PART Rome, mentioning how the xivth Day of this Instant Moneth III. It pleased Almighty God to call the Popes Holynesse to his

Mercy, whose Soul our Lord Pardon. And in what Trayn the Matters there were at that Time for Election of the future Pope, your Highnesse shall perceive by the Letters of your said Orator's, which I send unto the same at this Time, whereby appeareth that mine Absence from thence shall be the onely Obstacle (if any be) in the Election of me to that Dignity; albeit there is no great Semblance that the College of Cardinals shall consent upon any being there present, because of the sundry Factions that be among themselves, for which Cause, tho afore God, I repute my self right unmeet and unable to so high and great Dignity, desiring much rather to demure, continue and end my Life with your Grace, for doing of such Service as may be to your Honour and Wealth of this your Realm, than to be X Popes; yet neverthelesse, remembring what Mind and Opinion your Grace was of, at the last Vacation, to have me preferred thereunto, thinking that it should be to the Honour Benefit, and Advancement of your Affaires in Time coming: And supposing verily that your Highnesse persisteth in the same Mind and Intent, I shall devise such Instructions Commissions and other Writings, as the last Time was delivered to Mr. Pace for that purpose: And the same I shall send to your Grace by the next post, whom it may like to do farther therein as shall stand with your gracious Pleasure, whereunto I shall always conform my self accordingly. And to the Intent it may appear farther to your Grace what Mind and Determination they be of, towards mine Advancement, which as your Orators wrote, have now at this present Time the Principal Authority and Chief Stroke in the Election of the Pope, making in manner Triumviratum, I send unto your Highnesse their several Letters to me. addressed in that behalf, beseeching our Lord that such One may be chosen as may be to the Honour of God, the Weal of Christ's Church, and the Benefit of all Christendom. And thus Jesu preserve your most Noble and Royal Estate: At the More the last Day of September, by

Your most humble Chaplayn

T. Carlis. Ebor.

The Second Letter of Cardinal Wolsey to the King, about the
Succession to the Popedom.

SIR,

IT
may like your Grace to understand that ensuing the Tenor
of my Letter sent unto your Highnesse yesterday, I have devised
such Commissions and Letters to be sent unto your Counsellors
the Bishop of Bath, Mr. Richard Pace, and Mr. Thomas Hani-
bal, jointly and severally, as at the last Time of Vacation of the
Papall Dignity were delivered unto the said Mr. Richard Pace;
for the Preferment either of me, or that failing of the Cardinal
de Medici unto the same, which Letters and Commissions if it
stand with your gracious Pleasure to have that Matter set forth,
It may like your Highnesse of your Benign Grace and Goodness
to signe, so to be sent to the Court of Rome in such diligence
as the Importance of the same, with the Brevity of the Time
doth necessarily require. And to th' Intent also that the Em-
peror may the more effectually and speedily concurre with your
Highnesse for the furtherance hereof, Albeit I suppose verily
that ensuing the Conference and Communications which he
hath had with your Grace in that behalf, he hath not præter-
mitted before this Time to advance the same, yet neverthelesse
for the more acceleration of this Furtherance to be given there-
unto, I have also devised a familiar Letter in the Name of your
Grace to be directed unto his Majesty, which if it may please
your Highnesse to take the Payne for to write with your own
Hand, putting thereunto your secret Sign and Mark, being be-
tween your Grace and the said Emperor, shall undoubtedly do
singular Benefit and Furtherance to your gracious Intent, and
vertuous Purpose in that behalf. Beseeching Almighty God
that such Effect may ensue thereof, as may be to his Pleasure,
the Contentation of your Highnesse, the Weal and Exaltation
of your most Royal Estate, Realm and Affaires, And howso-
ever the Matter shall chance, I shall no lesse knowledge my self
obliged and bounden farr above any my Deserts unto your High-
nesse, then if I had attained the same, whereunto I would never

III.

PART in Thought aspire, but to do Honor Good and Service unto your Noble Person and this your Realm. And thus Jesu preserve your most Noble and Royal Estate, At the More the First Day of October, by

Your most humble Chaplayn

T. Carlis. Ebor.

Number 9.

The Third Letter of Cardinal Wolsey; giving an Account of the
Election of Cardinal Medici to be Pope.

SIR,

AFTER my most humble and lowly Recommendations, This

shall be onely to advertise your Highnesse that after great and long Altercations and Contrariety which hath depended between the Cardinall's in the Conclave, they at the last fully resolved and determined (the Faction of France abandoned) to elect and choose either my Lord Cardinal de Medici or Me, which Deliberation coming to the Knowledge of the Nobles and Citizens of Rome, they alledging that the Affairs of Italy being in the Trayn, as they then were, It should be to the extreme Danger thereof to choose a Person absent, which could not ne might in Time come to put Remedy unto the same, made sundry great Exclamations at the Conclave-Window, whereby the Cardinall's being in fear not only of the Inconvenience like to ensue unto Italy, but also of their own Person's, Albeit they were in manner principally bent upon me, yet for eschewing of the said Danger and Murmur, by Inspiration of the Holy Ghost, without further Difficulty or Businesse the xixth Day of the last Moneth in the Morning elected and chose the said Cardinal de Medici, who immediately was published Pope, and hath taken the Name of Clement VII. Of which Good and Fortunate New's, Sir, your Highness hath much Cause to thank Almighty God: Forasmuch as not onely he is a perfect and faithful Friend to the same, but that also much the rather by your Means he hath attained to this Dignity. And for my Part, as I take God to record, I am more joyous thereof, than if

I.

it had fortuned upon my Person, knowing his excellent Qua- BOOK litys, most meet for the same; And how great and sure a Friend your Grace and the Emperor be like to have of him, and I so good a Father, by whose Assumption unto that Dignity, not only your and the said Emperors affair's, but also of all Christendom shall undoubtedly come to much better and more prosperous Perfection: Like as upon the First Knowledge thereof the Frenchmen be clearly departed from Milan, and passed a River towards France called Ticino, Trusting that the next New's which shall come from thence shall be of their Arrival at Home, wherin as I shall have further Knowledge, so I shall Advertise your Highnesse thereof accordingly, And thus Jesu preserve your most Noble and Royal Estate. At my poor House besides Westminster the vith Day of December, by

Your most humble Chapleyn

T. Carlis, Ebor.

Number 10.

A Remarkable Passage in Sir T. More's Utopia, left out in the latter Editions.

CÆTERUM Theologus quidam frater hoc dicto in Sacerdotes ac Monachos adeo est exhilaratus, ut jam ipse quoque cœperit ludere, homo alioqui prope ad torvitatem gravis. At ne sic quidem, inquit, extricaberis à mendicis, nisi nobis quoque prospexeris fratribus. Atqui, inquit, parasitus, hoc jam curatum est. Nam Cardinalis egregie prospexit vobis, quum statueret de cohercendis, atque opere exercendis erronibus. Nam vos estis errones maximi. Hoc quoque dictum, quum conjectis in Cardinalem oculis, eum viderent non abnuere, cœperunt omnes non illibenter arripere, excepto fratre. Nam is (neque equidem miror) tali perfufus aceto, sic indignatus est, atque incanduit, ut nec a conviciis quidem potuerit temperare: Hominem vocavit nebulonem, detractorem, susurronem, et filium perditionis, minas interim terribiles citans è scriptura sacra. Jam scurra serio scurrari cæpit. Et erat planè in sua Palæstra. Noli, inquit, irasci bone frater, scriptum est, in patientia vestra possi

PART debitis animas vestras. Rursum frater (referam enim ipsius III. verba) non irascor, inquit, furcifer, vel saltem non pecco. Nam

Psalmista dicit, Irascimini et nolite peccare. Admonitus deinde frater a Cardinale suaviter, ut suos affectus compesceret. Non domine, inquit, ego loquor nisi ex bono zela, unde dicitur, zelus domus tuæ comedit me. Et canitur in ecclesiis, Irrisores Helizei, dum conscendit domum dei, zelum calui sentiunt, sicut fortasse sentiet iste derisor, scurra, ribaldus. Facis inquit Cardinalis, bono fortassis affectu, sed mihi videris facturus, nescio an sanctius, certe sapientius, si te ita compares, ne cum homine stulto et ridiculo, ridiculum tibi certamen instituas. Non domine inquit, non facerem Sapientius nam Solomon ipse Sapientissimus dicit: Responde stulto secundum stultitiam ejus, sicuț ego nunc facio, et demonstro ei foveam in quam cadet, nisi bene præcaveat. Nam si multi irrisores Helizei, qui erat tantum unus caluus, senserunt zelum calui, quanto magis sentiet unus derisor multorum fratrum, in quibus sunt multi calui? Et etiam habemus bullam Papalem, per quam omnes qui derident nos, sunt excommunicati.

Number 11.

A Letter of the Pope's upon his Captivity, to Cardinal Wolsey.

An Original.

Cotton Li- DILECTE fili noster Calamitas nostra cum à nobis digne extellius, B. 9. plicari ne queat tuæ Circumspectioni per dilectum filium Equi

brary, Vi

tem Castalium referretur qui interfuit ipse omnibus, et filium nobis amantem exhibens quam essent grata ejus in nos officia ad extremum ostendat. Nos in tanto constituti dolore et luctu unicum solamen ac spem in tuæ Circumspectionis apud illum Serenissimum Regem auctoritate et ipsius Regis erga nos et S. Ecclesiam pietate reponimus; ut pro vestra consuetudine et bonitate S. Ecclesiam tam indigne afflictam commendatam suscipiatis: sicut ex eodem Equite atque ex Nuntio nostro omni alio presidio quam tuæ benignitatis spoliato intelliget. Datum in Arce S. Angeli sexta Junii 1527.

J.