do put them in feare with warre other threttenynges that do nat gyue credence to you O good Iesu how gret is the strength howe gret is the diuinite or godly power of the trouth whiche by it selfe without any great enforcement or labour defendeth it selfe from all gyles deceytes that nat without a cause whan a great contention was rysen vp afore kyng Darius what thynge shulde be of most myght and strength and dyuerse men named dyuerse thynges at the last the vyctorie chefe price was geuyn to veryte and trouth and for as moche as now at this tyme I haue to do with prestes and nat with seculares or lay men I must reherse rather ecclesyasticall examples than seculare examples Iudas Machabeus whan by sendynge the ambassadours to Rome he had optayned a leage and amite or frendshippe of the senatours He prouyded the wordes of the leage to be grauen in brasse and to be borne to Hierusalem I passe ouer here the stony tables of the .x. coÌ„maundementes whiche god gaue to Moyses And these so royall meruaylouse strange donation of Constantine can be proued by none other maner euydence and tokens neither in golde neither in syluer neither in brasse neither in marble neither last of all in bokes but onely if we beleue this felowe in a pece of paper or parchment Ioball the fyrst inuentour of musyke as we do rede in Iosephus bycause in his tyme it was a coÌ„mune opinion lefte to theym of their forefathers that the worlde whiche was ones destroyed with water shulde agayne be destroyed with fyer He wrot his doctrine in .ii. pyllers y e one of bricke agaynst the iniurie hurt of fyer and the other of stonne agaynste the hurte of waters which piller of stone remained euyn to Iosephus tyme as he himselfe writeth to th entent that his benefyte towardes all men shulde alwayes remayne and be seen And amonge the Romayns beiÌ„g yet rude and grose whan there was yet but smalle learnyng and letters were rare and geason yet that natwithstandyng the lawes of the .xii. tables were grauen in brasse whiche were founde afterwardes safe and vnperisshed Whan the cyte was taken and set on a fyer by Frenchemen Suche is the vertue and myght of circumspecte prouidence that it is able to ouercome y e two grettest thinges in al y e worlde that is to witte diuturnite or longe contynuaunce of tyme and the vyolence of fortune And dyd Costantyne marke or seale this donation of the worlde onely with paper and ynke namely seyng that the forger of this fable who euer he was dothe make ConstaÌ„tyne in the pagyne of that priuylege sayeng these wordes that he dyd suppose that there shulde nat lacke men after his tyme whiche through wicked couetousnesse wolde breake and disanull this donation or gyfte Feare you this thynge O Constantyne and do you nat beware and prouyde lest they whiche wolde take away Rome from Syluester myght also priuely conuay awaye this dede or writte in paper What Syluester himselfe Doth he no thinge at all for himselfe Dothe he so remyt all thinges to Constantyne Is he so carelesse so slowe and so peakishe dothe he in so great a busynes no thynge prouyde for himselfe nothyng for his churche nothing for them that shulde come after his tyme Beholde here O Constantyne to what maner man you do coÌ„myt the administratyon and gouernaunce of the empier of Rome whiche slepeth in so great a mater and in the thyng wherof shulde come either so great lucre or elles so great ieoperdy and daunger For the paper wherin the priuylege is contayned ones taken away doutles the donation or gyfte can nat be proued to haue ben made in processe of tyme. The mad felowe calleth it the pagyne of the priuilege Callest thou the donation of the worlde a priuilege for it pleaseth me to rebuke him as if he were present and wylt thou that this priuilege was written in a pagine and that Constantyne vsed suche maner oration and speche if the tytle be folish and agaynst reason what maner thiÌ„ges shal we iuge the resydue to be y t do after folowe ¶ Constantinus iÌ„perator quarto die sue baptismatis priuilegium Ro. ecclesiae pontifici contulit vt in vrbe Roma sacerdotes ita hunc caput habeant sicut iudices regem CoÌ„stantyne the emperour the fourth daye after he was Christened gaue a priuylege to the bysshoppe of the churche of Rome that in the cyte of Rome the preestes shulde take hym for heed euyn so as the iuges do take the kynge These wordes be contayned in the very historye of Syluester by reason wherof it can nat be douted in what place this priuilege is sygnifyed to haue ben writen But after the maner of them whiche do deuyse and forge lyes or lesynges he began with the trouthe to th entent that he might cause men to gyue credence to the false vntrue thinges that do folowe Euen lykewise as Sinon in Virgyle sayd fyrste to Priamus these wordes Without fayle noble kyng all the trouth I shall say that I am a Greke borne I shall nat say nay And in this he sayd trouthe but afterwardes he made many false leasinges so in this place dothe our subtyle crafty Sinon which whaÌ„ he had begonne with the trouthe by by after dyd adde these wordes ¶ In eo priuilegio ita inter caetera legitur vtile iudicauimus vna cum omnibus satrapis nostris vniuerso senatu opeimatibê° etiaÌ„ cum cucto populo imperio Ro. ecclie subiacenti vt sicut beatus Petrus in terris vicariê° dei videtur esse constitutus ita pontifices ipsiê° principis Apâ—orum vicem principatus potestatem amplius quam terrenae imperialis nostrae serenitatis mansuetudo habere videtur coÌ„cessam a nobis nostroque imperio obtineant In that priuilege among other thinges thus it is redde We with all our dukes erles and with the hole senate and the optimates and with all y e people beyng subiectes vnder the empier gouernaunce of the churche of Rome haue iuged thought it profytable that lykewise as blessed Peter semeth to haue ben constituted ordayned the vicare of god here in erthe euen so the popes also being the successours of the prince of the Apostles shulde optayne and haue power dominion graunted to them of vs our empier more largely than the myldenes of our erthely eÌ„periall serenite shulde seme to haue O cursed and false wreche the same historie wherof thou takest recorde witnes telleth that it is longe tyme ere afore euer they whiche were of y e senatorie ordre wolde take vpon them y e Christen relygion that CoÌ„staÌ„tyne gaue money to poore men that he might therby prouoke them to be baptysed And sayest thou that forth with within .iiii. dayes the senate y e noble great estates with y e rulers of prouiÌ„ces as
neither maye neither ought to fyght for them selfe that you may by your auctorite make theÌ„ safe sure from ieoperdy which ar in daunger of traynes and iniuries It hathe pleased almighty god in tymes past to open and shewe to Nabugodonosor to Cyrus to Assuerus and to many other kynges and princes the highe ministerie of the trouthe yet for all that he neuer required of any of them that he shulde renounce and forsake his empier that he shuld gyue awaye parte of his kyngdome but onely that he shulde restore lybertie to the Hebrues and defende them frome the iniuries and noyaunce of their enemyes that bordred vpon them This was suffycient to the Iewes this same also shall be suffyciente to Christen men Constantine you are now made christen But is it nat a shamfull thinge that you beyng nowe a Christen emperour are a smaler prince in dominion and empier than you were beyng yet an Infydele For to be a prince or gouernour is a certayn principall and chefe gyfte of god whervnto euyn the hethen princes also are iudged to be called chosen of god But happely some maÌ„ shall say that CoÌ„staÌ„tyne was eased delyuered froÌ„ his lepry therfore it is very lyke to be true that he wolde make recompence paye home agayne with gretter measure y t whiche he had receyued Is it so in dede Naaman y t noble maÌ„ of Syria whan he was cured healed of his lepry by the prophete Helizeus was wyllyng content onely to offre gyftes presentes to him but nat to gyue the one half of his substaunce goodes wolde CoÌ„stantine offre the one halfe of his eÌ„pier It greueth me to make answere to this shamfull lyeng tale as it were to an historie of certaynte and vndouted trouth For this lyeng fable is forged couÌ„terfaited to y e lykenes of the historie of Naaman Helyzeus as that other tale of the dragoÌ„ in the lyfe of Siluester is imagined to the lykenes of that fable of the dragoÌ„ of Bell. But though I do graunt these thiÌ„ges to be true is there any meÌ„tion made of the donation in this historie no verely nat one worde But of this we shall speke better in more coÌ„uenieÌ„t mete place here after well I graunt he was delyuered from the lepry he toke therfore a Christen minde to him he was endued with the feare of god with the loue of god he was desirous wyllyng to do him honour worshyppe what of all this yet caÌ„ nat I for al that be ê‘swaded brought in miÌ„de to beleue that he wold be willing to gyue away from hiÌ„selfe so great thiÌ„ges for as moth as I do see no man niether GeÌ„tyle for y e honour of his false goddes neither Christen maÌ„ for the honore of y e lyuing god that hath forsaken layde from hiÌ„selfe his eÌ„pier gyueÌ„ it to preestes For none of y e kinges of Israel coulde be brought in the miÌ„de that he wold suâ—â—re the people to go aft y e maner vsed aforetyme to y e teÌ„ple of IerusaleÌ„ for to make sacrifice al because they fered dreded leste the people being put in remeÌ„brauÌ„ce by that holy exercyse of religion by the maiestie of the teÌ„ple hapely might returne agayn to the kyng of Iuda froÌ„ whoÌ„ they had fled gone away But how moche gretter a thyng is this which ConstaÌ„tine is said to haue done be cause you shall nat flatter begyle your self by the reason of this healyng from lepre thynkyng this a sufficient cause wherfore ConstaÌ„tin shulde make that grauÌ„te Hieroboam was the fyrste that was chosen of god to be kynge of Israell that truly froÌ„ most vile lowe coÌ„dition or estate which in my iudgement is a more great thyng than it is to be holpen cured froÌ„ lepry yet for all that he durst nat betake or delyuer vp his kingdome to god wilt thou y t CoÌ„staÌ„tine did gyue his kingdom Empere to god which he had nat receyued of god namely seyng y t in so doyng he shulde offeÌ„de greue his owne children which thing could nat haue chauÌ„ced to Hieroboam Shulde cast downe his freÌ„des shulde despise those y t belonged to him shulde hurte his couÌ„trey shuld put all men to heuines sorowe be him selfe as it were tourned into a newe man at y e lest wise doutles there shulde nat haue lacked some which wolde haue administred him put hiÌ„ in remeÌ„brauÌ„ce in especiall his chyldren his kynsfolke his freÌ„des whom who is he which wold nat thynke that they wolde forthwith haue gone to the Emperour Ymagyn therfore them afore your eyes after they haue herde Constantines mynde tremblynge and full of feare makyng haste and with sorowfull syghes teares fallyng down at the knees of theyr prince and vsynge these wordes oratyon so as here foloweth vnto him ¶ The oratyon of Constantines sonnes and of his kynsfolke and frendes made vnto him full of lamentable complaynte for that he gothe about without ye and contrary to their deseruynge so to take frome them their inheritaunce c. FAther whiche haue ben heretofore the most louyng and naturall father that might be in the worlde vnto your children Do you in this wise now depriue disherite and put vs your owne sonnes froÌ„ youre lyuelyhode and possessyons euyn in youre lyfe tyme and as it were refuse vs and forsake vs for your children For that you ar willyng and mynded to gyue frome yourselfe the best and the greattest parte of the empyer we doo nat so greatly complayne therof as we do meruayle therat But we do complayne that you do offre it to other men with our bothe losse and also shame and rebuke For what cause is there wherfore you do defraude your chyldren and do kepe from them the successyon or inheritaunce of the empier that they wayted loked after which haue your selfe raigned to gyther with your father What haue we offended or trespased agaynste you or what vnkyndnes or vnlouiÌ„g behauiour haue we vsed toward you or what agaynst our countrey what agaynst the name of the Romaynes and the maiestie of the empier for whiche we seme to you worthy to be depriued by you and put frome the princypall and beest parte of the empier and to be banisshed frome oure fathers house from the syght of our natyue countrey from the ayre that we haue ben wonted vnto and froÌ„ the auncient and olde custome Shal we now being banisshed men forsake our owne houses the temples and the sepulcres of our forfathers kynsfolke frendes knowyng nat where or in what regioÌ„ of y e worlde we shal become what we that ar your kynsfolke what we that are your frendes whiche haue so often tymes stande with you in fyght batayle which haue sene our brethreÌ„ our fathers our sonnes strickyn in and thruste through afore our face with the weapons of
they haue perceyued and vnderstande that the donation or graunte of Constantyne is but a forged or fayned thyng or elles theÌ„selues haue fayned it or els those that haue comen after settyng their fete fast in the gyles of their predecessours haue defended it for trewe whiche they knewe well was false dyshonoringe the maiestie of the papall estate disworshippynge the memorie of the olde popes shamynge the christen relygion and troublyng and fyllyng all the worlde with murthers threttes and abhomynable synnes †They say that the cytie of Rome is theirs that the kyngdome of Nables is their owne good And that all Italy Fraunce Spayne Germanye Englande and all the west parte of the worlde belongeth to them selues For all these nations countreis they say are contayned in the instrument and writte of the donation or graunt Are than all these afore rehersed kyngdomes thyne highe bysshoppe Is it thy mynde arte thou purposed to recouer all these agayn to spoyle bereue all the kynges princes of the west ê‘te their cyties townes or to coÌ„pell them to pay yerely trybutes to the But I do say thynke clene coÌ„trary that y e kynges may more rightfully spoyle depriue the of all thempire dominion that thou hast For as I shall declare open y u that graunt or gyfte wherof the popes wyll their right tytell to haue taken his origynall was knowen both to Syluester and also to Constantyne But are euer I do come to the confutyng and disprouyng of the instrument or writte of the sayde donation whiche is their onely defence but bothe a false defence and a folysshe the order requyreth that I reherce the matter somwhat farther of and nere from the very begynniÌ„g And fyrst of all I wyll shewe that Constantyne and Syluester were no suche maner men that either the one I meane CoÌ„stantyne wolde be wyllyng to gyue or els might rightfully gyue or els that it dyd lye in his owne power to delyuer them in to the handes of any other men or els that the other that is to wyt Syluester wolde be wyllyng to receyue or els miÈt laufully receyue and take them Secondarily I wyl shewe that albeit these thynges were nat so whiche are most trewe and euydent yet that neither Syluester dyd receyue neither ConstaÌ„tyne dyd delyuer possessyon of those thynges whiche are sayd to haue ben gyuen but that those thynges haue alwayes coÌ„tynewed and remayned in the haÌ„des and gouernaunce or rule of the emperours Thirdly that nothyng at all was gyuen of Constantyne to Syluester but to the pope that was nexte predecessoure to Syluester for ConstaÌ„tyne was baptysed afore that Syluester was pope And that those gyftes were but small or meane gyftes wherwith the pope might sustayne his lyfe Fourthly I wyll shewe that it is falsely vntrewly sayd that the copy of the donation or graunt is eyther founde in the decrees or els that it is taken of the historie and lyfe of saint Syluester which neither is founde in that historie neither yet in any other historie at all Also I wyll declare and shewe that in the sayd writte or copy be contayned certayne contrary and repugnant thinges impossyble thynges folysshe thynges barbarous thynges madde tryfels worthy to be laughed at Furthermore I wyll speake of the donation or gyft of certayne other emperours beyng outher fayned or els trifelyng vayne and of non effecte wher I wyll putte to that though Syluester had possessed these thynges yet that nat withstaÌ„dyng either hym selfe or els any other pope who euer he was beyng ones driuen out put from the possession of theÌ„ they can nat nowe after so great space of tyme betwene be asked or claymed agayne neither by goddes lawe neither yet by the lawe of man Last of all I shall shewe that of those thynges whiche the pope doth holde there can be no prescription made by any contynuauÌ„ce of tyme be it neuer so longe And nowe as touchyng to the fyrst parte and let vs speke fyrste of CoÌ„stantyne afterwardes of Syluester we must take hede beware that we doo nat pleade the emperours ye in a maner the comune cause with as slendre and smal eloquence and speche as priuate or meane mennes causes ar wonte to be pleaded therefore as it were makyng an oration in the assemble audience of Kynges and Princes as doutles I do for this myne oration shall come into theyr handes it pleaseth me to speke vnto them as if they were presente and set in syght afore myn eyes I call and speke vnto you Kynges and Princes for it is harde for a priuate man which is in none offyce or auctorite to conceyue the Image of a royall and princely mynde I serche and enquyre your mynde I examine your conscience I aske requyre your testimonie wolde any of you if he had ben in CoÌ„stantines roume haue thought that himselfe ought or that it had beÌ„ mete coÌ„uenieÌ„t bicause of liberte to haue giueÌ„ to another maÌ„ y e cyte of Rome his own couÌ„trey y e chefe heed place of all y e world the lady quene of cytees most of power might most noble and most rich of people the venquessher triumphant conquerour of all natioÌ„s the which is honorable full of maiestie euyn in the sight and beholdyng of it And to gete hym selfe to a vyle and poore towne afterwardes that is to witte to Bizantium ye moreouer that he shulde with the cyte of Rome gyue Italy also whiche is nat a prouince but the heed of prouinces sholde gyue from him selfe the .iii. partes of Frauner the .ii. Spaynes shulde gyue Germanye shulde gyue Englande and all the hole weste parte of the worlde and shulde depriue himselfe of one of the .ii. eyes of the empier No man can bringe me in mynde to beleue that any man wolde do this whiche were in his right mynde For what thinge dothe god gyue you more desyred and longed for What thyng is more plesaunt What is more acceptable and better welcome than to enlarge and encreace your kingdome and empiers and very greatly to amplyfie and setforthe your dition and dominion both in length and bredthe about this thynge as me thinke I perceyue right well all your care all your cogitation and thoughte and all your labour trauayle is spente and bestowed bothe day and night Herof do you principally and chefly hope to haue glory for this thiÌ„g you do forsake pleasures for this you do putte youre selues in a thousande perylles and ieoperdes for this you ar contente to lose your most derely beloued childreÌ„ ye for this you do nat grudge to lose ê‘re of your owne bodis for I neuer herde or redde that any of you hath ben feared away from the endeuourment and goyng about to amplyfie and enlarge his empier bycause he had loste either an eye a hande or a legge or els any other membre or parte of his body
gyue and grauÌ„t the same thiÌ„ges now agayne a fressh what thinge is more repugnauÌ„t coÌ„trary than y t he shulde be crowned eÌ„perour of Rome whiche had renouÌ„ced gyuen from hiÌ„selfe y e cyte of Rome and y t he shuld be crowned of him whoÌ„ both himselfe doth coÌ„fesse knowlege also as moch as lyeth in hiÌ„ he doth make lorde of the RomaiÌ„e empier and y t he shulde alow confirme y e donation of ConstaÌ„tine which if it were true nothiÌ„g at all of the empier shulde be lefte or remayne to the emperour Which thiÌ„ge as I suppose and iuge nat very chyldreÌ„ wolde haue done Wherfore it is so moche lesse meruayle if the pope do chalenge take vpon hiÌ„ the coronation of theÌ„perour whiche ought to apê‘tayne vnto y e people of RoÌ„e If thou O pope both arte able to depriue the Greke eÌ„perour of Italy of the prouiÌ„ces of the West And doest also make y e latyne eÌ„perour Why vsest thou such pactioÌ„s promyses and couenauÌ„tes Why doest thou parte deuyde y e goodes of Cesar Why doest thou traÌ„slate the eÌ„pier vnto thy selfe wherfore let him know who so euer is eÌ„perour of Rome that in my iugemeÌ„t he is neither Augustus neither Cesar neither emperour excepte he do holde kepe the eÌ„pier gouernaunce of Rome excepte he do gyue dilygeÌ„ce enforce hiÌ„self to recouer the cytie of Rome that he is periured and forsworne For the emperours in olde tyme of whom Constantine was the fyrst were nat constrayned to make any such solempne o the wherwith now adaies but emperours are bounden but onely that as moche as might be done by mannes power they shulde minysshe nothinge of the amplytude and maiesty of the empier of Rome but that with all their labour and dilygence they shulde augmente and increace it yet were they nat therfore called Augusti ê™ imperiuÌ„ augere deberent 1. for that they ought to augmente the empier as the opinion of some men is whiche are vnskylled in the latyne tonge But Augustus is as moch to say as Sacer holy or worshipfulle and it is said Ab aulum gustu .1 of the tastyng or eating of the byrdes whiche thynge was greatly obserued marked and taken hede of in the olde tyme whan they wolde diuyne of the lucke that shulde folow any earnest thinge that they toke in hande and therfore where the latyne men do saye Augustus the Grekes do say Sebastos .1 veneraÌ„dus or honorabilis The pope might better be called Augustusab augendo .1 of encreasing or augmentyng saue onely that whyles he encreaseth temporall thiÌ„ges he minyssheth the spuÌ„all thinges And therfore may you se that as euery pope was most victouse and worst disposed so he gaue him selfe most to the defending of this donation of which sorte Boniface the eyght was whyche deceyued Celestyne by trumpes putte within the wall This Bonifacius also writeth of the donatioÌ„ of Constantine and he depriued or deposed the king of Fraunce and iuged the kyngedome of Fraunce as if he wolde haue put the sayd donation in execution to haue ben and to be subiecte to the churche of Rome which thynge as being leude against right shortly after his successours Benedicte and ClemeÌ„t did rebuke But what meaneth this your carefull dilygence O you popes of Rome that you do requyre of euery emperour the confirmation of the sayde donation of Constantine but that you put diffydence and 〈◊〉 in your ryght tytle But you labour amples wherof we may fynde euery where Neither it is ordayned by the lawe of nature that one people shuld subdue make subiect another people to it self We may couÌ„sayle teche exhort other men but we may nat play y e lordes ouer theÌ„ do vyoleÌ„ce to them excepte we wyll renouÌ„ce forsake all humanite and couÌ„terfayte folow y e moste ferce cruel bestes whiche done exercyse a cruell a blody empier vpon the weaker beastes those which are of lesse might and streÌ„gth as the lyon ouer four foted beastes the egte ouer fowles of the ayer the Dolphyn ouer fyshes But yet for all this these afore rehersed beestes do nat chalenge or vsurpe any power ouer the beestes of their owne kynde but onely vpon those y t be of other lower kyndes how moche more than ought we to do so one man to haue regarde reuerence to another man seyng y e as Maister Fabius sayd there liueth none so wode a beest vpoÌ„ erthe but he dothe regarde his owne Image doth auoyde the hurtyng therof There is therfore .iiii. causes wherfore most coÌ„meÌ„ly warres batayles are made either it is for to reueÌ„ge iniuryes or wronges to defende our frendes or els it is for feare of calamite y t we shal receyue after wardes if the streÌ„gth might or power of other were suffred to growe increse or els it is for y e hope of praye or els for the desire of glorye renowne of the which foure causes the fyrst is somewhat honeste the secoÌ„d but lytle honeste the two last are in no wyfe honeste And in very dede warres haue bene made ofteÌ„tymes agaynst the Romayns but after they had defended theÌ„selues they made warre both vpoÌ„ them other â—â—tions Neither is there any nation or people which hath geueÌ„ place beÌ„ obedieÌ„t to their dominioÌ„ except they were vainqueshed and subdued by batayle how well and how rightfully or for what cause auise theÌ„ selues for I wyll nat neither condemne them as if they haue tought wrongfully neither assoyle or quite theym as if they haue fought ryghtfullye This onely I wyll saye that by the same reason and for the same cause the Romayns made warre vpoÌ„ other nations by whiche reason and for the whiche cause other kinges peoples dyd And that it was laufull for them vpon whom warre was be gonne and whiche were vaiÌ„quesshed or ouercome by bataile to haue gone from the Romaynes and to haue forsaken theÌ„ euyn so as they had done from other lordes whiche had subdued them Left peraduenture which thing no man wolde say all the empiers might be brought agayne to those most aunciente lordes of the olde tyme whiche were fyrst lordes that is to saye whiche first toke away other mines laÌ„des and goodes And yet is there better right to the people of Rome in the nations conquered by batayle than is to the emperours oppressynge the coÌ„mune weale Wherfore if it was laufull for nations peoples to shrinke or go awaye from ConstaÌ„tine and which is a gretter thiÌ„g from the people of Rome without any doute it shal be laufull for them to refuse and forsake him for their gouernour to whom so euer ConstaÌ„tine hathe gyueÌ„ and released his right tytle And that I may speke more boldely if it was laufull for the Romaynes either to depose or driue out
by many ambassadours seÌ„te to Astulphus had requyred y t the places shulde be restored to y e emperiall diction or dominion Astulphus wolde nat in any wise coÌ„sent so to do Steuen weÌ„t to Pipine anoynted him his two soÌ„nes kynges There was also an ambassadour of y e emperours seÌ„te with y e same Steuen they optayned gotte grauÌ„t of Pipine that he shulde briÌ„ge Astulphus in miÌ„de to restore y e places to the empier Pipine seÌ„te ambassadours to Astulphe but all that auayled nat Wherfore bycause he coulde nat by that meane optayne of Astulphe y t restytution shulde be made he made promise to Steuen y t him selfe wold by force of armes take them from Astulphe that he wolde gyue theÌ„ to saiÌ„te Peter Whan y e emê‘ours ambassadour had herde this he retourned home agayn Pipin ê‘fourmed fulfylled those thynges whiche he had ê“mysed and the fourme and maner of this donation or gyfte is coÌ„tayned in y e actes of y e aforsaid Steuen also the ê‘ticulare names of all y e thynges whiche were geueÌ„ zacharie the pope did traÌ„slate the monarchie or kyngdome of FrauÌ„ce vnto Pipin deposiÌ„g fyrst puttyng downe Hilderike the kynge whereof it is redde in the .xv. cause y e .vi. question Alins c. in y e glose VenerabileÌ„ By the reason herof I suppose y e Pipin from theÌ„ce forth did fauour the apostolike see Afterwardes Desiderius kynge of LoÌ„bardie warme recouered agayn by force of armes those cyties or some of theÌ„ in the tyme of Adrian Adrian the pope seÌ„dyng many embasadours vnto hiÌ„ required demauÌ„ded agayn of him the right of saint Peter but he could nat optayne Than Charlemayne of whom Adrian desired ayde and socour recouered the cyties gaue theÌ„ agayn to saint Peter by a soleÌ„pne gyfte or grauÌ„te which is contayned in the actes of the sayd Adrian pope By these thynges it is euydeÌ„te y t ConstaÌ„tine dyd nat gyue the empier to the pope by the duke dome of Rauenna the cyte of Rome the west whereof we do rede that contynually euyn vntil y e times aforesayd the emperours did with full ryght possesse Rome Rauenna Marchia with many other places euyn so as they had before And this is proued by the texte in the .xcvi. distiÌ„ction Bene quideÌ„ c. where it is spokeÌ„ of Patritius which was gouernour or captayne in the name of kyng Adoacre in the lxiii distiÌ„ction Agatho c. And in the xcvi distiÌ„ction CuÌ„ ad veruÌ„ c. And we do rede also that y e popes of Rome did confesse the emê‘ours to be lordes for Agatho the pope writeth vnto ConstaÌ„tine the emê‘our which gathered or asseÌ„bled the vi synode foloweth many yeres after the fyrste of that name how the cyte of Rome is the seruyle cyte of the emperour And Boniface the pope writeth to Honorius y e emê‘our that him selfe ought to gouerne the benefice of the church of Rome in spiritual thiÌ„ges but the emperour ought to gouerne the teÌ„poral thynges in the ende he saith that Rome is the cyte of his mansuetude or mildenes This texte is red in the xCi distiÌ„cion Ecclesiae c. And that I may speke brefly I neuer red the coÌ„trary in any place but y e euermore vntyll the tyme of the aforesayde Pipine the emperour remayned in possession of the places afore named Neither coulde I yet any where rede y t euer any of the popes presumed to haue any ryght or tytle by y e name of saiÌ„t Peter in the sayd places vntill the tyme of Steuen y e .ii. pope of that name These thynges I beleue to be true nat withstaÌ„dyng y e famouse opinion of the contrary which is redde in Palea the xcvi distiÌ„tion ConstaÌ„tinê° c for without doute if that wrytyng had nat beÌ„ apochriphe Gratianus shulde haue fouÌ„de it in the olde bokes collections of the canones but because he dyd nat fynde it therfore he did nat put it theri wherfore those thynges whiche he hath added afterwardes he put that fayned scripture for chaffe euyn so as we do finde many other thiÌ„ges of the apocriphe writyngê to be writteÌ„ in our bokes I haue also fouÌ„de this writiÌ„g set forth of lenght in a certayn boke which coÌ„tayneth moche more than that which is put in the decrees in the place afore alledged whan I had dilygeÌ„tly examined it I fouÌ„de of y e selfe same scripture many manyfeste euideÌ„t argumeÌ„tes tokeÌ„s of the forgynge falsehed of the same whiche nowe to reherce here it shulde be bothe tedyouse also vnprofytable This also is to be marked y t the aforsayd writyng CoÌ„statinê° c. which is had in the xcvi distiÌ„ction is extract drawen out of the legeÌ„de of saint Siluester he whiche dyd put y e texte in y e decree grouÌ„deth the auctorite of it vpoÌ„ the approbation alowyng of Galasius in the Sinode I pray you loke vpon that approbation in the xv distinction Sancta Romana c. it shal be fouÌ„de of small streÌ„gth for he saith that the author therof is vnknoweÌ„ yet y t nat w tstandyng that it is redde among catholyke meÌ„ therfore that it may be redde what maner apê“bation this is euery maÌ„ may considre for there are many histories of saint Siluester One in y e which this is nat fouÌ„de which histori Damasus the pope made Another whose authour is nat knoweÌ„ which the texte saith nat to be true but that it may be redde neither sayth y e texte yet y t this thinge is coÌ„tayned therin Also y e olde auncieÌ„t bokes of y e decrees hath nat y t text but only vnto y e ê‘agraffe Itâ—Ì„ decreta romanorum poÌ„tificuÌ„ c. iÌ„clusiuely And so this ê‘agraffe of y e histori of Sil. is nat fouÌ„de in those bokes Also y e fifth vniuersal Synode which maketh meÌ„tion of y e apê“bate bokes of al lerned authors of y e approued scriptures moreouer y e Synode of Martin y e pope which was made agaynst y e assertioÌ„ of theÌ„ which said y t there was but one wyl in Christ y t is to wit agaiÌ„st Paulus Sergius renuyng y e approued scriptures as I my self haue seen maketh no meÌ„tioÌ„ of these histories neither yet any other apê“ued author or such as is accoÌ„pted for a true author y t euer I sawe maketh any meÌ„tion of theÌ„ I haue redde iÌ„ Vincent in y e xxiiii boke of histories in the ende after the miÌ„de of saynt Ierome y e CoÌ„staÌ„tine cruelly dyd slee his wyfe Fausta his soÌ„ne Crispus And that at y e later eÌ„de of his lyfe after y t he had ben baptyzed of Eusebius bysshop of Nichomedia he declyned to y e heresie of y e Arrians froÌ„ which tyme as saynt Ierome saith spoylyng robbrie
which 〈◊〉 the pope chalengeth to hiÌ„ selfe onely He is no very emperoure also he is forsworne that goeth nat about to recouer the cite of Rome from the pope The emê‘ors in olde tyme wer nat sworne solempnely to the pope as they are now a dayes what Augustus signifieth why the emperours were called Augusti Augustê° how the pope might be called Augustus The worst pope did moste defeÌ„de the donation of CoÌ„stantyne Nota. Boniface the viii an vngratiouse a myscheuouse pope al set vpon worldly pride had a myscheuouse eÌ„de as the cronicles do testifye Bened. 12 Clement pope It is agaynst humanite and coÌ„trary to the nature of maÌ„ to exercyse violente rule ouer other of his owne hinde Mayster Fabius Foure causes warrior warres are made moste communely Tarquin the proude the laste kynge of the Romains of Iulyus Cesar Rede suetonius in the lyfe of hym Rede the prouerbe Amphictiones Prescription is whan any maÌ„ hath had possession of house or landes so longe tyme as any man alyue caÌ„ remembre as by the space of an c. yeres or more Malae fidei possessio Stulfae fidei possessio Ignorantia facti Ignorantia Iuris Nota. Prescription is made only of dumbe vnresonable thynges Popes wyll trye their ryght by warre nat by the lawe The fraude crafte of pope Boniface the ix nat inferiour in wickednes to Boniface the viii Tarquin A propre semely acte for a pope to do Innocentius the vii was driuen out of Rome Eugenius the iiii of that name was fame â—o diâ—gyse hiÌ„ selfe in a monkes coule so to saue the water of Tybiâ— the Romayns shoâ—â—â—g â—â—â—owyng stones after him Titus flaminius The pope studieth as moche as he can to brynge all men into boÌ„ndage thraldome 3. ReguÌ„ 2 The Roma is haue farre gretter cause to rebelle agaynst the pope than the Israelytes had agaynste Roboam Esaie 14. The fountaineâ— and originall cause of the ruine and decaye of Italye Iacobi .3 Psal 117 Mat. 24 Lucae 12. The pope soweth the sede of discorde debate Are nat these very apoâ—toâ—â— call vertues The pope selleth all thynges the comune weale the sacramentes the ecclesiasticall offyces yee the holy ghoste to for money The goodes which the pope getteth sinfully and vngratiously he spendeth more vngratiously wickedly Esaie 36. At the pope his folowers do all abominable sinners fetche the ensample also the excusatioÌ„ of their wretched noughty lyfe Roma 2. Ouer moche welth abouÌ„daunce of ryches destroied the valiauntnes of the Romayns 3. ReguÌ„ 11 Siluester and the other holy popes were but small possessioners Pope Leo the .9 Our popes of late tyme â—â—dy to be as â—erre excellent in wickednes folye as the old popes were excellent 〈◊〉 vertue wyâ—dome O the charitable and godlye wisshe of Valla. Ephes 6. The donatioÌ„ of Constantyne is nat fouÌ„de iÌ„ any auteÌ„tical bokes or in any approued histories Damasus 〈◊〉 pope at 〈◊〉 Iheromes â—â—â—queste dydâ— write the actes of his predecessours â–ª Astulphus kiÌ„ge of Lombardye Steuen the .ii anoynted pipin the kynge of Fraunce Pope zachari the fyrst deposed Hilderike the kynge of FrauÌ„ceâ— traÌ„slated the sayd kyngdome to Pipin froÌ„ the 〈…〉 Adrianâ— Charlemayn recouered the cyties agayn whiche Desiderius with helde gaue therin to the pope Places in the popes lawe that make plaiÌ„ly against the donation of CoÌ„staÌ„tine Rede that texte Cum ad verum Agatho the fyrste ConstaÌ„tine the iiii assembled the vi synode at CoÌ„staÌ„tinople of ccixxx bysshoppes Bonifac. 1 The emperours were alwayes in possession of 〈◊〉 these thynges neither dyd the popes euer make any clayme to anâ— percels of the afore â—he timâ— of Pipin and pope Steuen the seconde GratiaÌ„ knew no thynge of the donation of CoÌ„staÌ„tine therfore it is nat put in the olde decrees of his collection The chapi in the decrees CoÌ„staÌ„tinê° c. is takeÌ„ of the legeÌ„de of saiÌ„t Siluester A goodly and a worshipfull approbation There aâ— many sondrye 〈◊〉 of saint Siluester Pope Martin 1 Paulus Sergius heretikes VinceÌ„tâ—ê° Constantine â–ª as saint Ierome sayth 〈◊〉 his wyâ—◠〈…〉 dayes 〈…〉 Melchiades predecessour to Siluester Constanly was Chriâ—t iÌ„ Melchiaâ— his tyme â—â—â—ter the myn of saynt Augustyne Leo the .viii. restored to Otto all the landes which Pipin Charles Roberto had gyuen to the church Rome Lewes y e mylde
coÌ„payred to Gratiane are iuged to be as it were chaffe nere to the corne But how so euer the trouthe is concerning this it is a very great shame an vnshamely thinge to beleue that collector gatherer of the decrees either dyd nat know these thinges whiche haue ben added put to syns of Palea or els dyd set gretly by them and accompe and take them for true thinges This is well than we are sufficed we haue the victory our owne purpose First that Gratiane doth nat saye this thiÌ„ge so as they belyed him but moreouer he denyeth it and preueth it false and vntrue as easily it maye be perceyued by a thousand places and mo Secondarelye that they do alledge for theym selues one man alone and that suche one as is vnknowen and of none auctorite a tryfler and so folysshe also that he hath added certayne thynges of his owne faynyng to the sayd Gratiane whiche can nat agree with the other sayinges of the same Gratian is this than this authour that you bryng forth do you vse the testimonie of him alone Do you recite a folyshe writtyng of him in paper for the confyrmation of so gret a matter agaiÌ„st six hundred kynges of proffes But I loked for it that you shulde haue shewed lytell Images of golde tytles wrytynges in marble and a thousand authours But you do say that Palea him selfe bryngeth forth the author and sheweth the very fountayne of the historie and calleth to witnesse Gelasius the pope with many other bisshoppes Of the historie sayth he of Siluester whiche blessed Gelasius in the counsell of .lxx. bysshoppes reporteth to be redde of Catholyke men and saith that many churches doth folow this same maner accordyng to the olde auncieÌ„t vsage in y e which historie it is redde Constantyne c. And a gret deale before where mention is made of bokes whiche are to be redde which nat to be redde he hath sayd also we do know that the actes of saynte Siluester the bysshoppe are redde of many catholyke men in the cyte of Rome al be it that we do nat know y e name of him that wrote them and the churches accordynge to the olde vsage do folowe the same Oh here is a wonderfull authorite a meruaylouse testimonie and recorde a stronge inuincyble probation I graunt you this that Gelasius sayd this where he speaketh of the councel of .lxx. bysshoppes dyd he therfore say that the pagine or copie of the preuilege is redde in the lyfe or actes of saynte Siluester and that at Rome the auctorite of whiche churche many other churches do folowe whiche thynge I do nat denye but I graunt confesse and knowlege ye and I do offre my self to be a wytnesse therof with Gelasius but what caÌ„ this thynge profyght or auayle you but onely that it myght appere that you wolde haue lyed in alledgynge and bryngynge forth witnesses and recordes His name is nat knowen which added this to y e decrees yet he alone doth say this thynge his name is nat knowen which wrote y e historie of Siluester and yet he alone is brought forth and that falsly for a wytnesse and a recorde And do you good and wyse men iuge this to be sufficient ye and more than sufficient to the testimonie and witnessyng of so greate a matter But consyder now and se how great difference there is betwene your iugemente and myne I truly al though this priuylege were contayned in y e historie of Syluester wolde nat for all that thynke that it were to be accompted and taken for true For as moche as that historie is none historie but a fayned and a shamlese lyeng tale as I shall shewe and declare herafter and also seing that none other maÌ„ namely beyng of any auctorite dothe make any mention of this priuylege And Iacobus Voraginensis whiche bare great fauour and loue to the clergie as beyng himselfe an arche bisshoppe yet in his stori of saiÌ„tes lyues and of the actes of holy men speketh nat one worde of the donation of Constantine but passeth it ouer with sylence as beyng but a lyeng fable and nat worthy to be put among y e actes of Syluester in whiche dede he gyueth in a maner sentence against them if any wolde haue put these thinges in writyng But I wyll drawe that falsyfier and forger of writtes and very chaffe in dede and nat whete in to iugement writhyng his necke whether he wyll or nat What sayst thou false forger of writyngê How fortuneth it or wherof is it longe that we do nat rede this priuylege among the actes and dedes of Siluester I suppose this is a gesone boke and harde to be founde and there is but very few that haue it and it is kept secretly euen lykewise as the Regester or Kalender bokes of the Romaynes were kepte in the olde tyme of the bisshoppes and as the bokes of Sibillee were kepte of the .x. men and it is written in the language of the Grekes of the Iewes or of the Caldayes Gelasius recordeth that it is redde of many Catholyke men Iacobus Voraginensis maketh mention of it We also haue sene a thousand copies of it and that written in the olde tyme and they are red almoste in euery Cathedrall churche vpon saynt Siluesters day and yet no maÌ„ sayth that euer he redde therin this that thou forgest and ymaginest No man that euer he hath seen no man that euer he dreamed of any suche thynges It is paraueÌ„ture some other certayn historie whiche other historie shall that be I know none other historie neither I do iuge that thou doste meane of any other historie than this for thou spekest of that historie which Gelasius sayth redde ofte in many chuches but in this historie we do nat fynde the priuylege if thaÌ„ it be nat redde in the lyfe of Siluester why dost thou say that it is redde there why durst thou be so bolde to bourde in so great a matter and to mocke and deceyue the couetouse desyre of lyght and folysshe personnes But I am a fole whiche do rather rebuke his boldnesse than the peuysshnesse of theym whiche gaue credence to him yf any man amonge the Grekes amonge the Hebrues ye amonge the Barbarians shulde say this thinge is founde written wolde you nat bydde him name the author and the booke to be brought forth and the place to be expowned declared of some faythfull exposytour er euer you wolde gyue credence to it Nowe mention is made of your owne language of a booke most coÌ„munely knowen and yet you do nat make inquisytion or any serche of so vnbeleuable a dede or els whan you do nat fynde it writteÌ„ yet you ar so light of credeÌ„ce geuyng y t you do accoÌ„pt it for writteÌ„ for true thiÌ„kyng this title to be suffycient you make great trouble busynesse in the worlde and as though there were no doute in it at all you