The Theater of the Popes Monarchy, Part 1
Of Cardinalles the pillers of the Popes kingdome, their original, offices, Pride, and corruption.
Philemon.
I Pray you (brother Stuperius) what are the Cardinals, whome you call the pillers, and supportes of this popish antichristian kingdome?
Stupe.
They are suche as for the most part, are descended of noble blood, of honourable Parentage,Cardinalles what they are and of auncient houses, intruded into this office of Cardinalship, by money, Symonie, and friendshippe, altogeather vnlearned, especially in the lawe of GOD. These Cardinalles hauehave ioynte power wythe him, in some measure, to gouerne hys kyngdome withall: but the whole power is denied them, as a thing which resteth in the pope alone, as head & prince ouer all the rest.
Phile.
Whereof doe they take theyr names too bee called Cardinals?
Stupe.
They take their names of this latine word Cardo (as some thinke) that is,…Vherof Car…ynals take …heir names. a hooke, a hinge, or staple, whereupon a dore or a gate doth hang. Too this ende (no doubt) that they may bee thought and taken to be the very hinges hookes, staples and charmels, whereupon the whole frame, and building of the Church doth hang and depend. And euen as no dore nor gate can hang wythout a staple or hooke, or hynge too reste vponupon, so no Churche can stand without it bee vnderpropped wyth the staffe of their stay. And so holye a societie and brotherhood is this viperous generatiō of Cardinals,The holy societie of cardinals. that euen ye Pope himself is hatches of them,The pope chosen by cardinals. and chosen by them in conclaues, and secrete places. And thus they delude the world wyth theyr pretensed shewes of faigned holinesse.
Phile.
When they are created Cardinals by the pope, what othe, & charge do they vndertake, & promise to their idol God the pope?
Stupe.
First of all, they sweare to be faithfull,The othes tha… the cardinals take whē they are admitted. true, and loyall to the popes person: secondly, they promise to maintaine and vphold his kingdome, power, and dignitie, and to inlarge S. Peters patrimonie, as muche as lyeth in theyr power. Thirdly, to see that al his law…s s…ctions, statutes, orders, constitutiōs & ceremonies, be duely kept, and obserued in eueryevery point. Fourthly, that they neither doe cause, nor consent to be done any maner of iniurie, violence, or oppression to the Popes person, nor too conceale i… by whomsoeuer it bee intended. And fiftly,Oh cursed oth that they fight and contend against Christ Iesus and his holy worde, to the maintenance of poperie, & extirpation of christianitie. These Cardinals thus sworn, & alleageāced to his holines do in such diligēce execu…e their charge, that they will rather bee torne in peeces with wilde horses,The constanc… of these cardinals to theyr dad the pope. than to faile in the least point. And for the great credit that he hath in them, oftentimes hee sendeth them Ambassadours & Legates, to Emperours kinges, and princes, by whose meanes he easily vndermineth ye state of eueryevery countrie,The Pope ma…eth whole …yngdomes & …ountries …ys pray tho…ow cardinals …ood helpe. knoweth al the secretes thereof, and in the ende as a greedy puttocke maketh the same a praye for his owne paunch. By thē he exciteth kings and princes too warres, by them hee whetteth them against the sincere Professours of the Gospel, but as he calleth them against heretiks. Finally by them he worketh all mischiefe in generall.
Phile.
In what maner be they receiued, when they come as ambassadours, and Legates too kinges, and princes?
Stupe.
Like Gods almost, for going foorth, they sende before them their messengers in poste,The maner of …eceiuyng of …ardinals being …ent as ambas…adours into a…y lande or …ountry. too signifie to the kyng, or prince of their cōming, to thys ende that preparation may be made for them according to their calling. Then, when as they come within the territories of the Lande or Countrie whyther they goe: noble men are sence … them with great p…mpe, and some…s the prince himselfe is glad to t…dge towards them,The concourse of people runnyng to meete cardinals. or els they wil looke … on him. And as for the greate company of Friers, Monks, Abbots, Priors, C… uents, Priests, Clarks, Scholemasters and the like, they goe not, but run, thicke & threefold, al clad in white Surplesses, with crosses either of gold or siluer carryed before them. The common people also of eueryevery sexe and age, are not beehinde, who comming before their great dads Legate, down they fall vponupon theyr knees, with capping & crowching, bowing and becking, wonderful to beholde. And to the ende that this pageant may hauehave all his perfect members, and right limnies, they are commanded to cry out, Iesus saue your grace (our holy father the cardinal) holy S. Mary,The peoples cry to the cardinals grace. & al the holy saints of god, preserue your highnes, and send you long life. Then goeth hee marching forward guarded with whole armies of men & horses. And all the way as they goe, the mad people kneelyng downe before him, desire theyr holy fathers blessing.The maner of the the Cardinals blessing. Then falleth he to blessing, & crossing eyther wt the two formost fingers of hys righte hande, or els with all the whole hand, muche like the foolish gāder that blesseth his goslings with his bill.
Phile.
These fellowes are lustie bruites in deede, and carry a statelye port, mary sir, tell mee what do they els?
Stupe.
Their port passeth anye kings port for seldome or neuer do they ryde without two or three thousand mē with them,The stately …ort of cardi…als. besides noblemen, gentlemē, and others, with suche a sorte of horses, mules, camels, asses, (yea asses the most of them) Wagons, Chariots, Quoches, horslitters,Cardinals beg …rly attyre. cartes & other cariages, as is wonderfull to see. And as for their apparrel, it is for the most part of crymson silke, veluet, satten, damask, grogram, & the like. Uppon their heads they weare great broade hats of purple colour. But if you will hauehave a plainer description of Cardinals, and what a porte they carry, marke this example following of Cardinall Wolsey sometime Cardinall in England,Cardinal Wol…y his example …t wonderful …ride. & by him, mayest thou learne what al the rest are: first, he hadde in his hall cōtinually 3. boords, or tables, kept wt three seuerall officers, that is a shewarde which was alwaies a priest, a treasurer being a knight, & a cōtroler an esquire. His coferer also being a Doctor, 3. marshals: three yeomen Ushers in the hal, besides two groomes, and almners. Then in the hall kitchin, two Clearkes of the Kitchin,Marke this geare wel. a Clearke controuler, a Surueyor of the the dresser, a clearke of the spicery. Also in his hall kitchin, hee had of ma…ster Cookes two, and of other inferior cookes, scullions, and labourers twelue personnes, foure yeomen of the scullery, foure other yeomen of the siluer scullery,Oh famous Cardynal. two yeomen of the pastrye, with two other pastelers vnderunder the yeomen. Then in his priuy Kitchin a mayster Cooke, who went dayly in Ueluet or in satten with a great chayn of gold, and two other yeomen, and a groome. In the scalding house a yeoman,Oh excelling pryde. and 2. groomes. In the Pantrey two persons. In the buttry two yeomen, 2 groomes, and two …ges. In the yeomanry lykewise. In the seller three yeomen, and 3. pages. In his chaundry 2. In the wafary two. In the wardrobe of beddes, the maister of the wardrobe and tenne other persons. In the Laundrye a yeoman, a groome, thirty pages, two yeomen purueyers and one groome. In the bake house, a yeomen and two groomes. In the woodyard a yeoman,Oh surpassyng vanity. & a grome. In the barne one: in the garden a yeoman & two grooms. Porters at the gate, 2. yeomen & 2, grooms a yeomā of his barge, and a maister of his horse, a cleark of his stable,Here were mo offyces then a fewe. a yeoman of the same. The Sadler: the farrior: a yeoman of hys chariot: a sumpter manne: a yeoman of hys styrroppe, a mu…ter. Sixteene groomes of his stable, eueryevery of whom kept 4. Geldings. In the almory a yeoman, and a groom. In his chappel he had a Deane a great diuine,The pomp of the Cardinals Chappel. a Subdeane, a Repeater of the quire: a Gospeller, a Pistler. Of singing priests ten. A maister of the children. Seculars of the chappel: singing men twelue, singing children ten, with a seruant to wait vponupon them. In the reuestry a yeoman, & two groom…s besides diuers retayners that came thither at principal feasts. For the furniture of his chappel it passeth mās reason to declare with the number of iewels, vessels & ornaments, which daily were vsed there. There hath been seene at one procession in his hall forty foure riche copes of one sute wor…, besides rich Crosses, candlestickes, vasons, Ewers, censors, and the lyke infinite.Copes 44. in the cardinalles hall at one time. He had 2. Crossebrarers, and two piller bearers, in his great chamber: And in his priuy chamber, first the chief chamberlain, & vizechāberlain. Of gentlemen vshers (besides one in his priuy chamber) he had 12. daily waiters: & of gētlemen waiters in his priuy chā ber, he had six, and of Lords niene or ten, who had ech of them 2. men ape…te allowed thē to wait vpō them,Oh pontificall Prelate. except ye earle of Darby who had 5. men allowed him: Thē …ad he of Gentlemen, of Cupbearers, Caruers and sewers, both of the priuie Chamber, and greate chamber. With Gentlemen daily waiters there forty persons: Of yeomen Ushers 6. of groomes in his chamber 8. of yeomen in his chamber fortye fiue dayly.Here is good stuffe marke it who will. There was attendyng on hys boord… of Doctoures, and Chaplaynes sixe…eene besides them of his chappel: a cleark of his closet:Attendants vponupon the cardynals person. 2. secretaries, & 2. clearks of hys signer, & foure Counsellers learned in the Lawe, hee had diuers Officers of the Chauncery also waytynge vppon him, yt is to say, the clearke of the crown: a ryding clearke, a clearke of the hamper: and a chafer of the ware, then a clearke of the checke: he had also foure footmē garnished in rich rūning coats:Oh Lucifer-like pryde, who euer saw the like. when he rode in any iourney, he had an herrauld of armes, and a Sergeaunt of armes: a Phisition: an Apothicary: four minstrels, a keeper of his ten…es: an armorer, an instructer of his wa…des, two pe…en of the warderobe of his robes: and a keeper of his chamber continually in the court. He had also the Surueyer of Yorke and a Clearke of the green… cloth in his house. All these with others mo… were vp rysing,By S. Cronian he feasts a prety ordinary▪ then. and downe lying▪ at bed, and a…boorde in his house. Besides this, eueryevery Gentleman. Officer; or worthie person, had one dr…wn, or mo allowed them to attend vponupon them, whiche grewe to a woonderfull companye. Thus hast thou …arde the stately porte▪ and lusty countenaunce, that these Cardinals do beare. And looke what a one thou seest this Cardinall Wolsey, too hauehave been, euen suche are all the reste of the Cardinals at this day. Iudge thou now whether they passe not any,This passeth the beggerlyenesse of poore Christ and his Apostles. eyther king, prince or Emperour in all kind of excesse whatsoeuer: and whether there be any thing in them, woorthie of commendation, or sauouring of Christ Iesus, or his Apostles. And thus muche briefly concerning Cardinals and their pryde.