Whole Works, Tracts 1 · Tract 5 · Body of tract · Part 13 – Part 14
¶ By what crafte the Pope keepeth the Emperour downe.
MArke an other practiſe of our moſt An other practiſe of Prelates.holy prelates. When the Empyre was tranſlated vntounto the Germaynes, though ye Emperour was fallē downe and had kyſſed the Popes feete, and was become his ſworne ſeruaunt: yet there was much ſtrife and open warre ofttymes betwene the popes and the Emperours. And the popes hauehave put downe many good Emperours by helpe of the Byſhoppes, which eueryevery where ſecretly perſwaded the Lordes to forſake the Emperours and to take diſpenſations of yt pope for their othes.
And contrarywiſe the Emperours hauehave now and then depoſed diuerſe Popes hauehave depoſed Emperours, and lykewiſe Emperours hauehave depoſed Popes.popes at requeſt of the Cardinalles & other great prelates, by whoſe helpe onelyonly they were able to do it. For els verely though all kynges chriſtened had ſworne to depoſe one pope out of hys ſeat, if they had not the fauour of other prelates therto, they might haply by the ſecrete practiſe of them, to be put out of their owne ſeates in the meane tyme.
The pope therfore, to be ſure of him ſelfe, and out of the feare and daunger of the Emperour were he neuer ſo mighty, and that ye Emperour ſhould not ſee hys dayly open paſtimes, made frendſhip and amitie wyth the Ʋenecians on the one ſide of him, and let thē come into certaine cities of the Emperours in Italy: and with the French kyng on the other ſide, and let him alſo vp into certayne cities and poſſeſſions of the Emperours: and he hymſelfe in the middes: & ſhut out the Emperour from commyng any more to Rome, and euer ſent him his coronation home to him. And then he made a No man may rebuke the Pope for any miſchief that he doth.law that no man ſhould rebuke the Pope for what ſoeuer miſchief he did, ſaying, that the Pope was aboue all & iudge ouer all and none ouer him, and therfore forbad in his law. Diſtinctio. xl. Si Papa, ſaying: though the pope be proued negligent about him ſelfe and alſo the ſoule health of his brethren & ſlacke in his workes & ſpeachleſſe as concernyng any good, & draw wt him by his example innumerable people to hell to be puniſhed with him with diuers tormētes euerlaſting: yet ſee that no mortall man preſume once to rebuke hys faultes here. For he ſhall iudge all men and no man him. O Antichriſt. Is he not Antichriſt that will not hauehave his life tried by Gods word?
If the Venetians ketch any of our holy fathers Townes or poſſeſſions, Venetians.whether by warre, or that they hauehave bought it, or that it be layd to morgage The Pope may geue and take agayne at hys will & pleaſure.vntounto thē, or that the old Pope hath geuen it with the mariage of ſome daughter, vntounto the Duke of Venice: then the holy father that ſuccedeth, whē he ſeeth his ſeaſon ſendeth for it agayne ſaying that it is not lawfull for lay men to withhold S. Peters patrimonie. If they alledge that they bought it and ſo forth: his fatherhode aunſwereth that the old Pope had none authoritie to make any ſuch cheuiſaūce with S. Peters inheritaūce: he could hauehave but the vſe of it his life long, and after it muſt needes returne vntounto his ſucceſſour agayne. And vppon that he interditeth them & curſeth thē as blacke as coales downe to the pit of hell.
But the Venicians knowing more of our holy fathers practiſe for their nyeneſſe then we which dwell a farre of, & wiſer then we of cold countreys, perceauyng alſo that their colour chaungeth, not with his curſing, & that they The Ʋenetians …a…e not for the popes curſing nor bleſſing.ſincke not, and that their meate digeſteth as well as before, and that (as Eraſmus ſayth) they ſhyte as eaſily as before (with reuerence of the holy courſe I ſpeake it) and therfore feare not his interdiction nor excommunication.
Then our holy father rayſeth vp all the power that he is able to make in Italy agaynſt them and ſendeth for thē Sochenars to come and helpe. If he be not yet ſtrong inough, then he ſendeth vntounto the biſhops of Fraūce warning them that if his ſeate decay, theirs can not long proſper, and therfore, that they put their kyng in remembraunce how that he is called …oſt Chriſtian kyng, and that they deſire him to doe ſomewhat for his title, agaynſt this diſobedient rebellions vntounto the moſt holy ſea of Rome our mother holy Church.
If an other tyme the Frenchmen come to our holy father, as they be euer Frenchmē.gaping for Italy, to bryng the Empire home agayne to Fraunce. Then y• moſt holy Ʋicare bringeth his whole power agaynſt them with the power of the Venicians, & with his old frēdes the Sochenars. If he be not yet ſtrōge inough, thē he ſendeth to the Byſhops of England, to helpe their God and to Engliſhmēmoue▪ their kyng to do ſomewhat for holy Church, puttyng him in remembraūce of whom he holdeth his crown and of his othe, and how many cappes of mainteinaunce hauehave bene euer ſent The practiſe of the pope with all kinges & princes.vntounto his forefathers and what honour it was vntounto them and that he may eaſely get as great honour as they, and happly a more excellent title, if he will take our holy fathers part, beſides that hee ſhall purchaſe remiſſion of all his ſynnes.
Then muſt the peace and all the appointementes made betwene vsus and The pope a breaker of peace.Fraunce be broken, and the kyng muſt take a diſpēſation for his othe. For the king of Fraunce will attempt nothing in Italy, vntil he hauehave ſēt his ambaſſadours & hauehave made a perpetuall peace with our kyng, the Sacrament of the body of our Sauiour broke betwene them to cōfirme the appointment. But I ſuppoſe that the breaking ſignifieth that the appointement ſhall not long The abuſe of the ſacrament.endure, for a greate deale of flower would not make ſo many hoſtes as they call thē or ſingyng loues, as hath bene brokē in our dayes betwen Chriſten Princes (as they will be called) to confirme promiſes that hauehave not long bene kept. Other vſe of that bleſſed ſacrament will the Princes none know: but Chriſt ordeined it to be a perpetuall memory that his body was broken for our ſinnes vponupon the croſſe, and that all that repent ſhould receaue as oft as they eate of it forgeueneſſe of their miſdedes through faith. If the kynges of the earth when they breake that Sacrament betwene thē, do ſay on this wiſe: The body of our Sauiour (which was broken on the croſſe for the ſinne of all that repent and hauehave good hartes and How y• ſacrament ſhould be broken betwene kinges and princes.would fayne keepe his law) be broke vntounto my danmation if I breake this othe: then is it a terrible othe and they had nede to take hede how they make it: and if it be lawfully made, not to breake it at all. But as they care for their othe, whiche they make in wedlocke, ſo they care for this.
What ſoeuer nede the Pope hath, he wil not ſend to the Emperour to come and helpe him in Italy, for feare leſt he would take to him ſelfe what ſoeuer he conquered of the Frenchmen and The Pope would not hauehave the Emperour to ſtrongwaxe to ſtrong and miniſh our holy fathers power and become our holy fathers Ʋicare, as he is S. Peters. Neuertheleſſe if we Engliſhmen wil hyre the Emperour to come and fight agaynſte Fraunce for the right of the Churche in theſe quarters that be next vntounto vsus, his fatherhode is content to admitte his ſeruice.
When our kyng hath graunted to take our holy fathers part, then the pretence and cloke outward muſt be, that the kyng will chalenge his right in Fraunce. And to ayde the kyng in hys right muſt the commons be milked till they blede agayne. Thē to do the kyng ſeruice the Lordes ſel or lay their lādes to morgage. Then is cleane remiſſion geuen to flea French dogges. He that dyeth in the quarell ſhall neuer ſee Purgatory, Remiſſion of ſinnes, & cleane deliuerance out of pu…gato…ye.but flye to heauen ſtreight, euē with a thought.
WHen the Pope hath what he deſireth in Italy, then muſt we make peace with the Frēchmen agayn immediatly, that Fraunce be not all to gether troden vnderunder the foote: but that it remayne alwaye in a meane ſtate, ſtrōg inough to match the Emperour and to keepe him downe, but not to mighty for oppreſſing the Pope. And then our Prelates to bryng the peace about, ſend immediatly a Frier Foreſt A frier Foreſt or a vicar of Croiden.or a Ʋicare of Croyden to preach before the Kyng and his Lordes, which preacher roareth and crieth vntounto them as though he halowed his houndes & maketh exclamations ſaying: Alas what will ye do? ſpare Chriſten bloud: will ye ſea your owne ſoules? Be not Popiſh practiſes.the Frenchmen as wel Chriſten as ye? Moreouer ye ſlea poore innocētes that neuer offended. Make peace for the paſſion of Chriſt. Kill not one an other as though Chriſt had not dyed for you: but fight rather agaynſt the Turkes.
Then come in the Ambaſſadours of Fraunce and money a few Prelates & certaine other the kinges playfelowes that be ſworne with them to betray both the kyng and the Realme to: And then is peace concluded. But outwardly Diſſembled …ruce.there is nothyng ſaue a truce taken for halfe an yeare, till our ſouldiers be at home agayn, for feare leſt they wold not bee content. Then commeth the whole hoſt home beggarde both great and ſmall. And the poore that can not ſodenly get worke fall to ſtealyng and be hanged at home. This could More tell in hys Ʋtopia before he was the Cardinals ſworne Secretary and fallen at his foote to betray the truth, for to get promotion.
Take an example: the Biſhops ſent Henry. v.kyng Henry the fifte out to conquere Fraūce. The cauſe was ſaith the Chronicles, that the kyng wēt about to take their temporalities from them. And therfore to bryng the kyng into an other imagination they monyed hym & ſent him into Fraunce.
When they had ſent out the kyng, he conquered more then was their will K. Henry. v. conquered more then the prelates thought he would do.and more then they ſuppoſed poſſible for him in ſo ſhort ſpace and brought Fraunce cleane vnderunder the foote: ſo that our Prelates had much ſecret buſineſſe to ſet it vp agayne, but what is impoſſible vntounto ſo great Gods.
In kyng Henryes dayes the vi. our Henry. vi.holy father of Rome made the Biſhop of wincheſter a Cardinal, which went ſhortly after into Fraunce to treate of a truce betwene England & Fraunce. And him mette a Legate of Rome a Cardinall alſo: after which meatyng Engliſhemen had euer the woorſe in Fraunce, and their chiefeſt frende the The crafty practiſe of the popes legate.Duke of Burgaine forſoke them. For when Cardinals and Byſhops mete together they hauehave their ſecret counſell by them ſelues, wherin they conclude neither what is good for England nor yet for Fraunce, but what is beſt for our holy fathers profite to kepe him in his ſtate.
When kyng Henry was of age there was a mariage made betwen him and the Earle of Arminackes daughter in Gyan with the which ſhould hauehave ben geuen many Caſtles and Townes in Gyan & a great ſomme of money therto. But that mariage was broken, not without the ſecret working of our Prelates and diſpenſation of our holy father thou maiſt be ſure. And a mariage The mariage of king Henry vi.was made betwen him and the kyngs daughter of Cecile for which England gaue vp the whole Dukedome of Gyā and Earledome of Mayne wherby we loſt all Normandy whereof they were the kaye. And beſide that the commons gaue a fiftene and an halfe to fette her in wyth pompe. And then was the good Duke of Gloceſter trayterouſly The Duke of Gloceſter trayterouſly murthered.murthered, partly becauſe he coulde iudge falſe myracles, & partly becauſe of the deliueraunce of theſe two countryes. For he beyng a liue they durſte not do it.
And when kyng Edwarde had put downe kyng Harry, a mariage was made and concluded betwene him and the kyng of Spayne, this quenes mother that now is. But yet the Embaſſadours were come home, our Prelates had bewitched kyng Edwarde by their apoſtle Fryer Bongaye, and maryed ☜ Frier Bongaye.hym vntounto a wydow that was a knyghtes wyfe, leaſt if Spayne and England had bene ioyned together, kyng Edwarde ſhould hauehave recouered Fraunce agayne. But what folowed after the breaking of the mariage betwene Cruel war betwene k. Henry, and the erle of Warwike.kyng Edwarde and the Erle of Warwicke, and what came of his children? yea and what came on king Hē ry of Windſores children alſo? But what care our prelates what vēgeaūce or miſchiefe fall on Princes or on their realmes, ſo their kingdome proſper.
In kyng Henryes dayes the vij. the Cardinall Murton, and Byſhop Fox of Wincheſter deliuered vntounto yt kinges grace the confeſſions of as many Lordes as his grace luſted. Who ſo euer Confeſſion in the eare was a wicked inuention.was miſtruſted, if he ſhroue himſelfe at the Charter houſes, Sion, Grenewich, at Saint Iohns or whereſoeuer it was, the confeſſour was commaunded by the auctoritie of the Pope to deliuer his confeſſion written, & ſworne that it was all. And Cardinall Murton had a licēce of the Pope for xiiij. to Lycence of the Pope for xiiij. to ſtudy Nicromancy.to ſtudie Necromācy, of which he him ſelf was one, & other I hauehave heard named, which at this tyme I paſſe ouer with ſilence. And how the holy Friers obſeruauntes caryed fayned letters to trye who was true, I paſſe ouer with ſilence alſo. Howbeit ſuch tēptations & fayned profers were inough to moue thē that neuer would hauehave thought amyſſe: yea & in cōfeſſion, mē will ſhrine thē ſelues of thoughtes which they neuer went about in the outward deede.
Whē any great man is put to death how his confeſſour entreateth him, & what penaunce is enioyned him, concerning what he ſhall ſay when he cō meth vntounto the place of execution, I coulde geſſe at a practiſe yt might make mens eares glow.
And did not the ſubtile counſell of A ſubtile practiſe of Prelates.the ſayde two prelates fayne the ſiege of Bolen to make a pretence to gather in afiftene, when there was no more warre betwene the kyng of Fraunce and of Englād, thā is betwene a mās head that hath luſt to ſleepe & hys pyllow? Which ſiege yet coſt many a man their lyues, yea and ſome great men thereto which knew not of that fayning. The kynges grace went ouer wyth a ten thouſand men to conquere all Fraunce, and ſpent haply an hundred thouſand pounde, of which he ſaued the fourth part in the dandy prats, and gathered at home v. or vi. hundred or more. And two other ſuch fayned viages coulde I haply rehearſe, which I paſſe ouer for diuerſe cauſes, where many an Engliſhe man loſt hys lyfe. But what care they for mens liues?
And did not our Cardinall with like He meaneth Cardinal Wol…ey.policy thinke ye, to gather that which he thought would not well be payde, except the commons ſawe ſome cauſe, bring a great multitude of Scots vntounto the Engliſhe pale, eyther by ſome Byſhoppes of Scotland, or by ſome great man whom he corrupted wyth ſome yearely penſion? agaynſt which the poore Northen men muſt goe on their owne coſte to keepe them out. And general proceſſion was cōmaunded at London thriſe in the weeke and thoroughout all the land, whyle the kynges receauers gathered the taxe of the common people. Which plague & ſuch like after the threatening of God Leuit. xxvj. and Deut. xxviij. and xxix. I am ſure will fall on all Chriſtēdome Leut. 2…. Deut. 28. 29.without ceaſe vntill they either defie yt name of Chriſt with the Turckes, or if they wil be called chriſten, they turne and looke on his doctrine.
Yea and what fained the Cardinall at that great louelove to beguile his owne Prieſtes to make them ſweare what they were worth, and the better wyllyng to pay, for the common prieſtes be not ſo obedient vntounto theyr ordinaryes that they will pay money except they know why. Now it is not expedient that eueryevery raſcall ſhould know y• ſecretes of the very true cauſe, for many conſiderations. And therefore another pretence muſt be made and another A practiſe of the Prelates with their poore Prieſtes.cauſe alleaged. And therefore the prieſtes were charged by their ordinaryes to appeare before the gentlemē of the countrey and temporall officers, & ſweare what eueryevery man was worth. Now the prieſtes had leuer be ſlayne and dye martyrs after the enſample of Saint Thomas of Caunterbury, then to ſweare before a laye iudge, for they thinke it greater ſinne then to ſlea their owne fathers, and that then the libertyes of the Church were cleane loſt, & they no better thē the vile lay people. And when they were in that perplexitie that they muſt eyther ſweare or run into the kinges daunger and loſe their goddes (I would ſay their goods) thē my Lord Cardinall ſent downe hys gracious power yt they ſhould ſweare vntounto their ordinaries onelyonly. And then the Prieſtes for ioy that they were rid out of the lay mens handes, were ſo glad & ioyous that they wiſt not what thankes to geue my Lord Cardinall, and ſo were obedient to ſweare and to lende, or els for all the curſſes that my Lord Cardinall hath and the Pope to, they woulde neither hauehave ſworne or payde a peny.
¶ The practiſe of our tyme.
WHen the kynges grace came firſt to the right of the crowne & vntounto Thomas Wolffe.the gouernaunce of the realme yoūg and vnexpert, Thomas Wolfſee a mā of luſt and courage and bodely ſtrēgth to do and to ſuffer great thinges, and to endure in all maner of voluptuouſnes, expert and exerciſed in the courſe of the worlde, as he which had heard, read, and ſeene much policy, and had done many thynges hymſelfe, and had bene of the ſecrete counſell of weighty matters, as ſuttle as Sinon that betrayed Troy, veterly appointed to ſē ble The deſcription of Cardinall Wolſey.and diſſemble, to hauehave one thing in the hart and an other in the mouth, being therto as eloquent, as ſubtile, and able to perſwade what he luſted to thē that were vnexpert: ſo deſirous & gredy of honour, that he cared not but for the next and moſt compendious way thereto, whether godly or vngodly: this wyly Wolfe I ſay, and raging ſea, and ſhipwracke of all Englād, though he ſhewed himſelfe pleaſaunt & c…e at the firſt (as whores do vntounto theyr louers) came vntounto the kynges grace, and wayted vppon hym, and was no man ſo obſequyous and ſeruiceable, & in all games and ſportes the firſt and next at hand, and as a captayne to corage The kings byrth calked by the Cardinall.other, & a gaye ſinder out of new paſtymes to obtayne fauour withall.
And therto as the ſecrete communication went, which by many tokens thou mayſt well coniecture and gather to be true, he calked the kynges natiuitie Byſhops talke kings natiuities.and byrth, which is a common practiſe among Prelates in all landes, wherby he ſaw whereunto the kynges grace ſhould be enclined all hys lyfe, & what ſhould be like to chaunce hym at all tymes.
And as I heard it ſpoken of diuers, he made by craft of Necromancy, grauen imagery to beare vppon hym, wherwith he bewitched the Kynges mynde, and made the kyng to dote vppon Kyng Henry the viij. had Cardinall Wolſey in great eſtimation.hym more then euer he did on any Lady or gentlewoman, ſo that now y• kinges grace folowed him as he before folowed the kyng. And then what he ſayd, that was wiſdome, what he prayſed, that was honourable onelyonly. More ouer in the meane tyme he ſpyed out ye natures and diſpoſitions of yt kynges play felowes, & of all that were great, and whom he ſpyed meete for his purpoſe, him he ſlattered, & him he made faithfull wt great promiſes, & to him he ſware, & of him he toke an oth againe, that the one ſhould helpe the other, for without a ſecrete othe he admitted no man vntounto any part of hys priuities.
And euer as he grew in promotions and dignitie, ſo gathered he vntounto hym of the moſt ſuttle witted, and of them that were dronke in the deſire of honour moſt like vntounto himſelfe. And after The maner & practiſe of Cardinal Wolſey.they were ſworne he promoted thē and with great promiſes made thē in falſehead faithfull, and of them euer preſented vntounto the kynges grace, and put them into his ſeruice, ſaying, thys is a man meete for your grace. And by theſe ſpyes (if ought were done or ſpoken in the court agaynſt the Cardinal) The kyng is betrayedof that he had worde within an houre or two. And then came the Cardinall to courte with all his magicke to perſwade to ye cōtrary. If any in the court had ſpoken agaynſt the Cardinall, and the ſame not great in the kynges fauour, the Cardinall bad him walcke a vilayne, and thruſt hym out of ye courte hedlong. If he were in conceite wyth the kinges grace, then he flattered and perſwaded, & corrupt ſome with giftes, and ſent ſome Embaſſadours, & ſome he made captaine at Calice, Hā mes, Gynes, Iarnſie and Gernſie, or ſent them to Ireland, and into the North, and ſo occupyed them tyll the kyng had forgot them, and other were in theyr rowmes, or till hee had ſped what he entended.
And in like maner played he wyth The quene is betraye…the Ladyes and gentlewemen. Whoſoeuer of them was great, wyth her was he familiar and to her gaue he giftes. Yea: and where Saint Thomas of Canterbury was wont to come after, Thomas Cardinall went oft before preuenting his Prince, and peruerted the order of y• holy man. If any were ſuttill witted & mete for hys purpoſe, Note this deuiliſh practiſe.her made he ſworne to betray the Queene likewiſe & to tel him what ſhe ſayd or did. I know one that departed ye Court for no other cauſe thē that ſhe would no lenger betray her maſtreſſe.
And after the ſame example he furniſhed the Court with Chaplaines of his owne ſworne Diſciples and children of his owne bringing vp to be alway preſent and to diſpute of vanities and to water what ſoeuer the Cardinall had planted. If among thoſe cormoraūtes any yet began to be to much in fauour with the kyng, & to be ſomewhat buſie in the Court and to drawe any other way then as my Lord Cardinall had appointed that the plowe ſhould go, anone he was ſent to Italy or to Spayne: or ſome quarel was picked agaynſt him and ſo was thruſt out of the Court, as Stokeſly was.
He promoted the Byſhop of Lyncolne The Byſhop of Lyncolne.that now is, his moſt faythfull trend and old companion & made him confeſſour: to whom of what ſoeuer the kynges grace ſhroue him ſelfe, thinke ye not that hee ſpake ſo loude that the Cardinall heard it? and not vnright: for as Gods creatures ought to obey God and ſerue his honor, ſo ought the Popes creatures to obey the pope and ſerue his Maieſtie.
Finally Thomas Wolfſey became Cardinall Wolſey ruled altogether.what he would, euen porter of heauen, ſo that no mā could enter into promotion but through him.
¶ The cauſe of all that we hauehave ſuffred this xx. yeares.
ABout the beginnyng of the kinges grace that now is, Fraunce was mighty, ſo that I ſuppoſe it was not mightyer this v. hundred yeares. King Lewes of Fraunce had wonne Naples K. Lewes.and had taken Bonony from S. Peters ſee. Wherefore Pope Iuly was Pope Iulye.wroth & caſt how to bring the Frenchmen downe, yet ſoberly leſt while he brought him lower he ſhould geue an occaſion to lift vp y• Emperour higher. Our firſt viage into Spayne was to bryng the Frenchmen lower. For our meynye were ſet in the forefront and borders of Spaine toward Gaſcoyne: partly to kepe thoſe parties and partly This is a true ſtory.to feare the Gaſcoynes and to kepe them at home whyle in the meane time the Spanyardes wanne Nauerne. When Nauerne was wonne our men came to houſe, as many as dyed not there, and brought al their mony with them home againe ſaue that they ſpent there. Howbeit for all the loſſe of Nauerne, the Frenchmen were yet able enough, to match. Spayne, the Ʋenetians, and the Pope, with all the ſouchenars that he could make: ſo that there was yet no remedy but we muſt ſet on the Frenchmen alſo, if they ſhould be brought out of Italie.
Then pope Iulie wrote vntounto hys deare ſonne Thomas Wolfſe, that he would be as good, as louing, and as helping to holy church, as any Thomas euer was, ſeeing he was as able. Then the new Thomas as glorious The new Thomas.as the old, tooke the matter in hand, & perſwaded the kinges grace. And then the kinges grace tooke a diſpenſation for his oth made vponupon the appointmēt of peace betweene him, and the french king, and promiſed to helpe the holy ſeat, wherein Pope Peter neuer ſate. But the Emperor Maximilian might in no wiſe ſtand ſtill, leaſt the Frenchmen Maximilian the Emperour was K. Henry. … his ſouldierſhould mony him, and get ayd of him, ſince the Almaines refuſe not mony whence ſoeuer it be proffered: then quod Thomas Wolfſe, Oh and like your grace, what an honour ſhould it be vntounto your grace, if the Emperour were your ſouldiar? ſo great honour neuer chaunced any King chriſtened: it ſhould be ſpoken of while the world ſtood: the glory and honour ſhall hyde and darken the coſt that it ſhall neuer be ſeene, though it ſhoulde coſte halfe your Realme. Dixit, & factum eſt. It was euen ſo. And then a Parlament: and then pay: & then vponupon the French dogs, with cleane remiſſion of all hys ſinnes, that ſlew one of them, or if he Remiſſion of ſinnes.be ſlain (for y• pardons hauehave no ſtrēgth to ſaue in this life, but in y• life to come only) then to heauen ſtraight without feeling of the paynes of purgatory.
Then came our king with all hys might by ſea and by land, and the Emperour with a ſtrong army, and the Spaniardes, and the Pope, & the Ʋenecians al at once againſt king Lewes of Fraunce. Aſſoue as the Pope had that he deſired in Italy, then peace immediatly. And Frenchmen were chriſten Note here the ſubtletie & craft of the pope.men: and pitie yea and great ſinne alſo were it to ſhed their bloud: & the French King was the moſt Chriſten king againe. And thus was peace concluded, and our Engliſhmen or rather ſheep, came home againſt winter, and Now King Henry. 8. with a… his army was abuſed.left their flecces behind them. Wherefore no ſmall number of them while they ſought them better rayment at home, were hanged for their labour.