The Brutish Thunderbolt, Declaration 1 · Part 30
Of the kingdome of Nauarre betraied by the pope.
ANd it ſéemeth that we ought not to paſſe ouer in ſilence in this place, that curſe, wherein the king of France Ludouike the 12. was proſcribed togither with Iohn king of Nauarre his kinſman and ſubiect. For in the yéere M. DXI. at which time that war, whereof we ſpake before, waxed hot betwéen pope Iulius the ſecond, and Ludouike the 12. king of France, who was called father of his countrie, and that ſame furious tyrant went about to terrifie him with his vaine thunderbolts, and had made his kingdome a praie and ſpoile to him that could get it, Iohn great grandfateer to this our Henrie reigned in Nauarre. He, foraſmuch as he both was in the realme of France, and was neighbor to the French king, and alſo by reaſon of the great fées he had in his realme was his client and vaſſall, was requeſted by king Ludouike, that he would aide him againſt his enimie, according to the right of ſenioritie, and ordinances of ſeruiceable clientſhips. The king of Nauarre being not vnmindfull of his dutie toward the king, hauing with all ſpéed muſtered and gathered bands of footemen and horſemen in his kingdom, he brought ſo great an armie into the borders of France, that he left his realme in a maner naked and deſtitute of men. Which thing being knowen, pope Iulius determined foorthwith to deale by meſſengers with Ferdinando king of Spaine (to whom he then firſt of all gaue the ſirname of Catholike, anno 1492.) that with all ſpéede he ſhould make readie an armie, and ſhould inuade the dominion of the king of Nauarre who was abſent: and he promiſeth that for his part he would both proſcribe Nauarre for an heretike and ſchiſmatike, and would alſo giuegive him his kingdome for a reward. Ferdinandus hauing gotten ſo fit an opportunitie to do an exploit, determined not to be wanting to himſelfe. After the curſe was pronounced and publiſhed againſt the king of Nauarre, he aſſembled his forces: and entering the borders of the king his neighbor being abſent, he tooke firſt the principall citie of the kingdome named Pompiopolis, and then afterward the moſt part of the whole realm: hauing (as we ſaid) pope Iulius for his author, a good one, and without all doubt a fit one: if in the rule of the law, wherin it is written, that He poſſeſſeth vniuſtly, which poſſeſſeth hauing the pretor for his author: it were written the pope for his author, in ſtead of the pretor for his author. Soone after the king of France, being not ignorant that the ſenior ought to deliuer his vaſſall from the danger of that euent (which thing euen Bellaius Langaeus ſomtimes a moſt excellent light of France doth plainely teſtifie in his firſt booke of commentaries) ſent his armie to recouer Pompiopolis, ouer which he ſet as captaine Dunoſius chiefe gouernor of Aquitania, and duke of Longouilla. But it ſéemeth more conuenient to defer vntil ſome other time, what happened both at that time, and many yéeres after: and to ſet it downe in a booke written of thoſe things. For it is ſufficient for vsus to vnderſtand at this time, that the king of Nauarre great grandfather to him that now is, was ſpoiled of his kingdome for none other cauſe, ſaue onelyonly bicauſe he aided as he ought, the king of France his neighbor, his ſenior, being excommunicate by pope Iulius, proſcribed and pronounced to be an heretike and ſchiſmatike. Whereof not onelyonly the French hiſtoriographers are witneſſes, and amongſt theſe Arnoldus Ferronus, and Bertrandus Helias, but alſo the Italians and Spaniards, and chiefly Stephen Garibaius, in his 29. book. Francis Tarapha, and Anthonie Nebriſſenſis in his booke concerning the war of Nauarre *. In which places me thinks we 1. c. 1. 2. 3.ſhould not omit the arrogancie of a Spaniſh peaſant (as we ſay commonly) who railed vponupon and ſlandered the moſt wiſe, and moderate king of France that euer was, and that in theſe words: Ludouike, ſaith he, the French king, a man moſt inconſtant Ch. 2.after the maner of his nation, being not content to kéepe himſelfe within his owne little ſkin, that is, within the borders of his own kingdom, ſet his mind toward Italie. And ſhortly after: Therefore pope Iulius the ſecond being angrie, tooke the ſword out of Peters hands, and drew it against the rebellious and ſtubborne: he declareth them to be ſchiſmatiks, and therefore heretiks: he maketh their goodes common: for the execution of which ſentence he calleth vponupon Christian princes, & chiefly vponupon our prince. Alſo chap. 3. Therefore the gouernor of the countrie of Spaine, fearing the rage of the French men, doth exhort Henrie king of the Britans (to whom Aquitania did belong) to require it againe by war: and that he might hauehave iuster cauſe to aske it againe, the apoſtolike authoritie commeth betweene, whereby he depriueth the French king of Aquitania (let the ſenators and kings counſellers in France marke) and giueth it to the king of Britane to poſſeſſe and enioie. And by and by in that place where he bringeth in the pope conferring with his cardinals: The king of Spain (ſaith he) muſt be holpen. We muſt draw out both our ſwords against the common enimies of all good men the kings of France and Nauarre: and whiles that we whet the one, that is the ſecular, in the meane ſeaſon let vsus bend the other, namely the ſpirituall, against the necks of ſchiſmatiks. Therfore by the common decree of the cardinals, the king of Nauarre was declared to be a ſchiſmatike, and therefore an heretike: bicauſe being often admoniſhed he was waxen ſtubborne, and he did openly profeſſe that he was French. He was fined in his kingdome and all his goods: not onelyonly he, but alſo his wife, and his ſonnes with all their posteritie, and all his right of being king was tranſlated vntounto Spain. The Spaniſh Nebriſſenſis ſaith thus in as manie words: wherby we vnderſtand, by what right, by what author, and for what cauſe, the king of Nauarre was robbed of his kingdome. Indéed Guicciardin in his 11. booke of his Italian hiſtorie ſetteth downe his iudgement touching this matter in theſe words: When the king of Spaine, ſaith he, could not affirme that he did lawfully poſſeſſe the kingdome of Nauarre for any other cauſe, or by any other title, he reaſoned that he had poſſeſſion by the right of the popes commandement, and authoritie of the holie ſea. For the pope being not well content with things that fell out happily in Italie, had a little before publiſhed a decree againſt the king of France; wherin calling him no more most Christian, but most noble, he made him, and all that tooke his part, ſubiect to the penalties of heretiks and ſchiſmatiks: and hauing granted power by right to take and enioy their goods, kingdoms, and all that they had, he declared them to be condemned. To the ſame effect alſo writeth Arnoldus Ferronus a moſt learned hiſtoriographer in matters of France, and ſometimes ſenator of the Parleament holden at Burdeaux, in theſe words: Ferdinandus, ſaith he, king of Spaine, ſo ſoone as he vnderstood of the league made betweene the kings of France and Nauarre, turned his forces prepared against the French king, against the king of Nauarre: and this was the cauſe that Ferdinando did cast out the king his neighbor: though he did alſo pretend another, bicauſe both the king of France, and thoſe that did aid him, were pronounced accurſed by the popes edict, and their kingdoms were made common. Thus writeth Ferronus, whereby we may coniecture, what great danger hangeth ouer the moſt noble princes of Germanie, and ſo conſequently ouer all the kings of Europe, by reaſon of that ſo néere a conſpiracie of the popes, and the Spaniſh inquiſition. For by this ſhort cut any munke, ſo he be of a craftie and ſubtill nature, hauing taried ſome time in Spain (as this our Sixtus) and hauing béene conuerſant with the inquiſitors of Spaine, may make ſuch a bargain and league with them, that if through their fauor and commendation he may obtaine the popedome: then he may pronounce what king or prince ſoeuer he will, a ſchiſmatike or heretike taking to him any occaſion: he may adiudge to them his kingdom, opened and committed as a fée to the ſea of Rome. Therefore we are to wiſh, that we may once hauehave ſome king giuen vsus, that may be of a valiant courage, that he may thruſt this whoore of Babylon out of hir ſeat, and may at length rid the Church of Chriſt from ſo long and miſerable ſeruitude, and reſtore hir to hir former libertie and dignitie: which courage that king of ours Ludouike the twelfth, who was called the parent of the countrie, being wearie of that bondage, tooke vponupon him; when after that furious curſe of pope Iulius, he commanded French crownes to be coined in France with this inſcription: Ludouike 12. by the grace of God king of France: duke of Mediolanum. And then on the other ſide the armes of France and Mediolanum ioined togither, with this inſcription: I will deſtroy Babylon. Of which name if happily any man be ignorant, let him read the Reuelation of Iohn, ch. 17. and Hierom in his catalog, where he maketh mention of Mark, and writeth plainly, that Peter did figuratiuely vnderſtand Rome by Babylon in his former epiſtle * Ch. 5.. Alſo in the prolog of his booke touching the holie Ghoſt, where he doth plainly call Rome Babylon, and that purple whoore, which is deſcribed in the Reuelation. Which thing he doth likewiſe confirme vponupon Eſay, c. 14. and againe, c. 47. and vntounto Aglaſia in the 11. queſtion. For which cauſe Paula alſo and Euſtochium in that epiſtle, which they wrote vntounto Marcellus, do in like ſort call Rome Babylon: and no whit more obſcurely Hierom in his epiſtle: When I was at Babylon, ſaith he, a citizen of the purple whoore, &c.