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
shall I trust proceede from vs such vnmeasurable aboundance of corrupt fruite as hath done from those that are the best the most pure and perfits on theyr side euen in those who they saye cannot erre that are the most holye vicars of Christe vpon earth namelye the holye fathers Popes bishops of Rome Whose notorious villanyes from time to time swelled to the full and perfite measure of iniquitye and so farre runne beyond our haynous sinnes that supposing they dyed as they liued I may bouldly warrant them this preferment that if an hundreth of the rankest helhounds that euer raigned vpon the earth might be mustred out of hell fourescore and nineteene of them should be Popes perhaps for the last hundred place eyther VVolsey or some other Cardinall would scuffle in among them Whereof that thou mayest the better iudge gentle Reader I do here giue thee in this booke a little taste of theyr vnsauorye liues I haue set them all forth here in one Pageante in such order as they played theyr Papall partes both Tragicall and Comicall for these Thousand yeares vpon this worldly stage wherein I haue chosen rather to translate them as they were gathered in Latin by maister Bale most faithfullye then to follow the parcial and flattering storye of Platina In some places also I haue added diuers thinges out of sondrye authors not as thoughe I desired to make perfite in all pointes that which maister Bale omitted but because in conferringe his alleaging of storyes I found manye thinges that without anye combraunce might be added and were worth the mentioning especiallye in the sixt booke of this historye out of one Theodoricus of Nyem Secretarye to Pope Vrban the sixt and wrote that which he sawe of that myserable and longe sciesme that set all the world together by the cares the space of xxxix yeares betweene Vrban the sixte Clement the seuenth Boniface the ix Benedict the xiii otherwyse called Iohn Moone and other which booke I am sure maister Bale neuer saw for he would neuer haue omitted such notable and straunge matters as are contayned in it and are here partlye touched by mee Also for so much as these prelates do falsely colour al their praÌ„cks vnder the authoritye of S. Peters name therfore I haue somwhat at large in the beginning shewed how that thoughe they would haue him to play the first part in this Pageant yet he is none of their coÌ„pany But because of the sodaine finishing of this worke in the printers hande I am forced in this Preface to leaue out many matters which I thought to haue vttered which I could neuer finde conueniente leasure to be setled in one certaine place in suche wyse as I might apply my selfe to write that which I purposed since this was finished and came to the hande of the Printer At this time therefore this onelye I haue to request of thee gentle Reader till God shal giue me better oportunitye to finishe that order which I purposed in publishing this booke to marke as thou readest how the manner of these Prelates do agree to the description of Antichrist in the Reuelation as I once purposed to haue noted vnto thee Marke whether we that at this daye do professe the Gospel and are so much noted of their freinds to transgresse haynouslye in our conuersation are to be compared with these holye Popes in anye kinde of enormitye For what villanye is it whereof thou shalt not finde such monstrous examples among them as the earth neuer els bread the like It were tedious for mee here to drawe into tables the examples of their vnsaciable couetousnes their bribery polling pilfringe robbing and ryfling vntollerable pride equal with the ambition of Lucifer their vaine and vnspeakable pompe theyr whoredome and rauishinge of diuers their incest with their owne sisters doughters their Sodomityes treasoÌ„s practised against all Princes on the earth the rebellions seditions bloudshed warres conspiracyes murtherings factions sciesmes braules contentions amonge them selues poysoninge Princes themselues one another euen in mynistring the Sacramentes theyr sorcerye charmes coniurings familiaritye with deuils and honouring of euill spirites their abusing of Princes most slauishlye theyr geuing transporting selling setting vp and deposinge of all estates Empyres and kingdomes theyr licensing of all villanye as murthering incest Sodomitrye periurye blasphemye and an hundred such like moste detestable enormityes whereof thou shalt haue plenty eueÌ„ to the loathing of thy stomacke Which when thou seest then iudge betweene oure fruites and theirs then learne to discerne who is that whore of Babilon the woman arayed in Purple and rose colour and decked wyth gould precious stones and pearles hauing the cup of gould in her hand full of abhomination and filthines Note what Citye is like to be that BabiloÌ„ built on seuen hilles bearing rule ouer the Nations of the earth What Citye is like to be that Babilon that is become the habitacion of deuils the hole of all foule spirites and a cage of all vncleane and hatefull byrdes Note wyth whom the kinges of the earth haue coÌ„mitted fornication and with the aboundance of whose pleasures the marchauntes of the earth are become riche Note who it is that hath bin dronken wyth the bloude of saintes if by these thou finde that these tokens of Antichrist be in these bishops of Rome then surelye saye thoughe wee wretched sinners be as euill as they make vs in deede which they speake so much of yet their holy fathers are farre worse which the Papist wyll not confesse Then saye that surelye Rome is Babilon and the Pope Antichriste and blame not mee for detectinge anye his loathsome villanyes but obeye the voyce of the Lord against thâ—s Babilon saying Come avvaye from her my people that yee be not partakers of her sinnes and that ye receiue not of her plagues c. but revvard her as she hath revvarded you And giue her double according to her vvorkes Finallye let vs all saye Alleluya Saluation Glorye Honour and povver be ascribed vnto the Lorde oure GOD for true and righteous are his Iudgements for he hath iudged the great vvhore vvhich did corrupt the earth vvith her fornication c. Alleluya Farewell TO THE MOST VVORthie and learned men maister Simond Sulcer Henry Bullenger Iohn Caluin Philip Melancthon â–ª most faithful ministers of Christe Iohn Bale wisheth grace and euerlastinge peace in Christe IESVS ALthoughe I sawe that my former edition of the liues of the Romaine bishops ioyned to my booke called the Regester of Englishe writers were safely planted vnder the protection of the most noble Electour Lorde Henry Otho Countie Palatine Yet notwithstandinge I perceiued that this Edition being taken and seperated froÌ„ the greater being drawne into an abridgemente and enriched wyth such additions as are not to be misliked seing it is not able sufficientlye to beare oute it selfe neither by his owne force nor the credite of the wryter it should neede be succoured
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
congregation in the which they may frely call vpon their God sincerely administer the Sacramentes and may fulfill other rites as they were citizens with the priuiledge and highe fauour of the magistrates Happy is that people who enioyeth these thinges and haue so worthy a bishop which gathereth together the dispersed comforteth the broken in heart fauoureth exiles and confirmeth the weake with example and doctrine But perchaunce I may seeme to haue sayde to much to you and to you all most gentle fathers who are troubled with grauer matters and haue no leysure to reade your prayses And indued with suche modestie that you will scarse attende vnto it But beare with me while I doe but my dutie for I prayse not you but the giftes of God that are of you and commende the happy state of your churches vnto the faythful that they may learne to giue thankes and to imitate you I would haue showen the causes why I inscribed to your name the Papall historie of new Rome partly to haue declared my loue towardes you for your benefites bestowed vpon England other countreis Partly that the learning which you haue spread abroade in these days may be defended with your ayde Our Lorde Iesus Christe the prince of sheepeheardes the maister of al truthe the enemy of Antechriste strengthen and confirme you and all your fellowe ministers with the power of the holy ghoste and preserue you in long health to the comfort and ioye of the Christian flocke to the ouerthrowing of Antichriste and the amplifying of his name Amen Iohn Bale Iohn Bale to the Reader I Desire thee Christian Reader vvhosoeuer thou art that delightest in the glory of Christ against the malyce of Antichriste and I beseech thee in the Lord to conster all thinges to the beste euen those matters vvhich seeme to be spoken more bitterly against that mōstrous beast and not to depraue them vvith slaūderings as I vnderstand some of late haue taken occasion to do by my late booke published of the vvriters of Englande Among vvhom some are not ashamed vntrulye to saye that I deale vniustlye vvith some Princes that gouerne the estates of Christēdome Othersome saye that I speake malepertlye and that against all Christiā modestye that I speake vnreuerentlye of Queene Mary of England because in one place I haue vvritten that Iesabell raigneth in Englāde and glutteth her selfe vvith the bloude of Martyrs vvhere as by that name I did not meane Queene Mary but the tyrannie of Rome that miserablye ouerrunneth all Englande For the places in Nicolas Grimoald Traherne Turner the Phisition Hooper ▪ Ridley Rogers Bradford Filpot and other do sufficientlye interprete themselues to be spoken of the greate Antichriste and his mitred and scraped tormentours For as the holye ghoste hath taughte mee I haue called that Romaine Sinagogge the murtherer of Godlye men vvicked Iesabell the horned beast the impe of the Dragō the doughter of the deuill the spouse of Sathan speaking blasphemies the purple beast the misticall Babilon the great strumpet vvith vvhom the kinges of the earth haue cōmitted fornication vvhich haue dronke of the vvyne of her fornication the vvomā cloathed in purple scarlet gould pearles and precious stones hauing a goulden cuppe full of all filthines lustes of the vvorld the mother of fornication and droncke vvith the bloud of the saintes of IESVS CHRIST the habitatiō of deuils and the cage of all euill spirites and hatefull birdes The occasiō vvhich first moued mee herevnto vvas this Anno domini 1554. our Realme of Englande after the xx yeare of her deliueraunce throughe the mercye of God most shamefullye forsooke the holye Gospel of Christe vvhich is the povver and vertue of God to the health of all beleuers made a nevve professiō vnto the great ennemye of God the Romaine deuil and vvicked Antichrist Of the vvhich execrable deede thou shalt read more in the end of this booke Partlye also the horrible vices vvhich follovv this monster vvhereof the most prudent K. Henry the eight had good proofe vvhen he caused the houses of the hooded hypocrites the colleges of the massemongers in his kingdome before their vtter destruction vvhich vvas in the yeare of our Lord God 1538. to be visited by the vvorshipfull doctours of the lavve Thomas Lee Richard Laiton Thomas Bedill Thomas Barthlet the publicke notarie such others In the vvhich there vvere such svvarmes of vvhoremōgers ruffians filthie parsons giltye of sinne against nature Ganimedes and yet votaries and vnmaryed all so that thou vvouldest thincke that there vvere a nevve Gomorrha amonge them The booke of them is called the breuiary of thinges founde out in abbeyes assemblies colleges c. Out of the vvhich booke I vvill shevv but one or other example to an vnsauery tast thereof In the monasterye called Battel abbey in the Diocesse of Chichester these many gilty of sinne agaīst nature vvere foūd in the visitation Iohn the Abbot Richard Salchurst Thomas Cuthberth VVilliam March Iohn Hasting Gregorie Champiō Clemēt VVestfild Iohn Crosse Thomas Crambroke Thomas Basill Iohn Hamfild Iohn Hierome Clemens Grigge Richard Touye and Iohn Austine These vvere incontinente liuers Thomas Lyuet vvyth one maryed vvife one harlot Thomas Cranbroke vvith the same and other beside Lo this is the chast Religion of the Pope At Canterbury amonge the Benedictine monkes these vvere gilty of sinne against nature Richard Godmersham VVilliam Lichfild Christopher Iames Iohn Goldmistone Nicolas Clement VVilliam Causton Iohn Ambrose Thomas Farlegh and Thomas Morton VVhoremongers Christopher Iames aforesaide vvith three maried vvomen and Nicolas Clement vvith one harlot In the Abbey of S. Augustine these vvere found vnchast Iohn the Abbot vvith one vvoman Iohn Langdan vvith tvvo Iohn Langport vvith one Richarde Compton vvith one VVilliam Reynsforth vvith one VVilliā Godmerstone vvith tvvo Dauid Franckes vvith tvvo Robart saltvvood one Laurence Goldstone one VVilliam Holingborne one VVilliā Milton one Iohn Shrevvsbery one and Thomas Barhā gilty of sinne against nature In the abbey of Bath amonge many other Richard Lincombe had vii harlots iij. maryed vvomen and iiii singlevvomen and he vvas giltye of sinne against nature also VVilliam Benushon had xi harlots beside diuers gilty of sinne against nature In the abbey of Monkenferlege in Salisbury diocesse Levvis the Prior had 9. harlots Richard the Prior of Mayden Bradley had v. harlots and sixe bastardes VVilliam the Abbot of Bristovve had iiij harlots iij. vnmaried one maryed Thomas Abbot of Abingtō beside his ovvne naturall sister of vvhom he begat tvvo children had three other harlots and this mā vvas the father of many that vvas gilty of sin against nature In the abbey of Sulbred in the diocesse of Cicester George VValden Prior had vij harlots Iohn Standney vij Nicolas duke v. Henry Selvvood tvvo vvith many others Iohn Blanke Prior of Bermondsey had xi harlots At the castel of VVyndsor Henry VVoodvvard had very many harlots Nicolas VVhyden had iiij George VVhitthorne v. Nicolas
and â—yre Oft to rebell whose burning breath set all the world on fyre Who hath blasphemd our glorious God w t thousand mischiefs more Loe to be briefe such is the beast of whom I spake before Which earst discouered was by Bale among the rockes of Rome And by the painfull penne of S. is into England come That euery man may know the same and learne to shone the beast Who while she lorked close did spye mankinde by East and Weast Accept therfore my friendes good will that thus his trauell spent Prayse God for it and him for payne that this vnto thee sent FINIS THE FIRST BOOKE of the Pageant of Popes S. Peter not bishop of Rome FOR so muche as the Bishops of Rome haue claimed and doo still clayme their vsurped supremacy by right of inheritaÌ„ce and succession from Peter because he as they pretend was bishop of Rome at the least .xxv. yeares and so tied all this dignitie and prerogatiue whiche they fight for to his chayre for euer It shal be therfore nedeful to consider how likely it is to be true that Peter continued bishop in Rome according to their boasting This matter shal be the better displayed if these three pointes be layde open to the readers eye that is the yeare that Peter came to Rome the yeres that Peter sat at Rome and the death of Peter ¶ Of S. Peters comming to Rome Touching the time of his comming to Rome their own histories doe wryte so vncertainly that it semeth more certaine that he neuer came there First their legendary of saintes liues called Passionale counteth that he came not there till the xiii yeare of Claudius and that should be the 55. yeare of the incarnacion of Christe and 22. yeare after his death Platina saith that in the second yere of Claudius being the xi yeare after the death of Christe Peter cam to Rome being the head of the worlde partly because he perceiued that this was a seate pontificali dignitati conuenientem fit for poÌ„tifical dignitie partly because of Simon Magus Thus he maketh that partly ambicion and dignitie drewe Peter to Rome there to take his ease contrary to the duty and doing of the poore paynfull and godly Apostle who as he had in charge by Iesus Christe trauailed stil from place to place not for the dignitie of a bishop at Rome but to plant the Gospell throughout the worlde Orosius sayth he came soner euen in the beginning of the raigne of Claudius lib. 7. cap. 6. Fasciculus temporum saith he came not till the fourth yeare of Claudius Eusebius saithe that by Gods especiall prouidence he came to Rome Euestigio sub ipso Claudij imperio Out of hande vnder Claudius his raigne Peter came to Rome because of Simon Magus Vspergensis saith some reporte that he came in the beginning of the raigne of Claudius some saye not till the seconde yeare Other saye that he came not till the fourth yeare of his regiment Againe some thinke that he came in the beginning thereof but toke not vpon him to be byshop till the fourth yeare of Claudius Other thinke that he was bishop forthwith as sone as he came Sabellicus saith that he came to Rome altero anno regiminis eius Claudij in the second yeare of Claudius his regiment Naucler saith that he came to Rome in the fourth yere of Claudius and began his bishoprike the same yeare in Rome in secunda generatione vol 2. It were to long to recite all the opinions of Peters coÌ„ming to Rome and his enstalling but by these it may appeare howe the Romaine Iury can giue no certain verdit vpon suche vnconstant euidence ¶ The continuance of Peter in his Bishoprike S. Ierome sayth he raigned xxvii yeares Beda sayth he sat at Rome xxix yeares Fasciculus Temporum hitteth it iump and misseth not one daye saying he was martyred by Nero after he had bene bishop of Rome xxv yeres vii monethes viii days The moste do agree to this accompt as Vspergensis Platina and other that he raigned not aboue xxv yeares ¶ Peters death NIcephorus sayth he was buried in the xxxvii yeare after the death of Christe Of these premisses this is to be gathered that Peter came to Rome at the furthest in the fourth yeare of Claudius and that is the xiii yeare after the death of Christe and raigned there xxv yeares at the least and was put to death there in the last yeare of Nero being the 38. yeare after the death of Christe This semeth to be moste probable and in taking this tyme we shall seme to deale most fauourably with the papiste who would so fayne deriue this bastard brauÌ„che of Romain prelates from the holy Apostle so that if it can be proued that Peter sat not bishop of Rome these xxv yeares then must the Pope seke out a new petagrewe for his succession falsely fathered vpon Peter his auncient continuance of hundred yeres being disproued by the scripture being more auncient can proue nothing for lawfull regiment but rather improue him of vnlawefull vsurping for so long time And therfore for the more euideÌ„t vnderstanding hereof it shal be moste coÌ„uenient to conferre the yeares of the Emperours with the yeares of Christ his incarnation and death whiche for the more ease I haue set foorth in this table folowing wherein appeareth that our sauiour Christe suffered death in the 33. yeare of his age in the 18. yeare of Tiberius who raigned in all 23. yeares therof v. yeres after Christes death The next is Caligula raigning three yeares x. monethes viii dayes Then succeded Claudius for 13. yeares 8. monethes and 28. dayes Last was Nero continuing 13. yeares 10. monethes and 18 dayes all whiche time being added together doth make almoste 37. yeares whiche is the time that Peter lyued after the death of our sauiour as Nicephorus testifieth The yeares of Christes incarnatioÌ„ The yeares after Christes death The yeares of the Emperours The yeares after Paul conuersion 33 Christ died Tiberins 18  34 1 19  35 2 20 Paule con 36 3 21 1 37 4 22 2 38 5 23 3 39 6 Caligula 4 40 7 2 5 41 8 3 6 42 9 4 7 43 10 Claudius 8 44 11 2 9 45 12 3 10 46 13 4 11 47 14 5 12 48 15 6 13 49 16 7 14 50 17 8 15 51 18 9 16 52 19 10 17 53 20 11 18 54 21 12 19 55 22 13 20 56 23 14 21 57 24 Nero. 22 58 25 2 23 59 26 3 24 60 27 4 25 61 28 5 26 62 29 6 27 63 30 7 28 64 31 8 29 65 32 9 30 66 33 10 31 67 34 11 22 68 35 12 33 69 36 13 34 70 37 14 35   Galba  Whether Peter were bishop of Rome before the death of Christe seing there is no question to be made it nedeth not to be spoken of for the time after his death it followeth that for the first
cap. 5. Again in the same place Iosephus sheweth that in the xi yeare of Claudius Foelix was made Liuetenaunt of Iudea who as it appeareth by Tertullus oracion against Paule Acts the 24. had bene in Iudea at the least a yeare ere Paule came thether so that cōsidering he came thether in the xi yeare and taried but to the xiiii yeare of Claudius and Paule was prysoner two yeares before his departure it falleth out that Paule came to Hierusalem about the xii yeare of Claudius and that the epistle was written to Rome the same yeare and finally that this yeare Peter had not his prerogatiue papall at Rome And of this iudgement is Caluine saiyng that this epistle to the Romaines semeth to be written foure yeares before that Paule came to Rome Instituti cap. 8. sectione 101. Furthermore S. Ambrose vpon the Epistle to the Romaines saith that he hath red in certaine olde bookes that at the sending of this Epistle Narcissus whom with his family Paule saluteth was then the Seniour of the congregacion at Rome Ergo not Peter Anno. 55.56.57.58 IN the seconde yeare of Nero being the 58. yeare of the incarnacion Paule came to Rome by the testimonie of Vspergensis In Nerone Eusebius li. 2. cap. 21. At which time it is euident that Peter was not byshop according to the Romaine bragge for whē Paule came to Rome Luke being then with him saith that the brethren hearing of vs came forth to mete vs c. but there is no mention made of Peter neither comming nor sending to Paule The thirde daye after Paule sent for the chiefe of the Iewes reasoning with them about the faith who aunswered him thus We will heare what thou doest thinke for we knowe that this sect is spoken against euery where When Paule had ended his sermon the Iewes fell at variaunce about it for some beleued and some beleued not This aunswere and doing of the Iewes sheweth that they had heard but litle of Christe till the comming of Paule nothing so muche as they should haue heard and knowen if Peter beinge by faith and promise their peculier Apostle had bene bishop in Rome these twelue yeares since the fourth of Claudius or but at any time within these foure yeares since the epistle of Paule was sent to Rome Neither can it be excused to saye that he might be bishop and yet not medle with preaching to the Iewes but exercise him selfe in conuerting the Gentiles this excuse cannot take place for if Peter had bene in Rome he ought chiefly to haue conferred with the Iewes for as Paule saith in the ninth verse of the seconde to the Galathians that by promise Paule was appointed Apostle to the Gentiles and Peter to the Iewes therefore as we se that Paule discharged his dutie in that point to the Gentiles so is it to be thought that Peter did likewyse to the circumsized as partly appeareth by his firste epistle written namely to the dispersed Iewes in Pontus Galatia Capadocia Asia and Bithynia vnto the whiche thing Eusebius lib. 3. cap. 4. thinketh he did wholly addict him selfe And therfore it is not likely that Peter hetherto had any suche prerogatiue in Rome as the Pope dreameth of Anno. 59. and 60. IT appeareth that for these twoo yeares Peter came not yet to his dignitie for Paule cōming prisoner to Rome did continue there as Luke testifieth twoo yeares all the whiche time saieth Nicephorus he liued by the labour of his handes lib. 2. cap. 3. If Peter had bene at Rome as Platina would haue him in Pontificall dignitie he woulde haue prouided so that Paule should not haue bene in suche distresse But it is manifest that he was not there all this time by those epistles that were nowe written by Paule from Rome For in those epistles there is no menciō made of Peters being with him In the epistle to the Galathians Paule being compelled to confirme the authoritie of his doctrine and Apostleship whiche some sought to deface speaketh muche of former acquaintance betwene him and Peter howe he came to Hierusalem Act. 9. to se Peter And howe he reproued him at Antioche c. And yet he maketh no mencion of his being with him at this time especially when Peters testimony by subscripcion or otherwyse might moste haue confirmed Paules cause and haue testified his doctrine to be as autenticall as that whiche the other Apostles taught Whiche oportunitie if Paule should haue omitted when it might both haue stoode hym in steede and might best haue bene obtained it should haue geuen greater occasion to encrease the discredit mistrust of Paules function preaching And this would the wise and carefull Apostle haue cōsidered who omitted no oportunitie to the furtheraunce of the Gospell c. Againe by the latter Epistle to Timothie wrytten at Paules latter imprysonnement in Rome as Eusebius li. 2 cap. 21. testifieth it appeareth that Peter was not with hym at the time of his former captiuitie by these woordes In my first defence meaning when he aunswered for hym selfe first before Nero no man assisted me If Peter had bene there surely Paule should not haue had cause thus to complayne onles Peters charitie had waxen so colde that he would forsake his fellowe Apostle Which if it had bene so as I dare not imagine it then woulde Paule haue noted him by name to Timothie as he did Demas Hymeneus and Philetus If he had succoured him he woulde haue bene mindefull to make thankefull report thereof as he did of Onesimus and diuers other Aquila and Priscilla Furthermore the Epistle to the Colossians was also written at this tyme as it appeareth by mencion made of Demas who nowe was with Paule but afterwarde forsoke hym as appeareth in the seconde to Timothie Beside that by Onesimus who was with Paule onele in his first captiuitie and caried these letters to Colossa it is playne that it was written at this time and yet among all other that are there named Peter is put vp in silence The Epistle beginneth Paule and Timothie if Peter had bene there he had bene added also Finally S. Luke being all this time of imprisonment with Paule and continuing his story till the end of Paules imprisonment for so he cōcludeth the history of the Actes saying that Paule continued two whole yeres in a place whiche he had hyred in Rome receiuing all that came in vnto him preaching with all libertie and teaching those things that were in Christ Iesus and no man forbad him Thus doth Luke testifie of Paule and yet he speaketh not one woorde that Peter should thē be there or that he had bene there at any time neither that he should come thether at any time after Thus are foure yeares of Neroes raigne passed and yet is Peter not raigning to this time in his diocesse whereof he toke possession by the Romishe registers fourtene yeares since ¶ From the yeare 60. to the yeare 67. IN the yeare of
thincarnation 60. Paule as is sayde was prisoner at Rome who for the tyme of his abode there so planted the Gospell that at his departing from thence he left great fruite therof and suche in deede as if Peter had succeded Paule within two thre or foure yeres and there supplied the roume of a byshop Cornelius Tacitus speaking of the estate of the Christians in Rome about the yeare 67. being but seuen yeares after Paules departure should not haue had cause so soone to saye as he doth y by that tyme the Christian Religion was repressed For Vspergensis saith that in the 67. yere Nero did set Rome on fier of the whiche Cornelius Tacitus writing lib. 15. Augustae historiae sayth Ergo abolēdo rumori Nero subdidit reos c. Therfore Nero to stop the rumour of his setting the citie on fier suborned giltie persons and executed with strange punishment those whome the vulgar people detesting for their wickednes doth call Christiās That mischeuous superstition being repressed till nowe brake out againe c. Therfore first they were taken that confessed it afterward by their accusatiō an houge multitude not so much for that they were gilty of fyreing the citie as for hatred are condemned and were put to death with great despite some encased in the skinnes of wylde beastes that they might bee torne in peces with dogges some crucified some were burned to giue light in the night time c. These are the woordes of Tacitus notwithstanding as it appeareth he was a blasphemer of the name of Christe By these woordes of his it appeareth that nowe Christianitie began to reuiue and that nowe it was quenched which argueth plaine that from the former time of Paules departure til this time Peter had not supplied in Rome the place of a preaching pastour and diligēt bishop And seing this broyle against the Christians began now to be so hotte not in al places but especially in Rome howe could Peter sit quietly in this citie as bishop thereof and not be fyred out with his flocke but they saye all that he lyued after this tyme about three yeares for this was done in the eleuenth yeare of Nero who raigned almoste xiiii yeares and Peter was martyred in the last yeare of Nero as they saye all If this reuiuing of the Gospel was by Peters meanes why would Nero spare him being the head if Peter escaped by flying then he shewed him selfe to be an hierling and no true shepeherde that forsaketh his flocke when he seeth the wolfe come ¶ From the yeare 67. to the 70. of thincarnation Nowe are we come to the latter tyme of Nero in which yeres if Peter were not bishop of Rome then is it certaine that he was not bishop there at all But to come to the purpose Naucler Volu 2. generat 2. and the moste writers as Eusebius lib. 2 cap. 25 Nicephorus li. 2. cap. 34. Sabellicus Ennead 7. li. 2. agree that Paule died in the yeare of our Lorde 70. the 37. yeare after the death of Christe But it may sone appeare that Peter was not then byshop at Paules last comming to Rome for after Paule was come thether he sent for Timothie to come vnto hym shewing that he had nede of him to come to hym because he was nowe desolate and had none with hym Demas had forsaken hym nowe and embraced the worlde c. so that if this Epistle were not written at the firste imprisonment of Paule but at this latter time then was not Peter yet estalled in his Diocese for if he had bene in Rome in his pontificall dignitie I thinke Paule should not haue bene dryuen to sende to Ephesus 1000. miles frō Rome for Timothie to bryng Marke to come to minister to him In the ende of this secōd Epistle to Timothie Paule sendeth commendations from diuers but none from Peter There are xiiii Epistles whereof Paule and Seneca beare the name the one wryting to the other at this later imprysonnement and yet among them all nothing is saide of Peter and yet by occasion he might easely haue bene mencioned in them if he had bene then in Rome But if by this time Peter were not yet Pope of Rome there is no tyme left for him to come to enioye it during the raigne of Nero till whose death this present persecutiō of the church endured with all crueltie ¶ The death of Peter TOuching the death of Peter all wryters do not agree as it is sufficiently declared in the Actes and monumentes fol. 56. in these wordes They that folow the common opinion and the Popes decrees saye that bothe Peter and Paule suffred both in one daye and one yeare whiche opinion semeth to be taken out of Dionisius byshop of Corinthe Hierome in his booke De viris illustr affirmeth that they suffered both in one daye but hee expresseth not the yeare so doth Isiodorus and Eusebius Prudentius in his Peristephano noteth that they both were put to death vpon the same daye but not in the same yeare saythe that Paule folowed Peter a yeare after Abdias recordeth that Paule suffered twoo yeares after Peter Moreouer if it be true whiche Abdias sayth that after the crucifying of Peter Paule remayned in his free custody at Rome mencioned in the 28. of the Actes of the Apostles whiche was as S. Hierome witnesseth in the thirde or fourth yeare of Nero then must it be tenne yeares betwixt the martyrdome of Peter and of Paule for as muche as it is by all wryters confessed that Paule suffered in the xiiii yeare which was the last yeare of Nero. Vspergensis saithe that they were both executed in one yeare but he noteth not that they died in one daye Sabellicus sayth both in one yeare one daye Some say as Ambrose that they died together both in one place But Dionysius saythe otherwyse that the one bad thother farewel when they were parted asonder goyng to death Againe the moste writers saye that Nero was the cause therof But Linus saith Agrippa cōmaunded that Peter should be slayne because that by his persuasiō foure of the concubines of Agrippa refused to liue any longer in suche vnchast life with the king therefore for anger he cōmaunded that Peter should be crucified Finally S. Hierome and Lyra wryting vpon the 34. verse of the 22. chap. of Mathewe say that Peter was put to death at Hierusalē by the Iewes and that Christe prophecied thereof saying Lo I sende you prophetes c. and some of them ye shall kyll Many thinges might be added to disproue this dotage of Peters being bishop at Rome but because I thinke this to be sufficient I let passe diuers necessary thinges least I should be ouer tedious But if any be desirous to se this matter more suffitiently handled let him reade Vlrichus Velenus wryting purposely of this in a litle booke called Demonstrationes contra Romani Papae primatus figmētum Beside there hath bene of late set forth in Englishe a discours
the saying in the 17. of thapocalips concerninge the x. kinges These haue one counsell and power and shal giue their power vnto the beast THE FOVRTH BOOKE coÌ„tayning the third order of Popes in whoÌ„ Antichrist appeareth to be come toward fulnesse of hys wickednes specifyed in the 17. Chapter of the Reuelation speakinge of Antechrist in the kingdome of the greate whore of Babilon vvhich sitteth vppon the beaste vvith seuen heades and that Prophecye seemeth to maister Baale to containe these 41. Popes following to Siluester the second HYtherto from Phocas the Emperours time for the space of 247. yeares Antichrist like the beast raigned in the Church of Christians without iudgemente or consideration of heauenly spirite Hytherto the Popes euen to the forteth Pope cast theyr eyes on earthly things forgetting Gods euerlasting testament as if they onely regarded but the fleshe and not the soule All theyr delight was in newe traditions ceremonyes buildings pleasures pompe warres treasons and translations of kingdomes as appeareth so that they seemed to liue in the glorye of this worlde and in contempte with Christ so that the Church vnder their gouernment is at length become the strompet of Babilon according to the whole discours of the Apocalips The truth whereof the Lord hath most euidently reueiled in this next Pope that followeth who was a woman and an harlot whereby al men may vnderstand the misterye reuealed by Christ. THE POPES OR ROMAINE ANTICHRISTES 40 Ioan the eight IOan the eight being a woman was made Pope and because of her bringing vp vnder a certeine Englishe maÌ„ a Monke of Fulda whome she loued tenderly her name was altered and she was called Iohn Englishe She sat as Pope in the pontificall seate at Rome two yeares and syxe monethes She was a Germain of kindred and borne in Mens called at the firste Gilberta who the more to enioye her louers company and the better to auoyde suspicioÌ„ dissembled her kinde and put her selfe into mans apparell so trauailed with the Monke her peramour to Athens where after she had profited in all the sciences her louer being dead she came to Rome disguising still her selfe and counterfaiting to be a man For through the promptnesse of her wit and ready tongue shee talked eloquently in publique lectours and disputations And many had her in admiratioÌ„ for her learning She grew into so great credit was so wel liked of al that Leo the Pope being dead they chose her Pope In whiche office as other Popes did shee gaue orders made priests and deacons promoted bishops made abbots sayde masses hallowed altars and churches ministred the Sacramentes and gaue men her feete to kisse and did all other thinges belonging to Popes her doinges stode in force But in the time of her Popeship â–ª Lotharius the Emperour being an olde man became a Monke And Lewis the seconde came to Rome and receiued of â—er the scepter and crowne of the Empier with Peters blessing whereby the whore of Babilon shewed her self so mighty that she made kinges stoupe vnto her Apo. 17. Also as Houedenus saith in her time Ethelwolphus king of Englande gaue the tenth part of his kingdome to the Priestes and Monkes to praye for his soule And his sonne Ethelwaldus maried Iudith a wydow and lately his owne fathers wyfe and his stepmother But as touching Pope Ioan she was gotten with childe by one of her familiar chaplaynes a Cardinall to whome her fleshly appetite caused her to discâ—ose her selfe As she was going on procession solemly to Lateran churche in the middest of the way and in the open streate betwene Colossus Clement church she was deliuered of childe in presence of all the people and died of her trauell in the same place And for this wickednesse she was stripped and spoyled of all pontificall honour and buried without any pompe or solemnitie Whereof Mantuan wryteth describing hell in the thirde booke of Alphonsus thus Here honge the dame that erst disguised would seme a maÌ„ to be VVhose head the Roman miter ware with crest of crownettes three VVho playde a shamelesse strumpettes parte in place of Popes degree Lo this is that seate that can not erre being endued with the holy Ghost by succession or rather an euident argument of the seate of Babilon But the Popes since that time in their procession do shonne that place where she was deliuered as odious for the hap thereof Funcius sayth boldely that this was suffered by Gods especiall prouidence that this woman should be made Pope being also an harlot euen then when she should bring kinges as she did Ethelwolphus and Alphredus in subiection vnto her whereby Antichrist might be knowen for then it was the Lordes pleasure to bewraye the whore of Babilon in a Pope being an whore Whereof the holy Ghost foretold Apoc. 17. that the elect might beware of her But to auoide the like incoÌ„uenience of a woman for the time folowing they deuised that who so euer should be chosen Pope should be serched very narrowely to be tryed a man shamefull to be reported but vsed without shame among suche shamelesse shauelinges But nowe commonly they nede not when they chuse them Popes mistrust them to be women for whyle they are Cardinals they playe suche Carnall partes that they are able to bring forth bastardes of their owne begetting to proue them selues men whereof one Iohn Pannonius wrote a mery Epigram in foure Latin verses testifying the truthe of this their doing of the whiche I omitte the two first verses for ciuilitie sake it may be gathered by these latter two what is ment Cur igitur nostro mos hic iam tempore cessat Ante probat sese quilibet esse marem How hapneth that this groaping them is vsed nowe no more Because eache one doth try him selfe to be a man before 41. Benedict the third BEnedict the thirde being first tried vpon the porphyry stoole to be a man was made Pope Massaeus saith he howled out and cried miserably that he should be promoted to so great dignitie whereof he was vnworthy a rare thing among them But some thinke he did it but of hypocrysie because As Platina saith he offred his feete to be kyssed and suffred him selfe to bee worshipped lyke an earthly Idoll Then came Embassadours from Lewis the Emperour to confirme the election of him done by the Clergie and people Among many supersticious and vaine ceremonies he appointed that Dirige should be sayde for the dead that the Clergy should go soberly honestly He died Anno 859. In this time as Sigebertus and Vincentius testifie in Mens as a certaine Priest was casting holy water a certayne Diuell lurking vnder his Cappe as if he had bene a familiar to him did accuse him that he laye with a Proctours doughter that nighte 42. Nicolas the first NIcolas the firste was made Pope in the presence of Lewis the seconde Emperour after his father Lotharius But as sone as Lewis was departed out of
and vniust dealinge which the Popes haue vsed seing that seate of Rome hath sustaind within so fevve yeares so manye leude persons tyrantes theues filchers robbers rebels adulterers and open purloyners of Church goodes And who in Gods name vvill reuerence that as holye which receiueth so many plagues but as yet the nomber of the wicked ones is not fulfilled as shal follow immediatlye c. The ende of the fourth Booke THE FIFTE BOOKE contayninge the thirde diuision of the thirde order of Popes or Romaine Antichristes in the kingdome of the greate Dragon which is the deuill and sathan Apocalips 20. vnto the time of Innocentius the fourth FRoÌ„ Ioan the eighte who was an harlot for the space of 146. yeares to this yeare being the thousand yere from Christe his incarnation Antichrist raigned like an harlot in the Churche of Rome pretending chastity in the meanetime Yet we see howe here the prophecye in Daniel 11. concerninge Antichriste was fulfilled contayned in these words And Antichrist shal be in the coÌ„cupiscence of women We see in these former historyes howe these Popes haue liued in wantonesse royat whoredome and worse theÌ„ whoredome incest pride ambition robbinge and riflinge Churches coniuringe treason rebellion discention murders poysoninges such other detestable enormities So that according to the saying of Esaie they deserue rather to be called the Princes of Sodom theÌ„ the elders of the Church Consequentlye after the thousande yeare after Christes byrth it was prophesyed that the deuil should be let loose and this shal be called the kingdome of the great Dragon wherin the actes of the Popes do wonderfully aunsweare vnto it both in Syluester the second who wyth his Necromancye raysed the deuill from hell and hauinge coniured him vp did compounde wyth him for the Popedome And againe in Benedict the ix who made sacrifyce vnto the deuill in woodes and vppon mountayne toppes In Hildebrand or Gregorie the seuenth who toke counsaile of euill spirites and vsed other diuelish charmes beside other 81. Syluester the second SYluester the seconde was a Frenchman in profession a monke and called Gilbert before he was Pope He was of S. Benedicts order in an abbey at Florence where he being a yonge man and addicted whollye to deuilishe artes betoke himselfe to the deuill both bodye and soule Afterward forsaking that abbey he went into Spaine delightiÌ„g much in prophane sciences came to Hispalis vnto a certaine Philosopher being a Sarracen and expert in Magick of whom he learned much both sorcerye and ambitioÌ„ and began to deuise howe he might attaine to greate honour riches and thought in deede that coniuringe and Necromancye were the meetest wayes to come by hys purpose He had espyed before in the house of his host a certaine coÌ„iuring booke and did his endeuour to steale it awaye but the Magician kept it so deuoutlye that Gilbert coulde not come by it therfore he inueigled the MagiciaÌ„s doughter wyth whom beinge in the house he had good acquaintance â—o steale her fathers booke and let him haue a sight thereof the mayde fulfilled his request so he obtayned his purpose He hauing the booke went about to depart by stealth but fearing least this might endaunger his life for stealing the booke he gaue himselfe to the deuill vppon this condition that he should warrant him to passe safelye into FrauÌ„ce and to obtayne great dignityes He came into Fraunce taught the liberal Sciences so as many had him in admiration wherby he had a nomber of scholers and auditors some of great calling that learned the former artes of him as CoÌ„stantine abbot of Maximin Lotharius Archbishop of Seuen Otho the Emperours sonne Roberte kinge of Fraunce wyth sondrye other bishops prelats priestes of Rome By the procurement of these parsons he was made first bishop of Remen afterward by his leude artes he obtayned to be Archbishop of Rauenna Last of all he obtayned to be Pope of Rome by the helpe of the deuill whom he w t coniuration raysed out of hell according to the xx of the Apocalips For Peter Praemonstratensis other wryters saye that he was made Pope in the Thousande yeare of our Lords Incarnation In the which yere sayth Masfeus was a great and terrible earthquake and a blasinge starre horrible to loke vppon the xiiii day of December In his Popedome he concealed his coniuring and dissembled that familiarity which he had with the deuill but yet he kepte in a certaine secrete place a brasen heade of which when he demaunded anye thinge hee receyued aunsweare of an euil spirit At the length in his pontificality he would needes demauÌ„de of the deuil how longe he should be Pope the deuill aunswered doubtfullye and misticallye sayinge he should not dye vntill he sayd Masse in Hierusalem He therfore conceyuing good hope of longe life began to ware carelesse thinking to take heede enoughe of comminge in Hierusalem But the vse was that on a certaine day of stations in the Lent time the Popes should say masse at Rome in the Pallayce of the holy Crosse which was called Hierusalem wherevppon Syluester not fearinge his life nor heedefull enoughe to forecast the deuils despite accordinge to custome said masse in the same Chappel And by by a terrible shyueringe and quakinge came vppon him wyth a great feuer and by the rumbling noyse of deuils as Peter PraemoÌ„stratensis Platina say he perceyued his death was at hand and that he must paye the deuill his fee. And thus bewayling lamenting openly the abuse of his charmes he confessed his fault til he perished miserablye And sayth Benno he commaunded his tongue and his handes to be cut of wherewith he had blasphemed God in sacrifisinge vnto deuils thus he dyed Anno 1003. The reporte is that the tombe of this Syluester doth euer since prognosticate the death of the Pope by the ratlinge of the bones and the gushing out of water that ryseth out of the grouÌ„d about it as also sayth Platina is testifyed by the Epitaphe written on his graue 82. Iohn the 19. IOhn the 19. an Italian did likewise succeede Syluester and gat to be Pope by the deuils ayde for sayth Benno the scholers of the sayde Syluester being coniurers euerye one gaped for the Popedome This Iohn did take from the people the election of the Pope sayinge in behalfe of his doing that the clergye must teache the people but not followe them And againe the lawe which is ruled by Gods spirite is more worthye then that which is mans lawe He allowed commaunded to establishe in all Churches the feast of al soules at the motioÌ„ of one Odiloe abbot of Clunie whoe dreamed that soules were deliuered oute of Purgatorye by vertue of the masse and sayd that he harde the deuils houle and roare while the soules were takeÌ„ froÌ„ them through dirges trentalles After he had raigned 5. monthes he was poysoned by his owne frendes In his time the name of Cardinals began to grow
FINIS 118. Honorius the thirde HOnorius the thirde a Romaine borne was made Pope at Prusium at what time the Cardinals distressed for want of foode did there dispatch the election of him Who byinge to Rome as fast as he coulde toke order about the warre in Asia to maintaine it stil knowiÌ„g how auaylable it was to their matters wroughte heare at home in Christendome forth with Iohn Columna a Cardinal of Rome was appointed to proceede as ambassadour with that armye which Innocentius had prouided for that purpose He crowned Frederick the seconde sonne of Constance the Nonne Emperour against Otho the fourth whom notwithstanding afterward for vsinge his owne right in the coastes of Sicil Apulia the Pope excommunicated Yea this Honorius sayth Marius was so enflamed against this Emperour Frederick that hee did trayterouslye maintaine Thomas and Mathewe Earles of Thuscia with other rebels that put themselues in armoure against the Emperours maiestye whereby the Emperour coulde not punishe them as they deserued which sayth Vspergensis caused him much to complaine that the Sea of Rome did euer maintaine traytours and rebels which presumed vpon that refuge Also he discharged his barons of their fealty to their Lorde which mischiefe was yet for a while stayed by the meanes of Hermannus maister of the flemings of Zeland He coÌ„firmed the orders of Dominican Franciscan friers deuised in the time of Innocentius He maintayned the white fryers and Augustinian fryers that they should vphould transubstantiation against the Valdenses who then began to defye the Church of Rome in many matters for the Dominicans forged that Pope Innocentius a little before his death had a vision wherin was reuealed vnto him that Lateran Church should fall vnlesse their patron Dominicus shoulde bolster it vppon his shoulders whereof Mantuan deluded with such fansyes maketh mention Al. so he wryteth of another dreame for the Franciscan fryers of which though they dreamed as necessarye yet I omitte as vaine and fonde In this Popes time while these thinges were doing there were seene in the ayre strauÌ„g sights testifying the horror of Antichrist encreasing in his members as shall appeare by the Popes following While the ChristiaÌ„ estates were turmoyled abrode fighting for Hierusalem the Pope in pompe and ease at home was at leasure to build sondrye sumptuous Pallaces and gorgeous Temples dedicating them to diuers Saincts He published Epistles decretall and decreed that vnlearned parsons should not be made priestes He commaunded that when the singinge cake was heaued and lifted vp the people should fal downe on their knees and that it should be caryed in comlye order to the sicke with a burning Taper before it He grauÌ„ted Archbishops power to giue pardons faculties dispensations dualities pluralities wtin their diocesse Anno 1223 one Adam CathaneÌ„sis a bishop in Scotlande as Boethius wryteth was burned of his own neighbours in his owne kitchin because he had excoÌ„municated certaine of them for with holding theyr tythes the Pope knowing of this murther neuer ceased till to reuenge the same foure hundred of these men were hanged and their children gelded by king Alexander A sufficient reueÌ„ge for the death of one man Furthermore this Pope warred vppon the Emperour in Apulia and condemned the Earle of Tholos for an hereticke geuinge his landes to the French kinge and finallye would not suffer his bodye to be buryed like a Christian. At length the Pope died Anno 1227. of whom Mattheus Parisius in the 8. booke of his Chronicle wryteth thus Pope Honorius sent his Legate Otho to require to haue Prebendes giuen vnto him throughe all England For sayth the Pope the naturall children must assist their mother in pouertye Therefore he required ij prebends of euery Cathedrall Church one of the bishops stipende and the other from the charter And so he â—raued diuers porcioÌ„s out of the religious houses At this time the Pope was sicke of the spiritual dropsye so that by his Legat he drancke vp the treasures of the clergye and cloystermongers and vsed straunge tyrannye amonge them for Hugh VVells bishop of Lincolne to recouer his bishopricke paide an hundred markes to the Popes Legat and a thousande markes to the Pope At this time it rayned bloude for the space of three dayes in Rome whereuppon one wrote these two Verses O pater Honori multorum nate dolori Est tibi dedecori viuere vade mori O Pope Honorius borne thou werst to mischiefe many men Thou liuest with shame conuaie with speede thy boones to deadly den 119. Gregorie the ninth GRegorie the ninth borne in Campania was nephew to Innocentius the thirde He maintayned the quarell of his predecessour Honorius against the Emperour This Gregorie as Marius wryteth was more maliciouslye disposed toward the sayd Frederick for he accused him because he woulde not fulfill that vaine promise to the needelesse sheddinge of Christian bloud which he made to Honorius for the vnprofitable recoueringe of Hierusalem And therefore this Gregorie did excommunicate him before the Emperour coulde be hearde to speake or were conuicted by reason neither woulde hee suffer the Emperours Embassadours to come to his presence nor heare them in the councell which came to alleadge good and reasonable excuses in the Emperours behalfe as his owne sickenes at his settinge forward caused him to staye besides the death of the Lautgraue Therfore sayth Vspergensis this Pope like a proude man began in his first yeare to excoÌ„municat and curse the Emperour for certaine foolish and false causes neglectinge all order of iudgement as the Emperour sheweth in excusinge himselfe in his epistle to the Princes of Almanye openinge to them because the Pope refused to heare it his innocencye and vpright dealing And therfore certaine noblemen in Rome namely of the house called Frangentes panem when the Pope did the second time excommunicate Frederick they caused the Pope to be driuen oute of the Citye with foule shame so that he ranne awaye byding at Peruse al that yeare the yeare folowing Yet no meanes could asswage his furye but he prouoked Iohn kinge of Hierusalem the foresaid Earles of Thuscia rebels to the Emperour and manye other Princes to trouble him The Emperour appointed a day of assembly for diuers Christian Princes at Rauenna and the Princes were making speede thether to obeye him but by the Popes commauÌ„dement they went backe againe and certaine souldiours wearing the Crosse by the Emperours appointment for the voyage to Hierusalem were robbed and spoiled of all their prouisioÌ„ The Emperour seing this sought to appease the Popes furye and to get his goodwil prepared his iourney according to his promise to Hierusalem he tooke shippe and sayled into Cyprus and afterward to Acon and striued much against the Soldan for the Christian fayth with great paine and trauell In the meane time the Pope seing the Emperours absence seruinge his turne gat Apulia to be vnder his obeisance and forbad that the souldiours wearing
S. Anthony of Padua and others thereby to aduaunce the credite of the begging fryers of their holinesse He decreed that the white fryers should possesse nothing but male Asses and such foode as coms of certaine birdes and beastes as egges milke and all other thinges they should begge from doore to doore as Paleonydorus sayth He graunted the Iewes to be enfranchised for money in spite of all Christian Princes He forbad any man to haue aboue one benefice He commaunded out of Englande the fift part out of lowe Germany the twenteth part of all Church reuenewes He appointed that to Aue Maria should be songe Salue regina and the sacringe bell to be ronge then and at eleuation time He decreed that no lay man should preach and that no custome should take place which leadeth to â—inne And finallye he dyed for thought because the Emperours power preuayled so mightely against him An. 1241. In his time Tiber in Rome braste out so hye that manye were destroyed by it after which ensued such a pestilence that sayth Platina the tenth parson was scant left aliue In his time also a certaine hill in Burgundy cleaued in twaine and swallowed vp an houge multitude of people and a litle before the Pope dyed was such an Eclipse of the Sunne as hath not beene seene before Of the Oracle of Cyrill at Masse IN the time of this Gregorie Anno 1234. Cyrillê° a Grecian the thirde president general of the white fryers dyed by report They say that this man accordinge as Moses Iohn the EuaÌ„gelist did receyued Anno domini 1192. a reuelation from heauen written in Tables of syluer with Gods owne finger in Greeke concerninge the estate of the Church to come and with this new delusion certaine caytifes went about to put awaye and whollye to destroye the Reuelation of S Iohn in that time of deepe darkenes Because at that time in Italy Germanye England Fraunce many through the doctrine of the VValdeÌ„ses and the preachers of Frederick themperour prouinge it out of the ReuelatioÌ„ of Iohn beleeued that Rome was Babilon that great strompet and that the Pope was Antichrist himselfe which opinion the vncle of Petrus Veronensis held as his LegeÌ„d and Fasciculus temporuÌ„ testifye To such shiftes was the totteringe estate of the Pope then driuen as to abrogate the olde Scripture and to forge new for then Princes began to plucke from the Church their temporalities which maintayned theyr excessiue pride and pompe Also they began to defye their transubstantiacion in the masse and to worke diuers thinges that pinched the bellyes of the clergy and made them keepe leaner kitchins In moste thinges this reuelation of Cyrill is cleane contrarye to the Reuelation of Iohn many monkes and fryers haue written great coÌ„mentaryes and fantasticall interpretacions vppon it as Ioachimus Abbas Guilihelmus Cisterciensis Iohn de rupe scissa But who so euer preacheth anye other Gospell c let him be accursed Gallathians 1. 120. Celestine the fourth CElestine the fourth borne of the house of Castilians being a learned aged and crasyed maÌ„ succeded Gregorie who likewyse purposed to pursue the quarell against Frederick but that he was disappointed by a cuppe of poyson whereof it is reported he dyed the xviii daye of his raigne One Thomas Egleston in his booke of the entraunce of the Minorits into England wryteth of an EnglishmaÌ„ called Robert Somerton Cardinall of Rome who likewyse was poysoned hard before the election of this Celestine least he should haue succeded Gregorie of the same Robert Somerton and his death wryteth Mattheus Parisius coÌ„mending him as a man who for the loue he had of all was worthy to be Pope The same Mattheus wryteth of the behauiour of Legates at the same time saying two of the Popes messeÌ„gers remayned in EnglaÌ„d to gather vp his money whose extorsion was so odious shamefull that it is better saith he to let it passe not to offende mens eares then to defyle the ayre wyth the filthye reporte thereof This Celestine vsed this sayinge commonlye It is harder to keepe moderation in prosperity then in aduersitye After his death the Popedome was voyde xxi weekes till the Emperour at the request of Baldwine Emperour of Constantinople and Raimond Erle of Tholos deliuered those Cardinals which he had in captiuitye FINIS THE SIXTE BOOKE and according to maister Baales order the fourth diuision of the third sort of Popes vnto Iulius the seconde contayninge 260. yeares which he calleth the raigne of the Locusts vnder Abadon the destroyer accordinge to the 9. Chapter of the Apocalips For that in this time the Locusts which he enterpreteth the new found orders of begging fryers inuented and ratifyed by the foure last Popes deuoure spoyle waste and destroye all with their sophisticall and cauilling doctrine As did Thomas Aquinas Ioannes Scotus Occam Gerardus Bonomensis Aegidius Romanus Magister SententiaruÌ„ vvith other like subtill schoolemen and Sorbonistes vvho with their gloses allegories and distinctions corrupted the true sence of the Scripture and in maner toke it cleane awaye 121 Innocentius the fourth AFter the Cardinals had long wrangled beinge reproued for it sharpelye by the Emperour they agreed to chose this maÌ„ callinge him Innocent the fourth borne in Genua whose name before was Cynebaldus of the house of Flisci and the countyes of Lauauy who beinge in time paste the Emperours especiall freinde became forth with his deadlye ennemye and did more annoye the noble Prince then any other before had doone Marius reporteth thus of him this Pope sayth he for hate he bare to Frederick did forth with summon a councell at Lions whither hee cited Frederick purposinge himselfe to haue preached there but the Embassadour of Frederick desired he might haue a reasonable daye graunted him that he mighte conuenientlye come to Lions which the Pope did not onlye denye to graunt but forthwith enflamed with wrath and rage did curse themperour depriue him of his estate Emperial release al his Princes of their alleageance and fayth to him and doth moue them to choose another to be Emperour He charged the godly Emperour with diuers false matters as periurye sacriledge emprisoninge certaine of the clergye and such like whereof though the Emperour had by wryting sent to the Princes very honourablye purged himselfe yet this malitious man continued so importunate w t the Princes with great promises that they choose the Landsgraue of Thuringe and rewarded all men with crosses and pardons giuen by Proclamation against the Emperour as againe a Turke or infidell Furthermore he commaunded all bishops and archbishops to publish euery where how he had cursed excommunicated and depriued the Emperour which was boldly doone in England Fraunce and Denmarke but the bishops of Germany fearing the Emperours displeasure besoughte the Pope it mighte not be done Which the Emperour hearinge did valiantlye set himselfe against the Pope and all his tyrannous rebels til he coulde not escape the Popes snares in Apulia For the
he yelded soueraignity to the sea of Rome he builded scholes for those that should studye Phisicke and the Decretals Briget a woman of Sweaueland came to him to Rome because of a vowe that she had made and procured that there should be Religious parsons both men women of the order of S. Briget Afterward be returning into Fraunce made one Iohn Hawcuth an Englishmā liefetenaunt of his army in the steade of Giles that was dead that he might still defende the Ecclesiastical iurisdiction vntil he should returne for he purposed not to returne to Italye But while he wente into Fraunce hopinge to returne to his court in Rome Anno 1371. he dyed at Massilia poysoned as it is thought Sabellicus wryteth that he made great warre in Italye yea euē with the Princes that his auncetours had set vp against the Emperour he slue manye of them In this Popes time sayth Premonstratensis the archbishop of Collen had a wyfe In his time also the order of the Iesuits Scopetines orders first began as Iohn Palionedorus testifyeth in the third booke and second Chapter of his tripartite historye 142. Gregorie the xi GRegorie the eleuenth borne in Lenomony called before Peter Belfortius was Cardinall of newe S. Maryes and nephewe to Pope Clement he succeded Vrban This Gregorie sayth Platina was made Cardinall when hee was scante xvii yeares old by his vncle Clement and least he should seeme to haue more regard to his kindred then to the Church he sent him to the best learned doctours in Italye to be brought vp in learning especiallye to one Baldus whoe then read the Popes decretals at Peruse where he profited in all kinde of such learninge as Baldus coulde teache him so much that the sayd Baldus for the assurance of his owne affayres being in daunger vsed his auctoritye for his owne safetye Gregorie being Pope sent a Cardinall into Italye to ouersee according to custome the estate of the Church But because as Volaterain sayth almost all the Cityes reuolted frō him by the councell of Katherine a Nonne of Scene which afterward became a saint of Baldus his scholemaster he returned from Fraunce vnto Rome with xii galleyes Or as Sabellicus saith because that he reprouing a certaine bishop for being nonresident was by the same bishop reproued againe that he being the chiefe bishop did yet lye so farre and so long from the place of his Church Anno 1376. he excommunicated out of the Church the Florentines who were the auctours of the reuolting and had taken to their vse al the Popes townes lying about them and because they despised and defyed the terrour and vaine boults of his excommunication he warred vpon them Some other saye he returned into Italye for other causes Masseus sayth that one Briget a woman returned from Hierusalem to Rome wrote to Pope Gregorie that it was the Lords pleasure that the Popes court should returne to Rome Crantzius saith it was because a certaine bishop did sharpelye rebuke him that he woulde leaue his Church and followe the Courte Of whom the Pope receyued this aunsweare And thou quoth he beinge Pope of Rome that ought to be an example to other doest not returne to this bishopricke And therefore he did againe translate his seate from Fraunce to Rome by the perswasion of two women and one bishop in the 70. yeare after the translation thereof This Gregorie demaunded tenthes throughout the whole Empyre and repayred the walles of the City and old buildings with great pompous cost He added the eue to the holye daye of the byrth of the blessed virgin Mary In the time of this Pope king Edwarde the third of Englande made many profitable lawes abridginge the Popes pilladge vsurpation and ambition within the Realme Also certaine souldiours of this Pope Gregorie lyinge in a Citye called Cesenata did not onelye take thinges as victuals and other necessaryes refusinge to paye for it but also did beate like slaues the Citizens vpon further sturre they murthered them pityfully◠sparing neyther man woman nor child though they were sucking babes so that they filled all pittes in the Citye wyth dead karcasses for in a fewe houres vpon one daye they slue in the Citye of all ages viii Thousande and then robbed spoyled the towne and so left it desolate emptye Theodoricus lib. 3. Cap. 2. At the length Anno 1378. he dyed of extreame paine of the bladder Euen at the houre of the Popes death the report is that the Pallaice of Auenio was set on fyer coulde not be quenched till the greater part thereof were burnt Afterwarde ensued the greatest sciesme and deuision that euer happened in the Popedome Then sayth Massaeus the clergye and people of Rome complayning to the Cardinals besought them to choose an Italian not a French man Pope that the Courte mighte not go into Fraunce againe But when they began to make an election sodenlye a controuersy began for the Italians were but foure and the French Cardinals were xiii who mighte easelye haue preuayled but they durst not for the Romaynes stoode readye in armour and made a tumult Therefore on Saturdaye being the ix day of Aprill they choose Vrban the sixt to be Pope who was Crowned on Easter daye being the xviii daye of the sayde moneth Praemonstratensis sayth that in the time of this Vrban the sixte began a newe and straung sect of bedlams both of men and womē who vsed to skip and daunce against all modestye who Anno 1375. came sayth he from Aquisgran into Hannonia and so into Fraunce which might prognosticate the returne of Pope Gregorie and his Cardinals to Rome This sect of Daūcers imagined with themselues that they daūced in riuers of bloud but they that stoode by could perceiue no such thing The people thought that these dauncers were euill baptized by priestes keepinge harlots and therefore the people thoughte to haue risen against the clergye to slaye them to spoyle them of their goods vnlesse God had withstoode it sayth he by certaine coniurations 143. Vrban the vi VRban the sixt being but a poore man and very obscure borne in Naples called otherwyse Barthelmew and at length archbishop of Bare but neuer Cardinal and absent the Romaynes vrging it very sore was chosen Pope He being chosen Pope Iane Queene of Sicill bestowed great cost in tryumphing for ioye and sente to him for presentes fourty thousand dukates in gould siluer besides wynes victuals and other thinges yelding also to him her kingdome and all that she had to be at his commaundemente Likewise her husband the noble Otto duke of Brunswick and Prince of Tarentum offered him the like curtesy But sayth Theodoricus of Nyem lib. 1. cap. 7. sone after Otto after dinner amonge many great estates and Cardinals drancke to the Pope but Vrban was so proud that he suffered the noble Prince to kneele before him a great while ere he would take the cup out of his hande in so much that
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
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