vertues and such as the Gentiles had or whether they all lacked those Christian vertues which are the fruits of the Christian faith whether thy demaunde be of the first or of the second tell mée without any dissimulation Trisander I aske whether all popes that arrogantly claimed to them selues Supremacie in earth and the false pretensed succession of Peter in the Sée Apostolike were prophane in conuersation of life Panteleon There were no such arrogant Popes but they liued only Christianlike and as their religion was repugnant to Gods worde so their life and maners were contrarie to the commandement of the liuing God Trisander But father can you tell their names and how impiously they liued Panteleon What their names were I knowe and what their maners were likewise I knowe of certentie but forasmuch as I haue said somwhat of Pope Gregorie the xiii I thinke it not amisss to tell what his predecessour was and howe hée came to the Popedome this Pope Pius Quintus descended of very poore Parentage as at Rome is reported of him At Minerua hée was a Dominican Friar for a certaine space then hée became Pryor of that Monasterie at what time Cardinall Morone was suspected for one that sauoured not of Popishe religion Wherefore this Pryor Dominican was sent by the Pope to heare Cardinall Morons confession which when hée vndertooke and thought to haue hearde the Cardinals confession hée was reiected for that hée was neyther Bishop nor Cardinall But a poore Fryar This Dominican returned backe againe to the Popes Courte and tolde the Pope that Cardinall Morone disdained to take him for his confessor being no Cardinal but a poore Dominican The Pope hearing these wordes was muche out of pactence he was sore offended and his wrath was so kindeled that in his angrie moode hée called for a Cardinals hatte and gaue it vnto this Dominican willing him foorthwith to go againe to Cardinall Morone Now when hée came Cardinall like Cardinall Morone submitted himselfe yeelded to make his confession before him to answere to any Article that hée had to lay againste him and in his examination hée shewed him selfe conformable to the Popes Lawes It happened afterwardes that this Pope dyed and then as the order is the Colledge of Cardinals assembled together in a certaine appointed place of the Popes Courte to elect and choose amongest themselues some méete man to take vpon him the charge of so great and Sathanicall function The whole Colledge of Cardinalles that were present there except this one Dominican Cardinall gaue their assent and consent to this Cardinall Morone that hee shoulde haue béene Pope but when this Dominican Cardinal was asked why hée gaue not his voyce with the rest he made this answere I will neuer saith hée giue my voyce to any person suspected of heresie Then spake Cardinall Morone I will not be Pope though I might Heereupon all the Cardinals were willing that this Cardinall Morone should elect whom he best fansied to bée Pope of Rome which thing beeing graunted vnto him hée vttered these wordes saying I knowe none more worthie to bée made Pope then the Cardinall of Alexandria who refused to giue his voyce to my election for that some time I was suspected to bée an Heretike a worthier man then hée to beare rule may seldome or neuer bée found though wée sought for one through out the worlde Therefore séeing your graces good wil and pleasure was that I shoulde choose whom I best liked to the Popedome I nominate and pronounce this Cardinall of Alexandria These wordes thus vttered euery Cardinall in his degrée doing obeysance came and kissed this newe Popes féete This Pope had a nephewe supposed of some Romans to haue béene his bastarde whome hée created Cardinall ouer that Citie Alexandria whereof he himselfe had béene Cardinal before This his nephewe or rather as the common bruite or same goeth at Rome was bounde apprentise to a poore Tailour who dwelleth in the Englishe Seminarie at Rome and because hée was altogether vnapt for that science this poore taylour came vnto his vncle the aforesaid Pope Pius Quintus but then a Dominicā Frier in the monasterie of Minerua and tolde him that his nephewe was vnfitte to bée a taylour for that hée sawe no towardnesse at all in him touching that Art But sée now my sonne howe fortune fauoureth fooles howe shée exalteth the vnworthie For this felow the Popes nephewe can scarce reade his Masse booke much lesse vnderstande it and yet loe on a sodaine hée is created Cardinall of Alexandria This Pope his vncle as the report goeth was a better practicioner in hearing Nunnes confessions and fitter to play the Cooke then to supplie an office and roome of suche high dignitie to the which the Maiestie of Emperours kings by the iudgement of the Papistes is counted inferiour This Pius Quintus at the first was a beggar then afterwardes hee became a Dominican Friar and consequently a Cardinal and in fine a Pope Thus fortune exalted him to high degrées of promotion The recordation and remembrance of his pristinate and former state before fortune had smiled on him shoulde by right haue moued him to bee humble and lowly to all men in his Papall Maiestie Trisander Truely Father as for his base estate of byrth if his vertues were good or if his excellencie of wit was suche that it surpassed the wisedome of others I dde not weigh nor make any account nor doe so vilely thinke of his simple Parents that therefore I shoulde esteeme him vnworthie to haue béene as hee was promoted to a higher degree of function Panteleon Louing sonne to the derogation of his promotion I speake not a worde and as for his Papall dignitie it dothe not touche mee who hath it or who euer had it either noble or vnoble poore or riche But mine intention was to tell thee howe at the first hée became Chapline to Sainte Dominicke then afterwardes Chamberlaine to Beelzebub and last of all sonne to Lucifer by marriage For hee married his begotten daughter pride Trisander From suche offices and degrées of function good Lorde deliuer vs. I pray you father will you shewe mee if you can what his lyfe was being Pope Panteleon Yes that I can and hew hée liued I will declare to thée as followeth Hée was a blooddy persecutor of the Christians and caused many a faithfull beléeuer of the Gospell most lamentably to bée burned yea hée was the cause of that butcherly effusion of Christian blood at Paris and in all other places of Fraunce His successour Gregorie xiiii wickedly allowed the cruell handeling formentes shewed vpon the great Admirall of Fraunce the instrument of God for defence of true religion and for the consolation of the afflicted Christians Whiche facte is entred in marble stone in the imperiall hall of the Popes Court artificially set foorth but to speake of Pius Quintus this Pope was certified by a certaine Cardinall that in Rome there was an noble
then heare in a whole yeere For there I that heare nothing els but that language spokē w e I couet to learn but here not so For here in this my natiue countrey is spokē the language which I speak vnder stand and which my mother taught me Pan. Seeing my words are but wind will not preuaile tell me then to what countrey chiefely art thou bent to goe Trisander My mind and purpose is if it may please God and you my deare father to make a voyage into Italie there to beholde the stately Cities to sée the fertile fieldes plesaunt hylles batefull pastures shadowing woodes the plentie of al kind of trees and groues the abundance of corne vines and oliues fayre cattell sweet springes fountaines lakes riuers and hauens For the countrey of Italie is as it were an open lap to receiue the trade of all countreys My féete doe couet to make haste to this noble land most deere father therefore giue me leaue to trauel foorthwith into that famous region Panteleon You talke of Italie my sōne as though you had bin there but in Italie you were neuer I am sure tell me therfore whom hast thou harde to praise Italie so much that thou shouldest with such words extol the same Trisander One who was both a gentleman and also well learned who had bin in Italie passed through many a fair Citie as Rome Naples Bolonia Genoway with many mo He was a godly Gentleman alwayes and I take him to be so still for hee ceaseth not to praye to God both night and day nor to call vpon the name of the Lorde hée fasteth twise a wéeke hée giueth almes vnto the poore very liberallie of that hée hath Now because this Gentleman is both vertuous of life and true in his reportes I am the more enflamed with ardent desire to sée the Italian Countrie Panteleon Good louing sonne the Gentleman of whom you spake before whose person I do know I will neuer discommend hee may be learned and vertuous I say not to the contrarie but yet tell mée my sonne was it he alone or else many in number that caused thée to be so desirous to trauell to Italie Trisander It was he alone and none other that reported these wordes to mée Panteleon I like it so much the better because thou saidst he was both learned and godly But canst thou tel where he was borne and what is his name Trisander A Saxonian borne and his name is Rhodoman Panteleon But what religion did he professe canst thou answere mée to that Trisander Hée counted the Pope as Antichrist his religion prophane and of his Church he estéemed as of the Sinagogue of Sathan He beléeued whatsoeuer is written and contained in Gods holy word he misliketh the doctrine of meritū cōgrui condigni as for being iustified by his workes it is no part of his opinion Hée denieth the reall presence of the Lorde in the Sacramentes Hée beléeueth no other thing then the worde of God willeth him to beléeue therefore I am persuaded his religion is good Panteleon I am glad thou hast talked with such a Christian and because thou arte so fully minded to trauell to Italie other countries I am contented to graunt thy request to trauell whither thou wilt for three or foure yeeres space Trisander I thanke you gentle father but I desire moreouer that you giue me so much money as may be sufficient to cary me throughout my voyage so shall not I hauing money enough doe that which I woulde not Panteleon Holde I giue thee three hundreth pounde in gold vse it well and spende it not prodigally Trisander I thanke you good father I request no more this is ynough for mée I will vse your money well and wil spende no more then I must needes Panteleon My sonne thou art younge lustie and prone to committe follie wherefore I counsell thee to bridle thy fansies to banishe euill thoughts and to cutte off all occasion of any vice that may hinder thy voyage and pronoke the wrath of God agaynst thée If the luste of the fleshe entise thee and the concupiscence of the eye allure thée to euill tame thy self with fasting and prayer call for the assistaunce of Gods spirit be circūspect in thy talke lowly in thy behauiour ready to suffer all raylings reuilings if thou be abused with ill speeches giue sayre words again if thou be offended with reproches offende not againe if thou be had in derisiō deride not again Moreouer to what coūtrey soeuer thou comst vse thy selfe gently soberly mildly and humbly be ready to pleasure all loth to displease any if the manners of the people be rude let not their rudenesse moue thy pacience and faine thy selfe alwayes needy then thy expences shal not bee so great neither shalt thou bee in any great danger of thieues Before you receiue any thing ask the price if the thing doth like thée take it with thankes and pay that thou promisest if the thing be proffered for more then it is worth in value refuse it w e curteous speches Now for thy lodging thou maiest be so bolde as to craue a view of thy chāber of thy bed if the same doth not content thée pay for a buccale of wine seeke another lodging for thy contentment In all thyne affaires vse thy selfe honestly and practise humilitie so mayest thou trauaile whether thou wilt as safelie as in thine owne countrey Trisander Louing father I thanke you this counsell is good may saue mée from many dangers God graunt I doe as I am councelled then I am sure I shall giue no occasion of wrath to anye man luing Your exhortation good father I will accōplish if the I may in euerie respect For I will so behaue my self that no stranger shall be displeased with me if I may choose Panteleon If thou dost so thy state shal be the safer But I must tell thée one thing and marke the same diligently In trauelling thou must néedes fall in the company of Papistes take héede they deceiue thée not and when thou cōmest to Rome suffer not thy selfe to be seduced for they wil make thée beléeue vnlesse thou stand stedfaste in thy fayth that the Bishop of Rome is the vniuersall head ouer the Church of God Doest thou not sée say they how beneficiall the Pope is to Pilgrimes what Churches hée buildeth what high wayes he mendeth what companie of strangers he dayly susteyneth howe many hospitalles he findeth howe many schollers he maynteyneth howe deuoutly he cōmeth once moneth into his chappell how reuerently he giueth the peopls benediction how he neuer misseth twise a day to say his breuiarie what paines he taketh with oratours leagates and such others in hearing their causes surely this man if he were not of God hee woulde not be so liberal in suppliyng the want of the needie neither woulde he be so painefull in causes ecclesiasticall Therefore saye they perswade
peregrinations lewd practises in many countries impudently disposed naughtily bent to peruert good manners to establish grosse errours in the Synagogue of Sathan and besides that busily occupied in preferring manye superstitious ceremonies yet they should not disdaine after his name to be termed Ignatians or Layolans because they acknowledge and follow him as their Patrone in doing according to his doctrine councell and preceptes For as they obey his will so should they acknowledge his name and think no skorne to be called therby as for the name Iesus it is not for their mowing neither ought they to desire the honour due to so great a title and name of Iesus contrary to the godly meaning of all true Christians Surely louing companion Trisander there is such enimity betwéen the Monkes and the Iesuites I speake not this of malice but of experience that greater is hardly to bee found betwéene the Turke and the Christiā The Monks neuer report wel of the Iesuites and the Iesuites neuer speake well of the monks From cardinal Brhomeo there came Iesuites oftentimes to my Lord Bishops house of Vigleuano now there were two Dominicans in his house that alwayes denyed to kéepe them company for this cause only sayd they for that they were Hypocrites I wayted at their table and marked their behautour they woulde drink but once at one meale they would vse such Ceremonies about the Cups with crossing double crossing and mumbling I cannot tell what that it would make a man to woonder But at the first time I was so wearie in holding the cup and not knowing the meaning of their Ceremonies in blessing the cup that I took it from them and left them thirsty and dry vntill I was taught yea with rebukes of my yll maners in taking the cup before they had drunk to stay with the cup vntil they had quenched their thirst The Iesuites must haue patience if any thing once be denied to them they must not séeke it twise they eate but very little at a meale they are nourished say they by dayly contemplation and the Angel féedeth them assoone as they dyne or sup after thanksgiuing to GOD and our blessed Lady as the manner of the Papistes is and after washing of their handes they goe to the Temple there they knéele before a dustie image there is suche crying and knocking on their brestes that oftentimes I was afrayde their heartes shoulde haue leapte out of their Bodies There was suche howling and suche weeping that teares as bigge as milstones came out of their eyes Blessed Marie quoth pardon me for I haue offēded thee not only in thought but woorde and deede Oh helpe me holy saint with speede thy sweete sonne Iesus Christ also I haue offended alas for wo but through thy intercession he will forgiue my transgression and as I hope will fauour me and pardon mine iniquities Then hée knocketh his breast and boweth his bodie to kisse the grounde Blessed Ladie quoth the other pray so mee to the Lord Iesu thy louing sonne For I am a sinner and therefore I say ora pro me peccatore O beata Maria mater vnigenti O blessed Marie the mother of the onely begotten pray for mée a sinner This and such like prayers doe the Iesuites vse before the Image of Marie the mother of Christ they goe from image to image from stocke to stone from poste to pillar and passe by no image but they touch it with their beades and kisse it with their mouthes If they find a rotten poste they thinke immediatly that some saint was bounde to the same to bee scourged If there appeare vppon the pillers the picture of a mouse forthwith they woulde imagine it to bee the picture of a Saint and therfore they will kneele before those pillers adore them with kissing them and bowing their bodies before them Doubtles the Iesuites are very superstitious from them as from a founraine floweth all kinde of Idolatrie and superstition Let the Monkes and Friers beare witnesse of this let Balaams marks beare recorde of my woordes There is suche brawling chiding oftentimes amongst the Iesuites and the Monkes in Cardinall Browmeo his house at Millan that greater can not lightly bee amongst two scoldes first there is a question moued then in the answere to the same there followeth great contention one dispraysing ech others insufficiencie defect of knowledge sometimes eche one seeketh to excel the other with vaine bragges of their life and conuersation The Iesuites more boldely then wisely say that their life is Angelicall and spotted with no spotte of iniquitie The thing which wée promise say they we performe we vowe chastitie and wée kéepe it wee neuer haue accesse vnto women we neuer haue conference with them wée neuer come in their sight and if they come to talke with vs wée auoyde their companie by whiche meanes all occasion of carnall copulation is cleane cut off and so is our vowe kept and neuer violated These words of the Iesuites are but bragges the truth insinuateth the contrarie For at Venice Ann. do 1580. a Iesuite was found in bed with a Curtezane or as in Englishe I may terme her with a common strumpet what he did in bedde with her I can not tel for that certaine venecians at my lodging at the signe of Saint George at realto told me that a Iesuite and a curtezane were founde in bedde together they told mée not that they were both takē in doing the déed but found in bed as I said Alac good Iesuite I thinke hée came to bed to his sister to giue her some ghostly comfort and to heare her confession being in ashaking ague I dare say the yong gentleman Iesuite meant no hurt in the worlde vnlesse perhappes wée thinke it hurt that hée ventered to bée in one bedde with her without consent of his rectour or else that hée endeuoured to gette a pretie boy by one that was a laye woman and a strumpet and not by some nun being a spirituall sister but yet a common woman and common aswel to Monkes as to Iesuites At Millan as it was reported vnto mée by a Bargamesco Gentleman in the Cathedral Church there was a lustie stout Iesuite that loued to haunte the stewes verie well And that the Iesuites violate their vnlawfull vowe of chastitie these examples following may testifie At Auspurgh late in the euening there was a Iesuite founde with his companions that resorted to a suspitious defamed house of harlottes When they came into the house they told the mistresse of the house that they brought with them holye water to sprinckle about in euery chamber to the expulsion of Diuelles that through their absence they might doe as they woulde that their offence might not bée knowen vnto the Diuell and therefore not like to bée punished But these holy fathers when they had sprincled all their coniured water they were rapt in loue with two queanes of the house and because they had