall functions and appointed nyne prefaces to be song in the masse before the Canon Pestis inguinaria arising of great tempestes and the contagiousnes of the aire tooke awaye this bishop among many other This pestilence was cause of many supersticions for then they firste began to thinke that Gods wrath was to be pleased and the Letany of seuen partes was made by Gregorie The occasion hereof saith Vspergensis was that a great part of Italy was drowned with great flouddes 32. Gregorie the great GRegorie the great a Romaine was made byshop being before but a Monke and a Deacon He was the best maÌ„ of all these Romaine Patriarkes for learning and good life He succeded Pelagius vnwillingly refusing it and in the ende coÌ„pelled thereunto he though otherwyse he was learned and Godly yet because he was a Monke burthened the churche and religion of God aboue all other with more ceremonies then had the Iewes He turned his parentes houses into Monasteries and dedicated the firste of them to S Andrewe the Apostle He made Scholes of quiresters and made certaine songes for the church according to Ambrose maner which we call Anthemes He appointed one to be chaunter for the daye another for the night He gathered together the lawes of the holy fathers He did deuise the order of masses linked the Cannons therof together he caused the masses to be begonne with peces of Psalmes He commaunded to saye Kyriaeleison nine tymes and to chaunt Alleluia after the Graduall hee ioyned the same Alleluia for Easter tyme to the Offertories Hee added three peticions to the Cannons of the masse That is Dies nostros in tua pace c. He coÌ„maunded that the Lordes prayer should be either song or sayde with a loude voyce ouer the communion bread He commauned that masse shoulde be saide ouer the dead carkases of sainctes And added to the Canonicall howers Deus in adiutorium with Gloria patri He deuised Letanies and processions deuided theÌ„ into these seuen orders Clarkes Monkes Nonnes Boyes Laymen Widowes and maried wyues He suffered the Image of the blessed virgin Mary to be caried about withall But not to be worshipped Furthermore this Gregorie as they shamefully imagine compelled an Angeli to put vp his terrible swerde into his sheathe By his indulgences he established certaine stacioâ—s and pilgrimages vnto Images in the citie according to the peoples deuocion He solemnized the feast of the Purification of our Lady with wex candels whereof it is called Candelmas daye and appointed the solemnitie of Palme Sondaye to be kept with processions He added iiii dayes to Lent faste and hallowed the beginning thereof with Ashwednisdaye He forbad those that should faste to eate fleshe milke butter chese or egges because they seme to beare a taste of fleshe and suffered them only to eate fishe excepting also the greater sorte of fishes whereof Mantuan sayth Fastor 2. Yet was it not against the lawe to fede on fishes small For Gregorie forbad the great but time
Earles and noble men with their dominions and great Cityes through the whole countrey of Germanye beside the great commōwealthes of Heluetia Rhetia Vallis Tellina with many hūdred Thousands more of al estates in Flaūders Italye Spayne Fraūce and in the kingdome of Polonia Thus especiallye from the yeare of our Sauiours incarnation 1503. vnder Pope Iulye the seconde the credite of the Romaine Sea began to cracke and dailye ryueth more and more and shall by Gods grace so continue till it be cleane rente in peeces and torne awaye Whereof God hath giuen certaine signes tokens plainlye prognosticatinge the greate fall of this proude Babilon which with these reuoltinge of regions from him being compared may comfort those that reioyce in the aduauncing of the Gospell and in the ruine of Antichriste although it is not to be wished that any mā should ground any doctrine or point of religion barely vpon these prognostications The obseruations that the Papacye shall melt awaye decresing more and more till the daye of Iudgement are these First the forenamed Prophecye of S. Paule in the 2. Chapter of the seconde Epistle to the Thessalonians that Antichriste must be reuealed before Christe come with diuers other Prophecyes of the holye Scripture in the Reuelation and other places Other proofes hereof maye be those straunge thinges that haue come to passe of latter times in the Church of Rome as the Pope Iohn the 24. was wonderfullye vexed by an owle in open consistorye as is before in his life declared againe that going to Constance he fell oute of his chariot by the waye Afterwarde he was in the same councell of Constance reprochfullye deposed and it was there declared that a councell ought to be aboue the Pope and the Pope to be subiect to the controlment of the coūcel which thing gaue a great pushe to the ouerthrow of his supremacye surelye from his time and the time of Paule the second the Popes maiestye began to shrincke more more Againe in the time of Alexander the sixt by a tempest of thonder lightninge the Augell set on the toppe of Angell castell in Rome the Popes chiefe place was beaten downe into the riuer Tiber. Furthermore it appeareth that it was not so much the fonde furye of Iulye the second as fatall prouidence the Pope Iulye the second when he could not preuaile by Papal auctoritie did hurle away into Tiber S. Peters keyes as they tearme them the counterfaite euidence of his supremacye for as he cast the keyes away so other reiected his supremacie euer since Furthermore in the time of Pope Leo it came to passe that he created in one day 31. Cardinals and the same daye while Leo and his Cardinals were in S. Peters Church there fell such mightye stormes of windes thōder lightnings vpon the Church that it shooke downe a little idoll made for the picture of Christe in the lappe of the virgin Marye Also it stroke the keyes oute of the hande of S. Peters Image in the same Church These and manye other such matters as haue come to passe are to be so construed as they may best serue to the glorye of God and signification of his will which is that Antichriste shall be destroyed with the breath of his mouth that is the power of his holye word and not by the might and arme of man Ioyning therefore the successe that Christe hath giuen to his Gospel with the shaking of Antichriste his kingdome foreshewed by the spirit of God it shall not be amisse to take these signes as witnesses that God sheweth hereby that he is mindefull of his promise made to his elect that the dayes are at hand when Babilō must fall and our Sauiour Iesus Christe come againe in glorye to the subuerting of him The Lorde hasten it for his mercy sake and make vs readye to receiue it with ioye Amen Amen 162. Iulius the second IVlius the secōd was a Genewaie borne who as Erasmus wryting vpon the prouerbe A remo ad Tribunal sayth was in his youth a whirrye slaue and yet at length preased vp to the Papacye And yet sayth he not contenting himselfe with that estate as he founde it did enlarge his dominion and would haue made it larger but that death preuented his purpose Vicelius sayth that he was rather giuen to warres then to serue Christ. Iohn Functius in his Cōmentaryes wryteth thus of him Pope Iulius being borne of a base stocke rysing by degrees throughe good lucke and craftye witte attayned to the hyest He being a fellowe of a subtill and compassinge heade and most giuen of nature to play the warriour did like Nimrod enlarge his porcion by the dint of the sworde so that by his procuremente within seuen yeares were slaine and destroyed to the nomber of two hundred thousand Christians He besieged Rauenna cruellye and in the ende preuayling made it subiecte to his Empire And with the like violence he wrested Seruia Imola Fauentia Foroliuium Bononia and other Cityes from the Princes with great bloudshed Sleidā sayth that whē this Iulius was Pope he toke an oath that he would haue a councell within two yeares But when he troubled and disquieted all Italye with warres beinge enemye one while to the Venetiās another while to the king of Fraūce nowe to the Duke of Ferraria now to the Bononians certaine Cardinals ix in nomber steppinge a syde and assembling at Millen do summon a coūcell to be held at Pisana The chiefe of these were Bernardin Cruceius VVilliam of Praenoste Fraūcis Cossetinus w t whom were the proctours of the Emperour Maximilian and of Lewis the xii king of Fraunce about the same purpose This councell was called the yeare 1511. the xix day of Maye to beginne in September next following The cause hereof is sayde to be because the Pope had broken his oath and for sworne himselfe for notwtstāding he had raigned so many yeares yet contrarye to his oath they could get no hope of hauing a coūcell And furthermore for that they had heynous crimes to charge him w t all they purposed to depriue him of his dignitye which he had gottē by bribery But Iulius chargeth all men vpon paine of great punishmēt that no man should obey them summoned another coūcel to be held the yeare following in Aprill in Lateran at Rome whereunto xxi Cardinals subscribed For this from time to time hath bin the practise of the Pope when any councel hath bin assembled against his doings then to assemble another Synode against the other in some place meete for his purpose There was at this time a famous Lawyer at Papia called Philippus Decius who published a booke defendinge the doinge of the Cardinals against the Pope Diuers other wrote against him some in prose some in verse as Hulricus Huttenus in certaine Epigrams to this effect in Englishe translated verse for verse This Iulie vvho by long discent did sit in Peters seate Through nevv cōceite
yeare after our redemptiō Peter went not to Rome but cōtinued about Hierusalē sauing once that hee went to Samaria for a season till the conuersion of Paule as appeareth by all the discours of the Actes of the Apostles till ye come to the ninth chapter thereof whiche because it is easie there to finde tedious to be set downe at large and nothing doubted of I leaue it to the diligence of the reader who shall plainely perceaue that Peter was still in Iudea to the conuersion of Paule which was in the seconde yeare after the death of Christe the yeare of thincarnatiō 35. for Niceph. saith that he preached 35. yeares lib. 2. cap. 34. and he died in the last yeare of Nero being the 70. yeare of thincarnacion from whiche take 35. and the remayne is as muche so that in the 35. yeare of Christe Paule was conuerted ¶ Peter not at Rome from the yeare of the incarnation 35. to the yeare 38. ANno Domini 37. Pilate as Eusebius lib. 2. cap. 2. and Vspergensis testifie wrote his letter to Tiberius concerning Christe his doctrine diuine miracles death resurrection whereupon the Emperour commaunded that Christe should be placed among the Gods of Rome If Peter nowe had bene bishop at Rome or a yeare before this had not bene so straunge newes to the Emperour Neither had Pilates letter preuayled so muche with the Emperour touching Christ as the doctrine and miracles whiche Peter would for confirming of the faithe haue done in the name of Iesus The yeare folowing being the 38. was the thirde yeare from the conuersion of Paule in whiche yeare Paule returned to Hierusalē founde Peter there as is testified in the first to the Galathians which comming of Paule is specefied in the ninth of the Actes ¶ From the yeare 38. to the yeare 46. AFter Paule had bene a whyle in Hierusalem he was sent awaye to Tarsus And at that time S. Luke sayth that the churche had peace throughout all Iudea Galilye and Samaria And that Peter did walke ouer all those coūtreies where they proceaded in the feare of God the beleuing multiplied Howe many yeares Peter spent in these countreies it is not euident but immediatly from thence he did ascende to Lydda and ther healed Aeneas who had bene lame eight yeares the fame of whiche miracle drew thether all the inhabitours of Lydda and Sarona who by Peters preaching were all conuerted to the lorde These thinges do argue that Peter made some abode in Lydda also Immediatly from thence he went to Ioppa where he reuiued Tabitha and taried at Ioppa with Simon the Tanner a long season From thence he went forthwith to Cornelius the Centurion at Cesarea where he preached and baptized those that were conuerted and there also he was entreated to tary for a time From thence he came to Hierusalem where he continued till he being imprisoned by Herode was deliuered by Gods Angell and being set at libertie shewed him selfe secretly to the congregacion at the house of Mary and then conueyed hym selfe awaye And thys was done as appeareth by Luke the same yeare that Herode or Agrippa hauing raigned 7. yeares died afterwarde at Cesarea stricken by Gods Angell who being as Iosephus saith released out of pryson and made king there by Caligula raigned in all seuen yeares Caligula would haue restored this Agrippa to his libertie as sone as he him self came to the Empier euen the same daye that the solemnitie was kept for the buriall of his predecessour Tiberius But saith Iosephus Antonia the wyfe of Caligula gaue him counsell that he should noe do so but pause a while longer not because she was loth that Agrippa should be at libertie but because the Emperour by deliuering of him so spedely should be thought that he did it in despite of Tiberius who had committed him to pryson and therefore it was deferred for a season at length he was deliuered then the next yeare Agrippa craued leaue of Caligula to go into Iudaea to his kingdom whiche was graunted him So that by this computation it may easely appeare that whereas Agrippa as Ioseph sayth died in the seuenth yeare of his raigne this seuenth yeare doth arise to the fourth yeare of Claudius who did next succede Caligula Thus it is apparent that Herode or Agrippa as Ioseph calleth him died in the 46. yeare of the incarnation and that the same yeare Peter was prisoner at Hierusalem as is saide before and not byshop at Rome Another reason to proue that it should be this yere may be this S. Luke in the xii chapter of the Actes saith that this Herode had conceiued displeasure against the Tirians and Sidonians whiche was the cause that after the same Easter that Peter was imprisoned he went downe from Hierusalem to Caesarea whether the Tirians and Sidonians came vnto him and by the intercession of Blastus the kinges chamberlaine they sued for peace at his hande because saith Luke in the 20. verse of the 12. chapter of the Actes their contrey was nourished by the kinges contrey signifiyng that the prouision of king Agrippa ayded their necessitie in the time of the famine being then This dearth famin is that wherof Agabus the prophet did prophecy at Antioch which saith Luke Actes the xi came to passe in the raigne of Claudius and as other authours haue noted it was in the fourth yere of Claudius so saith Vsper gensis Thus we se that yet to this fourth yere of Claudius by whiche time at the vttermost Peter should not only be at Rome but begin his regiment ouer the churche he is yet at Hierusalem which is 1600. miles from Rome But because that Luke saith after that he was deliuered by the Angell out of pryson and after that he had signified his deliuery to Mary he conuayed him selfe away from thence I will procede to examine whether he went not now from Hierusalem to Rome and therfore go to the twoo yeares that ensued next ¶ Anno 48 and 49. ANno domini 49. Peter was at Hierusalem for this yeare the counsell was held at Hierusalem mencioned in the xv of the Actes At whiche synode Peter was present and made an oration as is shewed in the vii verse of the said chapter But nowe it remaineth to be proued that this Synode was at this tyme for proofe hereof Saint Paule speaking of his comming to this counsell in the seconde chapiter to the Galathians saythe Then after 14. yeares I came agayne vp to Hierusalem and Barnabas with me c. by the reste that foloweth it is euident that Paule signified his comming to this counsell and not any other time of his repairing to Hierusalem and so also doth S. Hierome vnderstande it which being xiiii yeares after the conuersion of Paule falleth out to be in the yeare of our Lord 49. the seuenth yere of the raigne of Claudius as may appeare by the former table And yet is Peter
the ennemy of Christe whiche neuerthelesse should speake like a Dragon like an euill spirite and should rage as vnmercifully as the firste beast did whiche destroyed Peter and Paule and great companies of fainctes whiche with her charmes should so bewitche the worlde and with monstrous workes should growe into suche admiration that none might by or sell but such as had the seale or the name of the beaste in his forehead But as touching the name of the beaste he shewes it mistically by these letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ch X St reciteth it to be discussed This saith Iohn is wysedome let him that hath vnderstanding accompt the number of the beast for it is the number of a man and his nuÌ„ber is this 666. Apocal. 13. What meane thefe markes but that wee should searche the time wherein this beaste should arise from the earth and the bottomlesse pitte and should destroye the Christian common wealth But howe shall a man apply it if he haue not the certaine time when Pompeie toke the scepter from the Iewes according to the notable prophecie of Iacob entring the temple prophaned the Sanctum sanctorum But that was done as Iosephus wryteth in the time of Tullius consulship the 60. yeare before Christe was borne To these three score yeares adde six hundred vntill after the death of the sayd Gregorie the great who prophecied that he should be Antechriste whiche would be compted vniuersall bishop or head of all churches Therefore marke well what kinde of times happened in the 666. yeare after Hierusalem was taken by the Romaines Pompeie being their general and you shall se straunge matters fal out at the time that this Phocas was Emperour of whome VVilliam Stantphurdius wryteth as foloweth The Empier Phocas chokes and doth the Popedome first aduaunce By wicked writts about his Empier sent for to enhaunce And to confirme moste sure foray vnto the after age The premacy of Rome and of the dragon that doth rage Against Gods power Furthermore applie this misticall number of 666. containing highe wisedom in iâ— froÌ„ the time of Christes birth or from the tyme of his passion or from the xv yere of Domician at whiche time the reuelation was written and stil ye shal finde some moÌ„sterous thing wrought in the church But to returne to the matter of Englande In the yeare of Christe 593. Colman Harding and Fabian saye that the raigne of the seuen kinges at one time began whereby 173â— yeares after Brutus their first king the royall estate of the Brytishe king ceased For as Paulus Diaconus writeth in his fourth booke the Britaines founde tâ—at the Saxons were in steade of succourers suppressours and cruell ennemies vntrusty warring rigorously vpon them who had entertained them for ayde Anno 596. the foresaid Augustine sent from Gregorie came into Englande who at his comming did not reproue but maintaine and vpholde the wicked treasons the horrible robberies the slaughters more cruell then were Neroes whiche the Saxons coÌ„mitted Anno â–ª 600. Gregorie gaue to Augustine his byshops pall Thereby as was sayde London was spoyled of her right without all order to the destruction bothe of the commonwealth and of religion and finally the vndoing of the Brytishe kingdome and thereupon are sumptuous teÌ„ples builded Before that time the Britains had their churches dedicated to eternall God the father and to our sauiour his sonne Iesus Christe But afterwarde the SaxoÌ„s did coÌ„secrate their temples to Images and dead sainctes â–ª Anno. 604. the ChristiaÌ„ Emperour Maurice being slaine Phocas an adulterer and a murtherer obtayned the seate imperiall and in him the maiestie of the Caesars and the moste noble Empire of the Grekes decayed together As for the Romaine Empire that was weakened and empaired yea and at length brought to nothing by meanes of the Popedome whiche he had graunted and established Anno 606. in Nouember and December as Paulus Diaconus writeth in his 18. booke euen at the rising and beginning of the Popedome there appeared a wonderfull great blasing starre There were straunge sightes and monsters of the Sea shewed them selues to the terrour of many Thus in the time of this Phocas murderer of the Emperour whiche is to be noted as a misterie concerning the Popes Papistrie and Mahumets religion began bothe together at one time which corrupted darkened and weakened the doctrine of the sonne of God in many regions For in another yeare of the same Phocas as Bibliander writeth Mahumet recited the Alcoran so that saieth hee the Egles three heades awaked all at ones according to the heauenly vision in the fourth booke of Esdras that is to saye Phocas him selfe Pope Boniface Mahumet the Arabian now followeth the thirde troupe of Romishe Popes whiche is deuided into fiue partes The firste parte of this thirde troupes of the Popes or Romaine Antechristes prophecied of by the names of Sodome or Egypt Apocal. 11. vntill the time of Pope Iohn the eight 1. Boniface the thirde ABout this time the bishoppers of Constantinople endeuoured to obstaine the title of vniuersall bishop and to haue their Church called the head of all Churches vsing these fonde reasons that because the Emperour beinge chiefe of all Princes kepte at Constantinople therefore that shoulde be the chiefest Church and there the chiefe bishop This ambitioÌ„ enflamed many to speake and wryte against it but especiallye the late Gregorye who in this wyse reproued Iohn bishop of Constantinople for the same Sayinge None of my predecessors although the Emperours began first in Rome and were wont to byde there onelye and yet do keepe the title thereof durste take vppon them this title of vniuersall bishop And againe Gregorye sayd plainlye that such a one was the forerunner of Antichrist Yet notwithstanding that the Church of Constantinople with great infamye preuailed not herein because that Antichrist or the whore of Babilon according to the 13. of the Reuelation should be in the Citty builded on seuen hilles that is Rome it selfe For so diuers auctors testifye that onelye Rome is knowen to be builded on vii hils and certaine it is that when this Reuelation was written Rome was then the greatest Cittye being built on seuen hils as Mantuan testifyeth in the life of Syluester speaking of S. Blaze at the ende of the first booke And the fulnesse of that time prophecied of now drawing nighe this Boniface the thirde Anno 607. by the meanes of Phocas the Emperour an adulterer traytour and murtherer of his Lorde and soueraine Maurice the Emperour with his wife and children was aduaunced to be bishop of Rome with much hurley burley and greate tumulte and in despite of manye bishops and Churches standinge against it he is extolled confirmed and worshipped as Lorde and Prince of all bishoppes By great sute but greater bribery he obtayned of the sayde bloudye Emperour that Rome should be called the head of all Churches partlye by the same reasons that Constantinople vsed as Platina sayth that where the heade
honoured much the body of one Petronilla the daughter of S. Peter and toke her karkasse out of the grounde remouinge it to another place and enlarged and repayred diuers Churches adding manye ceremonies to them At length he dyed through the extremity of the heate of sommer Anno 767. In his time as Peter Premonstratensis sayth starres fell from heauen to the earth accordinge to the 6. of the Apocalips And immediatly after this Charles the great begaÌ„ to raigne who builded 24. monasteries 29. Constantine the second COnstantine the seconde being but a layman by strong hand was made Pope though manye other stoode for it through the doinges of his brother Desiderius kinge of Lomberdye and through Totho duke of Nepesia but this hastines at leÌ„gth is brought to none effect because CoÌ„stantine had not taken Ecclesiastical orders Herevppon arose great discord amoÌ„g the clergye in which tumult one Philip was chosen but because he wanted artilary power to mayntaine his parte hee was forced to depose himselfe againe Constantine obtayned the Popedome a yeare and that pontificallye but in the ende a councell beinge gathered of Italian and Frenche bishops in their great rage furye they put him out and with great reproch clapte him in an abbey as in a perpetuall prisoÌ„ hauing both the Popedome taken from him and his eyes put out Anno. 708. Some do not count him among the Popes because he was a laye man and disalowe all his doing sauinge Baptisme and Chrisme But the next yeare after his brother Desiderius comminge to Rome vnder pretence of prayinge got those that put his brothers eyes and rewarded them with the like punishment 30. Steuen the thirde STeuen the thirde is commended to be a stout maintayner of Romishe traditions and auctoritye for in a Synode in Lateran hee did disanull all that his predecessour Constantine had done The bishops by him created were disgraded if they had no absolution hee commaunded that vppon paine of excommunication no laye man should presume to be Pope wythoute ecclesiasticall orders Hee condemned the seuenth councell of Constantinople as hereticall And did againe establishe setting vppe of Images which by that counsell was condemned He taughte that images shoulde be worshipped and encreased the worshipping of them and commaunded that they should be hallowed wyth Frankinsence Hee broughte to his subiection Mediolan Church which euer before had beene free Hee sued to Charles the Emperour obtayned to depose Desiderius of his kingdome Hee appointed those that brake theyr Canons to sing Gloria in excelsis on SoÌ„dayes and that in the solemnitye of the masses it should be song on S. Peters altar by seuen bishops being Cardinals He went one time to counterfaict Christ in his doings barefooted in procession He dyed Anno 772. 31. Hadrian the first HAdrian the first was a meete champion to maintaine the dignitye which his predecessours had encroched Hee bestowed cost on altars dead mâ—ns tombes dead mens bones and Churches Hee attributed more worship to images then euer any did and wrote a booke of the honour and profite of them and pointed them in steede of Scriptures to be layemens bookes He condemned in a couÌ„saile those that detested images as one Foelix other By the ayde of Charles the Emperour he delyuered the Sea of Rome from the perill of all other Princes He was the first that with his leaden Bull did honour theyr decrees dispensations and priuiledges Hee forbad that anye infamous parson should be promoted to priesthoode that the clergye should not be sued oute of theyr owne court Charlemaine kinge of Fraunce and brother to Charles the Emperour being deade his wyfe Bertha came wyth her two sonnes vnto this Hadrian suinge to him that he would annoint and establish these her sonnes in theyr fathers kingdome But this holye sier least he should offende theyr vncle themperour cast of the orphanes despised theyr sute refused to do it finally committed to perpetual slauerye both the children and theyr mother w t Desiderius king of Lombardye his wyfe his children and his kingdom whoÌ„ Charles caryed into Fraunce wyth hym where they liued long in care and miserye vntil they dyed And thus Gods vicar vseth orphanes wydowes and poore Princes To cloake all this hee fedde in the porche of Lateran pallaice a hundreth poore folke euerye daye But Charles in recompence hereof after he had kissed the Popes feete coÌ„firmeth to the Pope his fathers gift that is the townes pertayniÌ„g to the DominioÌ„ of Rauenna and like an vniust pyrate he added to the Popes possessions Venice Histria the dukedome of Fotriiulenia the dukedome of Spolet BeneueÌ„t and other lands Also he made Hadrian PriÌ„ce of Rome of Italy ratifyed the Popes Empyre by spoyling the kingdom of Lombardy and ioyning so in league w t the Pope that who so delt wyth the one shoulde be ennemye to both Agayne Adrian caused Charles and his successors the kings of FrauÌ„ce to haue the title of most Christian king and like a subtill fox hee gaue him power to chuse the Pope and to make bishoppes through all his dominions but that lasted not long and so vsed him that in deede he had but the bare name of the Romaine Emperour This Hadrian cloathed the bodye of S. Peter all in siluer and couered the Altar of S. Paule with a pall of gould He dyed Anno 796. 32. Leo the thirde LEo the thirde as sone as he cought the Popedome by by sent S. Peters keyes and the banner of Rome with other giftes to Charles the Emperour desyringe him to binde the Romaines by an oath to become subiecte to the bishop of Rome Charles to pleasure him sent one Agilbert an Abbot who compelled the Romaines by his commaundement to sweare allegeaunce vnto the Pope Hereupon the Pope purchased such deadly hate among the people that as he was ones going on procession certaine furious parsones fell vpoÌ„ him and beate him from his horse and stripping him starke naked out of his poÌ„tificall roabes whipped him very sore But at length when Charles came they knowyng his good will towarde the Pope turned their former hatred into loue and fauour and durst not auouche the faultes layde against him Therefore when he asked of his conuersation they aunswered with one voyce that the sea Apostolicall ought to be iudged by no layman After the whiche aunswere the Pope affirming and swearing him selfe to be giltlesse the Emperoure being pacified doth absolue him and pronounced him innocent For with curtesie the Pope desirous to be thankefull with a great voyce proclaimed Charles Emperoure ioyned him with himself set the Diademe on his head that Romaines in the meane time cried God grauÌ„t life successe to Charles our mighty Emperoure Thus was the name of the Romaine Emperoure restored so as the Popes aucthoritie should not be empaired Hereof the custome continued that he who should receaue the scepter of the Empire shoulde be ioyned in auctoritie in Rome by
misbegotten sonne murthered the louer of the olde harlot her mother Theodora by the helpe of her husbandes seruauntes But because the people of Rome and the Clergie had not agreed vpon the election of this subordined Iohn the xii the selfe same yeare of his election he was deposed againe And thus the same Iohn of whome being set vp by force by and by thrust downe againe Carsulan Platina Stella and others do make mencion because they knew not the true story of him whiche Luthprandus wrote the ignoraunce whereof bredde muche coÌ„fusion for some toke these twoo Iohns to be both one and some the one for the other 61. Leo the sixt LEo the sixt after that Iohn the xii bastarde of Marozia the harlot and Sergius the Pope was deposed obtained to be Pope by the election of the Romaine people and clergye being in great tumult This Pope did nothinge commendable but the establishing of peace in Italye after he had raigned vii monethes he was poysoned by Marozia wherby she might establishe her sonne againe Anno 930. 62. Steuen the seuenth STeuen the seuenth did as Leo had done he medled with nothing for after he had liued Pope ii yeares in peace securitye and liberty of the fleshe at his owne ease hauing the blinde worlde readye to bende at his becke he toke his death in a cup wherewith as they saye he was poysoned For sayth Crantzius it is a straunge thinge that so manye Popes at this time dyed so soone in their dignityes which is a great presumption that they were poysoned as the moste part of them were knowen to be 63. Iohn the xii IOhn the xii the bastard impe of Pope Sergius the third and of the famous concubine Marozia was now againe made Pope after much sedition At this time a fountaine in Genua flowed with bloud very plentifully prognosticatinge the wrath of God that immediatlye followed for the Aphricans Sarracens and Hungarians wasted and spoiled all and slue a houge nomber of people There are some wryters as is said before that make ii Iohns of this one the one going before Leo and Steuen who they said neuer enioyed the Popes Albe or Rochet the other this which nowe was set vp after Steuen of whom they saye the historyes write nothing Againe there are other some that make this beinge borne in Rome the other borne at Rauenna all one amonge whom Platina sayth that either of them was sonne to Pope Sergius but Anselmus deceiued by Platina sayth the one was brother to the other but other writers do make him a seuerall parson from the other two saying he was not knowne of the Cronographers because he did nothing worthie of memorye But Luthprandus in his thirde booke and xii Chapter wryteth thus of the mother of Iohn Marozia a shameles concubine and mother to Pope Iohn after the death of her husbaÌ„d Gui doth send messengers to his brother Hugh king of Italy a Burgundian borne to desire him to come to her and to receiue of her the noble cittye of Rome vvhich she sayd vvithal she could not do vnlesse he would take her to be his vvife For whiche her incestious desire Luthprandus wrote thus against her in Uerse VVhye broyling thus vvvith Venus brand Marozia doest thou raue Thunlavvfull loue and vvilt thou of thy husbandes brother haue Dare bucksom dame Herodia tvvo naturall brethren vved Lo Ladye blinde Iohn Baptists lavve is quite out of thy hed VVho did forbid that brother vvith his brothers vvyfe should meâ—l And Moses Lavve doth not allovve thy doing to be vvell VVho did commaunde the brother rayse vnto his brother seede If that the former by his vvyfe had issue none in deede But that thy husbande children hath by the can be declarde T is so saye you but dronken loue doth nothinge it regarde Kinge Hughe euen as an Oxe to death for thy desire is brought Vvhose mind not for to gaine thy loue but rather Rome hath sought VVhat boteth it thou cursed dame this noble man to spoile For seâ—king thus by sinne to gaine a Queenely place a vvhile Iehouah iudge doth make thee leese both Rome and all the toile Uppon the said message the king leauing his armye aloofe came to Rome who being honourably receiued passed forth vnto the stronge hould S. Angels castell and so into the bedde chamber of Marozia After he was established in vncesteous mariage with her he began to coÌ„temne and despise the Romaines at which time Marozia had a sonne named Albericus brother to Pope Iohn but begotten by Marques Albericus While this Albericus at his mothers bidding gaue water to king Hugh washinge his handes the king because he did it not handsomelye gaue him a blâ—w on the face Herevppon Albericus to reuenge this iniurye callinge the Romaines together spake thus vnto them The honour and dignity of Rome is brought to such doultishnes and follye that it is nowe controlled euen by harlots For what is more abhominable what more shamefull then that Rome should be brought to obeysaunce throughe the incest of one woman and that the Burgundians whilom slaues to the Romaines shoulde now be lordes ouer them If he beinge yet especiallye but a new come gest take vppon him to dashe me on the face being his verye sonne in lavve hovve thincke you vvil he deale vvith you in processe of time Knovve ye not the pride of a Burgundian c This being sayde without any delaye the Romaynes all defyed king Hughe chose the same Albericus to be their Prince King Hughe being driuen into this terrible feare was compelled to forsake Rome and leauinge Marozia fled to his owne companye Then Albericus and his mother Marozia did only enioye the Monarche of Rome and his brother the Popedome who spendinge fiue yeares in Popishe practises dyed Anno 937 while the harlotte his mother ruled as well the estate temporall as spirituall in Rome 64. Leo the seuenth LEo the seuenth succedinge Iohn because hee desired to liue quietlye medled wyth no matters but as a slouthfull parson did nothinge worthye remembraunce In his time sayth Luthprandus the said kinge Hugh forsaking his wyfe Berta loued especiallye three concubines Bezola Roze Stephana and because they were such notorious harlots hee gaue them the names of three Goddesses callinge Bezola Venus Roze Iuno and Stephana Semele by Bezola he had a sonne called Bozones whom hee made bishop of Placentia by Stephana he had Theobaldus made Archdeacon of Millain Churche and by Rosa he had another greate prelate of the Churche and a doughter beside In those dayes many sawe bloude rayne oute of the Sunne as Masseus wryteth and after it followed a great pestilence amonge men Leo dyed An. 941. 65. Steuen the eight STeuen the eight a Germaine obtained y Popes chayre after this Leo yet this seemeth straunge to many how it should be doone because no Emperour out of Germany procured it But Steuen being notwithstandinge Pope was so vexed with ciuill seditions among the
Spoke v. Simon Tod one Nicolas VValker ij VVilliam Vause one Robart Dauison vj. Peter Boughe had many and so other had others In the Cathedrall Church at Chichester Iohn Champion Prebendary of VValtam had ij harlots VVilliā Crosse had one vvyfe Thomas Parker ij harlots Richard Busteld one of vvhō he begat a child Barthelmevv Cokisley i. Robart hunt had diuers Tho. Goffe had ij being other mens vvyues Iohn Hill xiij harlots Robart Moore had many Roger Barham many Iohn Bedfild many vvith others amōg that vvhich the forsaid Roger Barham and Iohn Champion vvere gilty of sinne against nature These vvere taken out of the foresaid booke Behold vvhat monsters Popery hath nourished throughout England in abbeyes and colleges Are not these foule birdes most iustlye banished vvith their most filthye Pope the Romishe Idoll In all other places as vvell in congregations as colleges the like thinges are committed and done the vvhich vvere to longe or rather to shameful throughly to declare for they gate vnto them in most places through this Popishe Religion either the French pockes or the Spanishe decease And there vvere in Englande more then xl Abbeyes of diuers kindes of mōkes beside the most vvicked nests of the begging fryers of the vvhich there vvere almost tvvo hundreth Vnto vvhom these verses do aptlye agree It is not sure a misse that monkes should fathers termed bee Sith such swarmes of their bastard brats in euery place they see There is yet a thirde matter vvhich forced mee herevnto and hauing seene and heard these thinges vehemently moued me to vvrite This is the precepte of Christe in the xviij Chapter of the Reuelation of S. Iohn For a voyce came from heauen from the right hand of the father and the euerlasting throne of Christe vvith a great voyce sounded in our eares saying Go from her my people lest ye be made partakers of her vvickednes and ye receiue part of her punishment For her sinnes are gone vp to heauen and God hath remembred her vvickednes And then commaundemēt follovveth vvhich vvas giuen against the beast vvith seuen heades Revvard her euen as she hath revvarded you and giue her double according to her vvorks and poure in double to her in the same cup vvhich she filled vnto you And forasmuch as she glorified her selfe and liued vvantonly so much poure you into her of punishment and sorrovve This is the vvorde of the Lorde declared vnto vs as vvell here as in the fiftye Chap. of Ieremy That this serpent might perish all his doinges brought to nought Yet for al this I do vvel remēber the sayings of S. Paule that al Princes ought to be honoured although they be vvicked and vnprofitable for a common vvealth because they be placed there of God neither to speake euill of them beinge but vvotmes dust and ashes Neither dare I murmur against the prouidence of God vvhich is contrary to his holy vvorde Therefore from the bottome of my hart I beseech our Lorde and Redeemer Iesus Christe that he vvould haue mercye vppon all Kinges Princes and Nations and so prouide that all nations maye be so gouerned as is most tending to his glory For vvhose reueng he hath most stoutly fortifyed mee vp in this my old age Not studying to derogate or take avvaye the honour from anye Christian Kinge but onely to inuey against the Romishe beast the Synagog of Sathan and most vvicked Antichrist vvith the vvritings and testimonye of most learned men If I shal haue said any thing sharper then thou didst loke for most gentle Reader cōsider I pray you the hudge tirāny of this most vvicked Viper of the vvorld vvhose destruction accordinge to Gods promises is at hande Great Babilon shall fall vvhich hath seduced many Nations and shall be destroyed the vvhole vvorlde marueylinge thereat If the vehemencye of my stile shall offende thee beholde the maruelous force of the holye ghoste in the Prophete Dauid and most holy king vvho in the Lordes cause most stoutlye saide I haue hated the congregation of the vvicked Psal. 25. He promiseth also aftervvarde by his Prophetes that he vvoulde destroye the brothell houses and vvicked places Ezechi 16. I vvill shevve fayth the Lord vnto all Nations thy nakednes and to al kingdomes thy shame Nahum 3. Thy dishonour and filthines shall be opened and thy reproche shall be seene I vvill be reuenged and none shall resiste mee Esay ▪ 47. VVoe be vnto those Kinges as manye as haue vvorshipped the beast or haue ayded her or haue receiued helpe of her or haue committed fornication vvith her as many as haue serued her and haue ioyned handes against the Lambe and vvaged battell for her cause because their names are not vvritten in the booke of lyfe from the beginninge of the vvorlde And the Lambe shal ouercome them at the last like a Lorde of Lordes and kinge of kinges and they shall go together vvith the beast to destruction and vtter dampnation Apocalips 17. GOD therefore giue in the hartes of Christians vvhom the x. hornes do shadovve that they maye faithfully execute this his vvill and iudgement that they maye make her desolate and leaue her naked that they maye eate her fleshe and burne her in fire that is let her abide her last punishment for the sheding of the innocent bloud of so manye faithfull Christians Be it done Be it done Amen To the Reader T. R. GENTLEMAN THe worthy wittes of elder yeares haue traueld sea and land To seeke and search the wondrous works of naturs skilful hand And mens delight hath euer bin most vgly things to vewe To looke on creatures out of kinde as monsters olde and newe If therefore thou as other men my friend affected bee And dost desire vgly things and monsters strange to see Then take the payne to seeke and searche within this little booke And here thou shalt vpon so strang a mongrell monster looke As neuer nature bread on earth whose shape is in this wyse As I shall partly portrature the same before thine eyes It is a little beast that hath ten hornes seuen heads crownets seuē Who w t his taile frō clouds to clouds swepes down the stars of heauē Upon whose backe in princely pompe and glistring gold araye And proudly pranckt in precious pearles and clad in purple gaye The stately strompet sittes that is the whore of Babilon And in her hand a golden cuppe of fornication Wherwith the world she poysond hath which dronken with her wine Hath falne downe flat vnto the beast as to a god deuine Which forced kings to leaue their crownes Keiser stoupe for awe Whyle on his royall necke the beast hath sayd his filthy pawe Who hath the mighty monarkes made to holde his stirrope lowe And caused them on humble knees to come to kisse his toe Who forced great estates to stand barefooted in the streate And proudly put the crowne on head of princes with his feete And made the sonne and subiect both against their king
of the Empyre was there shoulde be the heade Church againe the Emperours had their beginninge in Rome againe though some of them kept at Constantinople yet euer they bare the name of Rome as Romaine Emperours finallye Peter deliuered to Rome the keyes of heauen and hell A feeble reason thoughe it had bene true Thus at this time as an adulterer by treason and murther vsurped the Empyre so of the same man this ambitious Boniface obtained by briberye to be vniuersall bishop and consequentlye by the sayinge of his owne predicessour to be the forerunner of Antichrist He decreed in a Synode that vnder the paine of excommunication one Pope beinge deade another should not be chosen before the third day after Also the same penaltye for such as sought to be bishops by fauour or briberye he decreed that a bishoppe should be chosen by the voyces of the clergye and the people together and the election to be good if it were ratifyed and allowed first by the Prince or chiefe parson of the place and last of all confirmed by the Popes auctoritye and wyth these woordes of his Wee will and commaunde From this time forwarde the puritye of the Gospell decreased and superstition increased Likewise y Empâ—re was at this time mightely weakened for FrauÌ„ce Germanye Lombardye and Spaine reuolted and forsoke the Empyre beside Cosdroa kinge of Persia inuaded and wanne away many countreys and Cittyes in the East and among them Hierusalem Boniface hauinge enioyed his auctoritye scante a yeare dyed From this time sayth Vspergensis the Romain Empyre was neuer without great trouble miserye and missehap 2. Boniface the fourth BOniface the fourth borne in Marcia obtained of Phocas the Emperour that a Church in Rome called Pantheon which the heathen had dedicated to all their gods and idols should be translated from the worshipping of Idols to the seruice of Christ and be dedicate to al Saincts and so called all hallowes Churche An vngodly and blasphemous alteratioÌ„ and contrary to S. Paules doctrine that Christians should turne that to Gods seruice which was dedicate to idols He appointed the feast of alhallowes day and that the Pope on that doye should say a long masse he also appointed the corps cloth to be had at masse he gaue moncks leaue to baptize and absolue In this Popes time God punished the wickednes of Phocas who was reft both of Empyre lyfe by his successour Heraclius for hauinge his handes and feete cut of he was throwne into the sea 3. Theodatus THeodatus the first was a Romaine the sonne of one Steuen a subdeacon he deuised a newe founde aliance betwene the Godfather and the goddaughter and betwene the godmother and her godsonne calling it spirituall coÌ„sanguinitye and therefore he commaunded that neyther the godfather nor his godsonne should marrye the goddaughter and so of the godmother likewyse which is one token giuen to know Antichrist by forbiddinge and makinge vnlawful as Tacianus Montanus and other heretikes do honest mariage which God hath made lawfull At this time raigned such a straunge lothsome kinde of leprosye disfiguring men in such sort that one coulde not discerne another by the face Theodatus died Anno 618. in the thirde yeare of his Popedome Here note by the waye that none of the Popes from this time liued longe which wroughte not some notorious acte for the maintenance of the tiranny of the Sea of Rome 4. Boniface the fifte BOniface the fifte was borne in Campania he decreed the holye places shoulde be rescewes and maintenauncâ— for theeues murtherers and leude parsons making the churches churchyards chappels such others to be sanctuaryes for them and that no man should draw them away by violence that fled thether He commaunded that none but deacons shoulde handle the reliques of Saincts furthermore that a will and testament being made by commauÌ„dement of the Prince should stande in force which prerogatiues his successors did afterwarde vsurpe to themselues that no testamente should be good vnlesse it were allowed by them He dyed Anno. 623. 5. Honorius the first HOnorius borne in CaÌ„pania was a good Pope as Vvicelius saith for diligeÌ„ce in building Churches deckiÌ„g them with golde siluer but a negâ—igent pastor for ought that is read of him in feeding Christ his flocke Amonge other temples and monasteries that he founded he honge S. Peters Church w t cloth of Tissew which with the Emperours consente were taken out of Ianus Capitol or Romulus temple hee deuised holye roode daye and added to the Letanye the prayinge vnto dead saintes Sancta maria sancta Gregori c. and commauÌ„ded to go about the streates in procession euery Sabboth day This Honorius died Anno 634. in whose time Mahumet arose the auctor of the Turkishe religion 6. Seuerinus the second SEuerinus or Zepherinus the second was coÌ„firmed Pope in the name of Herachuâ— the Emperour by Isacius his liuetenaunt in Italye This Pope also was very carefull to build vp Churches of dead saints but carelesse of buildinge vp the Gospell wherevppon Isacius brake into the Church treasurye and perforce toke away the great heapes of riches the priestes to their power defending the same for then euen by Gods iust punishment the Sarracens wan from the Romaines Damascus Arabia Phoenicia Egipt and other kingdomes of the world Mahumets power encreased still against them and as for the Emperours souldiers they were driuen to great pouertye and wante of all thinges and the houge heapes of the Churches hourded treasury encreased to no bodies profit For sayth Platina in this dauÌ„ger of Mahumet the priests loked that the laitye should beare the charge of this to withstand the ennemyes of Christendome againe the laitye looked that the clergye for defence of Religion shoulde promise and giue their money for the maintenaunce of the warre and should not waste their wealth prodigallye to worse purposes as for the most part they doe spendinge plentifullye their riches gotten by almose deedes and with the bloud of martyrs vppon statelye and massye plate of siluer and goldeâ— hauinge little care of the world to come defying God and maÌ„ whom they serue only for luker sake Plat. in Boniface the 5. This made Isacius with his souldiours to burst into the Churches treasurye Seuerinus dyed Anno 636. 7. Iohn the fourth IOhn the fourth learning by his predecessours harmes howe to vse ryches better did redeme out of captiuitie with that money whiche Isacius lefte in Lateran his contreimen the Assirians and Dalmacians whome the Lombardes had taken prisoners in battell And yet least the like deede shoulde be attempted against the churche anye more euen sone after in the beginning of his Popedome he decreed that the churche goodes being so purloyned should be recompenced fower times double He wrote to Englande concerning the keping of Easter and against the Pelagian heresy Hee transported from Dalmacia to Rome the dead bodies of two martyrs Vincentius and Anastasius rather to hurt liue Christians with committing
Pope did both excoÌ„municate him put hym from his kingdome threatned him eternall dampnation And thus the Emperours of the East lost their title in Italye Gregory dyed Anno 731. 25 Gregory the third GRegory the third was a stout champion for the Church of Rome and their ambitioÌ„ He did excommunicate his soueraigne the Emperour Leo because he destroyed images He ioyned to him Carolus Metellus the bastard lieuetenaunt of the Frenchmen to maintaine the estate of the bishop of Rome against the Lombardes By helpe of the Lombardes he draue the Grecians out of Italy And afterwarde oppressed the Lombardes them selues by the helpe of Fraunce and absolued all Italy from the oath of their dewe alleageance sworne to the Empire He busied him selfe in taking care and bestowing costes on churches abbyes celles altars Images In a Synode at Rome he maintained that the Images of dead sainctes should be worshipped decreeing excommunication against those that would do the contrary He layde vp in Peters Pallayce the reliques of sainctes and commaunded that on euery daye masse should be said there to them In the Cannons wherof hee addinge certaine clauses clowted it with this pece Quorum solemnitates hodie c. Hee forbad to eate horse fleshe He traÌ„slated the tuicioÌ„ of the churche from the Grekes to the Frenchemen He set the Apostles Images in churches seuerally by them selues He wrote to Boniface an Englisheman that their priestes ought to haue shauen crownes that should pray for the dead at masse and that they ought to praie and to offer sacrifice for the dead After these and like dedes he died Anno 742. 26. Zacharias a Grecian ZAcharias emplied his witte and wealth in pompeous and gorgeous buylding AmoÌ„g other vaine sumptuousnes he was the first that gaue golden coapes decked with pearles and stones to the churche for holy vses He gaue a stipende to the churche towarde the charge of the lampe oyle He deuised the manner and fashion of priestes apparell He deuided the East churche from the West churche He translated out of Latin into Greke Gregories foure bookes of Dialogues to the entent to plante the opinion of Purgatorie among the Grecians which they neuer receiued yet He made it vnlawefull to mary the vnkles wife the vnkle being dead although Gregorie the third allowed it He coÌ„maunded gosseps as we call them in no wyse to marye together He commaunded the Venetians a Godly dede that vpon payne of curse they should not for lucre sel their children of Christians to the Saracenes Taking vpon him the power of God after a sort he presumed very churlishly and cruelly to depose kings from their estate and to make kynges He was the firste that attempted to release subiectes of their alleageance For Pipinus sonne of the bastarde Charles Martell traytour to his Prince by his messengers obtained of Pope Zacharye that he woulde depose king Childericus from the crowne of Fraunce and geue it to him and his heyres The Pope remembring the late dede of Pipinus his father in the Popes behalfe against the Lombardes thinking by this meanes that he should be the better able to encouÌ„ter the Emperoure of the East grauÌ„ted this trayterous request And sent straight charge and highe commission to the estates of Fraunce that they shoulde depose their present king Childericus shaue his head put him into an Abbey and so make him a Monke And after this they should acknowledge Pipin beinge coÌ„firmed and annoynted by the Archebishop Boniface to be their soueraigne and kyng Furthermore he chaunged Lachis king of Lombardy Charolomannus and other from their royall estate and made them Monkes After tenne yeares raigne he died Anno 752. One Steuen a DeacoÌ„ was chosen to succede him who being wakened out of slepe to go about his affaires being taken with the falling sickenesse died presently and therefore is not accompted Pope 27. Steuen the second STeuen the seconde immediatly stept in after this other Steuen who for his superstitious and ambitious dealing in their religion is compted of the Papistes a Godly byshop But note the misterie of his iuggling he hauing thus by craft and guyle obtayned the Popedome he immediatly subdued to the sea of Rome all the dominion of Rauenna which had wrought the Pope so much displeasure and beside many other countreys in Italy thereby to obtaine the kingdome of Italy He craued of Pipin importunatly to reuenge his quarell against Aâ—stulphus kyng of Lombardy for demaunding subsidie of him and his Prelates Pipin to gratifie the Pope in consideration of the kingdome of Fraunce gotten by his meanes after he had longe besieged often assaulted the dominion of Rauenna at the length deliuering it from the garison of Lombardy yelded it as a present to the Pope with al the townes thereof eueÌ„ to the goulph of Uenice And thus they robbed the Emperour of that dominion and withal pulled down the thirde part of the strengthe of the Romaine Empire empairing thereby the East Empire And as for the weste Empire which then was arising it lost his strengthe likewyse But Pope Steuen hereupon annoynting bastarde Pipin and his two sonnes agaynâ— and geuing him a pardon for falsefying his oath of alegeaunce did more ratifie him and his in the kingdom for euer cursing all those that at any time should speake against him Also he shaued Childericus againe and made him newely Monke and so put him afreshe into an Abbey to make all sure Pipin for this fel downe flat on the ground kissed the Popes feete held his stirropes and toke the bridle in his hande and played the osteler anâ— vowed perpetuall fealtie to the Pope The Pope to thanke God for this benefite of so great honour whiche nowe began caused procession to be song through all Rome and the Apostles tombes and other sainctes reliques to be borne about and shewed openly and him selfe to be caried triumphantly through the middes of the people on his porters shoulders in his Pontificalibus Which vse of being borne on mens shoulders his successours haue estemed as a moste holy thing He confirmed by his auctoritie that all Popes tradicions should be taken for good He forgaue all treasons against Princes for the hatred he bare the Grecians he studied to chaunge the Empire froÌ„ them into Fraunce He furnished the churches in Fraunce with pricke song and descant And whatsoeuer henceforth could be wrested from the Empire he coÌ„mauÌ„ded it should be S. Peters see and so dedicated to the churche of Rome he died Anno 757. 28 Paule the first PAule the first was brother to the said Steuen hee after wrangling and iarring betwene him and one Theophilact succeded and followinge the daunce that his auncetours had ledde him threatningly and fearcely he restored the images which CoÌ„stantine Emperour of CoÌ„stantinople had abrogated but Constantine staÌ„ding stoutly in his opinion and defyinge his vaine curses and threates wythstoode images wyth all his power euen to his death This Paule
Romaynes that he coulde do nothinge worthy remembraunce for hee was so shamefullye wounded and foulye mangled and defaced amid the broyles that for shame of his foule disfigurings he durst neuer shewe his face abroade So litle reuerence had the Popes at that time for their litle holinesse Steuen dyed Anno 944. 66. Martin the third MArtin the thirde being Pope gaue himselfe onelye to repayre the Church not in Religion but in building not in reforminge ceremonyes but encreasinge the dignitye and pompe of the Church He was very beneficial to the poore bestowed plentifully on their bellyes He was diligent in reformation of outward manners In the first yeare of this Pope a great blasing starre was seene in Italye after which saith Vspergensis followed an extreame famine and againe saith Masseus the Sunne appeared verye terrible threatninge the sequeale of Gods vengeance Martin dyed Anno 947. 67. Agapetus the second AGapetus the seconde being Pope ruled Popelike in the time of one Berengarius a Marques of Italy who was the last of that name that had that dignitye after Hughe This Berengarius is reported to haue dryuen many Monkes oute of their cloysters whiche liued idellye and gaue them selues to the pleasures of the worlde The Pope perceiuing howe he could not rule Berengarius in these and such other spiritual matters that he would not restraine his soueraignitie according to the wil of him and his Hee sent for Otho the first king of the Germaines to come into Italy promising him the kingdome of the Romaines to fight with Berengarius and so saith Sabellicus troubled the estate of that countrey And except it were the settinge of these princes together by the eares he did nothing worthy memory till his death being Anno. 954. In his time was a counsell holden at Ingelhaim but suche was the negligence of the time that no man can tell what was done there or wherefore it was 68 Iohn the thirtene IOhn the thirtene being the sonne of the foresayde Albericus sonne to Marozia obtained to be Pope partly by the bribery partly by the threatning of his father Albericus being Prince He being Pope liued not like a bishop but altogether like a ranke ruffianly roister geuing him selfe wholly to all kinde of pleasure as to whoredome adultery incest masking momming hunting maygames playes robberies fyring of houses periury dyce cardes blaâ—ing robbing of churches and other villanies euen froÌ„ his youth he misused his cardinalles in cropping their noses thrusting out their eyes chopping of their fingers and handes cutting out their tongues gelding them and vsing diuers diuersly For before the Emperour Otho in an opeÌ„ Sinode it was layde to his charge as Luthprandus wryteth in his sixt booke that he neuer sayde Mattins that in celebrating the masse he him selfe had not communicated that he made Deacons in his stable among his horses that he had committed incest with two harlots being his owne sisters That hee played at dice prayed to the diuell to sende him good lucke that for money he admitted boyes to be bishops He had rauished virgines and straunge womeÌ„ He had made the holy pallaice of Lateran a stewes brothell house That he had defloured Stephana his fathers concubine and one Rainera a wydowe besyde one Anna an other wydowe and her niece that he had put out the eyes of Benedict his ghostly father vsed common hunts that he woare armour and set houses on fyre brast open dores and wyndowes by night that he tooke a cup of wyne dranke to the diuell and neuer blessed him selfe with the signe of the crosse these and many more odious articles were layde to his charge Whereupon the Emperour by the consent of the Prelates deposed him And Leo the eight was set vp in his steade But as sone as the Emperour was gone those harlottes that had bene his companioÌ„s inueigled the nobles of Rome promising theÌ„ the treasures of the church to depose Leo and place Iohn againe whiche they did out of hande and so Leo whom the Emperour appointed was deposed and Iohn established againe Who in his Popeship decreed that the Emperour should euer be crowned at Rome by the Pope But as he was solacing him self with out Rome on a certaine night with the wyfe of one that was a valiaunt man he was taken by him euen in his adultery and so sore and depely wouÌ„ded with a dagger that he died thereof within eight dayes in the tenth yeare of his Popedome as Mantuan witnesseth Of this Pope Iohn S. Dunstane a Nicromancier and a coniuring MoÌ„ke archbishop of Caunterbury in Englande receiued at Rome coÌ„firmation and pall to be metropolitan Anno. 960. This Dunstane did shamefully snaffle king Edgar For the king had deflowred a certaine Noonne for the which cause DuÌ„stane did so taunte and rate him that the king fell downe flatte before him offering to submitte him selfe to any satisfaction and obayed this that was commaunded him by Dunstane first because he was yet vncrowned he charged him that he should not take the crowne vpon him for seuen yeares and that during this time he should fast twyse in the weke distribute his treasure to the nedy builde a Noonnery at Shaftesbury and last of al that he should driue out all maried ministers calling them adulterous priestes Cronicon SaxonicuÌ„ ecclesiae VVigorniensis But as other stories testifie they were shortly after restored againe the moÌ„ks who had encroched their places were depriued Also he purchased of him for a great somme of money a coÌ„mission to disanulle and coÌ„demne the mariage of the Clergie and to constrayne them to single life or els to depriue them of ecclesiasticall benefites So writeth Iohn Capgraue and Polidor Virgil. in his sixt booke of the history of Englande Hereupon he being emboldened by the auctoritie of king Edgar ioyning to him selfe in the same commission Oswalde bishop of Yorke Ethelwalde bishop of Winchester and Monkes of the like disposition did violently thrust out of the cathedrall churches the Curates and Ministers whiche would not forsake their wiues and planted in them Monkes with their counterfaited chastitie whiche they kept vntill the time of the moste renowmed Prince kyng Henry the eight But many there were that stoutly stoode in defiance of this wicked doing especially a certayne Scot did bitterly speake against it Of this Pope Iohn came this prouerbe As mery as Pope Iohn 69 Benedict the fift BEnedict the fift after the departure of Otho the Emperour with his armye and depriuing of Leo being but a Deacon and Cardinall was made Pope by Iohns frends in a tumultuous time But Otho would not suffer Leo whome he had appointed to take this iniurye and therefore returning to Rome with his armie hee plonged the Romaines diuers wayes to make them yelde this Benedict into his handes and to restore Leo. Therefore after they had kept the gates lockt twoo monethes they yelded Benedict vnto the Emperour and receiued Leo and established him solemly in the
euen as it were by their owne right to scratche together howge heapes of ryches to compasse honour by ill artes coniuring and sorcery and to exercise tyranny Benedict after he had raigned nine yeares died Anno. 894. 77 Iohn the sixtene IOhn the sixtene sonne of one Leo a Prieste succeded by election of the people and Clergie As sone as hee was Pope he began to beare deadly hatred against the Clergye so that he was abhorred not onelye of them but of all the people and chiefelye because he neglecting the dignitye of the Romaine Sea bestowed the riches treasures ther of vppon his kinred his harlots and bastards Which fault sayth Platina and Stella hath continued among the clergye vnto our time for an ill president to the posterity Then the which custome nothing is more perillous when our clergye sayth Platina shall couet spiritual dignities not for loue of Religion to serue God but to maintaine the prodigality gluttonye couetousnes of their kindred and frendes their concubines and bastards Of the like complayneth Mantuan of his tyme. Sanctus ager scurris venerabilis ara cynaedis Seruit honorandae diuum Ganymedibus edes At this tyme appeared a Comet after which followed both famine pestilence with terrible earthquakes which shooke both Beneuent and Capua which plagues moste men iudged were sent for the pride ambition greedines royat of the Popes and for the contempt of God so greate at this time This Iohn dyed in the viii yere of his raigne â–ª Anno. 985. 78. Iohn the 17. IOhn the 17. was verye experte in feates of cheualrye he was made Pope with the goodwill of the clergye laitye He was excellentlye well learned published diuers bookes He beinge troubled with the sedition of one Crescentius the Consull going about to make himselfe king of the Cittye gaue place vnto Crescentius conspiracye and banished himselfe into Hetruria but Crescentius knowing of Iohns displeasure and that he went about to call the Emperour wyth his armye into Italye against him hee sente those frendes and kinsefolke which Iohn had remayning in the Citye to entreat him not to sende for the Emperour but himselfe to returne to Rome wyth his autoritye and he promised to be obedient to him in all thinges Iohn being entreated by his frendes and fearing that the Emperours comminge would do more hurt then good to him and his clergye returned to Rome Against whose comming Crescentius with all the rest of the coÌ„spiratours came forth to meete him who with the other people a great multitude wayted vppon him into the Citye in the porch of Lateran Church Crescentius and his company falling downe before the Pope kissed his feete and craued pardon This Iohn dyed Anno 995. 79. Gregorie the fift GRegorie the fift a Germaine borne but a Saxons sonne was first called Bruno He after wranglinge and iarringe was made Pope by the Emperours auctoritye because he was his cosen But after Otho the Emperour was departed the Romaynes desyringe chaunge of state did aduaâ—nce Crescensius to be Consull againe and committed the estate of Rome to his gouernment This Crescentius and the people of the Cittye toke it greuously that Gregorie beinge a Dutchman shoulde by the Emperours auctoritye be made Pope and therefore they deposed Gregorie after which the people and clergye of Rome established one Iohn the xviii beinge before bishop of Placentia an excellente learned man and very well stoared wyth money Gregorie in fine went to the Emperour to complaine of his great iniurye the Emperour taking it dispitefully went into Italy with his armye besieged Rome assaulted it and toke Crescensius the Consull and Iohn the newe Pope and as for Iohn he had his eyes put out and so dyed Crescensius was put on a vile beastes backe wyth his face to the taylewarde hauinge his nose and his eares cut of to be seene of al men was caryed about the Cittye hauing his members quartered he was honge vp about the walles of the Cittye Then Gregorie his ennemyes beinge punished was restored who perceyuing that the estate of kingdomes were fickle and wauering through the ambition of Princes and couetousnes of the clergye while there followed great warres hard vppoÌ„ his restoring he sommoning a couÌ„saile at Rome made a decree for the election of the Emperour Hee decreed that the election of the Emperour shoulde continue from henceforth amonge the Princes of Germanye that is the Archbishop of Mens of Treuers Collen the Palsgraue of Rhein the duke of Saxonie and the Marquesse of Brandeburge To these also he added the king of Bohemia to be an vmpier if the voyces were euen which decree Anno a thousande ii the Emperour Otho did allowe and confirme but the kinges of Fraunce were highly offended that the Germaynes had this prerogatiue Gregorie dyed Anno 998. the third yeare of his Popedome 80. Iohn the xviij IOhn the xviii a Grecian borne of whom is spoken in the former Gregorie obtayned the place by bryberye sedition and hurlye burlye This maÌ„ was before bishop of Placentia an olde man learned ryche but proud couetous and desirous to be Pope which wrought his horrible and mischeuous ende For hee broughte so muche moneye to Rome wyth him from Constantinople whereby he was able to drawe and tempt vnto him aswel the wyse wary as the simple sort to be of his faction whereby he corrupted Crescentius the Consul violently to abuse Pope Gregorie to driue him out being a Germaine and so purchased the Popedome and the sequele thereof But of those thinges that he and his traine set to sale in his Popeshippe Mantuan wryteth thus Pernices mercantur equos venalia Romae Templa sacerdotes altaria sacra coronae I maruaile sayth Platina that the Chronographers would reckeÌ„ this Iohn amonge the Popes seing he vsurped the place while Gregorie liued vnlesse in wrytinge the Popes liues they thincke to do as they doo in a continuall historye For the peeuishe deedes of tyrants are set among the great exploites of good Princes that the readers may discerne the good from the euill and so by the example of good men be moued to vertue by the example of the ill terrifyed froÌ„ vice and so liue happilye vppon earth which happines this Iohn wanted being a theefe a robber euen in his Popedome So much sayth Platina of him At the leÌ„gth this Iohn w t his CresceÌ„tius perished hauing his eyes digged out and his bodye foulye maÌ„gled Crescentius for his doing was set vppon a vile horse as is saide before hauing his nose cut of and was so led through the Citye his face being turned to the horse tayle and afterward hauing his members cut of he was hanged vppon a gibbet Here will I alledge the wordes of Gualther out of his third homelye as touchinge Antichrist and so ende this booke Nowe sayth hee let anye noble harte iudge vvhether so manye good men haue vppon sufficient cause complayned of the tirannye
decrees and to coÌ„firme that auctoritye which the Church had gotten Amonge many other enormities he coÌ„cluded that no priests sonne shoulde be capable of orders He made the archbishop of Toledo primate of Spaine vppon condition that he should sweare fealtye to the Pope so by that meanes he broughte Spaine vnder his winge He cursed the kinge of Fraunce for imprisoning a bishop He caused all that should take order to sweare with this clause So God helpe me and the holye Euangelistes finally he standing in awe of one Iohn Pagan a Romaine did hide himselfe for two yeares in the house of one Peter Lion where he dyed Anno 1099. And his bodye was conueyed by nighte ouer Tiber for feare of his foes the same yeare also dyed Clement the thirde who had seene in his time the death of three Popes Of the former Hildebrand and this Vrban his scholler Theodor Bibliander writeth thus to Princes of al estates Hildebrand sayth he by sturringe vp the Greeke Emperour against the Turkes did sowe the seede of the voiage of Gog Magog vppon-whom the bloude of the Church cryeth vengeaunce that was shed wyth the sworde of his tongue But this Vrban by causinge Christians to goe warre vppon Pagans with vaine colour of fighting for the holye Lande for Christes Sepulcher hath caused more Christian bloud to be shedde of all Nations then can be esteemed and did it onelye to oppresse Clement the second and his faction the while to restore himselfe to be Pope In the time of this VrbaÌ„ VVilliam Rufus kinge of England was sore combred with the proude prelate Anselmus archbishop of Canterbury who wheÌ„ he was commaunded to aunsweare to his misbehauiour did auoide it in appealinge to the Courte of Rome both against the liking of al the bishops in Englande and in spite of the kinges harte went to complaine to the Pope 101. Paschal the second PAschal the seconde was an Italian called before Rainerus hee was made Cardinall of S. Clements by Hildebrande his Scholemaister succeded Vrban He when he sawe he shoulde be chosen woulde not take the place vppon him vntil the people had cryed thre times S. Peter choseth thee worthie man Raynarde Then hauinge a purple roabe vppon him and a Miter on his head he was brought vppon a white horse vnto Lateran where hee receyued the Popes Scepter and had the gyrdle put about him wheron are hanged seuen keyes and as manye Seales All the time he raigned he was continually busyed in warres and â—editioâ—s attemptinge by all meanes possible to aduaunce yet hier the estate of the Popedome He draue out furiouslye from their places all those bishops and abbots that were established by the Emperour At this time there was a certaine prelate called Fluentinus who seinge the greate enormityes that presently choaked the Christian Church held opinion that Antichrist was incarnate and borne and that he was reuealed herein And therefore sayth Sabellicus the Pope held a councel against him with the bishops of Italy and Fraunce in Rome amonge other canons he concluded it heresye to denye obedience to the Pope and made a canon for paying of tenthes to priestes concluding it siane against the holye Ghoste to sell the tenthes He renued and published the excommunication against the Emperour and caused the bishop of Mentz of Collen and of VVormes to thrust him froÌ„ his estate taking his Crowne from him with al princelye title dignitye and honour Yea and which is horrible to be heard not content with this he did prouoke and arme his onelye sonne Henry the fifte to rebell against him being his naturall father A lamentable and pitifull case to see the onelye child of so good noble a father not beinge prouoked by any iniurye on the fathers part not onely to despise to forsake and reuolt from his father denying to ayde him but also to assault hym by force of armes to enclose him with his armye as he did and toke him entrapped by treason spoyled robbed him of his royal estate and forced the wretched and miserable man captiue to his owne child to dye a double and dolefull death Thus could the Pope put the sworde in the sonnes hand forsing him to sheath it in his fathers bowels Neither could this vnnaturall death of the good olde man cause the vnnaturall rancour to dye in the Popes breast but for further reuenge he coÌ„maunded that the Emperours carkasse should not be buryed but first be cast out of the Church and be caryed from Leodos to Spira where it rotted fiue yeares without any Christian burial But lo what a wonder God wrought in the meane time To testify sayth Abbas Vspergensis the Popes tyrannye it rayned bloud at Spira It were a lamentable thing to tell at large the maner of the Popes vnmerciful dealing with this good Emperour For first the forenamed bishops comminge to him to Hilgeshem they coÌ„maunded him to deliuer vp his Diademe his Purple roabes his Signet and other like ornaments belonging to the Empyre WheÌ„ he required a reason thereof they aunsweared partly for sellinge spirituall liuinges but chiefely for the Popes pleasure Wyth that the good Emperour sighing saide Ye know you receyued your bishoprickes at my hande that I gaue them freelye and am giltye of no suche cryme and yet do you thus quite my curtesye But the vnthankful prelates moued neither with allegeaunce oath nor benefite prosecuted their purpose and first yelding him no reuerence they plucked froÌ„ him sitting in his place of estate his Crowne Emperial and his Purple roabe and his Scepter He beinge thus stripped out of his royaltye and forsaken sayde pacientlye Let God see and iudge They leauing him bestowed these things vppon the sonne creating him causing him forthwith to pursue his father forcing him to flye but wyth ix parsons to the Dukedome of Limborough where the duke beinge his deadly ennemye did also make speede to apprehende him The Emperour perceyuing himselfe thus entrapped and fearing death submitted himselfe to the duke beseaching him rather to shewe mercye then vengeaunce Herevpon the noble harted duke thoughe the Emperour had whilom displaced him of his Dukedome yet pityinge his miserye he both forgaue him entertayned him curteously in his Castel and w t an armye conducted him to Collen where he was well receyued But the sonne hearinge thereof besieged the Citye but the father fled by night to Leodium where so manye louinge hartes resorted to him that he bad his sonne a battaile and ouerthrewe him and still desyred that if his sonne were taken he should be saued harmelesse Yet the sonne ceased not but renuinge the battaile preuayled and so dispossessed his father whoe in the ende was brougth to such penurye that he craued of the bishop of Spire to giue him but a prebende to liue vppon in the Church But the earle forgetting the benefites receyued of him in his prosperitye denyed him flatlye and said by ladye ye get none here Thus after he
had raigned 50 yeare in his life he lacked lyuinge and after death he wanted a graue throughe malice of the Pope Pope Paschal held a councell of Princes and bishoppes about matter of gaynes as homages and fealtyes due vnto him also he spoiled the bishop of Rauenna of his lands and toke them into his owne handes But afterwarde because he refused to confirme certaine bishops appointed by the Emperour Henry the fift the Emperour though laâ—e before he had kissed the Popes feete appreheÌ„ded him and cast him into prison where he continued vntill he had coÌ„firmed them all and should by his Seale restore the priuiledge of ratifying a bishop which was graunted to Charles the great and confirme him to be Emperour While sayth Masseus the Pope sate in his chayre after Masse beholde the souldiours cryed vnto him and his clergye Giue vnto Caesar that which is Caesars and forthwith apprehended both him and all his clergye and caryed them out and stripped them out of their apparell so naked that they lefte them not theyr breeches on and ledde them thus haÌ„dled to Soractis mount wher they put them in prison c. This broyle being ceased and Henry being crowned Emperour Paschal renued vnto him the auctoritye of appointing bishops and pronounced openlye in the Church that they were all held accursed who soeuer would disanul the preuiledge which he had graunted Then thy sange Gloria in excelsis because of this peace betwene the Emperour and the Pope But as sone as the Emperour this being done was departed into Germanye the Pope brake al his oathes and went from his word in euerye thinge saying that hee did it not freelye and of his owne accorde but that for feare hee yelded to the Emperours desire Then was the priuiledge condemned and the Emperour excommunicated and terrible tragedyes sturred which were all blazed throughe diuers countryes Also hee by a councell diuorsed the clergye of Fraunce from their wyues as Gregorie had done in Germanye and draue diuers bishops froÌ„ their Seas because they would not leaue theyr wyues Againe to encrease the regiment of Rome he reuiued the strife for the bestowiÌ„g of bishoprickes which wrought great slaughter and bloudshed in all countreyes of Europe Anselmê° archbishop of Canterbury wyth sophistrye and cauillinge vphelde this Popes doing as he did Pope Vâ—banus being both their couÌ„celour at Rome their Uicar here in Englande This Anselmus did depriue kinge Henry the first of all auctoritye in Ecclesiastical causes and denyed to do homage to the kinge thinking and auouching it to be vnlawfall because it was due in the clergye vnto the successours of S. Peter Also he condemned in England the mariage of ministers Pope Paschal dyed Anno 1118. Matthaeus Paâ—siensis wryteth in his Chronicle that when Anselmus accused his soueraigne kinge Henry the first of England before the Pope at Rome for medling with the appointing of bishops and ministers VVilliam VVarelwarst the kinges Proctour did aunsweare stoutlye in hys Princes behalfe and amonge other thinges sayd that the kinge would not for the losse of his kingdome lese his auctoritye in appointing of prelates â–ª Whereto the Pope said If as thou sayest thy kinge to hazarde his crowne wil not forgoe his giuing of Ecclesiasticall lyuinges knowe thou preciselye I speake it before God that I will not suffer him without punishmeÌ„t no not for the price of his head Which beinge heard Anselmus besought the Pope to laye hands in despite of the kinge on those whom he had disgraded so sayth Mattheus the holye seate readye to yelde fauour to all restored them to their former dignities by the intercession of White and red But kinge Henry did depriue Anselmus of all his goodes and confiscated his Archbishopricke and defyed the Popes auctoritye Anno 1110. the Moone was darkened as if she had lost her lighte the yeare following it rayned bloud at Rauenna in Italy at Parma in the month of Iulye Anno 1114. in December the Heauen appeared sodenlye of a very fierye and ruddye colour as if it had burned and the Moone suffered an Eclipse The same yeare the riuer of Thames was drye for two dayes Anno 1 â–ª 17. there were thonders hayle great windes horrible dreadful and houge earthquakes that ouerthrewe Churches Towers walles buildinges and destroyed men 102. Gelasius the second GElasius the second called before Iohn Caietanus of a noble house was sometime a monke he succeded Paschal but not without great discention For because he was chosen withoute the consente of the Emperour one Cincius a maÌ„ of great power in Rome would not suffer this iniurye but went with a troupe of souldiours to PalladiaÌ„ minster where the Cardinals were gathered together and breakinge the gates open he rushed in vppon them and stroke at euerye one that he mette And as for the Pope with his necke wrongde awrye he threwe him on the ground stamped on him wyth his feete and cast him into prison and as the Cardinals were ruÌ„ning away he hoysed them of their Mules and horses to the grounde and vsed all the despite he could toward them But the Romaynes would not suffer this and therfore by the ayde of the Normans they deliuered the Pope made his ennemyes to submit themselues and to aske pardon wyth kissinge his feete The Emperour hearing this sent a great arâ—â—ye out of Germanye to Rome which Gelasius fearing fled by shippe wyth his companye to Caieta and there was made a priest for he was made Pope before beinge but a deacon Henry the Emperour comming to Rome in the absence of Gelasius created Maurice Burdinus archbishop of Bracharie Pope and called him Gregorie the eight and theÌ„ he returned froÌ„ Rome Gelasius hearinge thereof returneth priuilye to Rome and takinge harte to him he commeth into Praxis Church to saye masse where he was so hindred by the contrarye syde that he scant saued himselfe by running away From thence he fled into Fraunce where at the length he was entertayned by an abbot in whose house hee dyed of a pleuresye in the seconde yeare of his raigne In his life by a Legat that he sent he held a councell in Collen where he excommunicated the Emperour and decreed that the Popes of Rome should be iudged by none 103. Calixtus the seconde CAlixtus the second being before called Guido of Burgundy came of the kinges of Fraunce and Englande he succeded Gelasius And after he was coÌ„firmed at Rome he sent a messenger to the said Conon in Germanye to coÌ„tinue the excommunication of his predecessour against the Emperour Hereupon the Emperour was coÌ„pelled to summon a councell of Princes and bishops at Tybur to make peace betweene him the Pope and least the Popes part shoulde haue spoyled his dominions he toke peace vppon vnequall conditions He confirmed to his great dishonour the electioÌ„ of this Calixtus who was chosen Pope at Cluny in Fraunce by a fewe Cardinals whom Gelasius had brought wyth him and yet was the other
of none effecte It is sayd before that this Pope Celestine did crowne the Emperour Henry the sixte which because it was done after so straunge a sort as hath not beene hearde it shall not be amisse briefely to declare the maner of it as it is reported by Rogerus Houedenus Ranulphus Rogerus Cestrensis and other of whom the first liued at that time reportinge it as followeth The Pope was going froÌ„ Lateran to S. Peters Church where the Emperour and his wyfe Constantia mette him in the way but the Romaynes did shut the gates against the Emperour Empresse comming with a great troupe of armed souldiours And Celestine standinge vppon the stayres of S. Peters Church toke an oath of the Emperour his armye being shut out that he should defend and restore the libertyes and patrimonye of the Church to the vttermost yeldinge to Rome the Citye Tuscalanum After this he did annoynte him Emperour and her Empresse in the Church while he sitting in his pontificall chayre and holding the Emperiall crowne betweene his feete caused the Emperour to stoupe and bowe downe his heade to his feete so put the crowne on And it being thus put on he caused the Emperour stil to hould downe his head while he with his foote did spurne the Crowne of his head againe sayinge I haue power to make and vnmake Emperours at my pleasure Then the Cardinals toke it vp and sette it vppon the Emperours head And in like maner the Empresse was both crowned and vncrowned with the Popes foote Celestine dyed Anno. 1198. In his time one Cyrill an Hermite had a strange vision reuealed vnto him as hee was at masse as MantuaÌ„ writeth Fastorum lib. 5. if a man will beleeue euery vaine fantasye As Cyrill in his holye weede was earlye saying masse Beholde a child with glorious shape before him present was And houering in the ayre on hye with siluer plate in hand Which he vppon the alter layde where Cyrill still did stand And sayd vnto him holye sâ—er God doth to the disclose These secretes and do thou reueale vnto the Romaynes those The written verses out of Greeke he turnes to latine tongue Which straite were set in scholes and yet are cited vs amonge But touching the truth of this fantasticall dreame it shall folow in Gregorie the ix for that age toke into credit three straunge monstrous myracles so that then the worlde did greatlye esteeme of the secte of begginge fryers while Sathan wrought in Antichrist the full mistery of his iniquitye The myracles are these first the vpholding of Lateran Church reuealed in a vision to a Dominicke Fryer at Rome the fiue Seraphical woundes of S. Fraunces in a certaine hill of Lauernia and the Oracle of this Cyrill 117. Innocentius the thirde AFter Celestine was InnoceÌ„tius the third who so boyled in anger agaiÌ„st Philip the Emperour because he was made Emperour by the Germaynes contrary to his will that he brast out into these wordes Eyther shall the Pope spoile Philip of his Crowne and Empyre or els shal Philip take froÌ„ the Pope his Apostolical dignitye After this hee sturred vp against the Emperour one Otho a duke both boulde and rashe so that by this holye fathers helpe there grewe cruell bloudshed and foule slaughter infinite vntill that this Philip the Emperour was traytecouslye and vilanously slaine by another Otho and this Otho whom the Pope had set on against Philip poasted to Rome and of him was made Emperour But this bloudy league did not last long betwene them for as sone as Otho began to reclaime recouer such thinges as of right beloÌ„ged to the Empyre which the Popes by subtil practises had purloyned many yeres he was excoÌ„municated by the Pope himselfe and spoyled of all his royall estate furthermore he discharged al his Princes of theyr alledgeaunce which by oath they ought to Otho and commauÌ„ded vppon payne of his cruell curse that no man should take Otho to be Emperour nor call him so and caused the Princes to make Fredericke king of Sicill Emperour Also this Innocent Anno 1212. sought to compasse three harde matters that is the deposing of Otho a voyage to Hierusalem and a general councel Also the same yeare sayth Vlricus Mutius certaine noble men of Alsatia did condemne this Pope of impietye because he would not suffer the clergye to keepe their wyues the bishops burned an hundred in one daye because they taught that Christians might lawfullye eate fleshe and marrye at any time This mischeuous Innocent did mischeuouslye contriue many cruell tragedyes against king Iohn of Englande he euen in despite and defiance of the kinge did thrust an enemye to the Realme called Steuen Langton a Cardinall into the bishopricke of Canterbury and encouraged threescore and foure monkes to worke seueral treasons against him Because the king would not suffer these treacheryes he condemned him to be an ennemy of the Church excommunicated him from the company of all Christians interdited his kingdome vi yeres and three monethes deposed him from gouernment toke from him the Crowne and the Scepter discharged his subiectes of their allegeaunce gaue his Realme to Lewes the French kinges sonne commaunded to spoile him both of goodes and life with diuers other tyrannous dealinges Kinge Iohn beinge dismayed with these stormes being otherwise a noble and valiant Prince yet because he was forsaken of his nobilitye his bishops and commonaltye submitted himselfe full sore against his hart to the Popes obeysaunce compelled to acknowledge the Pope to be supreame heade ouer all Christendome and God vppon earth and bound himselfe with a solempne oath to stande to the Popes arbitrement and that his posteritye should do the like to acknowledge themselues perpetuall tributaryes to the Popes of Rome Also he kneeling vppon his knees to Pandulphus yelded vp his Crowne in the presence of all his nobilitye sayinge Here I resigne vp the Crowne of Englande to Pope Innocent the thirde c. Which Pandulphus kept for fiue dayes during which time the king was as a priuate person then being bound to paye the Pope for his Crowne a thousande markes a yeare with other shamefull conditions he receiued his Crowne at the handes of Pandulphus pardoning and restoring to full estate all those that had rebelled conspired and wroughte treason against him And yet by the procuremente of Steuen Langton Archbishop of Yorke other of the clergye and priestes of Englande he was myserablye vexed with treasons and rebellions continuallye for certaine of the nobilitye and priestes had chosen Lodowicke to be their kinge sonne to Lewes kinge of Fraunce who entred the Realme and toke the estate vppon him by theyr maintenaunce against kinge Iohn to the great hart breaking of the noble Prince the spoyling of the Realme and oppression of themselues while this forren Prince bestowed all thinges vppon his owne countreymen accomptinge the Englishe nobles that assisted him to be but traytours In the ende after much miserye and
sorrowe a certaine monke as Caxton sayth named Simō of Swinested abbey in Lincolnshire did there temper a cuppe of wyne with the poyson of a toade drinking thereof to the kinge both hee and the king were poysoned and dyed For which doinge the sayde monke had a certaine masse songe for his soule confirmed by the abbots procurement for euer This Innocentius vnder the colour of recouering Hierusalem held a councell at Lateran Anno 1215 against the Emperour to excommunicate him depose him because he had inuaded certaine Cityes of the Popes In this coūcell the Pope first wrested oute Auricular confession and robbed the laitye of the Cōmunion cuppe He condemned one Almericus a learned man for an hereticke commaūded his bones to be burned w t the rest of his sect at Paris this he did sayth Dominicus Soto in a certaine Sermon because he preached that Images should be put out of the Church Amonge manye other dotinge decrees he disanulled the mariage of the clergye for euer he required priuye tithes to be payde and to maintayne warre in Asia he commaunded the fourtye part of all reuenues to be paide He toke from many Partriarkes archbishops bishops their ordinarye auctoritye in many thinges He commaunded that the quarels of Princes should be broughte before the Pope to be determined by him and if the electiō of the Emperour could not be agreed vpon then it should belōg onelye to the Pope He deuised that the Communion cake should be kept in a boxe in the Church and that when the priest shoulde visit the sicke he shoulde go with a burninge Taper and a bell before him He made the Canon of the masse to be equal in auctority with the Scripture and that the Pope should haue power to correct and controll Princes that none should be Emperour vnlesse he were crowned by the Pope finally he dyed Anno 1216. In his time Liuonia first recouered papistrye Peter kinge of the Arrogons was inueigled to yeild his kingdome all his dominions tributarye to Rome to purchase his saluation A certaine noble man in England hearing that this Pope had againe condemned priestes mariage in Lateran councel did make a certaine rime thereof the yeare following which one Iohn Pullan founde in an olde booke at Oxeforde as followeth PRisciani regula penitus cassatur Sacerdos per hic haec olim declinatur Sed per hic solum modo nunc articulatur Cum per nostrum praesulem haec amoueatur Olde Priscians rule doth whollye go to wracke Because sacerdos earst declinde with hic and haec Must be declined nowe but euen with hic alone Our prelat hath compelled nowe haec for to be gone Ita quidam presbyter cepit allegare Peccat capitaliter qui vult seperare Quod Deus coniunxerat foeminam amare Tales dignum duximus fures appellare A certaine priest began in this wyse for to reason Against the lawe of God he sinneth in hye treason Who parteth that which God hath toynde as wyfe from man To call these robbing theeues full well auouch we can O quà m dolor anxius quà m tormentum graue Nobis est dimittere quoniam suaue O Romane pontifex statuisti prauè Ne in tanto crimine moriaris caue Alas what paine it is what torment and what griefe For vs to leaue our wyues our comfort and reliefe Thou Popishe prelat dost this wicked lawe beginne Take heede thou do not dye continuing in this sinne Non est Innocentius immò nocens verè Qui quod facto docuit verbo vult delere Et quod olimiuuenis voluit habere Modò vetus pontifex studet prohibere He is not Innocent but nocent may be termed That doth condemne by word that he by deede confirmed And thoughe that he himselfe in youthfull yeares did loue it Now he a doting Pope doth labour to impriue it Gignere nos praecipit vetus testamentum Nouum quod non retinet nusquam est inuentum Praesul qui contrarium donat documentum Nullum necessarium his dat argumentum Thould Testament sayth multiplye and increase Which in the newe Testament is not found to cease The prelate that bidding the contrary seemeth to abhorre it ▪ Of this his doing brings no lawfull reason for it Dedit enim dominus maledictionem Viro qui non fecerit generationem Ergo tibi consulo per hanc rationem Gignere vt habeas benedictionem For by the mouth of God the man is cursed and band Which hath not raysed seede and children to the land Therefore I do aduise you prouide you may haue isseu Whereby it may be so the Lord our God may blesse you Non ne de militibus milites procedunt Et reges à regibus qui sibi succedunt Per locum à simili omnes iura laedunt Clericos qui gignere crimen esse credunt Do not men of warre of men of warre procede And kinges of kinges that do vppon their throne succede So the similitude houldes they do offend in dotage That thinke it is a fault the clergye should haue mariage Zacharias habuit prolem vxorem Per virum quem genuit adeptus honorem Baptizauit etenim mundi Saluatorem Pereat qui teneat nouum hunc errorem Zachary had both a wyfe and a sonne By him whom he begat great dignitye he wonne Baptizing him on whom our soules health doth depend Then cursed be hee that doth this error new defend Paulus rapitur ad coelos superiores Vbi multas didicit res secretiores Ad nos tandem rediens instruensque mores Suas inquit habeat quilibet vxores Up vnto the third heauen S. Paule was translated Whereas he hard many misteryes debated And after comming downe and teaching vs trade of lyfe Let euery man quoth he enioye his proper wyfe Propter haec alia dogmata doctorum Reor esse melius magis decorum Quisque suam habeat non proximorum Ne incurrat odium vel iram eorum For these thinges and diuers doctours decrees With right and comlinesse I thincke it more agrees Ech should his owne wyfe haue and not his neighbours borrow Lest thereby he procure wrath malice mischiefe and sorrow Proximorum foeminas filias neptes Violare nefas est quare nil deceptes Verè tuam habeas in qua delectes Diem vt sic vltimum tutius expectes It is a deadly sinne therefore be not beguiled Thy neighbours wyfe neice or doughter to be of the defiled Therefore take thee a wyfe in whom thou maist delight thee And at the latter daye more safely to acquite thee Ecce iam pro clericis multum allegaui Nec non pro prestyteris plura comprobaui Pater noster nunc pro me quoniam peccaui Dicat quisque presbyter cum sua suaui Thus for the clergye much I haue alleaged And also for our priestes largelye haue I pleaded Now all priestes with your wyues to God for me render A Pater noster for that I am an offendour
an anchoresse in S. Albons abbey had this terrible visiion she heard an old man of graue countenaunce crye thre times VVo wo to all that dwel on the earth and then faded away againe Anno 1258. Richard Earle of Cornewall sonne to king Iohn of Englād was chosē king of Almany for his great treasure and the Pope procured that he was chosen Emperour but he did that closely because he had likewyse for the same matter taken a bribe of Alphonsus kinge of Spaine Whereupon a certaine Poet made this Verse Nummus ait pro me nubet Comubia Rome Thus money sayth for loue of me Cornewal with Rome shal lincked be Beside these shiftes made for money this Pope Alexāder vsed another notorious knacke he abusing deluding the simplicitye of the king of England made him beleeue that he would make his sonne Edmond king of Apulia if hee woulde sustaine the charges thereof to maintaine the warres appertayning to it wherupon the king caused his sonne forthwith to be proclaymed king of Apulia and sent to the Pope all the treasure and riches that he could make in his Realme And thus was the king and his sonne deluded and the Realme wonderfullye impouerished by the Popes craft It were to long to discouer all the superstitious wicked deuises of this Pope who at length going to Viterbium Anno 1262. to make peace betweene the Genewaies Venetians according to his owne fansye and because he coulde not haue his will therein he dyed there for anger 125. Vrban the fourth VRban the fourth borne in Fraunce and as some saye was first called Pantaleon being patriarch of Hierusalem As sone as he was Pope by and by he commaūded souldiours out of Fraunce to subdue Manfred the ennemy of the Church for the furtherance therof hee requested Lewes kinge of Fraunce to send his brother Charles the Earle of Anteganor w t an oast into Italye and made him king of both Sicils After many conflictes the said Charles ouercame and slue Manfred at Beneuent and receyued of the Pope against all lawe and right the kingdome of Sicill w t the dukedome of Calabrie and Apulia whereuppon arose many great slaughters While this Pope was frō Rome at Pruse the Romaynes coueting their olde libertyes made a newe kinde of officers callinge them Branderesies who had power of life and death in their handes they chose one Brācaleo a priuate parsō of Bononia to be Senatour whō banished late before they restored But touching Vrban it was not much more then this that he did sauinge that hee ordayned an holye daye namelye Corpus Christi daye the fifte day after Trinitye sonday vpon this occasion as some and most likely do write namelye Arnold Bostro Petrus Praemonstratensis Anno 1264. as they saye a certaine woman called Eue in a Religious house in Leodia with whom the Pope in time past had beene well acquainted had a reuelation which she signifyed by wryting to the Pope beseeching him that the sayd day might be kept holye in the honour of the Sacrament of the altar to whom the Pope according to her desire returned his aunsweare with this Bull to confirme the holy daye The Bull of Pope Vrban to Eue the Anchoresse for the establishing of the holy day called Corpus Christi daye BIshop Vrban seruaunt to the seruauntes of God sendeth greeting and apostolicall bleshing to Eue our beloued daughter in Christe VVe know O daughter that thy soule hath longed with greate desire that a solemne feast day might be appointed for the bodye of oure Lord Iesus Christ in Gods Church to be celebrate of all faithfull Christians for euer And therfore for thy ioye we signifie vnto thee that we haue thought it good for the establishing of the catholicke faith that beside the dailye remembraunce which the Church maketh of so wonderfull a Sacrament there should be more special and solemne recorde appointing a certaine daye for it namelye the fifte daye after Whitsontyde next ensuinge that on the said daye the faithfull flocke do gather together to the Churches deuoutlye and effectuallye and let that daye be to all Christiās ioyfull with new holines and holye with much ioye as is more set out in our apostolicall letters sente for this cause through the world And know ye that we haue caused this feast daye to be solemnized with all oure brethren Cardinals bishops and archbishops and other prelats then being at Rome to giue example of celebratinge the same to all that shal see or vnderstand the same Therfore let thy soule magnifye the Lorde and thy spirite reioyce in God thy sauiour for thine eyes haue seene his saluation which we haue prepared before the face of al people Moreouer reioyce because almighty God hath giuen the thy hartes desire and the fulnes of the heauenly grace hath not disapointed the of the will of thy Iippes c. This Vrhan sate more then three yeares betweene the Guelphes Gibelines and prouoked their quarrels to be tryed by the edge of the sworde to the confusion of manye through Italye He being on a time vpbrayed that he was of base linage aunsweared that no mā was noble by byrth but that to be made noble by vertue is true nobility finallye beinge at Pruse because in great attemptes he had not his desired successe he dyed for griefe Masseus sayth that a blazing starre appeared three nights before the death of this Pope and ceased the same night that he dyed 126 Clemens the fourth CLemens the fourth called before Gui Fulcodius borne in Narbonie ere he came to be Pope was a maryed man and had 3. children by his wyfe a sonne two doughters He as his predecessour began continued in sheddinge of bloud he sent for Charles Earle of Angeow to bringe an armye into Italye where he slew Manfred and was made kinge of Sicill and Hierusalem but vppon this condition that he should paye yearelye to the Pope fortye thousande Crownes This bargaine beinge made betweene them great slaughter bloudshed was committed in diuers places for the said Pope betrayed Conradinus sonne to Conradus kinge of Sicill and inheritour of the kingdomes to the former Charles so that as he passed through the fieldes of Viterbie with an oast of Germaynes wher his abode was at that time the Pope by report sayd that the sayd Conradinus was as a lambe brought to the slaughter shewing therby that he was of councell to the treason Afterward when he foughte with Charles about Naples at the first conflict had sufficient victorye yet then the treason reuealing it selfe Conradinus Frederick duke of Austria were taken being myserablye vsed in their captiuitye mocked and flouted were in the ende beheaded by the Popes commaundement because Conradinus claymed the kingdome which his auncetours possessed Thus the kingdome of Naples came into the hand of the Frenchmen and the dukedome of Sweuia decayed and came to nought by the wickednes of the Pope In the time of
poorest At this time the Venetians spoyled the AnconitaÌ„s because they vsinge trafique into Dalmatia woulde paye them no tribute yet the Pope would not defende them as he ought to do beinge tributaryes to the Church and though in words he were hasty yet in his doinges a slouggarde and dastard The Anconitans therefore being destitute of the Popes ayde gathering themselues together brast out of the Citye vppon the Venetians besieging it draue them awaye with great damage But the Pope vsinge the aduise of Iohn Caietan who theÌ„ ruled all because by his ayde he came to be Pope he sent his Embassadours both to Michael Paleologus the kinges of the West to moue them in his name to make peace amoÌ„ge themselues and to prouide to send their powers against the Sarracens which if Paleologus would not do keepe the vnitye promised he woulde giue his Empyre from him to Charles kinge of Sicill He prophesyed by the course of the starres that he him selfe should liue longe and tould this to euery man in his vanitye as one whose wante of discretion was euident to euery man But behould while he thus vaunted his cunninge in prophecyinge and constellations openlye in a certaine chamber which for his pleasure hee had builded in his Pallaice at Viterbium the fourth day after fell downe sodainlye Anno 1277. After this ruine wherein he perished myserablye he was founde the seuenth day after hauinge raigned viii monthes Valerius called the place which fell downe Gamesters hall and Stella calleth it the precious Chamber for the Pope had builded it so gorgeouslye for his pleasure After his death the seate was voide through great contention vi monthes 129. Nicolas the thirde NIcolas the third a Romaine called first Iohn Caietan after vi monthes with great discention and brauling of the Cardinals obtayned the seate Charles king of Sicil was as Senatour president in their consistorye who was very vrgent to choose some Frenchman Pope and therefore this Nicolas hauing gotten the place purposinge to abate the power of Charles toke from him the Vicarship of Hetruria filled Italye full of broyles And for his owne lucre hee perswaded Peter kinge of Aragon to clayme the kingdome of Sicill sayinge that it belonged to him by the inheritaunce of his wyfe Constance which liked Peter but note the sequeale Peter with a great nauye went to Sardinia and there wayted wheÌ„ some motions should arise in Sicill for the Sicillians making a conspiracy against Charles and the Frenchmen appointed a daye that as soone as at eueninge a bell should be tould the Frenchmen shoulde be forthwith murthered both man woman child wherein they were so cruell that they slue euen women with child But this horrible deede was not doone vnder Pope Nicolas but in the time of his successour Martin the fourth Also this Nicolas toke to himselfe the Senatourship which Clement the fourth had bestowed on Charles and forbad for euer that any Prince or kinge should be so hardy to desire or take vppon him that dignitye By his falsehoode it came to passe that Flaunders Bononia the royaltye of Rauenna which longe time were vnder the Emperour became subiect to the Pope Amonge other buildinges that he made aboute Rome he enclosed a warrante of hares w t hye walles wherein euen in his Popeship he vsed often to hunt He bestowed syluer cases for the Apostles heades he was reproued of many for making his nephewe Berthold Earle of Romundiala for another of his nephewes beinge a Dominican Cardinall because he sente him Embassadour into Hetruria For Platina and Stella and other complaine that he loued his kindred to well so that he bestowed withoute lawe on them that which he had filched froÌ„ other for he toke perforce from some nobles of Rome certaine Castels and bestowed them on his freindes He made the Gibelines being seditious meÌ„ magistrats at his owne lust in Florence and els where to defende and maintaine his tyrannye Also he purposed to make two kinges of the stocke of Vrsines the one in Lombardye the other in Hetrury but while he purposed this he dyed sodenly of an Apoplexye without speakinge any worde Anno 1281. in the fourth yeare of his Popeship and yet it was thoughte by his goed complexion he should haue liued much longer Some saye that one foretolde the death of this Pope by the rysinge of the riuer Tiber which then happened The report is that of a concubine he begat a sonne that had hayre and clawes like a beare it is written in Iohn Noueomagus in illustrationibus Bedae 130. Martin the fourth MArtin the fourth a Frenchman called before Simon was nexte made Pope by the Cardinals of Fraunce who then were the greater nomber He woulde not be Crowned at Viterbium because he thoughte that Citye was excommunicated because they had made a tumult against the Cardinals for the Viterbians entring into the consistorye apprehended the Cardinals and put them in prison dryuinge out and contemninge the house of Vrsins therefore Martin going to an olde towne called Oruietus did there kepte all his solemnitye made viii Cardinals the same daye to strengthen his power Also hee did not onelye entertaine curteouslye kinge Charles comminge to him but also restored to him the dignitye of Senatorship which Pope Nicolas had taken froÌ„ him which thinge displeased many because it should make seditioÌ„ in the Citye the Vrsine being now returned and their ennemyes driueÌ„ out for Charles for the hatred conceyued against Nicolas was sore bente against the Vrsines But Pope Martin meaninge to worke warelye did much set by Matthew de Aquisporta a FranciscaÌ„ of the house of the Vrsines a Cardinal bishop of Portua He excoÌ„municated Peter king of Aragon who went about to inuade the kingdome of Sicil w t his nauy against Charles also he gaue his kingdome for a â—ooty to one that did desire to enioy it He released his subiectes from their allegeaunce callinge him an vsurper of Church goodes But Peter defyinge all this did by the helpe of Paleologus obtaine the kingdome of Sicill the Sicilians also beinge able no longer to sustayne the pride Iust of the FrenchmeÌ„ at the perswasion of Iohn Prochita conspired against Charles and ringinge the belles did at once without anye regarde murther all the Frenchmen Pope Martin amonge other thinges graunted to the Romaynes libertye to chose two Senatours of the nobilitye and excommunicated Paleologus He made warre against the Forolinians He bestowed great pryuiledges vpon the begging fryers and as he was taking his accustomed recreation with his chapleins as Carsulan testifyeth a certaine secrete disease came vppon him which after hee had sayd it panged him extreamlye he dyed Anno 128â— and yet the Phisicions coulde finde no token of death in him Some write that this Pope in the first yeare of his Popeship receyued into his familiarity the concubine of his predecessour Nicolas but to auoyde the like chaunce that
was by the kinges commaundement w t other mo impeached of treason finally arested in the ParliameÌ„t house to aunswere to his endightmeÌ„ts Whereunto after long pauze he aunswered clayming the priuiledge of the Church saying thus I am humble mynister of the holye Church c. and cannot neither ought to aunswere to such matters without the auctoritye of the bishop of Canterbury my directe iudge nexte vnder the Pope c. whereupon the other bishops stept vp and sued to the kinge for this their fellowe But when the king would not yeld the said bishops together w t the archbishops and the clergye comming with theyr crosses toke him away perforce chalenginge him to the Church wtout any other aunswere charging moreouer vnder the censure of terrible excommunication none to presume to laye any further handes vpon him And yet the kinge encouraged herewith commaunded lawe to passe vpon him and he being found gilty his goodes to be confiscate but yet the partye remayned safe vnder protection of the Archbishop of Canterbury This Pope lefte more abundance of treasure then euer any other did namely fiue and twenty thousand thousande Crownes in gould and yet but latelye before he ioyned in warre with Robert kinge of Apulia to defende Genua in which warre sayth Antonius Florentinus eyther syde spente as much treasure as woulde haue boughte a good kingdome 138. Benedict the xij BEnedict the xii borne in Tholos in profession a white fryer sath Paleonidorus called Iacob or Iames of Furne the sixtenth daye after the death of Iohn he was enstalled Pope This man sayth Marius was as vncurteous to the Emperour as euer was Pope Iohn he renued the curses against him he reft him of all regall dignitye by his sentence depriued him of the dukedome of Bauary The noble Emperour wente into Germany and called together behoulde his vertue and wysedome all the Princes electours Dukes Counties bishops and the best learned either in diuinitye or humanitye And in presence of them all with open and solemne proclamatioÌ„ he added and established his late confirmatioÌ„ with ould lawes and very wiselye proued that onelye the Princes electours no man els ought to medle w t the election of the king of the Romaynes so that he that had most voyces amonge them was to be accepted berely be it eyther king or Emperour which in effect are al one though in name they differ Because that he that is Emperour may take vpon him the gouernment beloÌ„ging to his estate without the confirmatioÌ„ of the Sea of Rome and he being lawfullye chosen ought after aduisemente giuen by the Princes to be annointed by the Pope Which if the Pope refused to do he might be proclaymed Emperour by any Catholick prelate as the vse hath long beene for these ceremonyes enioyed by the Pope are but imagined toyes and solemnityes deuised by the prelats of Rome who onely haue but the geuinge of the name not the thinge for a signe of vnitye and mutuall helpe and succoure betwene the Empire and the Church For the Emperour vowed to the Pope not an oath of alleageance and fealtye but of defendinge the Christian fayth for as much as the taking of this oath maketh not greater dignitye in temporall thinges Furthermore the Emperour shewed how that the estate being voide the righte thereof shoulde not belonge vnto the Pope and that to haue it so was against the libertye righte honour and maiestye of the Empire but by longe and allowable custome notwithstandinge the Clementine Canon and by decree vnmoueable hytherto kept bie his aâ—ncetours in the time the Empire is voyd the right of gouerning the Empire the bestowing of fealtyes and ordering of other affayres belongeth to the Palsgraue of Rhene Afterward for his owne defence he made proofe of his vpright and trusty dealing before them all plainlye confessed that he as a ChristiaÌ„ man ought to do did beleeue the Articles of Christian fayth euen as the Church taught and purged himselfe of all those accusatioÌ„s which Pope Iohn the xxiii and Benedict the xii had layed to his charge Thus did the godly Emperour of his owne good motion when as if he had not pitied the shedding ChristiaÌ„ bloude he might haue tryed the matter with the Pope by the dint of the sworde At the length Pope Benedict began to consider of the goodnes of this Emperour for wheÌ„ a certaine grudge happened betweene this Lewis Philip kinge of Fraunce by and by peace was made betwene the Emperour and the Pope And the Pope loued the Emperour so entirelye that he defended him against the Embassadours of the French king which euer spake sharpely against the Emperour stoutlye defended the Emperours innocencye So that it came to passe that the Pope was by them called defeÌ„der of an heretick whose words although Benedict for a while did much feare for they threatned to set vpon him with all their powers if he absolued the Emperour yet in the end he absolued him And commaunded to proclaime throughe Germanye that all the processes of Iohn what soeuer they were should voyde and of no effecte and that it did not become Pope Iohn thus to deale with the Emperour seinge their two functions as diuers testifyed openly that Lewis had in all thinges behaued himselfe as mighte best beseeme so noble Christian an Emperour Yet it is to be noted that the Pope did not this of hartye good will to the Emperour but vpon pollicye for wheÌ„ he perceyued the king of Fraunce within whose precinct he was then abyding dealt vnfreindlye with him he feared that if he should also haue the Emperour his enemye he should haue no succour left if the French kinge should go about to do him displeasure And for this cause Benedict thoughte it stode with his commoditye to haue the fauour of the Emperour hoping it would so fall out that he durst attempt nothing against the Pope Such from time to time hath bene the pollicy of these prelats to maintaine their estate But to returne to the purpose and leaue these words of Marius Pope Benedict auouched the iudgmeÌ„t of his predecessour against Lewis He appointed deputies in those townes of Italye that belong to the Empire and toke to himselfe from the Emperour the Senatourship of Rome He deuised that euery thing did belonge to the Court of Apostolicall peniteÌ„ciary He appointing subsidyes gathered houge sommes of money out of euery nation He first toke vpon him to vsurpe the presentments of all bishopricks prelatships and benefices He abridged vnlearned men of priesthoode He reformed manye sectes of monckes He commaunded that all his chapleins shoulde lye in one dormitorye together and should haue none other reuenues then for their diet and apparell He with a great somme of money bought for his carnall desire the sister of Frauncis Petrarcha a beutifull woman of her brother Gerard he denyed that the Pope had any kindred he published certaine actes as Leander testifyeth against the
one of the Cardinals moued withall sayd vnto him Most holy father it is time for you to take the cuppe drincke Whereby he fulfilled the ould sayings Asperius misero nihil est qui surgit in altū And againe Corde stat inflato pauper honore dato Claw a churle c. But greater vnkindnes hee shewed in the ende both vnto this duke Queene Iane his wyfe for by his meanes Otto was taken and murthered and Iane also committed to prison and therein miserablye strangled to death by one duke Charles who contrarye to his oath by procurement of this Vrban violentlye wrested from them that had broughte him vp y kingdome of Sicill with their liues for furtheraunce whereof Vrban sould the proprieties and lands of Churches and Monasteryes in Rome beside great store of siluer and golden challecies crosses images and such like monuments turned into wyne and giuen to Charles to the summe of fourescore Thousand Florēces to maintaine his warre against the foresaid Princes in recompence whereof Charles should bestowe vpon a cowardlye wretch Francis Butillus nephewe to Vrban the dukedomes of Capuan and Amalsitan and manye noble Earledomes in the kingdome of Sicil. Vrban being enstalled warned the clergye of their dutye hee charged all the bishops with periurye because they were not residēt lying in the Court of Rome and not in their bishoprickes sayth Theodericus of Nyem and seemed that he would purge his Court of idle parsōs He warned the Cardinals diuers times to take heede of simonye and to contente themselues with their porcions he commaunded them to ryde wyth fewer horses that quoth he we maye euen from our hartes be a paterne to the people and quoth he as touchinge that ye speake of returninge into Fraunce ye knowe that I will continue still in Rome Then viii of them being Frenchmen wente first to Anagnia and afterwarde to Fundum because they feared his seueritye where they conspiring among themselues affirming that he was not true Pope but violently thrust in by the Romaynes they chose to themselues another Pope the xx day of Septēber called Clement the seuenth whervpon arose a sciesme which was more perillous and lasted longer then euer did anye for it lasted almost xl yeares Theodoricus sayth lib. 1. cap. 11. that Clemēt being chosen manye prelats offieials courtiers did on al sides flye to him frō Vrbā so that he was left alone almost as for those y taryed w t him or resorted to him in hope of preferment or about any suetes yet they misdoubted the estate therof and murmured dailye still doubting what to do which when Vrban sawe he wept bitterlye repenting his roughe regimente the cause of all and to salue his sore and to allure the fauoure of men for his owne strength hee made xxvi newe Cardinals out of al sort of men and gaue other offices and lyuinges franckly by meanes wherof many begā to repayre to him from diuers places hoping to speede wel in being partakers with him in this diuision Theodoricus in the 33. Chapter of his first booke reporteth that Francis Butillus nephewe to this Pope Vrban did rauishe a virgin being a Nunne in Naples keeping her perforce certaine dayes in his lodging but what marueile is it sayth he seinge the filthye will still be filthye for he was euer giuen to glotony leachery slouth and royat And yet the Pope woulde not rebuke his nephewe for this villanye but beinge told thereof and of his licentious life he vsed to aunsweare Tushe he is a yong man And yet saith Theodoricus Butillus was at this time fourty yeres old But vpon this fact there was a great murmuring among the people saying the like prancke was neuer played before in Naples And yet the Pope did not onely defende his nephewe being for it condempned to death by the kinge but also with crackes threates made the king glad to bestow a noble virgin of his owne bloud vpon the sayd Butillus threscore and tenne thousande Florences yearely with the castle of Luceria This Pope Vrban as Stella sayth was a crafty man one that would remember an iniurye and seke to reuenge Crantzius sayth he was a churlishe cruell and vnmerciful man who taking vpon him the Popedome soughte not to make peace as he should haue done amonge Christians but rather bent himselfe to reuēge the iniuries of his Cardinals and of Iane Queene of Sicill and therefore to make the Florentines to take his part he absolued them from the excommunication of Pope Gregorie and sent Iohn Hawcuth an Englishmā captaine of them against the Queene Furthermore he being of nature giuen to wrāgling strife cruelty creating certaine new Cardinals at Nuceria he cast vii of the old Cardinals into prison because they had cōspired with Clement the seuenth against him and fiue of those vii he layde vpon great stones and in despite of Clement drowned them which kinde of death also one Adam an Englishman being a Cardinal did hardly escape at the same time And of those newe Cardinals being xxix they were all Neapolitans and his cosens sauing three This Pope proclaymed warre against Charles of Hūgary king of Naples because he woulde not make a nephewe of his Prince of Campania he gouerned the Church with all tyrannye that might be and to shewe his rigorous rage more openlye thus wryteth his friende Platina of him Vrban sayth he being deliuered from the terrour of Fraunce gone to Naples desireth the king to make his nephew king of Campania which whē he could not obtaine this fellow vnder pretēce of a iust and honest man being one whom no man neither loued nor liked began forthwith to threat and crake the king whereby he so offended the kinge that for a while he commited him to the charge of certaine parsons and suffered him not to come abroade But the Pope dissembling his malice for the time departing with the kings good will to Nuceria because of the heate of the weather as he fayned and fortifying the Citye sufficientlye he doth both make newe Cardinals and imprysoneth seuen of the olde because as he sayde they had conspired with the king and Pope Clement against him Furthermore he sente out a processe against the king and a citacion accordinge to the custome the kinge aunsweared that he would shortlye come to Nuceria and aunsweare his accusations both by word and by sword So he came to Nuceria with a greate army and besieged the Citye Ramond Balsian being moued with this discurtesye beinge Prince of Tarent presuming of his power and conueying Vrban w t all his Court to the next shoore he put them into three Galleyes of Genewaies prouided for that purpose wherby while the Pope is transported to Genua he drowned fiue Cardinals fastened to rockes of those seuen which he toke at Nuceria Furthermore in the yere after the death of Charles he passed to Ferentine to see Naples as he sayde but in deede of this minde to depriue
to his charge to plong the Cardinal the mere But as for me sayth Theodoricus I could abide this wofull sight no longer and therefore dissembling my selfe to be sicke I gat leaue to departe And in like maner was the other Cardinals vsed afterward Finally VrbaÌ„ remouing from Naples commauÌ„ded that these Cardinals and their fellow prisoner the bishop of Aquilo should followe him and ride next after him assigninge to euerye one his garde to keepe them that they should not escape by the waye But the bishop partly because he roade vpon a iade partly because his bodye was yet after his racking so sore and feeble that he was not able to endure faste riding but as the Pope galloped he came lagging after as fast as he might And yet the Pope thinking that helingred to haue stollen awaye in a greate rage commaunded his villaines to kil him and so they slew him mangling him with many woundes and left his dead carkasse vnburied in the waye Afterward at the sute of king Richard of England Pope Vrban did partly release to the custody of a certaine priest one of the Cardinals called Adam Cardinal of Sicil but he toke from him all that euer he had and left him in case of a vagabounde till Boniface his successour restored him But as for the other fiue he kept miserablye in prison in an abbey in a towne of Ianua being next to the Church where he laye and if that he saw any man resort to that Church at extraordinary howers he thought that he resorted thether to deliuer the Cardinals by stealth and therefore he committed to prison tormeÌ„ted many of his owne Court onlye vpon suspition therof And notwithstaÌ„ding the duke citizeÌ„s of Ianua sued for those prisoners yet he wold neuer shew them any mercy but in the end caused them to be put to death as some saye beheaded other saye drowned but how so euer it were sure it is they perished Furthermore Charles king of Sicil being at variaunce with Vrban and hauing his nephew FrauÌ„cis prisoner dyed at length Then came Margaret the wyfe of the said Charles humbly suing to Vrban to be gracious to her and to her children and to graunt that her husbands body might be buryed in which sute manye nobles of Florence and other Cityes ioyned w t her and yet his hard hart woulde nothing pittye her sute nor grauÌ„t her so much as a graue for the king her husbaÌ„d thoughe she had freely released his nephewe to him yet he added processe to processe and heaped condemnation vpon condemnation against her and her poore children because he did from his harte detest the name of the saide Charles Thus reporteth Theodoricus word for word as he is alledged whoe beinge Secretarye to Pope Vrban wrote that which he sawe with a sorrowfull hart The cause whye that the Pope did dispatche those Cardinals was this he was sodenlye forced to remoue from one place to another and therefore thinking that those Cardinals if he shoulde carye them with him would hinder and comber him on the one side on the other side he was loath to leaue them behind least they should escape and therfore flying from Nuceria to Ienua as is sayd it is thought that by the way he tyed them fast to the rockes so lefâ— them to be drowned It is sayd that this yeare one Bertholdus Swart or otherwise Schuuartz an Alchymist and a monke in the North parte of Germanye deuised first and contryued Gunnes to the spoyle of mankinde 144. Clement the 7. CLement the seuenth was a Frenchman and by byrth Earle of Gebenny called in time past Robert he being first a Cardinal was made Pope by the Cardinals These Cardinals after the third month of the election of Vrban perceyuinge bowe he was giuen to tyrannye and that he would not returne into Fraunce they stale away fledde from Rome to Fundus But first they besoughte him to giue them lycence with his fauoure to go to Anagnia to chaunge the ayre for the Sommer time but they fearinge his melancholy mode and franticke fits went away These Cardinals were gotten together Iohn Preuestin VVilliam of S. Steuens in Coeli hill Bertrandus of S. Cicill Robert aforesaide Hugh of the 4. holye Crownes Gui of the holye Crosse in Hierusalem Iohn of S. Marcellus Peter of S. Laurencis in Lucine Gerard of S. Clements Peter of S. Eustace VVilliam of S. Angell Peter of S. Maryes immaculate and Peter of S. Maryes of Cosmidin These sayth Platina did pilfer out the treasure of the Church at the death of the Pope and did euerye thinge as liked them best Who as sone as they fled to Fundus rayled vpon Vrban as an vsurper of the Popedome saying that he was creat perforce and perforce receyued the Crowne of the Pope ship because that election was made for feare in a place of great daunger in the which men ought to haue had libertye to do and speake their minds francke free and yet they were compelled by the people contrarywise to chuse rather an Italian then a Frenchman For these causes they saide the seate being voyde and Iane Queene of Sicill fauouring their purpose they choose the foresaid Robert to be Pope and called him Clement the seuenth Because sayth Theodoricus they knew him to be ambitious nedye and yet very prodigall of a large coÌ„science but of noble birth well be frended and of great power hauing a strong troupe wayting vpon him whereby sayth he lib. 1. cap. 10. it may be iudged that this election proceded not of the holye ghost nor of good consciences Herevpon arose a greate discorde amonge Christian Churches while some Princes fauoured Pope Vrban some fauoured Pope Clement and some there were that medled with neyther of them and they were called neuters Clement goinge to Auenio was worshipped of the Spaniards Frenchmen who did welcom him thether He continued fiftene yeares making diuers lawes whom beside the French king the kinge of Aragon of Castile Nauar obeyed In the meane time a councell was held at Paris to take vp the strife for the Popedome which councell yelded to Clement as Tillius wryteth In his time aboute the yeare 1387. arose a controuersy betweene the students of Paris and the dominick fryers concerning the conception of the virgin Mary Pope Clement dyed Anno 1392. being buried at Auenio These two Popes scattered about the world in diuers quarters their terrible and fearefull bulles and spread abrode rayling bookes full of infamye and defacing backbytinge and excommunicating one another callinge each other w t sharpe despite and bitter reproche Antichriste scismatick heretick tyrant theefe traytour vniust wicâ—ed sower of darnel in Gods Haruest and the cursed sonne of Beliall Iohn of Lignia doctour of both Lawes set out a booke in the behalfe of Vrban and the abbot of S. Vedast councellour to the French kinge did publishe another for ClemeÌ„t against Vrban Amonge other broyles wrought betweene these 2. fyrebrands
Pope that bare such rough sway ouer the Romaynes sayth Crantzius He had no learning but coueted to encrease the pompe of his estate and therfore deuised a lawe whereby he purloyned the soueraintye of the world that is that it should not be lawfull for anye of the clergye to enter on a benefice which he shoulde obtaine vnlesse he payed the first fruites to the Apostolicall excheaker or the Popes Chamber He put downe the Banderesians a noble estate amonge the Romaynes also he compelled the Romaynes by a cruell lawe to fetch home their forreine Senatour Malatesta of Pisauria He strengthened the Citye for his owne purpose with fortresses and bulwarkes but making warres with the Uicountes he loste Bononie He caused Ladislaus a yong gentleman sonne to Charles king of Naples to be Crowned kinge in his fathers Realme by the Cardinall of Florence whereupon Sigismunde kinge of Hungary thinkinge himselfe greatlye iniuried greate warres ensued to the myserable slaughter of Thousands burning and spoyling of Cittyes townes monasteryes castels in Hungarye So great a thing it is to dispossesse a kinge Boniface also canonized S. Brigit borne in Sweueland He gaue to his cosens and kinred the aduauntage and commoditye of the Iubelye He offended and sinned much in parcialitye and because he subscribed graūted certaine abhominable indulgences and pardōs he ran into great infamye He kept the Iubelye at Rome Anno 1400. where manye straungers were robbed and greate Ladyes rauished by the pezantes of the Popes court Finallye Anno 1404. he dyed of the collicke and stone The Summer before that Boniface dyed there happened horrible tempestes boisterous winds hayle thonder lightninges And in the night a certaine house new builded by Boniface of square stone very costlye wherein for the time he vsed to blesse the people had the roofe of it blowen downe by the violence of the storme and the timber hurled to the earth Also the strong pinacles of Angell castle were throwne to the grounde with much other mischiefe and ruine Also another night appeared such terrible and vehements lightning and thonder all night long that all men beinge in a desperate feare thought surely the Citye woulde haue beene ouerwhelmed withal Another time also there was in Rome an earthquake which though it did no hurt yet it amazed al men Theodoricus lib. 2. cap. 33. This Pope rooted out a superstitious sect called Albes and burnt a priest of them who came with a great traine of that sect both men and women downe from the Alpes into Italy for Boniface seing him come thus with his companye all in white for that which cause they were called Albes was afraid as some write least his Popeship should be taken from him by the said priest But some sayth Platina say that the man did purpose no harme but that the Pope did imagine this to put away the rumour that went how the priest was for spite and mallice taken and put to death 146. Benedict the xiij BEnedict the xiii was a Catalan borne and called Peter of the Moone this mā euen in the time of the sciesme duringe was chosen Pope to succede Clement by those Cardinals which continued at Auenio This fellow while he was but Peter of the Moone not Benedict Pope of Rome did dispute against the auctoritye of the Pope and of his clergye and said that it was not to be feared and for this his true saying notwithstāding he became Pope yet afterward he was and is still condemned by his successours for an hereticke While he was but Cardinall being sente by Pope Clement Embassadour to Paris and other places he vsed often to boast that if he might be chosen to succede Clement he would spare no meanes to procure that this longe sciesme mighte cease And therefore the Cardinals abused with his great protestations did chose him in deede to succeede the other but before the election they sware all and he among them that whosoeuer shoulde be chosen Pope should be cōtent at any time to resigne giue it vp againe if the Cardinals thinkinge it meete would require it But afterward whē it came to tryal he defying his oath would not yeld one iote no though the Cardinals diuers Princes did exhorte him to it and chargde him with his oath and councels conclude against him that he was no Pope But certaine estates of Fraunce moued with his troublesome obstinacy did set vpon him by force of armes toke him priner and kepte him so three yeares and yet could not make him giue ouer but that he would first dye ere he would deminishe his dignitye so that they being wearye of him deliuered him againe at the end of the three yeares By his lawes it appeareth that being Pope he woulde that euen the wronge sentence of condemnation vttered by him and his sonnes shoulde be feared Hee abode in his place sayth Crantzius till the time of the councell of Constance and he swarued much in the auctorizinge of it finally he began to be hardned being cast of in that coūcell He continued in his obstinacye with his Cardinals who also after his death endeuoured to continue and maintaine this strife by putting vp another to be Pope but they were forbidden Amonge other thinges this Pope gaue to the kinge of Fraunce Charles the vi the tenthes of the Church partly to hyre the kinge to maintaine him in his quarel partly that he might take part of this great lucre and sayth Theodoricus he sawe it stoode him vpon He at length followed Boniface his practise in bestowing benefices geuing dispensatiōs tolleratiōs exemptiōs totquots pardōs and such like enormityes according to the saying If thou sawest a theefe run thou did dest run vvith him This he did to allure men from the obedience of Boniface to himselfe the better to maintaine his quarrel against him Whē this Pope Benedict abode plāted himselfe stronglye in his countrye and auouched that he himselfe was the true vicar of Christe he was shamefullye reproued by the auctoritye of the said general councell And yet he sommoned and helde a Synode in Perpinian and created manye Cardinals At the length he dyinge at Paeniscula Anno 1424. commaunded these his Cardinals to choose another in his steede forthwith and they forthwith choose Giles Munyos canon of Barchynony calling him Clement the eight who out of hand at the motion of kinge Olphonsus did both create newe Cardinals and toke vppon him to do those thinges that appertayned to the Pope But when Pope Martin the fift came in fauoure with kinge Olphōsus this Giles at his commaundement yelded vppe all the righte and estate of the Popedome being appointed bishop of Maiory and in like maner they whom hee had made Cardinals did likewyse giue ouer their Cardinalship 147. Innocent the seuenth INnocent the seuenth was borne at Sulmo called Cosmarus of Peruse he being Cardinal of the holy Crosse while all Italye was in an vprore he was made Pope to
councels auctority should be takeÌ„ to be aboue the Popes he made this decree concerning councels that none shoulde be sommoned againe till fiue yeares were expired and then from that time it should be continued for ten yeares and so from ten yeares to ten yeares the generall councell should be kept Therfore Pope Martin hauing speÌ„t in his iourneing as is said two yeares after he had beene much desired longed for he came to Rome and repayred the Citye in outwarde buildinges and Popishe traditions He demauÌ„ded the Church inheritaunce w t cruell warre He established Lewis sonne to Alouicius in the kingdome of Naples deposed AlphoÌ„sus Arrogan he appeased certaine sciesmes in the Church he caused the Germaynes to warre vpon the Bohemians for heresye as they call it He hyred VValdenus an Englishe Cardinall to write against those that defended the doctrine of Husse VVickliffe He made more Cardinals and coÌ„demned all those decrees which the Popes had made in the time of the sciesme He had a nephewe as they call theyr sonnes called Prosperus Columna and caused him to succede him in his Cardinalship of S. George He published a certaine forme for bargeninge byinge and selling He heaped vp store of treasure he entring into Rome and finding it all ruinous did repayre not onely the houses streates and Churches but the walles also with greate sumptuous cost and gorgeous worke diuerslye Beside he bestowed much cost vpon Churches and cloysters and repayred olde ruinous houses dedicated to the xii Apostles He held two Sinodes one at Sene and another at Papia confirmed by his decree that the next councel after ten yeares should be held at Basill Finallye he dyed of the falling sicknes at Rome Anno 1431. and was buryed in a brasâ—n tombe in Lateran 152. Eugenius the fourth EVgenius the fourth was a Venetian borne and a Coelestinian canon called before Gabriel Condelmerius his fathers name was Angel He being a Cardinal gatte the Popedome by this meanes as Platina sayth For wheÌ„ Gregorie the xii a Venetian was made Pope his nephew Antony Corrarius a canon of the order of Coelestines goinge to Rome toke this Gabriel with him being of the same profession Whom Gregorie lyking wel did first make his treasurer and afterward bishop of Sene and made Antonye prelate to the Bononians Afterward he mistrustinge his estate and departing from Rome to Luca minding to augmente the nomber of Cardinals he made both his nephewes Cardinals For first Pope Gregorie and afterwarde Pope Martin were much ruled by the councell of Gabriel especially in embassages whereby he succedinge them did trouble al the world Certaine cauiling parsoÌ„s were very busye about him to put into his head that Pope Martin his predecessour being a great hourder vp of treasure had lefte greate aboundance thereof whereby they brought him to this point that he coÌ„mauÌ„ded that his kinsmen frendes and vicechauncelour shoulde be taken and their goodes be confiscat Hereupon the Romaines mindfull of their libertyes raysed a maine crye and put themselues in armour and dryuing oute all the magistrates of Eugenius and taking Frauncis Candelmerius his nephew prisoner they choose newe officers whereof vii were Citizens of Rome whom they called gouernours who had power of life and death In the meane time Eugenius amazed in this sturre deuised to runne awaye And therefore disguising himselfe in his apparell and puttinge on a monkes weede he entring into a fisher boote with one Arcenius a certaine monke beguiled his keepers and was transported to Hostia But the Romaynes vnderstanding therof did pursue him with arrowes and stoanes But he gat from thence to Pisa and from thence to Florence hauinge his galleyes readye for the purpose where he dwellinge for the space of certaine yeares made xvi Cardinals Afterwarde he wente to Bononia and there builded certaine sumptuous houses He refused to come to the councell at Basil Anno. 1432. because it was sayd that a councell was aboue the Pope and againe because he being cited should haue bene called to aunsweare such faultes as were layed against him And therefore he was deposed and condemned for an heretick and Amadeus Duke of Sabaudia and an heremite was placed in his steede In this councell were condemned they that kept concubines and walkers in the Church in seruice time Also the communion was allowed vnder both kindes in the xxx session They that were cosins to the Pope or Cardinals were depryued from being Cardinals The feast of our Ladyes coÌ„ception as they terme it was then decreed But Pope Eugenius to ouerthrowe this councell of Basill did summon another at Ferrara and afterward at Florence There were at Florence the Embassadours of the Gretians Aethiopians Asians Armenians Indians Danes other Legates oute of the East who did there giue their coÌ„sent to many thinges of the Popes religion because they were as Stella saith al maintayned vpon the Popes charge But the Legates being returned home especiallye the Danes were not allowed of their countrye for that wherein they had yelded to the Pope as the chronicles of Polonia do testifye It is worthye here to be mentioned what a myserable destruction fell vpon Ladislaus kinge of Hungary Pope Eugenius compelled this king being a yong maÌ„ to breake his oath and not kepe the league which he had sworne vnto Amurithes the great Turke But while this yonge Prince Ladislaus beinge xxii yeares old doth vnwarelye seeke to obeye the Pope as his most holye father hee was worthelye plagued by Amurithes For while Amurithes bringing an houge host warred vpoÌ„ him he hauing his armye slaine at the length being beguiled by Eugenius was also slaine They saye that this Pope Eugenius was maruelouslye delighted in warres and that he being moued with great grudge did sturre vp Lewis the Dolphin of FrauÌ„ce sonne to Charles the vii against the Basilians Whereof greate mischiefe ensued And afterward wheÌ„ he came to Rome he bestowed many thinges on the Citye as buildings and reparations with diuers superstitious woorkes to the enriching and pleasuring of monkes fryers and such like He first tormented cruellye Thomas Redonensis VVilliam Estonteuill and afterward did burne them most terriblye for Thomas said that there were many abhominations in Rome and that the Church had neede of great reformation Furthermore he sayd that the Popes curse for the quarel of Christe is not to be feared This Eugenius canonized one Cyril that wrote many fantasticall visions vnder the name of Reuelations Touching the foresaide Thomas Ilâ—iricus sayth thus in his Catalog Thomas Redonius a white fryer borne in Fraunce in the Dukedome of Britaine was a famous preacher flourishing sayth Antonius Anno 1430. He in his preaching tought through FrauÌ„ce Italy that great abhominatioÌ„s was vsed in Rome that the Church wanted greate reformation and that the prelates forsakinge their pompe and royat oughte to liue more modestlye according to the example of Christe and his Apostles and that the Popes vniust curses are
place He bestowed great cost vpon buildinges both of the towne walles Churches Pallaces Castels Concerning his building Platina saith he began to fortifye with stronge walles the gates and towers of the Citye the Capitoll and Angell Castell He builded sumptuouslye magnificentlye both in the towne and at Vatican as in the towne the Popes house also hee repayred the house of S. Steuen in Celius hill He raysed euen from the ground S. Theodors Church He couered w t lead an olde Church in Rome called Panthion He transported the Popes house in Vatican brought it to a statelye fourme He began to laye the walles of Vatican wyth greater foundation He restored Right bridge and builded a greate and large house beside Viâ—erby bathes He ayded diuers with money that builded in the Cittye And at his commaundement almost all the streates in the Citye were strowed There are yet remayninge certaine Uessels of gould and of siluer crosses beset with Pearles precious stones certaine priestes roabes gorgeouslye decked w t golden owches and pearles also certaine coueringes hanginges wouen of gould and siluer beside a certaine pontificall Miter which remaine as monumentes of his plentiful pompe and magnificencye c. Finallye he being troubled with an agewe and the goute dyed Anno 1455. 155. Calixtus the third CAlixtus the third a Spaniarde borne in Valentia called first Alphonsus Borgia his father was called Iohn and his mother Frauncis Pope Nicolas being dead this Alphonsus being an old impotent man was chosen in his steede This Pope as wryters do testifye of him was very â—unning in the Popes canon lawe but whollye ignoraunt in the Scripture as it appeareth by his deedes He was first Secretarye to Alphonsus king of Aragon and made bishop of Valentia by Pope Martin the fift and Cardinal by Eugenius the fourth As sone as he was Pope he forthwith prouided and addicted himselfe not to preache to nations but to followe warres against the Turke proclayming it oute of hande as he had vowed before And to further this purpose he sent out a rable of fryers with bulles and pardons to encourage the Christian nations against the Turke Among these Iohannes Capistranus and Robartus Licius were of moste renowne being both minorite fryers and notorious hypocrites who to drawe the more fishe to their net and to the greater filling of their purses vsed many shameful shiftes deluding men with dissembled and counterfaite holines Letanies penaunce fasting false merites shryuings reliques images crosses songes canticles notes ringing of belles singing cakes The Pope also for his part was busye to sturre vp all Princes by his letters to take the quarell in hand as a matter very nedefull and godlye Also he commaunded the priestes euerye daye at noone to ringe the sacringe bell and at night with an Aue Maria that saith Stella they might by this holye prayer helpe them that foughte against the Turke Certaine sillye countrymen seing this folly in the Pope laughed thereat whereupon the Pope caused them to be hanged for it He decreed that no man should appeale from the Pope to a generall councell He suffered his nephewes and bastards to liue licenciouslye He poured out sayth Valerius his letters of pardon in pure fashion wheâ—by selling them then for fiue ducates which now are sould for cryfles he left to his successour in treasure an hundred millâ—ns fiftene thousande ducates At the length he dyed for age Anno 1458. and was buryed in Peters Pallaice or the rounde Church 156. Pius the second PIus the second borne in Hetruria called first AEneas Picothomineus hauing his breast boyling long with ambition did at length obtaine the Papacye He of a poore boye became so worthy a man as all wryters do testifye of him that amonge the learned Popes he was the best learned and most diligente writer In the councell of Basil he was the Popesscribe and did with his Epistles and orations stande against the auctoritye of Eugenius Afterward he was made Poet Lawreat of the Emperour Frederick the third and being called to attende in his Court his first promotion was that he was made councellour and Secretarye Afterward he being sente Embassadour to diuers Princes was first made bishop of Tergest by Pope Nicolas then of Scene and finally Cardinall by Pope Calixtus In the end he attayning to the Papacye did as his elders he begaÌ„ to proclaime the warres agaiÌ„st the Turke but he dyed ere he could proceede in his purpose He sought still to enlarge the dominion of the Church for the which sayth Stella it appeared that he feared neither kinge nor prince nor duke If anye man offended him he would sore molest him with warre and taxes till he made him satisfaction And therefore he was an heauye ennemye to king Lewis the xi of Fraunce because he went about to abridge the licentious libertye of the clergye in his Realme He warred vppon Borsius duke of Mutina because he did fauour Sigismond Malaâ—esta and the estate of FrauÌ„ce against Frederick for he set Ferdinandus bastarde of king Alphonsus in the kingdome of Naples violentlye with auctoritye and men of armes against Iohn of Angewe sonne of kinge Renatus He cursed Sigismond duke of Austria euen to the pitte of hell because he bridled the polling of Cardinal Cusan furthermore he did euen as an angry Uiper sayth VVolphamus VVissemburgius spit out the poyson of his curse vpoÌ„ his Embassadour George Haimburg a worthye lawyer and did so persecute him with his thondringe letters that he was faine to flye into Bohemia and liue there He chased Deitherus Archebishop of Maguntia like a madde man out of his diocesse and planted another in his steede wherevpon great discorde arose betweene Frederick the Palatine and duke of VVittenburg with other in Germanye by meanes wherof ensued great slaughter and bloudshed and the City of Mentz being before a free Citye lost his freedome then The cause of the Popes displeasure against Deitherus was first because that Deitherus woulde not consente that the Pope shoulde charge his countrye with certaine great taxes tallenges secondly because that he would not be bounde vnto the Pope that he beinge Prince Electour should not as the Pope required withoute his lycence call the other Electours together Thirdly because he would not suffer the Popes Legate to call together the clergye within the diocesse of Mentz as the Legate listed but as he being bishop thoughte best For these causes the Pope disquieted both him and Germany Also he remoued the Archbishop of Beneuent for making newe orders against his will He commaunded George kinge of Bohemia to aunsweare vpon an appointed day touching his fayth vpoÌ„ perill of leâ—sing his kingdome because he fauoured the opinioÌ„s of Husse He deposed many bishops for his owne lucre He subdued many townes of Campania and encreased maruelouslye the reuenues of the Church He was verye beneficiall to his frendes kindred He caused an head to be translated from Peloponesus
fault vvherof he vvas mistrusted De Clemente quod est coÌ„scriptum carmine crimen Id verum aut fallum protinus esse scio Si verum est verenam possum dicere mundi Vrna breuis vitium claudit omne scelus Si falsum est vere iam possum scribere mundi Dux pax lux paruo contegitur tumulo Et falsum esse reor Quis enim coÌ„mittere summum Pontificem Rome talia monstra putet Iohn Tillius sayth in his Chronicle that this Pope beinge taken prysoner by the Emperours armye as shal be at large declared was redeemed for fourtye Thousande FloreÌ„ces Also of this Clement it is reported in a certaine Commentarye vpon the articles of the maisters of Paris that he was one that practised poysoninges a murderer a baude an vncleane liuer and that in such sort as for offending of chast eares is not to be named Also he is charged there with simonye adulterye rauishing of women periurye coniuring and to be a Church robber fraught with al kinde of villâ—uye and therfore a certaine Poet wrote thus of him Clementi nomen dedit inclementia fati Bellorum hic fomes cunctorum Lerna malorum Valerius Anselmus wryting of this ClemeÌ„t sayth thus ClemeÌ„t being of a dissembling wit in the last yeare of his Papacye repayred to the French king at Massilia where they two agreed so together that the king toke Katherine nice vnto this Pope Clement at his motion with a great dowrye of Ecclesiasticall dignityes and maryed her vnto his second sonne Henry duke of Orleans This the Pope wrought to arme him selfe the stroÌ„ger against the Lutheranes whose bloud he hunted after But in SepteÌ„ber he and other of his Cardinals and familiaritye were preuented by the straunge poyson of a charmed Taper c. Clement in making this mariage would first haue had the saide Katherine bestowed on the Frenche kinges eldest sonne if it could haue bin But it came to the same effecte in the ende for soone after the eldest sonne dyed and then her husbande Henry duke of Orleans was nexte heire and kinge of Fraunce and by this meanes the Popes nyce according to the desire of her vncle became Queene of FrauÌ„ce being the same woman that yet lyueth in Fraunce in these bloudye dayes being mother to Charles that now is king For this her aduauncement she hath shewed herselfe verye thanckfull vnto Italye and vnto the Court of Rome both in plantinge Italians in diuers greate offices in the Realme of Fraunce and also fortifyinge the Popes auctoritye to the vttermost of her power with greater beneuolence to her owne countrye Italye then is thoughte profitable to the countrye of Fraunce Iohannes Baptista Folengius in his CoÌ„mentarye vpon the 105. Psalme hath these woords For it is reported that in our dayes Pope Clement the seuenth dyed of that most lothsome and filthye disease called morbus pedicularis that is to be eaten wyth lyce some say that he was poysoned He was a mortall creature and therefore subiect to infinite miseryes and diseases as other men are c. Clement being dead this Epitaphe was made on him whereby it appeareth how the world iudged of his life Clementem eripuit nobis clementia fati Humanum toto gaudeat orbe genus Hic est qui fuerat iam dedecus vrbis orbis Et fuit aetatis magna ruina suae Hic est si nescis qui iam tibi Roma parauit Excidium pestem funera bella famem Hic est per quem tot prostrant in vrbe puellae Per quem pulsus honos virgineumque decus Hic est qui molles euexit ad astra cinaedos Formosum à tergo munere iuuet Hylam Hic est qui fuerat viuens infamia mundi Imperij labes spurcitiesque sui Contemptor diuûm scelerum vir publicus hostis Perfidus ingratus raptor iniquus atrox Exosus vitam morbo tenuatus amaro Stabat Paeonia non reuocandus ope Mortem implorabat nec mortem fata sinebant Gaudebant longa sed cruciare mora Hic vidit mortis centum tormenta futurae Poena tamen mortis non fuit aequa suae Ex ista tandem migrauit luce tyrannus Quo nullus toto peior in orbe fuit ¶ Pasquil to Rome Roma vale vide satis est vidisse reuertar Quum leno aut meretrix scurra cinaedus ero Under this Clement Nicolas Machiauel Secretarye of Florence and a famous Historiographer did flourishe who in the first booke of his historye of Florence sayth that for the most part the mischiefes that happeÌ„ amonge the Christians proceede of the ambition of the Popes And that before the time of Theodoricus kinge of Lombardes that is till about the yeare of our Lorde 500 they were euer subiecte to kinges in ciuill matters But sayth he they encroached by little and little the ciuil iurisdiction and finallye do vsurpe Lordship euen aboue the verye Emperours They haue growen to this height as he sheweth by three meanes by excommunicating by geuing pardoÌ„s by the sword Furthermore in his discourses vpon the fift decade of Liue Cap. xii he sheweth the contempte of Religion is cause of the ouerthrow of al common wealthes namelye that the occasion both of discorde and euill successe in Christendome is because that Religion is contemned whereof there can be no greater coniecture saith he then that those people which are nearest to the Church of Rome the heade of our Religion haue least Religion And he that by experience would know the truth of this matter if he were of sufficient power and auctoritye to transport the Court of Rome into Zwitzerland where onelye at this daye the people do liue both according to Religion warlicke sort of antiquitye he should perceiue that the detestable demeanour of the Popes Courte would cause more disorder in the countrey then any chaunce els that mighte happen at anye time c. 166. Paule the thirde PAule the third borne in Rome was first called Alexander Farnesius He bâ—inge a Cardinall and bisshop of Hostia and a man almost spent in yeeres was chosen to succede Clement and yet he raigned fiftene yeeres Valerius writing of him saith This holy man did his endeuour accordinge to the custome of his auncestours to aduaunce his children and to suppresse Luther and his adherentes He was very conning in astrologie southsaying and coniuring by meanes wherof being a young man he did manye strange feates He caused his owne sister to yelde her selfe concubine vnto Pope Alexander the sixte that hee might therby obtaine the red hatte But in his Papacie beinge an aged man he deuised a newe profession of religious men He purposing to reforme the estate of the church of Rome sommoned a generall councell at Mantua but to no purpose and likewise in the later Tridentine councell he could not preuaile Valerius Anselmus Paulus Vergerius Iohn Sleidan and other late writers do report these thinges that follow of him It were to long to