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Cotton lib.
Cleop. E. 6.
P. 303.

he canne to disuade him from the dishonorable obedience of the said bishops, soe moving him to inclyne to the kings just opinion touching the same.

Finally, the kings pleasure is, ye shall write an other letter to the bishop of Aberden, signifieng that the kings majestie taketh it very unkindly that the king his nephew wold now embrace without his advice or counsail, being his derest freinde and uncle, and now in leage and amytee with him, the marriage of M. de Vandoms daughter, wherunto he would give non eare at his graces overture hertofor made of the same; in your said letter, imputing a greate negligence therin to the said bishop, and other of his masters counsail, seeing their master sheweth not, in the doing therof, suche amytie towards the kings highnes as the friendship between them doth require: and to make an ende, his grace woll in no wise that Barnes, or Haynes, shall tary for any further instructions of the bishope of Cantorbury, or any other, having his grace determyned to sende the same after, by Mr. Almoner and Hethe; but that he, Mr. Haynes, and Mount, shall withall possible diligence departe immediately in post, without longer tarieng thenne for this their dispatche shall be necessary, soe, as their abode empeche not the kings purpose touching the said Melancton: and thus fare youe most hartly well, from Langley in much haste, this Monday at iii of the clock, at after noone. Your lovyng friend

Number 43.

T. Norfolk.
George Rocheford.

The Smalcaldick league.

By the grace of God, we John Frederich duke of Saxony, high mareshall of the empire of Rome, and prince elector, lantgrave of Truringie, and marquis of Misne, aswell in our own name, as in the name of the noble prince John Ernest, likewise duke of Saxonye, our most beloved brother, Philippe, Ernest, Francis, brethren dukes of Bruns

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wick and Lunenburg; Ulrich duke of Wortenberg, and in BOOK Deck, erle in Montbelyard; Philipp lantgrave of Hessen, erle of Catts in Dietz, Zigenham and Nyer; Berminus and Philip, dukes of Stetin, Pomern, Cassaburn, Wenden, princes of Rug, erles in Guskan; Wolfgang John, George, and Joachim, brethren princes in Anhalt, erles of Ascanion, and lords in Bernburg; Gebhard and Albert, brethren, erles and lords in Mansfeld; the consules, decurions, tribunes, senate, and people of the within named cities of the High-Germany, Saxon, and Hanse, or on the see, that is to say, Argentina, Augusta, Frankford, Constantia, Ulme, Esling, Rentling, Memingia, Linde, Bibrac, Isua, Magdeburgh, Breme, Brunswick, Goslaria, Hamibria, Gottingia, Embeck, Hamburgha, Lubeck, and Myndia, do profess by these our letters, in the name of us, our heyres and successors, and do signifie to all men that seen the state of this season, is every where very perillouse, and appereth so, that many men are about and practise to disturbe, such as do cause, and suffer the syncere doctrine of the gospell to be preached and taught in their dukedoms, provinces, cities and territories, (by the grace of God) and which (abolishing all abuses) doe studie to bring in ceremonies consenting to the word of God: and efforce them selfs to divert them from Christs doctrine; yea, by force and violence: and seen also that the office of every Christian magestrate, is not only to suffer that the syncere worde of God be preached to his subjects; but also with all his studye, care, and sollitude to provide (to his power) that the holesome doctrine of the gospell and the truth, onse known and professed, be not violently extorted, and they deprived of the same: for this cause, we doe knowledg that it is our most duetie and necessitie, of the offices of our magestrate, in case nowe or hereafter it shuld happen, that any man wold attempt and assay to diverte us, or our subjects, by force or dede, from the worde of God, and the truth known; and to bring in again, and restore the ungodlie ceremonies and abuses already abolished (which God by his good clemence woll forbyd, as we trust that no man woll attempt such thing)

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PART for to represse such violence and perill from the bodys and souls of us and our subjects, by the grace of God, and for to excuse and avoid the same to the praise of God, to the augmentation of the syncere doctrine of the gospell, and to the conservation of the uniform estate, tranquillite, and honestie publick, in the empire, for the love of the nation of Alemayne; and also for the commendation, honour, and good of our dukedoms, provinces, lordships, and cities, onely to provide for the cause of our defence, and tuicion; the which is permitted to every man, not onely by the lawe of nature and of men, but also by the law written. Therefore we have assembled and concluded, to give and be bound eche to other of a Christian, lawful and friendly leage and confederation, and by the vertue, fource, and reason of this our letters, we agree, conclude, and bynde our selfs eche to other upon a confederation, with the conditions that followeth, that is to say, that all and every of us shall be bound to favour eche other hartely and truely, and to warn eche other of all imminent danger, and to avoid it: and that noon of us, openly, or secretly, shall willingly give passage to the enemy, or adversaries of the other, nor to warn, or support them.

And because this confederation is onely made for cause of our tuicion and defense, and not to the entent that any of us shall move warr, if ther shall happen any of us whatsoever he be, to be violently assawted for the word of God, the doctrine of the gospell and our faith, or for such other causes as do depend of the word of God, the doctrine of the gospell, or our faith, or be annexed thereunto; or if under any other pretext or colour, there shuld be any violence attempted against any of us, and that we the rest, which shuld not then be invaded myght thinke and judge that such werr, or violence, shuld be moved for the cause of the word of God, or of the religion; and that he to whom the werr, or violence is imminent, wold permitt it to our knowledge, arbitracion, and deciseon; that then we all the rest of this confederacion, and every of us, that be comprehended in this Christen confederacion shall be bound to

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take no lesse to herte, and take in hand as deligentely to BOOK provide for the same, incontinently as such persons that be invaded, shall require our help, or that we shall knowe it, (with all our power) as though we shuld be assawted our selfs, and for our own proper cause: and therefore without any delaye, and without any decepte or gyle, without taryeng for any other, with all our might and power, we shall be bound to succour, defend, and helpe him that shall be assawted, after such form and manner, as for the qualitie and circumstances of the thing, and the tyme it shall be adjudged most util and most commodiouse to the rest of us; and like as the fidelite and charite to be given and shewed to the neighbors upon his conscience and salut shall teach him, and that we shall truely administer and deale oon with another. And that in such case never oon of us shall agree, compound, or make any transaction, or trewes without the assent and will of the rest.

Also that this our Christen confederation shal be taken and understanden to be in no wise prejudicial or hurtfull to the emperors majestie, our clementissime lord; nor to any state of the empire, or any other: but onely for the conservation of the doctrine and truth of the gospell, and of the peace and tranquillite in the empyre and Alemayns nation, and to withstand wrongfull violence from us and our subjects and allyes; and onely in case of defence, and in such case as every of us may bear and suffer the just knowlege and decision of his own cause as is aforesaid, and none other wise; and if any man wol be joyned to this our confederacion, which is not comprehended in it already, so that he be dedicate to the worde of God, and shall permitte the syncere doctrine of the gospell, conformable to our confession, exhibited to the emperors majestie, and to all the orders of the empire in the assemble at Augsburg, freely to be preached, tought, and kept in his lands, province, and dominions, and woll constantely styck to the same doctrine, he or they ought to be ascribed and receyved in this confederacion, by the assent and will of us all.

And bycause that Christen confederacion, which shall be

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PART finished the Sunday invocavit, the year of our Lord 1537, hath lasted the other 6 years last past, between us, excepted us Ulrich, duke of Wertemberg, &c. and us Bernim and Philipp, dukes of Pomeren; us John, George, and Joachim, princes of Anhalt; and the cities of Augsburgh, Frankford, Kempt, Hamibra, and Mynda; we, at their friendly and diligent peticion, have receyved them into this our confederation, and we do bynde our selfs eche to other agyn, that this Christen leage shall be proroged and extended, begynning from the said Sunday invocavit, 1537, by the space of ten yeres next ensuyng, as this Christen leage by the ten yeres next ensuyng, ought to be kept and proroged constantely, syncerely, and bona fide, by us and every of us, without any frawde, or malign.

And if it shall happen us to entre werre with any man for the doctrine of the religion, or any other cause depending of the same, that shuld not be finished within the space of the said ten yeres, yet nevertheles, although the said time of ten yeres be utterly expired, yet the said expedicion shall be contynued and prosecuted, and the werre brought to an ende; and that then it shall not be lawfull for any of the confederates to exempte him of the same, nor hope upon exemption, and from that tyme it shall be lawful for the confederats to protract and prolong this confederation, if they shall so think good.

We the foresaid electors and princes, erles and magistrats of cities by interposition of our feith insteed of an other, do promise and take upon us, for us, and for our heires constantly and perpetually to observe and performe all and singular the premisses truely and syncerely as it behoveth princes, and good men. And that we shall nor doe, nor procure any thing in any wise to be done against this leage and confederation: but in all points shall deale and procede truely and syncerely without any frawde or malengin. And for more credence and confirmacion of all and every those things, every of us the said electors, princes, erles, and cities, in the name of us our highnes and successors, have caused our seales wittingly and willingly to be sett to these presents,

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