The Pageant of Popes, To the reader 1 – To the reader 2
Iohn Bale to the Reader.
I Desire thee (Christian Reader) vvhosoeuer thou art that delightest in ye glory of Christ against the malyce of Antichriste, and I beseech thee in the Lord to conster all thinges to the beste, euen those matters vvhichwhich seeme to be spoken more bitterly against that mōstrous beast and not to depraue them vvith slaūderings, as I vnderstand some of late hauehave taken occasion to do by my late booke published of the vvriters of Englande. Among vvhom some are not ashamed vntrulye to saye that I deale vniustlye vvith some Princes that gouerne the estates of Christēdome. Othersome saye that I speake malepertlye and that against all Christiā modestye, that I speake vnreuerentlye of Queene Mary of England, because in one place I hauehave vvritten that Iesabell raigneth in Englāde, and glutteth her selfe vvith the bloude of Martyrs: vvhere as by that name I did not meane Queene Mary, but the tyrannie of Rome that miserablye ouerrunneth all Englande. For the places in Nicolas Grimoald, Traherne, Turner the Phisition, Hooper▪ Ridley, Rogers, Bradford, Filpot, and other, do sufficientlye interprete themselues to be spoken of the greate Antichriste and his mitred and scraped tormentours. For as the holye ghoste hath taughte mee I hauehave called that Romaine Sinagogge the murtherer of Godlye men, vvicked Iesabell, the horned beast, the impe of the Dragō, the doughter of the deuill, the spouse of Sathan, speaking blasphemies, the purple beast, the misticall Babilon, the great strumpet vvith vvhom the kinges of the earth hauehave cōmitted fornication, vvhichwhich hauehave dronke of the vvyne of her fornication, the vvomā cloathed in purple, scarlet, gould, pearles and precious stones, hauing a goulden cuppe full of all filthines & lustes of the vvorld, the mother of fornication, and droncke vvith the bloud of the saintes of IESVS CHRIST, the habitatiō of deuils, and the cage of all euill spirites and hatefull birdes.
The occasiō vvhichwhich first moued mee herevnto vvas this, Anno domini 1554. our Realme of Englande after the xx. yeare of her deliueraunce throughe the mercye of God, most shamefullye forsooke the holye Gospel of Christe, vvhichwhich is the povver and vertue of God to the health of all beleuers, & made a nevve professiō vntounto the great ennemye of God the Romaine deuil and vvicked Antichrist. Of the vvhichwhich execrable deede thou shalt read more in ye end of this booke. Partlye also the horrible vices vvhichwhich follovv this monster, vvhereof the most prudent K. Henry the eight had good proofe, vvhen he caused the houses of the hooded hypocrites, & the colleges of the massemongers in his kingdome, before their vtter destruction vvhichwhich vvas in the yeare of our Lord God 1538. to be visited, by the vvorshipfull doctours of the lavve, Thomas Lee, Richard Laiton, Thomas Bedill, Thomas Barthlet the publicke notarie, & such others. In the vvhichwhich there vvere such svvarmes of vvhoremōgers, ruffians, filthie parsons, giltye of sinne against nature, Ganimedes, and yet votaries and vnmaryed all, so that thou vvouldest thincke that there vvere a nevve Gomorrha amonge them. The booke of them is called the breuiary of thinges founde out in abbeyes, assemblies, colleges, &c. Out of the vvhichwhich booke I vvill shevv but one or other example, to an vnsauery tast thereof. In the monasterye called Battel abbey in the Diocesse of Chichester, these many gilty of sinne agaīst nature vvere foūd in the visitation, Iohn the Abbot, Richard Salchurst, Thomas Cuthberth, VVilliam March, Iohn Hasting, Gregorie Champiō, Clemēt VVestfild, Iohn Crosse, Thomas Crambroke, Thomas Basill, Iohn Hamfild, Iohn Hierome, Clemens Grigge, Richard Touye, and Iohn Austine. These vvere incontinente liuers, Thomas Lyuet vvyth one maryed vvife & one harlot, Thomas Cranbroke vvith the same, and other beside. Lo this is the chast Religion of the Pope.
At Canterbury amonge the Benedictine monkes these vvere gilty of sinne against nature, Richard Godmersham, VVilliam Lichfild, Christopher Iames, Iohn Goldmistone, Nicolas Clement, VVilliam Causton, Iohn Ambrose, Thomas Farlegh, and Thomas Morton. VVhoremongers, Christopher Iames aforesaide vvith three maried vvomen, and Nicolas Clement vvith one harlot. In the Abbey of S. Augustine these vvere found vnchast, Iohn the Abbot vvith one vvoman, Iohn Langdan vvith tvvo, Iohn Langport vvith one, Richarde Compton vvith one, VVilliam Reynsforth vvith one, VVilliā Godmerstone vvith tvvo, Dauid Franckes vvith tvvo, Robart saltvvood one, Laurence Goldstone one, VVilliam Holingborne one, VVilliā Milton one, Iohn Shrevvsbery one, and Thomas Barhā gilty of sinne against nature. In the abbey of Bath amonge many other Richard Lincombe had vii. harlots, iij. maryed vvomen, and iiii. singlevvomen and he vvas giltye of sinne against nature also, VVilliam Benushon had xi. harlots, beside diuers gilty of sinne against nature. In the abbey of Monkenferlege in Salisbury diocesse, Levvis the Prior had 9. harlots, Richard the Prior of Mayden Bradley had v. harlots and sixe bastardes, VVilliam the Abbot of Bristovve had iiij. harlots, iij. vnmaried & one maryed. Thomas Abbot of Abingtō beside his ovvne naturall sister of vvhom he begat tvvo children, had three other harlots, and this mā vvas the father of many that vvas gilty of sin against nature. In the abbey of Sulbred in the diocesse of Cicester George VValden Prior had vij. harlots, Iohn Standney vij. Nicolas duke v. Henry Selvvood tvvo, vvith many others. Iohn Blanke Prior of Bermondsey had xi. harlots.
At the castel of VVyndsor Henry VVoodvvard had very many harlots, Nicolas VVhyden had iiij. George VVhitthorne v. Nicolas Spoke v. Simon Tod one, Nicolas VValker ij. VVilliam Vause one, Robart Dauison vj. Peter Boughe had many, and so other had others.
In the Cathedrall Church at Chichester, Iohn Champion Prebendary of VValtam had ij. harlots, VVilliā Crosse had one vvyfe, Thomas Parker ij. harlots, Richard Busteld one of vvhō he begat a child, Barthelmevv Cokisley i. Robart hunt had diuers, Tho. Goffe had ij. being other mens vvyues, Iohn Hill xiij. harlots, Robart Moore had many, Roger Barham many, Iohn Bedfild many, vvith others, amōg yt vvhichwhich the forsaid Roger Barham and Iohn Champion vvere gilty of sinne against nature. These vvere taken out of the foresaid booke. Behold vvhat monsters Popery hath nourished throughout England in abbeyes and colleges. Are not these foule birdes most iustlye banished vvith their most filthye Pope, the Romishe Idoll? In all other places as vvell in congregations as colleges the like thinges are committed and done, the vvhichwhich vvere to longe or rather to shameful throughly to declare, for they gate vntounto them in most places through this Popishe Religion, either the French pockes or the Spanishe decease. And there vvere in Englande more then xl. Abbeyes of diuers kindes of mōkes, beside the most vvicked nests of the begging fryers, of the vvhichwhich there vvere almost tvvo hundreth. VntoUnto vvhom these verses do aptlye agree.
It is not sure a misse that monkes should fathers termed bee,
Sith such swarmes of their bastard brats in eueryevery place they see.
There is yet a thirde matter vvhichwhich forced mee herevnto, and hauing seene and heard these thinges vehemently moued me to vvrite. This is the precepte of Christe in the xviij. Chapter of the Reuelation of S. Iohn: For a voyce came from heauen from the right hand of the father and the euerlasting throne of Christe, vvith a great voyce sounded in our eares saying. Go from her my people lest ye be made partakers of her vvickednes, and ye receiue part of her punishment. For her sinnes are gone vp to heauen, and God hath remembred her vvickednes. And then commaundemēt follovveth vvhichwhich vvas giuen against the beast vvith seuen heades. Revvard her euen as she hath revvarded you, and giuegive her double according to her vvorks, and poure in double to her in the same cup vvhichwhich she filled vntounto you. And forasmuch as she glorified her selfe and liued vvantonly, so much poure you into her of punishment and sorrovve. This is the vvorde of the Lorde declared vntounto vsus as vvell here as in the fiftye Chap. of Ieremy. That this serpent might perish & all his doinges brought to nought. Yet for al this I do vvel remēber the sayings of S. Paule, that al Princes ought to be honoured although they be vvicked and vnprofitable for a common vvealth, because they be placed there of God, neither to speake euill of them beinge but vvotmes, dust and ashes, Neither dare I murmur against the prouidence of God, vvhichwhich is contrary to his holy vvorde. Therefore from the bottome of my hart I beseech our Lorde and Redeemer Iesus Christe, that he vvould hauehave mercye vppon all Kinges, Princes and Nations, and so prouide that all nations maye be so gouerned as is most tending to his glory: For vvhose reueng he hath most stoutly fortifyed mee vp in this my old age. Not studying to derogate or take avvaye the honour from anye Christian Kinge, but onelyonly to inuey against the Romishe beast, the Synagog of Sathan, and most vvicked Antichrist, vvith the vvritings and testimonye of most learned men.
If I shal hauehave said any thing sharper then thou didst loke for (most gentle Reader) cōsider I pray you the hudge tirāny of this most vvicked Viper of the vvorld, vvhose destruction accordinge to Gods promises is at hande. Great Babilon shall fall vvhichwhich hath seduced many Nations, and shall be destroyed the vvhole vvorlde marueylinge thereat. If the vehemencye of my stile shall offende thee, beholde the maruelous force of the holye ghoste in the Prophete Dauid and most holy king, vvho in the Lordes cause most stoutlye saide: I hauehave hated the congregation of the vvicked, Psal. 25. He promiseth also aftervvarde by his Prophetes, that he vvoulde destroye the brothell houses and vvicked places. Ezechi. 16. I vvill shevve fayth the Lord vntounto all Nations thy nakednes, and to al kingdomes thy shame Nahum. 3. Thy dishonour and filthines shall be opened, and thy reproche shall be seene, I vvill be reuenged, and none shall resiste mee, Esay▪ 47. VVoe be vntounto those Kinges as manye as hauehave vvorshipped the beast or hauehave ayded her, or hauehave receiued helpe of her, or hauehave committed fornication vvith her, as many as hauehave serued her, and hauehave ioyned handes against the Lambe, and vvaged battell for her cause, because their names are not vvritten in the booke of lyfe from the beginninge of the vvorlde. And the Lambe shal ouercome them at the last like a Lorde of Lordes, and kinge of kinges, and they shall go together vvith the beast to destruction and vtter dampnation, Apocalips 17. GOD therefore giuegive in the hartes of Christians vvhom the x. hornes do shadovve, that they maye faithfully execute this his vvill and iudgement, that they maye make her desolate and leaue her naked, that they maye eate her fleshe and burne her in fire, that is, let her abide her last punishment for the sheding of the innocent bloud, of so manye faithfull Christians. Be it done, Be it done. Amen.
To the Reader. T. R. GENTLEMAN.
THe worthy wittes of elder yeares hauehave traueld sea and land,
To seeke and search the wondrous works of naturs skilful hand:
And mens delight hath euer bin most vgly things to vewe,
To looke on creatures out of kinde, as monsters olde and newe.
If therefore thou as other men my friend affected bee,
And dost desire vgly things, and monsters strange to see:
Then take the payne to seeke and searche within this little booke,
And here thou shalt vponupon so strang a mongrell monster looke:
As neuer nature bread on earth, whose shape is in this wyse,
As I shall partly portrature the same before thine eyes.
It is a little beast that hath ten hornes, seuen heads, & crownets seuē,
Who wt his taile frō clouds to clouds swepes down ye stars of heauē.
Upon whose backe in princely pompe, and glistring gold araye,
And proudly pranckt in precious pearles, and clad in purple gaye,
The stately strompet sittes, that is the whore of Babilon,
And in her hand a golden cuppe of fornication.
Wherwith the world she poysond hath which dronken with her wine,
Hath falne downe flat vntounto the beast, as to a god deuine:
Which forced kings to leaue their crownes, & Keiser stoupe for awe,
Whyle on his royall necke the beast hath sayd his filthy pawe.
Who hath the mighty monarkes made to holde his stirrope lowe,
And caused them on humble knees to come to kisse his toe:
Who forced great estates to stand barefooted in the streate,
And proudly put the crowne on head of princes with his feete.
And made the sonne and subiect both against their king and …yre,
Oft to rebell whose burning breath set all the world on fyre:
Who hath blasphemd our glorious God, wt thousand mischiefs more
Loe to be briefe, such is the beast of whom I spake before.
Which earst discouered was by Bale among the rockes of Rome,
And by the painfull penne of S. is into England come.
That eueryevery man may know the same, and learne to shone the beast,
Who while she lorked close did spye mankinde by East and Weast.
Accept therfore my friendes good will, that thus his trauell spent,
Prayse God for it, and him for payne that this vntounto thee sent.
FINIS.