p. ibid. What Vnity Christendome may hope for p. 194 Of Vnity of Charity p. 196 Of Vnity of Authority p. 199 Of Necessity pressing to Vnity p. 206 Upon what ground the Pope suffereth Iewes and Graecians in Italy p. 216 Of the Iewes Religion and vsage p. 222 Of their Conversion in Italy p. 227 Of the Greeke Church and their Religion p. 233 Of their Liturgies p. 238 Of their Gouernment p. 240 Of their Liues and of the Muscovites p. 242 The Conclusion touching only the Churches Reformed p. 247 THese Heads onely were not collected in the Authours Copy but done for the ease and better benefite of the Reader And if any neuerthelesse shall find any ambiguity or obscurity in the ensuing Worke let them know that the Authours originall was not in all places precisely printed with comma's colons semicolons and periods the Transscriber followed punctually the Authour And for Typographicall errata as few or no Bookes scape without some The Publisher hereof hath collected the most materiall to be amended as followeth A VIEW OR SVRVEY OF THE STATE OF RELIGION IN THE WESTERNE PARTS OF THE WORLD ANNO 1599. TO THE MOST REVEREND FATHER IN CHRIST IOHN WHITGIFT ARCH B OF CANTERBVRY MY singular good Lord. Having finished now almost my entended course of traveil drawing withall towards the expitation of the time praefined thereto comming to cast uppe as it vvere the short accompts of my labours employed chiefly as was fâ—oÌ„ the first my principall dessein in viewing the STATE OF RELIGION in these Westerne parts of the World and the devided Factions and Professions thereof with their differences in matter of Faith in â—â—e Exâ—rcises of Religion in Government ecclâ—siastâ—call and in Life and conversation what vertues in each kind eminent what eminent defects moreover in what termes of opposition or correspondence each stands with other what probabilities what policies what hopes what jealousies are found in each part for the advaâ—ncing thereof and finally what possibilitie and good meanes of uniting at leastwise the seuerall braunches of the Reformed professours if unitie universall bee more to be desired than hoped in such bitterness of minds and aequalitie of forces as leaveth on neither side either disposition to yield or doubt to bee vanquished In the midst of these thoughts the great place which your Grace holdeth in our Church and Common-wealth next under her Maiestie did advise me in dutie as great worthinesse joyned with favour towards my selfe in particular did presse me in humble and serviceable affection to yield unto your Grace some accompt of those my traveils in that kind not entending to deliver a full report of all those poincts which would too much exceed the proportion of any Letter to write and perhaps of your Graces leasure also to read but restraining my selfe chiefly to such parts and places as may seeme most necessarie for our Countrie to be knowne and giue your Grace also in likelyhood most content in recognizing them THE Romane Religion which of all other Christian I suppose to haue most manifoldly declined and degenerated from the truth and puritie of that divine Original once so well published and placed amongst them as having in those middle times when there were none to controll them light into the hands and handling of such men as made their greatnesse wealth and honour the very rules whereby to square out the Canons of Faith and then set Clerks on worke to devise arguments to uphold them seemes notwithstanding at this day not so corrupt in the very doctrine as in Schooles they deliver it and publish it in their writings where manifold opposition doth hold them in awe and hath caused them to refine it as it is in the the practise thereof and in their usage among themselues wherein they are as grosse in a manner as ever so that sundry whom the reading of their bookes hath allured the view of their Churches hath averted from their partie For to omit the endlesse multitude of Superstitions and Leremonies enough to take up a great part of a mans life to gaze on and to peruse being neither uniforme in all places as some would pretend but different in diuers Countries an huge sort of them are so childish also and unsavory that as they argue great sillinesse and rawnesse in their inventours so can they naturally bring no other than disgrace and contempt to those exercises of Religion wherein they are stirring And to restraine my selfe in this part especially to Italy where the Roman Religion doth principally flourish the communicating Divine Honour to Saints and Angells by building Churches erecting Altars commending Prayers addressing vowes unto them by worshipping their Images going in Pilgrimage to their Reliques attributing all kind of miracles both to the one and other hath wrought this generall effect in those parts that men haue more affiance and assume vnto them a greater conceipt of comfort in the patronage of the Creatures and servants of God than of God himselfe the Prince and Creatour And touching the blessed Virgin the case is cleere that howsoeuer their doctrine in Schooles be otherwise yet in all kind of outward actions the Honour which they doe her is double for the most part unto that which they doe our Sauiour where one doth professe himselfe a Devoto or peculiar servant of our Lord whole townes sometimes as Siena by name are the Devoti of our Lady The stateliest Churches are hers lightly and in Churches hers the fairest Altars where one prayeth before the Crucifix two before her Image where one voweth to Christ ten vow unto her and not so much to her selfe as to some peculiar Image which for some select vertue or grace together with greater power of operation of miracles they chiefly serue as the glorious Lady of Loretto the devout Lady of Rome the miraculous Lady of Provenzano the Annunciata of Florence whose Churches are so stuffed with vowed presents and memories that they are faine to hang their Cloysters also Church-yards with them Then as their vowes are such are their pilgrimages And to nourish this humour for one miracle reported to be wrought by the Crucifix not so few perhaps as an hundred are voiced upon those other Images Yea their Devils in exorcisme are also taught for who can thinke otherwise to endure the conjuring of them by the name of God and the Trinitie without trouble or motion but at the naming of our Lady to tosse and torment as feeling now a new force of an unresistable power Neither will I omit this no lesse certaine though lesse apparent where one fasts on Friday which they compt our Lords day in devotion to him many fast the Saturday which there they compt our Ladies day and in devotion to her In all which the people do but follow their guides who as in the admeasuring of devotions by tale on beads they string up ten salutations of our Lady to one of our Lords prayers so themselues also in their Sermons
with certeine select exercises and devotions into which it being a reputation to bee admitted it must cause in congruitie the forwardest of theyr schollars to fashion them selues by all meanes as to content theyr humours and so to bee received in shew into a degree of more honourable estimamation but in truth into no other than a double bond of assurance I shall not need here to insert their singular diligence and cunning in entising not seldome the most noble of their schollars and oftentimes the most adorned with the graces of nature and industrie especially if they haue likelihood of any wealthie succession to abandon their friends and to professe theyr Order a thing daily practised by them in all places yea wher-ever they espie any youth of rarer spirit they will bee tempering with him though he bee the onely sonne and solace of his Father Whereby though they draw on them much clamor and stomacke yet do they greatly enhaunce the renowme of theyr societie by furnishing it with so many persons of excellent qualitie or nobilitie whom afterwards they employ with great judgement as they finde each fittest Neither yet doe they here make an end with this part this order hath also theyr solemne Catechizing in theyr Churches on Sondayes and Holydayes for all youth that will come or can be drawne unto it that in no poinct the diligence of theyr adversaries may upbraid them But this poinct of theyr Schooles and instructing youth is thought of such moment by men of wisedome and judgement being taught so by very experience and tryall thereof that the planting of a good College of Iesuites in any place is esteemed the onely sure way to replant that Religion and in time to eate out the contrarie This course hold they in all Germanie in Savoy and other places and the excluding it from Fraunce is infinitely regretted and that which makes them uncerteine what will become of that Kingdome A third course that much advantaged the Protestants proceedings was their Offers of disputation to theyr adversaries in all places theyr iterated and importuned suits for publike audience and judgement a thing which greatly assured the multitude of theyr soundnesse whom they saw so confident in abiding the hazard of tryall being that whereof the want is the onely prejudice of truth and the plentie the onely discoverie and ruine of falsehood they standing in like tearmes as a substantiall just man and a facing shifter whereof the ones credit is greatest there where he is best knowne and the others where hee is least And by reason that the Romanists were not so cunning then in the questions nor so ready in their evasions and distinctions as they are now growne the effect of these disputations whether received or refused was in most places such as to draw with them an immediate alteration of Religion Hereunto may be added those admirable pains which those first Reformers undertooke and performed in translating the Scriptures forth-with into all languages in illustrating all parts thereof with ample comments in addressing institutions of Christian Religion in deducing large histories of the Church from the foundation to their present times in furnishing all common places of Divinitie with abundance of matter in exact discussing of all controversed questions lastly in speedy reply to all contrary writings the greatest part of these labours tending to the justifying oâ— their own doctrine and to the discoverie of the Corruption and rottennesse of the other that they might overbeare those with the streames of the evidence of reason by the strength of whose power they complained to be over-borne There is not scarce any one of these kinds of writings saue the translating of the Bible into vulgar languages wherin the Romanists haue not already or are not like very shortly eyther to aequall or to exceed theyr adversaries in multitude of works as being more of them that apply those studies in diligence as having much more opportunities of helps and leysure in exactnesse as comming after them and reaping the fruicts of theyr travails though in truth they come short and in ingenuitie being truths companion But as for the Controversies them selues the main matter of all other therein theyr industrie is at this day incomparable having so altered the tenures of them refined the states subtilized the distinctions sharpned theyr owne proufs devised certein and resolved on eyther answers or evasions for all theyr aduersaries arguments allegations and replics yea they haue differences to divert theyr strongest oppositions interpretations to elude the plainest texts in the world circumstances and considerations to enforce theyr owne seeliest conjectures yea reasons to put life into theyr deadest absurdities as in particular a very faire case in schoole-learning proportions to justifie theyr Popes graunts of many score thousand yeeres pardon that in affiance of this furniture and of theyr promptnesse of speech and witt which by continuall exercise they aspire to perfect they dare enter into combate even with the best of theyr oppugners and will not doubt but eyther to entangle him so in the snares of their own quirks or at least-wise so to avoyd and put off his blowes with the manifold wards of theyr multiplied distinctions that an ordinary auditor shall never conceiue them to be vanquished and a favourable shall report them vanquishers Whereupon they now to be quit with theyr adversaries and by the very same art to draw away the multitude cry mainly in all places for tryall by disputations This CAMPIAN the Iesuite did many yeares since with us this as I passed through Zurick did the Cardinall ANDREA of Constance and his Iesuites with theyr Ministers being by auncient â—ight within his diocesse Not long before the same was done at Geneva and very lately the Capuchins renewed the challenge In which parts I observed this discreet valour on both sides that as the Romanists offer to dispute in the adversaries own Cities which they know theyr Magistrates will never accord so the Ministers in supply thereof offer to goe to them to theyr Cities and that now is as much disliked on th' other part each side beeing content that the fire should be kindled rather in his enemies house than in his owne Yea there are not wanting some temperers among them that haue bene talking a long while whether out of theyâ— owne dreames or out of the desires of some greater persons which I halfe conjecture oâ— a Generall solemne Conference to bee sought and procured of the choyse and chiefe every way of both the sides under pretence of drawing matters to some tollerable composition but in truth as I conceiue rather to overbeare and disgrace the contrarie cause with theyr varietie of engines and strength of wit to wield them at all assayes at pleasure than upon synceritie of affection or probabilitie of any unitie or peace to ensue So great is theyr hope of having cure by that very weapon from whence heretofore they haue had theyr wounds The fourth way
EVROPAE SPECVLVM OR A VIEW OR SVRVEY OF THE STATE OF RELIGION in the Westerne parts of the World Wherein the Romane Religion and the pregnant policies of the Church of Rome to support the same are notably displayed with some other memorable discoueries and memorations Never before till now published according to the Authours Originall Copie Multùm diuque desideratum Hagae-Comitis 1629. THE VVELL-MEANING PVBLISHER HEREOF TO THE VNDERSTANDING READER of what ranke or degree soeuer WHereas not many yeares past there was published in print a Treatise entituled A Relation of Religion of the Westerne parts of the World printed for one Simon Waterson 1605. without name of Authour yet generally and currantly passing vnder the name of the learned and worthy Gentleman S r Edwin Sandys Knight Know all men by these presents that the same Booke was but a spurious stolne Copie in part epitomized in part amplified and throughout most shamefully falsified false printed froÌ„ the Authors Originall In so much that the asme Knight was infinitely wronged thereby and as soone as it came to his knowledge that such a thing was printed and passed vnder his name he caused it though somewhat late when it seemes two Impressions were for the most part vented to be prohibited by Authoritie and as I haue heard as many as could be recouered to be deseruedly burnt with power also to punish the Printers And yet neverthelesse since that time there hath beene another Impression of the same stolne into the world Now those so adulterate Copies being scattered abroad in the hands of some men I whoeuer I am though liuing here in these Transmarine Batavian Belgique parts yet studious of the truth and a louer of my Countrey and having obtayned by a direct meanes of a deere friend a perfect Copie verbatim transâ—ribed from the Authours Originall and legitimate one of his own hand-writing haue thought good to publish it vnto the world first for the good of the Church secondly the glory of our English Nation thirdly for the fame of the ingenuous ingenious and Acute Author a Gentle-man who as I haue beene most credibly informed hath heretofore deserued right well of his Countrey in seruice of the Prince of Orange the Lords the States generall his Maiestie of Englands faâ—t friends and Allies yet c. And lastly that the world may be no longer depriued of so rare a Iewell in its owne lustre nor abused by the other counterfeit-one before named It may bee I hereby shall incurre some dislike from the learned Author if He be yet liuing who haply in his modestie and for some other causes best knowne vnto him selfe for some writers loue not to haue their labours published in their life time hath so long obscured and suppressed his pregnanâ— view from the worlds publique view farther then now and than by communicating it vnto his friends such as importuned him to haue it copied out And certes though I professe to honour him with all my heart yet I thinke it better he be herein displeased than the world longer wronged and withall hoping howeuer that hee will candidly construe it to be but amoris error I cannot see how any else should be offended hereat but such as are sworne slaues to their Lord God the Pope whose Roman kingdome and Babylonian tottering tower hath such a blow giuen it hereby as I know but few of such force and not many such blowes more will make the same Kingdome and Tower fall downe to the ground with vtter desolation As for the Arminians when this Treatise was written that sect was either in the shell or the cradle and their mungrell and squint-eyed Diuinitie sâ—arce knowne or vâ—nted to the world yet they haply will be offended hereat because savouring of the Orthodox trueth and let that sect so bee But if there chance to bee any other moderate Christian offended hereat of such I humbly craue pardon Reade it therefore beloued Reader for thine owne solace and much good maist thou learne reape thereby giuing God the glory the Authour his deserued due praise and mee thankes if thou canst afford me any for my honest endeavour herein for thy benefit From the HAGH in HOLLAND Vale in Christo fruere THE CONTENTS OR THE seuerall Heads which may serue in steed of Chapters contained in this Treatise THe Preface containing the scope of all page 1 Of the Romane Religion p. 3 Of the Superstitions Ceremonies of the Church of Rome p. ibid. Of their Honour to Saints and Angels p. 4 Of their Liturgies p. 7 Of their Sermons p. ibid. Of their Penance and Confession p. 10 Of their Life and Conversation p. 17 Of their Lent p. 20 Of their Ecclesiasticall Government p. 23 Of their Head assertions p. 24 Of their Meanes to strengthen them p. 29 Of their Wayes to ravish all affections and to fit each humour p. 34 Of their particular Projects Monarchies and Princes Marriages p. 37 Of their Dispensing with Oathes p. 42 Of the Greatnes of the House of Austria p. 46 Of the Adulterous or rather Incestuous Marriages of Austria and Spaine p. 49 Of the Nobilitie and their Confession p. 50 Of the Choise of their Cardinals p. 51 Of their Variety of Preferments p. 53 Of the Clergie and their Prerogatiues p. 55 Of the Multitude of their Religious Orders p. 57 Of their Providing for Children p. 58 Of their Nunneries p. 59 Of their Multitude of Hearts and Hands Tongues and Pennes p. 63 Of their Readinesse to vndertake and Resolutenesse to execute p. 66 Of their Very Multitude of Friers ready to bee put in Armes p. 67 Of their Spirituall Fraternities p. 72 Of the Policies of the Papacy against their enemies and of their persecutions confiscations tortures massacres and hostility p. 73 Of the Reformers oâ— Protestants Preaching p. 77 Of their well Educating of Youth p. 80 Of their Offers of Disputation p. 85 Of their Discouery of Blotts p. 88 Of their Histories and Martyrologies p. 96 Of the Policie of Papall Newes p. 100 Of their vtter Breach p. 104 Of their excluding of all accesse of the Religion of their Inquisition p. 111 Of their locking vp the Scriptures p. 114 Of their concealing the Doctrines and Opinions of the Reformation p. 117 Of their notorious Lies of England and of Geneva p. 119 Of Papall Purging of Bookes and of their Indices Expurgatorij p. 126 Of the present state of the Papacie and their peculiar Dominions p. 132 Of the Popes sucking from Forraine Parts p. 137 Of the Clergie vnder the Papacie p. 144 Of the Pope himselfe and His Election p. 146 Of the Pope present his race name and life p. 149 Of the Nations which adhere vnto the Papacy especially Italy p. 156 Of the liues of the Italians p. ibid. Of Spaine p. 163 Of Germanie p. 169 Of the Low-Countries p. 176 Of France p. ibid. Of Loraine and Savoy p. 186 An Estimate of the strength of the Papacy
a firme mind to pursue them and a strong arme to wield them both which to this weake world are wanting But of these matters sufficient It is now time that I come to the view of those meanes which are used by the Papacie for the Excluding of all accesse and sound of the Religion in those places where theyr power remaineth yet unabridged Wherein as in other like cases before I will lightly passe over that which is apparent to all eyes and that is what service theyr Inquisition doth therein being in truth the principle and most forcible engine in accomplishing that worke and such as wheresoever it and the Councell of Trent can be thoroughly planted and established as in Spaine and all Italy now saue onely some part perhaps of the Kingdome of Naples where the tyrannie of Spaine may be Inquisition sufficient as the Inquisition of Spain is also of the two the crueller doth rid them of feare and their adversaries of hope of letting in the Reformation unlesse perhaps in so me universall deluge of war when the execution of Lawes and such serches shall be forced to cease For this Inquisition as a soveraigne preservatiue and defectiue of no vertue saue Iustice and Mercy being committed lightly to the most zealous industrious and rigorous Friers that can be found in all places who leaue no one rule thereof unpractised taking hold of men for the least suspition of Haeresie or of affinitie or connivence with haeresie that may be as the bare reproving sometimes the liues of theyr Clergie or the having of any booke or edition prohibited though yet with some regard of the nature and qualitie of persons seeing many a man makes those actions suspicious which otherwise would not make the man discovering men by the pressing of all mens Consciences whom they charge under an high degree of mortall sinne and damnation being a case reserved and wherein not any under an Arch-Bishop or Bishop can absolue them as I haue seene in theyr printed instructions at Siena to appeach even theyr neerest and dearest friends if they know or but suspect them to be culpable therein proceeding against the detected with such secrecie and severitie as that first they shall never haue notice of theyr accusers but shall be urged to reveale theyr very thoughts and affections Secondly if by long enquirie they bee taken tardy in any one thing delivered in theyr examinations or can be convicted thereof by any two witnesses of how base or in different qualitie soever without farther reply they are cast and gone thirdly if nothing fall out to be proued against them yet will they hold them in theyr Holy house diuers yeeres sometimes in great anguish and misery for a terrour to other and for theyr exacter triall and lastly besides all theyr tortures and scornes if one be touched the second time nothing but death without remission this being the diligence this the violence of theyr Inquisition it doth so sweepe all quarters and corners where it walketh that as a sheering wind it kills all in the bud no wit nor provision being possible to avoid it Yea it is such a bridle to the very freedome of mind and libertie of speech which they of theyr owne way would otherwise use and is converted in some places to such an instrument no lesse of civill than Ecclesiasticall tyrannie that as Naples and Millane did a while vehemently withstand it and Spaine would with the deerest things they haue redeeme it so most of theyr most zealous Catholikes elsewhere which would dye perhaps if need so were for theyr Religion yet abhor the very name mention of the Inquisition as being the greatest slavery that ever yet the world hath tasted And the Venetians themselues could never yet be brought to admit it in other sort than with certein very favourable exceptiōs for strangers who are generally also in Italy litle searched into for theyr consciences by reason of the gain which comes by their repaire but may passe well enough if they giue no scandall and with retaining the soveraigne sway therof in theyr owne hands at all times But to let this racke of mens soules thus rest as an invention fitter for the Religion of ANTIOCHVS and DOMITIAN or for Mahomets Alcoran than for the clemencie of his Gospell who was Prince of mildnesse and mercie It is a wonderfull thing to see what curious order and diligence they use to suffer nothing to be done or spring up among them selues which may any way giue sooting to the Religion which they so much hate And first for the Scriptures for as much as the Reformation seemes grounded upon them the Reformers having striven to square it out wholly and onely by that rule as farre forth as theyr understanding and witts could wade and for as much as it is a thing which the Romanists deny not that a great part of their Religion hath other foundation and would seeme in many poincts to swerue much yea and plainely to crosse the Scriptures as an ordinarie reader by his meere naturall wit not fashioned by their distinctions nor directed by their glosses would expound it for this cause though heretofore to stop theyr adversaries mouthes alwayes yolping and crying with hatefull sounds that they would not let the poore people heare their Creatour speake to them that they starved and murdred their soules in ignorance robbing them of the bread of life the voice of Christ and cramming and choaking them with their emptie superstitions their poysoned Idolatry that the Scriptures would shew them that theyr worshipping of blind Images was a thing detested and even with threats prohibited in the Law of God theyr praying in unknowne language and by tale plainly reproved their invocating and vowing to Saincts a matter there never heard of that their Ceremonies were vanities their traffike for soules very Sacrilege their miracles delusions their Indulgences blasphemies that it would discover their Church to be a body strangely infected and polluted with all foule and pestilent diseases and finally that their not-erring and not-controllable Lord of Rome was no other than that imperious bewitching Lady of Babilon though I say as well to beat backe these irksome out-cries of their adversaries as also to giue some content and satisfaction to their own that they might not thinke them so terribly afraid of the Bible they were content to let it be translated by some of their favourers into the vulgar as also some number of Copies to be saleable a while at the beginning yet since having hushed that former clamour and made better provision for the establishing of their kingdome they haue called all vulgar Bibles streightly in againe yea the very Psalms of DAVID which their famous preacher Bishop PANIGAROLA translated as doubting else the unavoidablenesse of those former inconveniences To let passe those hard conceipts which they breed in the multitude as touching the inextricable obscuritie of the Scripture the easinesse to mistake it the daungerousnesse to erre
alwayes so bare yea and makes their temporall state the worse governed in Italy for so it is compted is in their often change of Popes by reason of their yeeres the infinit desire each hath to advance his kinred his Children first if he haue any as PAVLVS tertius who left his base issue no lesse than Dukes of Placentia and Parma and GREGORIE the Xiij th more lately who made his base sonne Duke of Sora and Castellan of St. Angelo and if they haue no Children or list not be knowne of them then theyr Nephewes and other kinsmen which is common to them all Yea it often falls out that those Popes who haue not any known children of theyr own by extending their loue larger to a greater multitude of Nephews yet desiring for theyr owne renowme and perpetuating of theyr name to raise them to as great State and wealth as they can possibly do consume more the goods and treasure of the Church than those other who haue theyr loues though stronger yet to fewer as was apparâ—nt in the two GREGORIES the Xiij th with his few Sonnes and the Xiij th with the multitude of his Nephews and kinsmen And these mâ—n being raised often from the bottome of basenesse to the heighth of pride and power having no hold in theyr hands nor scantling of theyr fortunes as having never beene in the middle state which is the measure of both extreames doe fall into ryot able to ruine any Prince and rage and ravine in theyr Offices and governments as they that knowing theyr time short meane to use it to the full proofe the examples whereof are both many and fresh which for theyr foulnesse and basenesse I list not to repeat For which cause it was a good helpe for SIXTVS QVINTVS to bee Pope that hee had small kinred though that ground is moueable seeing Pedegrees change for the most part together with mens fortunes which as a conscionable Aâ—bitratour neyther annoyes the poore ever with multitude of kinâ—men nor discomforts the rich with paâ—citie For the â—… of the rest of the Clergie under the Paâ—… it â—… as the Countries In Spaine the â—… are exceeding rich in revenew the Areâ—… of Tolâ—edo not inferiour to some Kingdoâ—… In Italy the livings of the Praelates are compâ—… considering the excessiâ—e multitude Yet with so great diversitie that some meere Bishopâ—icks are aboue twenty thousand Crownes rent other some under one thousand But the custome of Italy which avoydeth yea blameth multitude of servants and great house-keeping in all sorts and degrees makes a small matter sufficient and a great superfluous Besides there to haue many livings is a matter of credit not of profit onely though as wise men as they haue thought otherwise of it to bee a private great burthen and a publike great mischiefe The Paâ—â—sh Priests in Italy who haue not the tenths which in a Country whose soyle yields three harvests in sundry places all in a yeere would amount to an huge matter and considering the great rents and exactions would be insupportable but haue in stead of them certeine farmes as gleabland appropriate and some certeine quantitie out of the encrease of their neighbours are so provided for that the meanest lightly which are theyr Curati haue an hundred Crownes a yeare and the Piovani which are the Priests of Mother Churches from two hundred to fiue hundred and upward sometimes which they helpe out with Masses as occasion serues which are still in Italy as cheape as a groat In Germany the Praelates are likely great Princes and great Nobilitie required to haue those places In Fraunce the Clergie hath beene in fore-times most flourishing theyr revenew amounting when land and all things were cheapest to six Millions in the whole besides theyr great place and authoritie in theyr State and theyr ample jurisdiction in theyr severall praecincts At this day they are fall'n generally especially the inferiour part into great miserie and beggerie accompanied with all base and vile conditions whereby the Country people is growne also utterly without knowledge of God or sence of Religion being fall'n into those tearmes that plentie which should make men thankefull makes them but wanton and affliction which should make men repentant makes them desperate and nothing can better them The whole Realme in summe hath bene scourged with a three stringed whip Warre Ill-governement and Injustice particular whereof the two lattet are like to last still whilst on the one side the places of Iustice are sold as by the Drumme on the other side the Church Praelacies and other governments of soules are made the fees and charges of meere Courtiers and Souldiers whoâ—e merits would haue rewards but suiting to theyr qualitie which in a Realme so abounding with meanes could not bee wanting but by too much want of indifferencie and measure heaping all upon a few and most where are least deserts whereas these so unfit and ill-suited recompences distemper that harmonie which should be in a flourishing state and overwhelme the Land with all kind of corruption and confusion But to returne to the Papacie or rather now to the Pope himselfe and first to His Election the right whereof having bene of Old in the Clergie and people and from thence transferred to the Emperours nomination is now wholly remitted to the College of Cardinalls so that two third parts of theyr voices that are present are requisite to him that eyther by adoration or in Scrutinie shall winne that glorie Which double porportion of voyces to agree makes this Election of greater difficultie and giues occasion of rarer stratagems and devises in it than I suppose are to be found in any other in the world I haue heard that in these latter times a Cardinall of Sicilie whose Holynesse and learning advanced him to that dignitie for of some such alwayes there is care to make choise for divers considerations entring the Conclaue to an Election and expecting that by incessant prayer as in times of old some divine inspiration should haue poincted out Christs Uicar but finding when he was there nothing but practisiâ—â— and canvasing promising and terrifying banding and combining setting of some up for stales only to ease passage for other who were reserved till the last cast when former hopes and angers beeing spent and evaporated had abated the prime edge and strength of opposition in summe being him selfe also assaulted by all meanes yea tugged and haled now by one part now by another the good man agast as in a matter so cleane contrary to his fore-framed expectation Ad hunc modum quoth he fiunt Pontifices Romani there withall so soone as that Conclaue was broken retired to his Country and would never see Rome againe But the matter of greatest marke herein at this day is the power of the K. of Spaine in swaying those Elections who by pensions by preferments by hopes of the highest having assured a great third part of the Cardinalls to him to bee