in quoquo conuelli Wherfore afore the lyuyng god which hath coÌmaunded vs to reygne afore his terrible dredfull iugement we obtest require all our successours the eÌperours all the optimates the dukes erls also the most noble senatours all the people in the hole worlde which now are or herafter shall be that none of theÌ all any maner way infriÌge or breake this oure priuylege or minysshe it in anye poynte How resonable howe deuoute godly an adiuration is this euen moche lyke as if the wolfe shulde obtest besech other wolues the shepeherds by his owne innoceÌcie fidelyte that y e fermer sorte that is to wit the wolues wyll nat attempte nor enterprise to take away that the latter sorte that is to wit the shepeherdes wyll nat go aboute to aske requyre agaiÌe the shepe whiche he hath takeÌ hath deuyded among his sonnes and his frendes Why are you so greatly afrayde O Constantyne If that whiche you do be of god it can nat be dyssolued or fordone But if it be nat of god youre worke or dede shall now staÌde But I se perceyue right well you dyd coueyte to couÌterfeyte y e wordes of the apocalipse where it is sayde I testify to him that hereth all the wordes of y e prophecie of this boke if any maÌ shall adde or put to any thing to these god shal adde or put vnto him y e plages written in thys boke And if any man shal minissh any thing of y e wordes of the prophecie of this boke god shall take away his ête out of y e boke of lyfe out of y e holy cyte But you neuer red y e Apocalipse wherfore these were nat your wordes ¶ Si quis auteÌ quod non credimê° in hoc temerator extiterit aeternis coÌdeÌnationibê° subiaceat coÌdeÌnatus et sanctos dei apostolos PetruÌ PauluÌ sibi in praesenti in futura vita sentiat contrarios Atque in inferno inferiori scêª concrematus cuÌ diabolo oiÌbus deficiat impits But if any man which thinge we do nat suppose shall breake or violate this priuilege let him lye condeÌned vnder euerlastyng condeÌnations let him finde fele the holy Apostles of god Peter Paule enemyes to hiÌ both in this êseÌte lyfe in the lyfe to come And beyng brente in the depest hell let him dye eternally banisshed be he for euermore from the syght of god with the deuyll all wycked persons This fearfull senteÌce coÌmination it nat wonte to be vsed of any Caesar or seculare prince but of the prestes of the false goddes in olde tyme now of the ecclesiastical persons These ar nat therfore the wordes of Constantine but of some folyshe clerke which wotteth neither what he speaketh neither how he speketh but which beyng fatte and well fedde in the myddes of his surfettyng in the great heate of wyne belcheth forth suche sentences suche wordes as these are which lyght nat vpon any other man but are tourned agayn vpon him y e speketh theÌ Fyrste he sayth Eternis condeÌnationibê° subiaceat let hiÌ be subiected to euerlastyng coÌdeÌnations Afterwardes as if more might be put to for y e augmeÌtatioÌ thereof he coueteth to adde other thiÌges And after y e eternal paines he ioyneth to y e paines of this pÌsente lyfe And whaÌ he hath put vs in feare w t y e coÌdeÌnatioÌ of god yet afterwardes as if this were a gretter thiÌge he maketh vs afraide w t y e hatred euyll wyll of Peter to whoÌ wherfor he doth ioine Paul or why hiÌ alone I can nat tell Agayn after his olde letharge and maner of forgettynge hym selfe he retourneth agayn to the euerlasting paines as if he had nat spokeÌ of theÌ before But if these were the threttes and execrations or cursynges of CoÌstantyne I wolde curse him agayn as beyng a tyrante and the destroyer of my coÌmune weale after the maner of the Romains I wolde threten him that I my selfe wolde be reuenged on him But now who regardeth or setteth any whitte by the execration or curse of the most couetouse felow and which after the maner of stage players countrefayteth and fayneth wordes and wolde make other men afrayde vnder the person of Constantyne This is euen properly to be an hypocryte if we set the oute and consyder well the signifycation of this greke worde hypochrita vnder the êsone of another man to hyde thyne owne ¶ Huius vero impertalis decreti paginam proprus manibus roborantes suê veneraÌduÌ corpus beati Petri posuimus And we haue streÌgthyng fortifyeng the pagyne of this eÌperiall decree with our owne handes haue layde it vpon the worshipfull corps or bodye of the blessed Peter Was it paper or parchemeÌt this pagine wherin these thinges were written How be it a pagine we do cal the one syde of a lefe as a quayer of .x. leues hath .xx. pagines or sydes O thynge which neuer was herde which is vnbeleueable whaÌ I was a very yonge man I remeÌbre that I demaunded of a certayn persone who hadde written the boke of Iob and whan he hadde made answere that Iob him selfe hadde written it than I sayde to him agayne Howe coulde he than make mention of his owne deth whiche thynge may be sayde also of many other bokes wherof to speke here is no conuenient place for how can y e thynge be truly tolde of any man which thinge is nat yet done or how can y e thynge be coÌtayned w t in y e writte which thing as he him self coÌfesseth was done after y e burial if I may so say of y e writ This is none other thinge but to say y t the pagine of y e priuilege was dead ye buried afore y t it was borne yet that it dyd neuer retourne after his deth and burial namely seyng that it was roborated and strengthed afore that it was written and that nat with one hande but with both the handes of Cesar And what meanest thou whan thou sayst roboratyng strengthyng was it strengthed with the hande wryttynge of Cesar hiÌselfe or els was it sealed with his signet This was a great strengthyng doutles and moche greatter than if he hadde grauen it in tables of brasse But yet neded it nat to wryte them in brasse seyng that the paper was layde vpon the body of blessed Peter why spekest thou here no worde of Paule which lyeth buryed with Peter and they both togeder myght better and more safely kepe it than the body of the one of them alone you see here the craftes and malycious subteltie of this our most wicked and gylefull Synon Because the donation of Constantyne can nat be euydently proued therfore he sayde that the priuilege is nat wrytten in tables of brasse but of paper and it lyeth buried and hydde with the body of
by many ambassadours seÌte to Astulphus had requyred y t the places shulde be restored to y e emperiall diction or dominion Astulphus wolde nat in any wise coÌsent so to do Steuen weÌt to Pipine anoynted him his two soÌnes kynges There was also an ambassadour of y e emperours seÌte with y e same Steuen they optayned gotte grauÌt of Pipine that he shulde briÌge Astulphus in miÌde to restore y e places to the empier Pipine seÌte ambassadours to Astulphe but all that auayled nat Wherfore bycause he coulde nat by that meane optayne of Astulphe y t restytution shulde be made he made promise to Steuen y t him selfe wold by force of armes take them from Astulphe that he wolde gyue theÌ to saiÌte Peter Whan y e emêours ambassadour had herde this he retourned home agayn Pipin êfourmed fulfylled those thynges whiche he had êmysed and the fourme and maner of this donation or gyfte is coÌtayned in y e actes of y e aforsaid Steuen also the êticulare names of all y e thynges whiche were geueÌ zacharie the pope did traÌslate the monarchie or kyngdome of FrauÌce vnto Pipin deposiÌg fyrst puttyng downe Hilderike the kynge whereof it is redde in the .xv. cause y e .vi. question Alins c. in y e glose VenerabileÌ By the reason herof I suppose y e Pipin from theÌce forth did fauour the apostolike see Afterwardes Desiderius kynge of LoÌbardie warme recouered agayn by force of armes those cyties or some of theÌ in the tyme of Adrian Adrian the pope seÌdyng many embasadours vnto hiÌ required demauÌded agayn of him the right of saint Peter but he could nat optayne Than Charlemayne of whom Adrian desired ayde and socour recouered the cyties gaue theÌ agayn to saint Peter by a soleÌpne gyfte or grauÌte which is contayned in the actes of the sayd Adrian pope By these thynges it is euydeÌte y t ConstaÌtine dyd nat gyue the empier to the pope by the duke dome of Rauenna the cyte of Rome the west whereof we do rede that contynually euyn vntil y e times aforesayd the emperours did with full ryght possesse Rome Rauenna Marchia with many other places euyn so as they had before And this is proued by the texte in the .xcvi. distiÌction Bene quideÌ c. where it is spokeÌ of Patritius which was gouernour or captayne in the name of kyng Adoacre in the lxiii distiÌction Agatho c. And in the xcvi distiÌction CuÌ ad veruÌ c. And we do rede also that y e popes of Rome did confesse the emêours to be lordes for Agatho the pope writeth vnto ConstaÌtine the emêour which gathered or asseÌbled the vi synode foloweth many yeres after the fyrste of that name how the cyte of Rome is the seruyle cyte of the emperour And Boniface the pope writeth to Honorius y e emêour that him selfe ought to gouerne the benefice of the church of Rome in spiritual thiÌges but the emperour ought to gouerne the teÌporal thynges in the ende he saith that Rome is the cyte of his mansuetude or mildenes This texte is red in the xCi distiÌcion Ecclesiae c. And that I may speke brefly I neuer red the coÌtrary in any place but y e euermore vntyll the tyme of the aforesayde Pipine the emperour remayned in possession of the places afore named Neither coulde I yet any where rede y t euer any of the popes presumed to haue any ryght or tytle by y e name of saiÌt Peter in the sayd places vntill the tyme of Steuen y e .ii. pope of that name These thynges I beleue to be true nat withstaÌdyng y e famouse opinion of the contrary which is redde in Palea the xcvi distiÌtion ConstaÌtinê° c for without doute if that wrytyng had nat beÌ apochriphe Gratianus shulde haue fouÌde it in the olde bokes collections of the canones but because he dyd nat fynde it therfore he did nat put it theri wherfore those thynges whiche he hath added afterwardes he put that fayned scripture for chaffe euyn so as we do finde many other thiÌges of the apocriphe writyngê to be writteÌ in our bokes I haue also fouÌde this writiÌg set forth of lenght in a certayn boke which coÌtayneth moche more than that which is put in the decrees in the place afore alledged whan I had dilygeÌtly examined it I fouÌde of y e selfe same scripture many manyfeste euideÌt argumeÌtes tokeÌs of the forgynge falsehed of the same whiche nowe to reherce here it shulde be bothe tedyouse also vnprofytable This also is to be marked y t the aforsayd writyng CoÌstatinê° c. which is had in the xcvi distiÌction is extract drawen out of the legeÌde of saint Siluester he whiche dyd put y e texte in y e decree grouÌdeth the auctorite of it vpoÌ the approbation alowyng of Galasius in the Sinode I pray you loke vpon that approbation in the xv distinction Sancta Romana c. it shal be fouÌde of small streÌgth for he saith that the author therof is vnknoweÌ yet y t nat w tstandyng that it is redde among catholyke meÌ therfore that it may be redde what maner apêbation this is euery maÌ may considre for there are many histories of saint Siluester One in y e which this is nat fouÌde which histori Damasus the pope made Another whose authour is nat knoweÌ which the texte saith nat to be true but that it may be redde neither sayth y e texte yet y t this thinge is coÌtayned therin Also y e olde auncieÌt bokes of y e decrees hath nat y t text but only vnto y e êagraffe ItâÌ decreta romanorum poÌtificuÌ c. iÌclusiuely And so this êagraffe of y e histori of Sil. is nat fouÌde in those bokes Also y e fifth vniuersal Synode which maketh meÌtion of y e apêbate bokes of al lerned authors of y e approued scriptures moreouer y e Synode of Martin y e pope which was made agaynst y e assertioÌ of theÌ which said y t there was but one wyl in Christ y t is to wit agaiÌst Paulus Sergius renuyng y e approued scriptures as I my self haue seen maketh no meÌtioÌ of these histories neither yet any other apêued author or such as is accoÌpted for a true author y t euer I sawe maketh any meÌtion of theÌ I haue redde iÌ Vincent in y e xxiiii boke of histories in the ende after the miÌde of saynt Ierome y e CoÌstaÌtine cruelly dyd slee his wyfe Fausta his soÌne Crispus And that at y e later eÌde of his lyfe after y t he had ben baptyzed of Eusebius bysshop of Nichomedia he declyned to y e heresie of y e Arrians froÌ which tyme as saynt Ierome saith spoylyng robbrie
lyberte whom trouthe accompanyeng hath ben her selfe also greatly profytable to the men of your tyme for where tyranny is there can be no peace bycause there is no fydelyte or trustines neither can there be any iustyce or ryghtuousnesse for as moche as euery man hathe nat that whiche is his owne and bycause tyrantes done oppresse the lawes Neither it is laufull there to say the trouthe by cause there is no lyberte But nowe we ben very free at lyberte in dede bycause we haue peace whiche we hauyng shall haue and vse also the studies of peace So than this tranquilyte which coulde nat be had in the tyme of Iulius the author of warres we wyll nowe vse vnder you the restorer renewer of peace that we may rest quietly in the studie of good letters â Therfore nowe let it come forth to lyght if any thiÌg hath ben long tyme hidde and let euery thinge come forthe so moche the more boldly by how moch it is more truly more sincerely faithfully written of whiche sorte is this boke whiche other popes therfore haue nat suffred bycause they wolde nat here y e trouth but you shall therfore loue it bycause you haue now afore begon to vs of y e cuppe of trouth for what pertayneth y t to you beyng a pope of better coÌsience y t they sayd this boke to haue ben writteÌ agaynst y e dygnite of y e ecclesyasticall estat or y t they sayd y t it did speke yuel rayled agaiÌst popes for verely neither they were popes whiche fayned forged the donation of CoÌstantyne bycause they were nat pastors or herdesmen Neither it was a churche whiche receyued and admytted it bycause it was nat a congregation of faythfull christen men for if they had ben herdesmen they wolde haue fedde the shepe of Christ and nat haue inuaded deuoured them And if it had ben a church truly it wolde haue called people to lyfe lyberte nat haue drawen violently empiers and nations vnder yoke and boÌdage For thus speketh the church Come to me all you y t do lust desyre after me be you fulfylled of my generatioÌs Certainly she fylleth I meane the church whomsoeuer she hath receyued but that congregation of wicked men dyd emptie and make bare those whom they receyued Moreouer Christ badde his vicars Be good herdesmen and nat rauenouse and gredy deuouryng woolues For he sayde in this wise to Peter Peter louest thou me If thou doest Fede my shepe He sayd Fede my shepe and nat deuour my people euen so as thou woldest deuour the substance of a lofe of breed And whan he called them to the apostleshyppe he sayd I shall make you fysshers of men that is to say I shall make you that by preachyng and good ensamples gyuing you shal allure and drawe vnto the trouthe such men as done erre wandre from they fayth whiche thing bycause you do folowe most blessed father we are gladde and do greatly reioyce that this ordre is retourned agayne to their offyce and dutie through your causyng bringing it to passe by the reason that Peace that lybertie that iustyce and verite by your meanes are called and brought agayne for what more mery voyce or what more swete or more pleasaunt worde myght be herde than this I meane the restoryng of peace So than with lytell busynesse that is to wit with one lytell worde sette forth you haue taken away the great indygnation from the myndes of men you haue pacifyed and layd the vehement and houge passyons and vnquietnesse of mennes myndes and haue disapoynted and put by mischeues and dystructions and haue ceassed all wranglyng and stryfes where than it shulde haue coÌe to passe if these cogitatioÌs of men had happened vpon an euyll pope that we wolde by force and violence haue takyn awaye many thynges nowe by you it is brought to passe that quietly restyng we do optayne all thiÌges without any trouble or busynesse do you se O Leo a very pope in dede what maner one I do iuge this your dede to be we may nowe thanke your goodnesse for the receyte of that thing which els was to haue ben pursued after and purchased with warre fyghting wherfore nowe lette certaine persones ceasse to feare lest you wyll be displeased and miscoÌtent if this boke be publysshed and sentte abrode agayne by cause those peruerse and prepostrouse popes that haue ben afore you haue forbydden that any man shulde haue it in his hande for you are in no poynte agreynge or lyke to them bycause they in no poynte dyd agre with Christ for they vnder gylefull and colouraâie deceite haue drawen to themselues the seculare and worldly empiers But you in the syncere and pure brightnesse of trouthe haue opened an heuenly dominatyon that is to wytte the kyngdome of peace So than by your meane Christyan verite begynneth to reuyue and quicken agayne which where as she hathe ben of longe tyme oppressed nowe taketh herte and stomake agayne and she which hathe ben many a day in captyuite and thraldome nowe delyuered and brought out agayn from that prison derkenesse deserueth to se lyght agayne vpon trust and boldnesse wherof Valla encoraged dare now ryse agayne from dethe and present hiÌselfe in to the eares and syght of men and that so moche the rather also bycause he hath ben in olde tyme in high fauour and loue with your auncestres of whom as you haue receyued taken this vertue as it were by inherytauÌce euyn so lykewise in other vertues you do nat swarue or go out of kynde from them for lykewise as in erudicyon and lernyng you do resemble that exellently lerned Politian your maister and techer euyn so in coÌdicyons maners you aâ nothyng vnlyke to your great grauÌdfathers grauÌdfather Cosmus Medices And lykewise as this was his chefe praise y t althogh he alone might haue done all thinges in his cyte yet he wolde nat do al that he might Euyn so let this be your laude that wher as you might raigne and rule as an Emperour you had leauer kepe and saue as a pastor or herdesman But in Cosmus this was principally worthy meruayle and prayse that he beyng him selfe nat lerned yet dyd he loue lerned men had them in honour causing them to besought forth and brought to him from all places on euery side and socouryng them with his helpe and also with his goodes But Laurence your father both loued learned men and also was himself for his lerning worthy to be accompted amonge the cheyfe lerned men of his tyme. â O than this is an happie family and kynred which hathe ben ordained of god to the helping promotyng and fortheryng of good lernyng for what other stocke or kinred is there to whom els we be beholden and whom ought we to thanke as being the causers of the prosperite and coÌmodites of this our time By whose
also of y e other emperours almost euery one after him in ordre of which coynes I haue my self many in myne own haÌdes coÌmunely hauyng vnder the Image of the crosse this subscription Concordia orbis A thausande such ioynes shulde there be fouÌde also of the popes if euer you had ben the chefe gouernours rulers of Rome wherof now there is none fouÌde neither of golde neither of syluer neither is it reported or sayd y t euer any maÌ hath seen any suche yet coude it nat be otherwise chosen but y e nedely he must haue had at y t time his êpre coyne who so euer helde thaÌ theÌpier of Rome at y e leste wise vnder the image of our sauiour or els of Peter Oh y e ignorance folysshnes of men do you nat se if the donation of CoÌstaÌtyne be true y t no thyng at al is lefte to y e emperours De latino loquor Lo I pray you what maner eÌperour what maner kynge of the Romaynes shall he be whose kyngdom if any maÌ had had nothing els besyde he shuld haue vtterly nothyng at al wherfore if it be euydeÌt as it is y t Siluester had neuer possession y t is to say y e CoÌstaÌtine did neuer giue or delyuer possession it foloweth also vndoutedly y e CoÌstantine neuer gaue as I haue sayd so moche as right or title to possesse theÌ excepte you do say y t the right was geuyn but the possessyon nat delyuered for some cause or consyderation ye I wysse he gaue that thynge which he knewe shulde nat come to passe He gaue that which he could nat delyuer He gaue that which he knewe was nat possyble to come into the haÌdes of him to whom it was gyuen afore that it shulde be destroied He gaue a gyfte which shulde neuer be of strengthe or stande in any stede or at the least nat afore .v. C. yeres were expired To speke this or thinke it is playne madnesse But now it is tyme lest I be made to longe tediouse seyng that we haue cutte mangled the cause of our aduersarys to giue it his dedly wouÌde to kyl it with one stroke ¶ The thyrde princypall parte of this oration in which the author sheweth that Constantine was become Christen afore that Siluester was pope that those gyftes whiche ConstaÌtine gaue were gyuen to the pope nexte after Siluester which same also were but meane or small thinges no more than suffycient to the popes sustentation EVery hystorie almost which is worthy the name of an historie telleth and maketh mention that ConstaÌtine euyn whan he was a childe became ChristeÌ with his father ConstaÌtius y e long tyme afore that Siluester was pope as Eusebius y e writer of the ecclesiasticall historie whome Rufyne a man right exellently lerned hath traÌslated into the latyne tonge and hathe also added two bokes of his owne tyme which were bothe of them welnere in CoÌstantines tyme. Besydes this we haue also y e testimonie witnesse of y e pope of Rome whiche nat onely was present at the doyng of these thinges but also bare a great rule in the same beyng also nat a witnesse but the author or doer nat y e teller or rehercer of another maÌnes busynes but of his owne He whome I do meane is Melchiades y e pope nexte afore Siluester which saith in this wise The church was come euyn vnto this poynt now y t nat only people natioÌs but also the princes of Rome whiche helde thempier of the worlde dyd come together to the faith of Christ and to the sacramentes of the faith Among whom the most deuoute man Constantine fyrst of all other openly gettyng the faith belefe of the trouth gaue lycence through out all y e worlde to as many as were vnder his dominion and gouernaunce nat onely to be made Christen men but also to buylde churches and he ordayned landes to be gyuen And to be short the afore rehersed emperoure gaue exceding gret giftes and he began first the buyldinge of the churche of saynt Peter in so moche that he did forsake his emperiall seate or place and graunted it to the vse and behofe of blessed Peter his successours Lo here Melchiades maketh mention of nothyng that was gyuen by ConstaÌtine but onely the palace of Laterane and certayne other laÌdes of whiche Gregorie very ofte maketh meÌtion in his regestre Where than are they nowe whiche do nat suffre it to be doubted whether the donation of ConstaÌtine be of value and strengthe or nat seyng that the sayde donation or gyfte bothe was made afore Syluesters tyme and was also of priuate thinges onely which thyng although it is playne euident ynough yet that nat withstanding we must somwhat dispute reson of that priuilege which these folyssh felowes are wonte to alledge and bring forth ¶ The fourth priÌcipall ête of this oration in which the author sheweth it to be vntruly sayde that the copye or example of this donation is founde in the decrees or elles taken out of the historie of saynt Syluester and also declareth what folysshe what impossyble what barbarous and what repugnauÌt contrary thiÌges with other vnresonablenes is coÌtayned in the sayde copie besydes this he maketh mention of the fayned or friuolouse donation of certayn other emperours And laste of al he sheweth that in case it were so that Syluester or any other pope had at any tyme possessed these thiÌges yet being ones put out of possessyoÌ so long coÌtinuiÌg dispossessed as they haue done they caÌ nat now after so long space of tyme clayme theÌ agayn neither by the lawe of god nor man c. ANd fyrst of all to begyne with nat onely that felowe which wolde fayne seme to be Gratian whiche added certayn thynges to the worke of Gracian is to be repreued of lewde vnshamfastnes but also they are to be reproued of ignoraunce and folyshenes which do wene or suppose that the pagine of the priuilege is contayned in Gratians worke whiche thynge neyther any lerned man dyd euer suppose agayn it is nat founde in the moste auncyeÌt and eldest bokes of the decrees if in any place Gratian shuld haue made mention of this thiÌge he shuld haue done it nat in this place where they do put it interrupting and breking of the ordre and contexte of his oration and speche but rather in that place where he speketh of the paction couenaunte of Ludouyke Besydes this there are two thousaÌd places in the decrees whiche do proue this place nat to be true of the whiche that place is one where the afore rehersed wordes of Melchiades are alleged Some men do say that he whiche added this chapitour to the decrees was called Palea either for that this was his very right name or els bycause these thinges whiche he dyd adde or put to of his own if they be
coÌpayred to Gratiane are iuged to be as it were chaffe nere to the corne But how so euer the trouthe is concerning this it is a very great shame an vnshamely thinge to beleue that collector gatherer of the decrees either dyd nat know these thinges whiche haue ben added put to syns of Palea or els dyd set gretly by them and accompe and take them for true thinges This is well than we are sufficed we haue the victory our owne purpose First that Gratiane doth nat saye this thiÌge so as they belyed him but moreouer he denyeth it and preueth it false and vntrue as easily it maye be perceyued by a thousand places and mo Secondarelye that they do alledge for theym selues one man alone and that suche one as is vnknowen and of none auctorite a tryfler and so folysshe also that he hath added certayne thynges of his owne faynyng to the sayd Gratiane whiche can nat agree with the other sayinges of the same Gratian is this than this authour that you bryng forth do you vse the testimonie of him alone Do you recite a folyshe writtyng of him in paper for the confyrmation of so gret a matter agaiÌst six hundred kynges of proffes But I loked for it that you shulde haue shewed lytell Images of golde tytles wrytynges in marble and a thousand authours But you do say that Palea him selfe bryngeth forth the author and sheweth the very fountayne of the historie and calleth to witnesse Gelasius the pope with many other bisshoppes Of the historie sayth he of Siluester whiche blessed Gelasius in the counsell of .lxx. bysshoppes reporteth to be redde of Catholyke men and saith that many churches doth folow this same maner accordyng to the olde auncieÌt vsage in y e which historie it is redde Constantyne c. And a gret deale before where mention is made of bokes whiche are to be redde which nat to be redde he hath sayd also we do know that the actes of saynte Siluester the bysshoppe are redde of many catholyke men in the cyte of Rome al be it that we do nat know y e name of him that wrote them and the churches accordynge to the olde vsage do folowe the same Oh here is a wonderfull authorite a meruaylouse testimonie and recorde a stronge inuincyble probation I graunt you this that Gelasius sayd this where he speaketh of the councel of .lxx. bysshoppes dyd he therfore say that the pagine or copie of the preuilege is redde in the lyfe or actes of saynte Siluester and that at Rome the auctorite of whiche churche many other churches do folowe whiche thynge I do nat denye but I graunt confesse and knowlege ye and I do offre my self to be a wytnesse therof with Gelasius but what caÌ this thynge profyght or auayle you but onely that it myght appere that you wolde haue lyed in alledgynge and bryngynge forth witnesses and recordes His name is nat knowen which added this to y e decrees yet he alone doth say this thynge his name is nat knowen which wrote y e historie of Siluester and yet he alone is brought forth and that falsly for a wytnesse and a recorde And do you good and wyse men iuge this to be sufficient ye and more than sufficient to the testimonie and witnessyng of so greate a matter But consyder now and se how great difference there is betwene your iugemente and myne I truly al though this priuylege were contayned in y e historie of Syluester wolde nat for all that thynke that it were to be accompted and taken for true For as moche as that historie is none historie but a fayned and a shamlese lyeng tale as I shall shewe and declare herafter and also seing that none other maÌ namely beyng of any auctorite dothe make any mention of this priuylege And Iacobus Voraginensis whiche bare great fauour and loue to the clergie as beyng himselfe an arche bisshoppe yet in his stori of saiÌtes lyues and of the actes of holy men speketh nat one worde of the donation of Constantine but passeth it ouer with sylence as beyng but a lyeng fable and nat worthy to be put among y e actes of Syluester in whiche dede he gyueth in a maner sentence against them if any wolde haue put these thinges in writyng But I wyll drawe that falsyfier and forger of writtes and very chaffe in dede and nat whete in to iugement writhyng his necke whether he wyll or nat What sayst thou false forger of writyngê How fortuneth it or wherof is it longe that we do nat rede this priuylege among the actes and dedes of Siluester I suppose this is a gesone boke and harde to be founde and there is but very few that haue it and it is kept secretly euen lykewise as the Regester or Kalender bokes of the Romaynes were kepte in the olde tyme of the bisshoppes and as the bokes of Sibillee were kepte of the .x. men and it is written in the language of the Grekes of the Iewes or of the Caldayes Gelasius recordeth that it is redde of many Catholyke men Iacobus Voraginensis maketh mention of it We also haue sene a thousand copies of it and that written in the olde tyme and they are red almoste in euery Cathedrall churche vpon saynt Siluesters day and yet no maÌ sayth that euer he redde therin this that thou forgest and ymaginest No man that euer he hath seen no man that euer he dreamed of any suche thynges It is paraueÌture some other certayn historie whiche other historie shall that be I know none other historie neither I do iuge that thou doste meane of any other historie than this for thou spekest of that historie which Gelasius sayth redde ofte in many chuches but in this historie we do nat fynde the priuylege if thaÌ it be nat redde in the lyfe of Siluester why dost thou say that it is redde there why durst thou be so bolde to bourde in so great a matter and to mocke and deceyue the couetouse desyre of lyght and folysshe personnes But I am a fole whiche do rather rebuke his boldnesse than the peuysshnesse of theym whiche gaue credence to him yf any man amonge the Grekes amonge the Hebrues ye amonge the Barbarians shulde say this thinge is founde written wolde you nat bydde him name the author and the booke to be brought forth and the place to be expowned declared of some faythfull exposytour er euer you wolde gyue credence to it Nowe mention is made of your owne language of a booke most coÌmunely knowen and yet you do nat make inquisytion or any serche of so vnbeleuable a dede or els whan you do nat fynde it writteÌ yet you ar so light of credeÌce geuyng y t you do accoÌpt it for writteÌ for true thiÌkyng this title to be suffycient you make great trouble busynesse in the worlde and as though there were no doute in it at all you
I myght to hyde and couer in their offences and trespasses But let vs procede holde on to speke boldely in as moche as this cause can nat otherwise be pleaded Thoughe I do grauÌt that the popes did verily so beleue that they dyd it nat of a crafty malicious purpose What marueyle is it if they dyd beleue these thynges wherin so great lucre aduantage is pleasaunt lykyng to theÌ seyng that throughe excedynge folysshnesse lacke of knowlege they do beleue many thynges wherin no lucâs at all is shewed Do we nat at Ara Celi in so exellent a temple in the moste worshipfull and holy place see a paynted table of Sybill and Octauian as they say by the auctorite and coÌmauÌdement of Innocentius the thirde writyng these wordes Which also lefte in writyng of the decay ruyne or fall of the teÌple of Peace about the tyme of the byrth of the sauiour y t is to say whaÌ the virgin brought forth childe Whiche thynges apêtayne more to the distructyon of faith for that they ar false and vntrue than to the establysshing of it bicause they ar marueylous woÌderfull thiÌges Dare the vicar of truth for the apperauÌce of trouth godlynesse beholde to make lyes wyttyngly to bynde him selfe to so great synne why Doth he nat lye Ye moreouer dothe he nat se whan he doth this that he disagreeth varieth froÌ most holy men I passe ouer other Doth nat saynt Ierome vse the testimony witnesse of Varro that ther were ten Sibels whiche worke Varro made afore Augustus his tyme. And the same Ierome writeth in this wyse of the teÌple of Peace Vespasianus Titus after that the teÌple of Peace was edifyed buylded at Rome they dyd coÌsecrate the vessels of the teÌple al the gyftes offriÌges in the temple of the same place which thinges the Greke the Romayne history telleth reherseth And this vnlerned felow alone wold that more credeÌce shulde be gyuen to his peuissh lytel boke the same also barbarously writteÌ than to the most faithfull true histories of the most wise men that wrot in y e olde tyme. Bycause I haue made meÌtion somewhat of Ieronimy I can nat suffre this coÌtumely done to him to be passed ouer with syleÌce At Rome by the auctorite coÌmauÌdemeÌt of the pope is shewed a certayne boke of the Byble as it were a relyque of some sainte with tapers alwayes lyghted which they say to haue beÌ written with saiÌt Ieronimes owne haÌde Wilte thou aske by what euydeÌt tokeÌ they know that Bycause ther is as Vergil saith MultuÌ pictaâ vestis et auriâi Moch of paynted garmeÌtes of golde And the very thiÌg selfe sheweth rather that it was nat writteÌ with sainte Ieroms owne haÌde WhaÌ I had loked somewhat more dilygeÌtly in this boke I fouÌde that it was writteÌ by the coÌmauÌdemeÌt of a kiÌge Robert as I wene with y e haÌde of of an vnlerned man moche lyke hervnto is it albeit there ar a thousande suche maner thynges at Rome that among the holy relykes there is shewed in a certayne table y t ymage or portrature of Peter Paule whiche Syluester shewed to ConstaÌtyne after that he had ben monysshed taught of the same Apostels in his slepe for the coÌfyrmation of the visyon that he had sene I do nat say this bicause I do deny y t those ymages or purtatures be the true ymages pictures of the aforenamed apostles and wolde god that the epistle which was sente urthe name of Lentulus of the ymage of Christe were as true whiche doutles hath beÌ no lesse âeudly forged thaÌ this false priuilege which we haue coÌfuted but for y e that Siluester did neuer shewe that table to ConstaÌtine In which thinge I can nat fynde in myne herte to kepe within me the great meruaylyng of my mynde For I wyll dispute reason somewhat of the tale whiche is forged of Siluester And bycause both al our questyoÌ depeÌdeth herof and also seyng that I do speke to the popes of Rome it shall be most semely accordyng for me to speake of a pope of Rome that by this one ensample a coÌiecture may easely be taken of other thinges And amonge many other fonde folyes madde trifles which are tolde reherted therin I wyll touche that onely of the dragon to th entent that I may euydently cause you to knowe that ConstaÌtine was nat full of leprie For the actes of Siluester or the historie of hiÌ as the interpretour witnesseth was made by one Eusebius a certayne man of Grecelande whiche nation hath alwayes be greatly gyuen to lyeng as Iuuenale reporteth of theÌ sayeng in his checkiÌg satyre Ouicquid Graecia meÌdax audet in historia .i. What so euer thynge the lyeng Grekes dare be bolde to do in writiÌg of histories From whence dyd that dragon come Dragons are nat gendred at Rome Which also had that dragon his poyson Pestiferouse and venemouse dragons are sayde to be onelye in Affrike by the reason of the excedyng and outragiouse heate of y e region Besydes this whence coulde he haue so moche habundance plentie of venome poyson that he might enfecte and corrupt with pestylence so large a cytie namely seynge that hym selfe laye downe in so depe a denne or dongion that men wente downe in to it by an hundred and fyftie steppes or stayres Serpentes onely the Basilyske or Cocodrise excepted do poyson kyll men nat with their breth but with their byting Neither Cato whan he fledde from Cesar with so great an hoste of men whyles he iornayed through the myddes of Aphricke sondes and slepte there sawe any of his coÌpany kylled or destroyed with the venemouse breathing of any serpentes Neither the peoples of that couÌtrey do fele any corruption or infection of the ayre through that cause And if we do gyue any credence to poetes fables bothe Chimera the monstre and Hydra and Cerberus the mastyffe of hell were sene and touched coÌmunely without any harme or hurte taken therby Agayne why wolde nat the Romayns rather haue kylled hym Thou wilte peraduenture say bycause they were nat able But yet Regulus slewe a moche gretter serpente in Affrike at the banke of the ryuer Bragadra And it was no mastry to haue kylled this dragon if they had done no more but onely haue closed or stopped vp the mouth of the caue or denne What wolde they nat do so I suppose they dyd worshippe hiÌ for a god euyn so as the Babylonians dyd worshippe another dragon Why than wolde natre Syluester rather haue slayne this dragon so as it is sayd that Daniell did in the olde tyme Why wolde he nat haue bounde him with an hempen threde and haue destroyed y e house for euer But the forger of this tale wolde nat that the dragoÌ shulde be kylled lest men might playnly deme iuge
The order of his processe in this oratioÌ the deuisyon of his worke The authors sheweth it to be nothyng lykely that any prince beynge in his ryghte mynde wolde of him self be wyllyng to giue from him selfe so great thynges as are fayned in the priuiledge to haue beÌ geuen of Constantyne Of all thiÌges princes desire most to enlarge their dominion empire and the coÌtrary they moste hate The insaciable ambicyon of great Alexander Rede Plutarche in the lyfe of Alexander Mani coÌsiderations why Constantyne wolde nat gyue from hym the best parte of the Empire All power auctorite is the gyfte of god Rede the .v. chapit of the iiii bokes of Kynges DanÌ 14. ãâã the .xiiii chapit of the prophete Daniel how he slewe the dragon whiche the people of ââââlon dyd worshippe without swerde or âtaâfe 3. ReguÌ 12 ExaÌple hereof you may fiÌde of Hieroboam in the third boke of Kynges xii chapit somwhat nere to the eÌde of the same chapit 3. ReguÌ 12 Rede in the third boke of Kynges the xii cha The kynsfolke freÌdes Enedos 1 A symilytude taken of bees Of the diuysyon of thempire iÌ twayne shal ensue many incoÌuenieÌces finally the decay of it Rede the .xxii chapit of Leuitici 4. Reg. â Rede the iiii boke of kynges the .v chapit Actes 20. Math. 10 1. CorÌ 9. Rede in Deute the .x. and the xviii cha in the boke of noumbres the xviii cha Math. 6. Math. 6. Math. 10 Mark 10 Mark 10 IohnÌ 13. 1. Tim. 6. Riches is poâson to men of the churche Actes 6. 2. Tim. 2. Nume 3. Rede in the boke of Leuitici the .x. cha Rede in the boke of Numeri Hiere 48 IohnÌ 10. IohnÌ 18. Christes kiÌgdome is nat of this world Math. 4. IohnÌ 6. Christ fledde whan the people wolde haue made him Kynge euer them Math. ââ 1. Reg. 8. Deut. 24. Math. 19 .1 CorÌ 6. Math 17 Esaie 56. Mark 11. IohnÌ 12. Mat 26. Math. 16 The power of ecclesiasticall persons whiche was geueÌ to them by Christ is the power of the keyes SpiritualmeÌ nat contente with the power of the keâes desyre worldly Kyngdomes of the deuyll Math. Luke 4. Ephes 6. Math. 11. Math. 22 To how many êtes they are iniurious which beleue the donation of Constantyne to be true A bytter mocke Eutropiê° Iulianê° apostata Iouiane theÌperour nexte successour to Iuliane the Apostata Constantyne was made Christen of a chylde long afore that Siluester was pope Eusebius the author of the ecclesiasticall historie Melchiades pope nexte afore Syluester The pagine of the donation is nat fouÌde in the olde decrees collected by Gratian Palea in latin sygnifyeth chaffe The historye of Siluester is but a fayned and a lyyng historye Iacobus voragineÌsis the writter of saââes lyues A bytter Irome Rede in .iiii. chapt of the thirde boke of Esdras in the Bible 1. Macabeorum 8 Exodi 24 Iobal his polytike deuise for the êpetual pÌseruation of the crafte fyrste by him inueÌted that ãâã to witte Musike The lawes of the .xii. tables were grauen in brasse An apostrophe or tournynge of the speche to CoÌstantyne Eneidos secundo Sinon Howe greate the auctorite of the senate was Lactance firmiane wrote so eloquently that saynt Iherome calleth him âluuiuÌ Tulliane eloquentlye the flowynge ryuer of Tullys eloqueÌce Apocalipsis the .v. cha Banna Concubitoribus Psalmo lxxx Roma i. All other byshoppes take exaÌple of mischeuouse vices at the pope of Rome Mathu xxiii Nume xvi Exodi xxviii xxix A diademe is of cloth or els of sylke Constantyne was nat a kyng neither dyd he weare any crowne Imperator PhrigiuÌ Phrigio Lorum Math ââ IohnÌ 9. what purpura betokeneth Signa Banna Patriciê° An ironie Mat xxi To folowe Christ in pouertye humblenes is accompted folishenes of the clergye nowe a dayes Vdones The secularyte of the clergye is odible bothe to god and man Gene. 14 Psal 20. Leuiticis Exodi 28 Xenophon Homer Rede in the boke of Iosue from the xiii chap. of the .xix. inclusiuelye Math 24 Rede the last chap. of the fyrste boke of kynges the xii chap. of the thirde boke An abusioÌ to the wordes of Gamaliel in the .v. chap. of the actes Apocalipse the last chap. Lethargus to a disease makyng men to be meruailouse slepie and also forgerfull Hypocrita simulator mimus A fayner or contre fayter Pagina The boke or historie of Iob was nat written by Iob hiÌ selfe An Ironi Accursâus 4 Reg 13. Iosephê° libro nono cha 11. Do tibi epistolaÌ Do ad te epistolaÌ It is an excedyng shame to gyue more credeÌce to any man than we do gyue to the trouth selfe Popes folyshe and ignoraunte Ierome A boke of the bible is kept shewed for a relique at rome as though it had beÌ written with saynt Iheromes owne haÌde whiche was written of an vnterned man The epistle of Lentidus coÌcerning the ymage of christe is a false forged thiÌge The confutation of that fained tale of the dragon which is redde in the lyfe of saint Siluester who was the author of salt Siluesters lyfe The histories of the Grekes ar corrupted with lyes SerpeÌtes ar noysome nat with theyr brethe but with their bitynge onely the cocodrice except Cato Marcus Tiliê° Regulus DanÌ 14. In the prologe afore the boke of Daniel The naratioÌ of hell is nat in the hebrus bokes An irony Rede plutarche in the lyues of Alexdre Scipio The ChristeÌ verite nedeth nat any help of vntruethe of falshed it is stronge ynough of it selfe alone Libro quinto titulo serto de piâtate erga patriaÌ ch v. c.xxxviii Libro primo titulo octauo de miraculis chap. xciiii Titus Liuiê° disagreeth froÌ Valeriê° Maximus Titus liuius Titus liuius Terentiê° Varro Thre diuerse histories writen by thre soÌdrie authors of the pyt called Lacus curtius Libro primo chap. xcviii Luke 17. Roma 10 It is saydâ that Eusebius a Geccian is the auctor of saint Siluesters lyfe Constantyne was neuer meseld so as they do faine The tale of the waspes in vespasianes nose of the forgge wherof Nero was delyuered ar fals forged ⪠tales The excediÌg ignoraunce of the popes Cephas Metropolitanus Patriarcha Papa Fides orthodoxa An irony Stephen the second translated the empier from the Grekz to the frenche men The pope the eÌperour deuided the eÌpier betwen them two alone Achilles and Patroclus In decretis distinctione lxiii Ego Ludouicus c. Ludouike the emperour called Iewes the mylde The pope is stroÌger in batayle thaÌ the emperour The pope hath made emperours vpoÌ certayn condicions couenauntes Sigismunde the emperour brought iÌ his extreme age to excedynge gret pouerte Popes do no thyngs for nought Sigismunde ere he coude be crowned at Rome was fayne to confyrme the danation of CoÌstantine Marke well this geare howe well it standeth together The coronation of themperour ought to appartayne to the people of Rome
which ãâã the pope chalengeth to hiÌ selfe onely He is no very emperoure also he is forsworne that goeth nat about to recouer the cite of Rome from the pope The emêors in olde tyme wer nat sworne solempnely to the pope as they are now a dayes what Augustus signifieth why the emperours were called Augusti Augustê° how the pope might be called Augustus The worst pope did moste defeÌde the donation of CoÌstantyne Nota. Boniface the viii an vngratiouse a myscheuouse pope al set vpon worldly pride had a myscheuouse eÌde as the cronicles do testifye Bened. 12 Clement pope It is agaynst humanite and coÌtrary to the nature of maÌ to exercyse violente rule ouer other of his owne hinde Mayster Fabius Foure causes warrior warres are made moste communely Tarquin the proude the laste kynge of the Romains of Iulyus Cesar Rede suetonius in the lyfe of hym Rede the prouerbe Amphictiones Prescription is whan any maÌ hath had possession of house or landes so longe tyme as any man alyue caÌ remembre as by the space of an c. yeres or more Malae fidei possessio Stulfae fidei possessio Ignorantia facti Ignorantia Iuris Nota. Prescription is made only of dumbe vnresonable thynges Popes wyll trye their ryght by warre nat by the lawe The fraude crafte of pope Boniface the ix nat inferiour in wickednes to Boniface the viii Tarquin A propre semely acte for a pope to do Innocentius the vii was driuen out of Rome Eugenius the iiii of that name was fame âo diâgyse hiÌ selfe in a monkes coule so to saue the water of Tybiâ the Romayns shoâââg âââowyng stones after him Titus flaminius The pope studieth as moche as he can to brynge all men into boÌndage thraldome 3. ReguÌ 2 The Roma is haue farre gretter cause to rebelle agaynst the pope than the Israelytes had agaynste Roboam Esaie 14. The fountaineâ and originall cause of the ruine and decaye of Italye Iacobi .3 Psal 117 Mat. 24 Lucae 12. The pope soweth the sede of discorde debate Are nat these very apoâtoââ call vertues The pope selleth all thynges the comune weale the sacramentes the ecclesiasticall offyces yee the holy ghoste to for money The goodes which the pope getteth sinfully and vngratiously he spendeth more vngratiously wickedly Esaie 36. At the pope his folowers do all abominable sinners fetche the ensample also the excusatioÌ of their wretched noughty lyfe Roma 2. Ouer moche welth abouÌdaunce of ryches destroied the valiauntnes of the Romayns 3. ReguÌ 11 Siluester and the other holy popes were but small possessioners Pope Leo the .9 Our popes of late tyme ââdy to be as âerre excellent in wickednes folye as the old popes were excellent ãâã vertue wyâdome O the charitable and godlye wisshe of Valla. Ephes 6. The donatioÌ of Constantyne is nat fouÌde iÌ any auteÌtical bokes or in any approued histories Damasus ãâã pope at ãâã Iheromes âââqueste dydâ write the actes of his predecessours ⪠Astulphus kiÌge of Lombardye Steuen the .ii anoynted pipin the kynge of Fraunce Pope zachari the fyrst deposed Hilderike the kynge of FrauÌceâ traÌslated the sayd kyngdome to Pipin froÌ the ãâ¦ã Adrianâ Charlemayn recouered the cyties agayn whiche Desiderius with helde gaue therin to the pope Places in the popes lawe that make plaiÌly against the donation of CoÌstaÌtine Rede that texte Cum ad verum Agatho the fyrste ConstaÌtine the iiii assembled the vi synode at CoÌstaÌtinople of ccixxx bysshoppes Bonifac. 1 The emperours were alwayes in possession of ãâã these thynges neither dyd the popes euer make any clayme to anâ percels of the afore âhe timâ of Pipin and pope Steuen the seconde GratiaÌ knew no thynge of the donation of CoÌstaÌtine therfore it is nat put in the olde decrees of his collection The chapi in the decrees CoÌstaÌtinê° c. is takeÌ of the legeÌde of saiÌt Siluester A goodly and a worshipfull approbation There aâ many sondrye ãâã of saint Siluester Pope Martin 1 Paulus Sergius heretikes VinceÌtâê° Constantine ⪠as saint Ierome sayth ãâã his wyââ ãâ¦ã dayes ãâ¦ã Melchiades predecessour to Siluester Constanly was Chriât iÌ Melchiaâ his tyme âââter the myn of saynt Augustyne Leo the .viii. restored to Otto all the landes which Pipin Charles Roberto had gyuen to the church Rome Lewes y e mylde