possyble that they were the very same whom we lerned them to be by reuelation Than that father worthy of all reuereÌ„ce coÌ„maunded the ymages of these holy Apostels to be brought to me by his owne propre deacon and mynister whiche whan I behelde ê‘ceyued in the ymages very well the aspectes and lykenesse of them whom I had sene in my slepe with a great loude voyce I confessed in the presence of my dukes and noble estates that these were the very same persones whome I sawe in my slepe Than forthwith this our moste blessed father Syluester bysshop of the cyte of Rome apoynted to vs a certeyn tyme of penauÌ„ce in which I shuld weare a sherte of heare within our palyce of Laterane that we myght pacifye or appease the wrathe of our lorde god and our sauyour for all thynges which hath ben wickedly wrought and vniustly done by vs with fastynges watchynges wepynges and prayers Afterwardes clerkes layeng their haÌ„des vpon me I came to the pope hym selfe and there renouncynge the pompes of the deuyll and his workes all ydols made with mannes hande I confessed of myne owne free wyll in presence of all the people that I beleue in one god father almightye maker of heuyn and of erthe of all a visyble and inuysyble thynges And in one lorde Iesu Christ the onely begoten sonÌ„e of god our lorde which was begotten of the holyghost and of Mary the virgyn Than after that he had halowed the fonte or lauacre of baptyme with his holy blessyng he purifyed the water whiche was therin to putte In to the which fouÌ„tayne or baptistory so sone as I was sette I sawe with my owne eyes a hande touchynge me from heuyn by which hande whan I rose vp I parceyued and knewe my selfe to be cleÌ„sed and purifyed from all the fowlnesse and vncieÌ„nesse of leprie And whan they had taken me out of that holy bathe they dyd putte on me whyte garmentes and he gaue me the carecte or marke of y e seuenfolde grace of the holy ghost by a noyncyng me with holy oyle he marked the sygne token of the holy crosse in my forhed sayng these wordes God sealeth or marketh the with y e seale of his fayth in the name of the father and of the sonne of the holyghost and all the clergy answered and sayd Amen And the pope sayde also Pax tibi Peace be to the. The fyrst day after that I had receyued the sacrament of holy baptysme that I was cured healed in my body froÌ„ leprie I knewe that there is none other god besydes the father and sonne and holyghost whome the most blessed father Syluester preacheth .iii. persones in one god and one god in .iii. persones for all the goddes of the gentyles and panyms whome I haue honoured here to fore are manyfestly shewed and declared to be deuyls and the workes of mennes handes Than the sayde holy father him selfe playnly declared to vs how greate power and authoryte the same our sauyour hath gyuen to his chosen Apostell blessed Peter bothe in heuyn and in earth whan after that he hadde founde him faythfull in answeryng to his demauÌ„de he sayd to him Thou arte Peter and vpon this stone I wyl bylde my churche and the gates of hell shall nat preuayle agaynst it Consyder you men of great power and myght and attende and take good hede with the eares of your hertes and myndes what y e good maister and lorde added more besydes this to his owne dysciple saying And I wyll gyue to the the kayes of the kyngdome of heuyn what so euer thou shalt bynde vpon erthe it shal be bounden also in heuyn †This is a marueylous worde and full of power bothe to bynde lose so vpon erthe y t the same shal be bounden and losed lykewyse in heuyn We therfore hauyng knowlege of these thynges by thinstruction of blessed Syluester and parceyuing or felyng parsyte helth to be comen agayne to our body through the benefycence of the same blessed Peter thought iuged it mete and accordynge our selfe with all other dukes erles and our counsaylours and the other noble estatê and also with the hole people beyng vnder the dominion of the empyre of Rome that as blessed Peter appereth to haue ben constytuted ordayned made by the sonne of god his deputie in erthe so lyke wise the successours of the prince of the Apostels shulde take and receyue of vs and of our empire gretter prerogatyue of power gyuen to them than our serenite and also empire is knowen of all men to haue in erthe for we haue electe and chosyn the prince of Apostels hym selfe and his trewe successoures to be patrons and intercessours for vs to god and we haue decreed to honoure and worshyppe with reuerence his sacredde and holy churche of Rome euyn so as our emperyall power is worshypped in erthe to exalte the most holy see of blessed Peter more than our owne empyre and teÌ„porall dignyte gyueng to it power preferment of royaltie strength and effycacie and hyghe honour emperyall And we decree establysshe that it haue the dominion chefe gouernauÌ„ce vpon the foure chiefe and principall sees Antioche Alexandrie Constantinople and Ierusalem Also vpon all the coÌ„gregatioÌ„s churches of god through out the hole worlde and the bisshoppe of that hyghe and holy churche of Rome for the tyme beyng to be principall and heed of all preestes whiche are in the hole worlde and that all thynges wherof cure ought to be taken for the worshippyng of god or the corroboraâ—yng and enstrengthyng of the christen fayth be gouerned and ordered by the iugement of him for it is ryght that the heed of power principalyte shulde there haue his holy lawes and ordynaunces where oure sauyoure the maker of holy lawes coÌ„maunded saynt Peter to haue the chayre of his apostelshyppe and where Peter him selfe folowyng his maister and lorde bare his crosse drinkynge that bytter draughte of glorious dethe †There contynually and euyn to the ende of the worlde lette them seche their maister where the holy body of their maistre resteth There let people natioÌ„s of paynims bowe downe their neckes for y e confession knoleging of the name of Christ where their maister techer the apostel Paule stretching forth his necke for Christes sake was crowned with the garlonde of martyrdome There in that place lette them humbly and lowlye submytte them selues to the obsequie and seruyce of god the heuynly kynge and sauyour Iesu Christe where before they dyd seruyce to the proude power of an erthely kynge or gouernour For whych causes and coÌ„syderations we wyll that all people through out the worlde doo knowe that we within our palyce of Laterane haue buylded a temple to the honour of god our suaioure and lorde Iesu Christ euyn froÌ„ the very fouÌ„dation with a fonte to baptyse in And knowe you also that we did beare out from
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
swerdes agaynst them whom you do make rulers ouer vs and than afterwardes agaynst you also which thynge we haue done agaynst many Emperours that truly for lyghter and smaller mater than this These wordes doutles wolde greatly haue moued stirred CoÌ„stantyne excepte we do iuge him to haue ben a stone or a stocke which wordes although the people had nat spoken to his face yet it was credyble lykely that they spake them amonge theyr selues and euerywhere dyd grudge shewe them selues miscontente with suche maner wordes Let vs than now go and say that Constantyne was wyllyng to do Syluester pleasure whom he dyd brige in daunger of so many mennes hatered and of so many meÌ„nes swerdes that as farre as I do thynke or iudge Siluester shulde scasely haue lyued y e space of one day for if he and a fewe mo had ben rydde out of the way all suspition of so cruell iniury and despite or contumely semeth to be clene taken away rydde out from the hertes myndes of the Romains Go to now moreouer let vs graunt if we thynke it possyble that neyther intreatyng and prayers neyther manacyng or threttes neyther any other way or meane coulde any thyng auayle and that ConstaÌ„tine doth styll contynue stedfastly in his purpose neither wyll in any wyse leue or forsake or go from the opinion whiche he hathe ones taken who wyll nat yet agre herevnto that he wolde haue ben moued styrred at the wordes and oration of Siluester whiche doutles wolde haue ben after suche maner as here foloweth if this hadde ben a true thing doone matter in dede ¶ The oration of Siluester to CoÌ„stantine in whiche he sheweth it to be neither laufull neither profytable for him to receyue ConstaÌ„tines offre although it were so as it is nat that Constantine might rightfully without any impediment or offending of any persone giue suche thinges as he offred from himself and his children MOst noble and best disposed prince and sonne Cesar I can nat verely but greatly loue and embrace this your so redy and lyberall deuotion and godly mynde but yet that you do somedele erre and mistake and are deceyued in your opynyon aboute the offryng of gyftes and makyng of sacrifice to god I do nothyng meruayle for as moche as you ar yet but a nouyâ—e and a yong soldyer in the Christen relygion and Christen warre as in the old tyme it was nat semely nor conuenyent euery maner beest whether it were wylde or tame nor euery maner shepe to be offred vp in sacrifice by the preest so nat euery maner gyfte or oblation is to be receyued and takeÌ„ of the preest I am a preest a bysshoppe whiche ought to consyder and loke well aboute what thynge I do suffre to be offred vp at the aultre Lest parauenture I do nat say any vnclene beaste but lest a vipere or a serpent be offred vp there Therfore this you shall vnderstande If it lay in your power lybertye to gyue parte of the Empire and of the Cyty of Rome the lady Empresse of the worlde to any other man than to your owne chyldren whiche thynge I do nat suppose or thynke and if this people of Rome If Italy If the other nations coulde suffre and fynde in theyr hertes to be subiectes vnder the dominion gouernaunce of them whom they do hate and whose relygioÌ„ and sette they do refuse and forsake beyng delyted and blynded with the plesaunte entisementes of the world whiche thinge is vnpossyble yet if you thinke most loued sonne that I am any white to be beloued I can by no meane be perswaded brought in the mynde to assent and agree vnto you excepte I wolde be vnlyke my selfe and forget my condition and estate and in a maner renounce and forsake my lorde Iesu For your gyftes or as you wyll haue them called your remunerations or recoÌ„pensations shulde pollute stayne or defoyle ye and also vtterly destroye the glorie the innocentie and the holy lyuyng bothe of me and also of all that shall succede me and also shulde stoppe close vp the way to them whiche shall be wyllyng to come to the knowledge of the trouth Helizeus wolde nat take any reward of Naaman that noble man of Syria whome he had cured and heled from lepry And shall I receyue reward of you bycause you are cured of the same disease He forsoke and refused gyftes And shall I suffre hole realmes and kyngdomes to be gyuen to me He wolde nat spotte or defyle the personne of a prophete and shall I fynde in my herte to defyle the persone of Christ whiche I do represent and beare in me But why dyd he thinke the persone of a prophete to be defyled by taking of giftes verely bycause he might haue semed thaÌ„ to selle holy thinges to lende forth the gyfte of god for to haue increace and auauntage therby and to nede the worldly socoure and aydes of them and to minisshe and appayre the dignyte of his benefyte He had leuer therfore make princes and kynges beholding to him for his benefytes don to them than him self to be bounde to them for any benefyte receyued of them ye moreouer he wolde nat so moche as take any recompence agayne for his benefytes For it is a moche more blessed thinge as the lorde sayth to gyue than to take and receyue The same cause haue I that Helizeus had ye and a moche greatter cause whiche am coÌ„maunded also of the lorde that sayd Heale you those that be sycke rayse vp those that be deed clense them that be full of lepry cast you out deuyls wicked spirites you haue receyued frely gyue you also frely Shal I Cesar coÌ„mytte so great offence as nat to obey and execute the coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„tes of god and to pollute and distaine my glorie It is better as sayd Paule that I dye than that any man shulde bereue me my glory Our glory is to make honorable our ministeri afore god as the same Paul sayth I say to you Gentyles As long as I am the apostle of the Gentiles I wyll glorify my ministerie Shulde I than O Cesar be bothe an ensample and also a cause to other men for to offende and synne I whiche am a Christen man the preest of god the bisshoppe of Rome and the vicare of Christ Moreouer howe shall preestes saue their innocencie of lyuing amonge riches amonge gret offyces dignites amonge the administration of seculare and worldly busynesses Do we therfore renounce and forsake erthly thinges that we myght gette the same thinges more plentuously And haue we therfore cast away our owne priuate goodes that we might possesse other mennes goodes and the commune goodes Cyties shall be ours Trybutes shall be ours Rentes tolles and customes shall be ours And why shall it be lauful for vs to be called Clereci that is to saye Clerkes if we shall do these thinges Our parte
they hale drawe me to execution which nat only do write agaynst them that be deade but also agaynst them that be yet a lyue and that nat agaynst one or two alone but agaynst a great meyny nat agaynst priuate persons onely but also agaīst those which are in auctorite be heed offycers gouernours rulers But what heedoffycers or rulers verely y e pope highest of all bisshoppes which is nat onely armed with the tēporall swerd after the maner and custome of kinges and princes but also with the ecclesyasticall or spirituall swerde that a mā can nat defende himselfe so from him No nat vnder the very shelde that I may so saye of any of the princes but that shall be stricken with excōmunication the great sentence the lesse course And if that man haue ben iuged to haue doone also as wisely as he dyd speake whiche sayd that he wolde nat write agaynst them whiche haue power to proscrybe or banisshe Howe moche more semeth it that I ought to do the same to be ware how I do write agaynst him which shall nat so moch as leaue any place to proscryption or banisshemēt which may so pursue me with the spūall vltyō of his power auctoryte that I may ryghtfully say with y e prophet Dauid in the psalme whether shal I go from thy spyrite whether shal I fle from thy face excepte parauēture we suppose y t the Pope shal take these thīges more paciently than other meane prestes wold do But that is nothyng so for Ananias the hyghest and heed preest commaunded euyn in the presence of the hyghe captayne whiche sat as iudge that Paule shuld be strycken and beten on the face because he sayd that him selfe had lyued bene cōuersaunt among the Iewes with a good conscience and Phaffur beyng endued with the same dignite dyd caste the prophete Hieremie into prison because he dyd speke the trouth boldely and frelye but yet the hyghe captayne the Emperours deputie was both able and also wyllyng to defende Paule the Kyng both myghte and wolde defende Hieremie agaynste the iniurie of the highe preste or bysshoppe but what captayne what deputie or ruler what kynge shal be able although he were willyng to delyuer me frome the hādes of the pope if he may ones lay handes vpō me But there is no cause why this double feare of ieoperdy shuld trouble my mynde or holde me backe from my purpose for neither may the pope eyther bīde or loose any thynge contrary to ryght and goddes lawe and to loose and spende the lyfe in the defence mayntenaunce of trouthe and iustyce is a poynte of most hyghe vertue of moste hyghe prayse and of most hyghe and greattest rewarde Haue nat many men put them selues willingly in daunger and peryll of deathe for the defence of their earthely coūtrye shal I thā be afraide to put my self in daūger of deth for to get optayn the heuenly coūtrey which those men do gette optayne that do please god and nat they whiche do please men Therfore fare wel feare and adewe drede The cause of trouthe the cause of rightuosenesse the cause of god is to be defended with a stronge and bolde mynde with great courage confydence and with good hope for he is nat to be accompted a right oratour which hathe crafte connyng to make a good oration and to speake well except he dare also boldely do it Let vs therfore be bolde and hardy to accuse whosoeuer doth cōmytte thinges worthy accusacion and he which trespasseth agaynst all men let him be checked and rebuked by the mouth of one man for all But perauenture som wyll saye that I ought nat to chyde or rebuke my brother openly but secretely bitwene hym me yes verely He which trespasseth offendeth openly and which wolde nat receyue close secrete coūsaile is to be rep̄ued rebuked opēly y t by thēsāple of him other may be put in feare drede Dyd not Paule whose wordes these were y t I last receyued repreue Peter to his face in the presēce and syght of the congregation because he was reprouable and worthy rebuke he hath lefte this in wrytīg to our doctryne instruction But some man happely wyll saye agayne that I am nat Paule which may worthely rebuke Peter yes verely I am Paule in that I do folowe Paule euyn lykewise as y e whiche is a moch greatter thing I am made one spirite with god wha I do dilygētly obserue obey his cōmaūdementes Neither is it the dignyte of any man that may him safe and sure frome blame or rebukes whiche dyd nat saue Peter frome reprefe nor many other men of the same highe estate and degree but that they haue ben rebuked as Marcellus bicause he had made sacrifyce to goddes and Celestine bycause he was of the same opinion that Nestorius y e heretyke was of as we do knowe also that in our tyme remembraūce certayne haue ben of their inferiours For who is nat inferiour to the pope repreued and rebuked I wyl nat say condempned And verely I doo nat this bycause I do coueyte to rayle vpon any man and to write suche reuilyng rebukefull orations agaynst him as were the oratyons of Cicero agaynst maister Antonius whiche orations are called philyppice for god sheld me from doīg suche a dede but that I myght loose plucke a way erroures wronge opinions frō mēnes myndes and that I myght kepe thē farre away from vyces sīnes either by admonisshīg counsaylyng or els by reprouīg rebukīg of them I dare nat be so bolde to say that other men taught by me may with a hooke or byll cutte kepe lowe y e papale see whiche is y e vineyarde of god beīg now ouer ranke hauyng to many superfluous braunches and compelle it to beare full grappes and nat the small buryes of the wylde vyne which thynge whan I do shall there be any man wylling either to stoppe my mouth or his own eares I wyll nat say to offre or put vnto me punishment dethe that man that wolde so do although he be the pope hym selfe what shall I saye that he is Shall I say that he is a good shepherde or elles rather a deafe serpent which wyl nat heare y e voyce of the charmer or inchaunter but is wyllyng to hurte his membres with her bytyng and poysone I knowe that y e mennes eares haue ben nowe a good whyle desyrouse and longyng to here what faute or cryme I wyll lay to y e popes charge for sothe a great and a huge cryme either of neglygent ignoraunce or elles of outragyouse couetousnesse whiche is the seruitute of ydoles or elles of vanyte and desyre of hauyng dominion and rule whiche vyce tiranny alwayes accompanyeth for now certayn hūdreth yeres either
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
principall cause to the nobles and great estates why they sayd that they wolde rather dye in the syght of y e people of Rome than they wold suffre that lawe or statute to be made and to go forthe that parte of the senatours and parte of the cōmen people shulde be sente to inhabite the cyte called Veii in Ethruria and that .ii. cyties shulde be cōmune to the people of Rome Forseyng there was so moch dissētion in one cyte of Rome Howe moche more than shulde there be in two cyties So lykewise in this tyme if there be so moche discorde debate and strife now in one empier wherof I reporte me to your owne conscience and to the labours and trauayle whiche you haue taken what discorde shal there be in two empiers Go to moreouer do you suppose or wene that you shall haue anye men from hence which either shal be wyllyng or els shall haue cōnyng knowledge how to helpe you or ayde you whan you shall be occupied busyed with warres They whiche shal be made captaynes ouer the soldyers and rulers or gouernours of Cyties shal be as vnacquaynted with all feates of cheualry haue their mīdes as ferre set away from warre baytayle as he that maketh them captaynes and rulers what Shall nat either the Legions of Rome or elles the very prouinces selues attempte and take in hande to spoyle this gouernour beyng so vnskylled of doyng the offyce of a prince gouernour so easy to suffre and take wronge bycause they shall hope that either he shall make no resistence or els shall nat reuenge him selfe nor do any punisshement to them In good fayth I beleue they shall nat contynue in doyng their duety nat so moche as one moneth space but y t they wyl rebelle forthwith euyn at the very begynnyng of your departyng from hence what wyl you thā do what counsayll wyll you than take whan you shal be pursued and kepte in with double ye more ouer with manyfolde warre and batayle we can scarsely rule kepe in good ordre the Nations which we haue conquered subdued How shal we be able than to resyst thē whan we shal besydes thē haue warre with other nations also whiche are fre and vnsubdued Cesar concerning suche thinges as belonge to your owne selfe aduise you what you lyst to do But this matter ought to be no lesse cared for of vs than of you your selfe are mortall but the empier of the people of Rome ought to be immortall and so shall it be as moche as shall lye in our power ye and nat onely the empier but also the honestie and shamfastnes of the same people Shall we so in dede shall we receyue them to our gouernours and rulers whose relygion and secte we do despise and we that be princes and rulers of the worlde shall we become seruauntes and subiectes to this most vile and wretched man Whan the cyte of Rome was taken and wonne by the Frenche men the olde auncyent father of Rome could nat suffre that their conquerours shulde stroke their berde or drawe it through their handes And shall now so many men of the senatorie ordre So many of the pretorie ordre So many of the order and degree of Trybunes So many men that haue ben Consules and which haue victoriously tryumphed suffre them to be rulers and lordes ouer them to whom them selues haue done all maner contumely rebuke punisshment as it were to lewde or euyll bondmen Shall these men make heedoffycers shal they gouerne the prouinces shall they make batayles warres shall they gyue sentence of lyfe and dethe vpon vs Sall the nobilyte of Rome warre and take wages vnder them shall they hope or wayte for honoures or shall they gette offyces and rewardes vnder them what more greate or more depely persyng wounde may we receyue or take than this Thinke nat O Cesar that the blode of the Romaynes is so chaunged and gone out of kynde that they wyll suffre this with a pacient and quiet mynde and nat thinke it to be by all maner meanes eschewed and auoyded whiche in good fayth nat the very women could suffre or abyde but raither wolde brenne themselues togyther with their swete chyldren and their howses with the worshipfull goddes of the same So that the women of Carthage haue nat ben more bolde and stronge herted than the women of Rome wolde be For Cesar if we had chosen and made you a kynge verely you shulde haue great power and lybertie to do with the empier of Rome what you pleased but yet nat so that you might minisshe but euen the leaste poynt of the maiestie therof For els we that hadde made you king by the same power we wolde bydde you laye your kyngdome from you and wolde depose you nat onely you coulde nat be suffred to deuide or parte the kyngdome nat onely you could nat alyenate and gyue from you so many prouīces nat only you could nat be suffred to gyue the very heed and principall parte of the kyngdome vtterly and for euer to an Alian and most vile man we haue made a dogge ouerseer and kepar of the folde of shepe whiche if he had leuer playe the wolfe than do his owne offyce and dutie either we wyll dryue him out or els we wyll kill him Now seyng that you haue so longe tyme vsed the offyce of a dogge in defendyng the folde of the Romayns wyl you now at the last ende be tourned in to a wolfe so as neuer was any afore you And we let you well to wytte for as moche as you do compelle vs to speake somwhat sharpely for our righte you haue no power right nor tytle in the empeir of the people of Rome Iulyus Cesar wanne thempier and gatte it by force and vyolence Augustus also gatte it by vyolence and by ouercōming and vanquesshyng of the aduersarie partes made himselfe lorde and gouernoure Tiberius Caius Claudius Nero Galla Othouitellus Vespasiane and other either by the same or elles by lyke waye haue spoyled and robbed vs of our lybertie you also your selfe by expellyng and driuyng out other or els by kyllyng and sleyng of other haue bene made lorde and Emperour we passeouer here that you are nat borne of matrimony wherefore Cesar to gyue you playne knowledge of our mynde if you lyst nat your selfe to be heed gouernour of Rome you haue sonnes Make one of them accordyng to the lawe of nature gouernour in your stede which thyng we wyll both suffre you and also desyer you to do if you wyll nat we are mynded and purposed to defende bothe the publyke maiestie and the priuate dignyte For this is no lesse iniurye to the Cytezens of Rome than was in olde tyme the defoylyng of Lucrecia neyther we shall lacke one whiche shall be captayne to this people for the recoueryng of theyr lybertye lykewise as Brute was captayne to them agaynst Tarquine and fyrst we shall drawe out our
Cesar dyd constitute and set iuges ouer the chyldren of Israell to gouerne them and nat kynges he did hate the people desiryng to haue a Kynge that he gaue theÌ„ a kynge it was done because of the hardnesse of theyr hertes euyn lykewyse as for the same cause He had permytted and suffred them to diuorce from theyr wyues which thyng He had reuoked in the new law of the gospel shal I thaÌ„ take or receyue a kyngdome whiche am scasely permitted or suffred to be a iuge Do you nat know sayth Paule that sayntes and holy men shall Iuge of this world And if the worlde shall be iudged by you are you nat vnmete personnes to iudge of small trifles Do you nat knowe that we shall iuge aungels Howe moche more than seculare thynges Therfore if you shall haue seculare iugementes make them iuges in suche maters whiche are moste contemptible and of least reputation in the churche or coÌ„gregation But the iudges dyd onely iudge of matters being in contrauersie and strife betwen partie and partie they dyd nat also exacte tributes And shall I than exacte them whiche do knowe that our lorde demaunded of Peter of whom the erthly kynges toke tribute or payment of money of sonnes or elles of forayners and straungers And whan Peter had made answer that of forayners Christ sayd agayne Than are the sonnes free Wherfore O Cesar if all men be my sonnes as certaynly they be All men shall be free and no man shall paye any thing I haue no nede therfore of this your donation or gifte wherby I shall gette nought els but labour suche as in any wise I neither ought neither may suffre or abide ye and wherby I shall moreouer of necessite be constrayned to exercise power and auctorite to kille and slee to punisshe malefactours to make batayles and warres to ransake and spoyle cities to destroy regions with fyer and swerde For I can nat beleue that I could other wise than by these meanes be able to saue and mayntayne those thinges which you had giuen to me And if I shall do these thinges Am I a bisshoppe Am I the vicare of Christ Shall I nat than here him thondryng and terryble sayng these wordes to me My house shall be called the house of prayer to all nations And thou hast made it a denne of theues I came nat into the worlde sayde the lorde to Iudge or condeÌ„pne the worlde but to delyuer it shal I which am his successour be the cause of many meÌ„nes deth to whom it was sayd also in the person of Peter Tourne thy swerde agayne into his owne place for who so euer shall take the swerde in hande shall perysshe with the swerde It is nat laufull for vs so moche as to defende our selues with the swerde for Peter wolde haue defended his mayster whan he dyd cut of the seruauntes care And wyll you that we shall occupie the swerde for the cause of getyng or deâ—eÌ„dyng and sauyng of ryches Our power is the power of y e kayes wytnesse the lorde whan he sayd to the wyl I gyue the kayes of the kyngdome of heuens what so euer thynge thou shalte bynde vpon erthe it shall be bounde also in heuens and what so euer thyng thou shalte lose vpon erthe it shall be also losed in heuens y e gates of hell shall nat preuayle agaiÌ„st them Nothyng can be added or putte to for to the augmeÌ„tyng of this power of this dignite of this kyngdome with which who so euer is nat contente he desyreth a certayn other kyngdome to him selfe of the deuyll whiche was bolde to say to our lorde I shall gyue to the al the kyngdomes of the worlde if thou wylt fal downe vpon the grounde and worshyppe me Wherfore Cesar take no displeasure with that whiche I shall say play nat the deuylles parte with me byddyng me lykewyse as he bad Christe to receyue the kyngdomes of the worlde of your gyfte for I had leuer despyse them than possesse them that I may now speke somewhat of the infydeles but whiche I trust and hope shall be made faythfull beleuers do nat make me to them of the aungell of lyght an auÌ„gell of darkenes whose hertes I desyre and couete to induce to the fayth and to godly lyuyng and nat to put the yoke of seruytude and boundage vpon the neckes of them and wyth the spirytuall swerde whiche is the worde of god and nat with the swerde of yren to subdue them vnto me lest they myght be made worse lest they myght wynche or kycke agayne and rebelle leste they myght strâ—â— me with theyr horne leste they myght be prouokâ—â— through myne erroure and faute to blaspheme and speake euyll of the name of god My desyre is to make them my derely beloued sonnes and nat my bondemen to adopte and chose them to my chyldren nat to bye theym to gendre and begette theym spyrytually and nat to make them my bonde seruauntes to offre the soules of them a sacrifyce to god and nat their bodies a sacrifyce to the deuyll Learne you at me saith the lorde whiche am mylde and humble herted Take my yoke vpon you and you shall fynde rest to your soules for my youke is swete and plesaunte and my burdayne lyght and easy Whose sentence in the mater here folowyng to conclude now and make an ende take you as gyuen bytwene you me Gyue to Cesar those thinges which apperteyneth to Cesar and to god those thynges which belong to god Wherfore it is so that neither you oughte to leue and forsake youre possesiyons neither I oughte to receyue and take those thinges that belong to Cesar which surely I wyll neuer receyue although you wolde offre them to me a thousand tymes At this oration of Syluester so godly and according for an Apostolyke man What coulde Constantine haue to laye agaynst it for himselfe any longer Seyng than that it is thus Are nat they which say y t this donation or gyfte of Constantyne was made in very dede iniurious agaynst Constantyne whom they iuge to haue ben wyllyng to disherite his owne children to weken and feblysshe thempire of Rome Are they nat also iniuryous to the senatours the people of Rome to Italy to all the West parte of the worlde whom they suppose to haue suffred thempire to be chauÌ„ged agaynst both goddes lawe and mans lawe Are they nat also iniurious agaynst Syluester whoÌ„ they iuge to haue accepted the donation vnmete vnsemely for so holy a man as he was And are they nat iniurious also to the pope to whom they do iuge it laufull to possesse erthly kyngdomes to gouerne thempire of Rome and 〈◊〉 all these thynges hetherto spoken reherced apperâ—ayne here vnto only that it might appere and be open that Constantyne among so many impedimentes lett es wolde neuer gyue from him selfe
coÌ„prehendeth as it were in a bederole also the noÌ„bre of the shippes welnere the noÌ„bre of the souldiers The ensample of whom bothe many greke authors in especiall our latyn authours Ennius Vergilius Lucanus Statius certayne other haue folowed We do se also y t Iosue Moyses in the deuyding of the lande of Behest dyd discribe marke out euyn all the lytell stretes And art thou greued to reherce reken vp euyn prouiÌ„ces also Thou namest onely the occidentall or west prouinces whiche be the meres or bouÌ„des of the west Where do they begyn Where do they make an ende Are the bouÌ„des or meres of the west of the eest of the North of the South marked forthe or sette and as certayne as be the boundes or meres of Asie Affrike Europe Thou leauest out the wordes that were necessarie which were nothyng nedeful Thou sayd prouynces places cyties Are nat both prouiÌ„ces cyties places And whan thou haddest said prouinces thou puttest after cyties as who wolde say that cities were nat comprehended vnderstaÌ„ded vnder this worde ê“uinces But it is no maruayll of hiÌ„ which doth alyenate and gyue from himselfe so great a parte of the worlde if the same doth ouerhippe the names of the cyties prouinces and as it were one oppressed with the disease called the letharge wotteth nat what himselfe doth speake Italiae siue occidentaliuÌ„ regionum .i. of Italy or of the west regioÌ„s As though he had gyueÌ„ but onely the one or the other and yet he meaneth bothe of them to haue ben gyuen And he calleth here prouincias regionum .i. the prouinces of regions natwithstandyng that rather regyons are prouinciaruÌ„ .i. regions be partes belongyng to prouiÌ„ces And he sayth permaneÌ„das for permansuras ¶ Vnde congruuÌ„ prospeximus nostrum imperiuÌ„ et regiaÌ„ potestateÌ„ orientalibê° transferri regionibus et in Bizantinae prouiÌ„ciae optimo loco no mini nostro ciuitateÌ„ aedificaci illuÌ„ nostrum constitui imperium Wherfore we haue iuged it to be conueniente mete that oure empier and royall power be translated to the Est regions and that a cyte be builded to our name in the best place of the prouiÌ„ce of Byzantium and that there our empier be coÌ„stituted and sette I passe ouer here that he sayd ciuitatem aedificari where he shulde haue sayd vrbem edificari for ciuitas betokeneth the multytude of cytizens whiche are nat edifyed or buylded and that he sayd Italiam prouiÌ„ciam But if thou be ConstaÌ„tine shewe the cause why thou hast chosen that place priÌ„cipally afore other to buylde thy cyte in For that thou dost remoue flyt in to another place after that thou haddest delyuered vp Rome out of thy handes it is nat so moch coÌ„uenient and mete so as thou callest it as it is necessary or nedfull Neither do thou call thyself an emperour seyng that thou hast lost Rome hast done very moche hurte vnto y e name of the Romayne eÌ„pier whiche thou tearest in sondre pullest in peces Neither do thou call thy selfe a kyng sayeng et nostraÌ„ regiaÌ„ potestateÌ„ which neuer none dyd afore the excepte thou doste call thyselfe a kynge bycause thou arte now no longer a Romane But thou allegest a cause forth very honest worshipfull sayeÌ„g QuoniaÌ„ vbi priÌ„ceps sacerdotuÌ„ et christianae religionis caput coÌ„stitutuÌ„ est ab eo iÌ„peratore celesti iustuÌ„ non est vt illie imperator terrenê° habeat potestateÌ„ For where y e chef highest prest the hed of y e christian religioÌ„ is coÌ„stituted set by y e heuenly eÌ„perour it is nat righte nor accordiÌ„g that y e erthely eÌ„perour shulde there haue any power or auctorite O folissh Dauid O folissh Salomon O folisshe Ezechias O folyssh Iosias O you other kinges of IerusaleÌ„ than were you all foles without holynes deuotioÌ„ which haue fouÌ„d in your hertes to dwell a byde in the cyte of IerusaleÌ„ with y e high preestes haue nat giueÌ„ vp the hole cyte to them remouing your selues out of it to some other place CoÌ„staÌ„tyne is more wise and hathe more knowledge in thre dayes thaÌ„ they coulde be or haue in their hole lyfetyme And thou callest the pope the heueÌ„ly eÌ„perour bycause he hathe receyued y e erthely eÌ„pier except it be god whoÌ„ thou dost meane for thou speakest doutfully thaÌ„ thou lyest in sayeÌ„g y e by hiÌ„ the erthely dominion was coÌ„stituted set of preestes ouer y e cyte of Rome other places ¶ Haec vero oiÌ„a quae per hanc imperialeÌ„ sacram scripturaÌ„ et peralia diualia decreta statuimê° et firmauimê° vsque in finem muÌ„di illibata et coÌ„cussa ê‘manere decreuimê° And al these thiÌ„ges which we haue decreed establisshed by this sacred iÌ„periall writte other godly decrees we haue decreed y t they shall coÌ„tynually remayne vntouched inuiolated or vnbroken eueÌ„ vnto y e ende of the worlde Nat longe syns O ConstaÌ„tine you had called your self erthely now you call your selfe DiuuÌ„et sacruÌ„ and do fall agayne to geÌ„tilyte or payniÌ„ry ye to more than geÌ„tilyte you make your selfe a god your wordes holy inuiolable your decrees iÌ„mortall and euerlastyng For you coÌ„maunde the worlde to conserue and kepe youre byddynges vnappayred or vnbroken hole and perfyte you do nat thynke or remembre who you are that is to witte a man whiche nat longe a go was wasshed scaÌ„tely clene wasshed from the most fylthy myer durte of infydelyte Why dyd you nat also saye Rather heuen and erthe shall perissh than one minome or one tytle or pricke of this priuilege shall perysshe The kyngdome of Saull which was elected choseÌ„ by god came neuer to y e haÌ„des of his soÌ„nes the kiÌ„gdom of Dauid was ê‘ted in soÌ„dre iÌ„ his nephues days afterwardes clene destroyed And do you by your own auctorite decree that y e kyngdom whiche you do gyue to the grettest god shall ê‘petually remayne contynue euyn to the ende of the worlde Moreouer who thought you so sone that the worlde shulde perishe haue an ende For I do nat suppose that at this tyme you do gyue credeÌ„ce to Poetes which also do recorde the same it foloweth therfore y t you wolde nat haue sayd this but that another maÌ„ hath fayned forged this of you But he which but euyn ryght now spake so highly so prowdly now begynneth to feare and to mistrust him selfe And therfore he falleth to besechyng prayyng in goddes behalfe and adiurations sayenge ¶ Vnde coram deo viuo qui nos regnare praecepit et coraÌ„ terribili eiê° iudicio obtestamur oeÌ„s nroÌ„s successores imperatores cuÌ„ctos optimates satrapas etiaÌ„ amplissimuÌ„ ê™ senatuÌ„ vniuersum populum in vniuerso orbe terraruÌ„ necnon et in posterum nullo coruÌ„ quoquo modo licere hoc aut coufringere vel
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