discomfort, nor any diffidence of þ^e kynges assured promise, excusing the delay of þ^e money, as wel as he could, by intercipation, or other causes by the way incidēt, rather thē for any lacke of fidelitie on the kinges behalfe: addyng moreouer, that if it would please him happely to procede, as he had couragiously begon, he should not stay for the kynges money: MarginaliaRichard Pacie helpeth the Duke of Bourbon with money.so sure he was of the kings minde therin, that hee would supplye the lacke of that payment vpon his owne credite, amongest his frendes at Venice, and so did. Wherupō the souldiours being sufficiently satisfied with payment of their wages, proceded foorth with the Duke, vnto the battaile. MarginaliaRichard Pacie was þ^e meanes y the French king was taken.In the whiche battaile, the foresayd Frenche kyng, the same tyme, before the Citie of Pauie, was taken prisoner, as is afore declared. Which beyng eftsoones knowē to the king of England, Pacie had both condigne thankes for his faithfull seruice, and also his money repayd againe with þ^e vttermost, as he well deserued. But as þ^e laude, and the renowmed prayse of men, for their worthy proweses, commonly in this world neuer go vnaccompanyed without some pryuye canker of enuye and disdayne folowyng after, so the singular industrie of Pacie, as it wanne much commendation with many, so it coulde not auoide the secret stynge of some serpentes. MarginaliaThe Cardinal hated Pacie.For the conceaued hatred of thys Cardinall so kyndled agaynst him, that he neuer ceased, till first he brought him out of the kinges fauour, and at last also, out of his perfect wyttes.

The occasion how hee fell beside hym selfe, was this, for that the Cardinall after the death of Pope Adrian, hoping no lesse, but that he should haue bene aduaunced vnto the Papacie, and yet missing therof, he supposed with him self, þ^e fault chiefly to rest in Pacies negligence, by whose great wytte and learnyng, and earnest meanes and sute, he thought easely hee might haue achieued and cōpassed the triple crowne. Wherfore he seyng it otherwise come to passe, and inflamed agaynst Pacie for the same, MarginaliaThe Cardinal practiseth agaynst Pacie.wrought such wayes and meanes, that by þ^e space almost of ij. yeares, Pacie continuyng at Venice, had neither writyng from the king, nor his counsaile, what he should do, nor yet any maner of alowance for his dyet (although he wrote, and sent letters for the same to England very often) for the Cardinall had altogether incensed the kyng agaynst hym. Wherupon the sayd Pacie tooke such an inward thought and conceite, that his wyttes began to fayle hym, MarginaliaPacie in great credit with the Venetians.he beyng notwithstandyng in such fauour among the Senatours of Venice, that neither for gold nor siluer he could their haue lacked. By some it is reported, that the Venitian Legate here in England, commyng to the Cardinall, required if he would commaund any thing to the English Ambassadour at Venice. MarginaliaThe Caardinall falsely belyeth Pacie.To whō he should aunswere againe in high wordes, saying: Paceus decepit Regem. Whiche woordes commyng to Pacies eares, so depely pearced his stomacke, that he fell quyte besides him selfe. I heard it moreouer of an other thus testified, who had a brother the same time dwellyng with Pacie: that the Cardinall, about the returnyng of Pacie frō Venyce, sent him a letter so poudered (with what spyces I can not tell) that at the readyng therof, MarginaliaPacie beught of his wittes.Pacie then beyng in the fieldes, fell sodenly in such a mighty runyng, for the space of ij. myles, that his seruantes had much a do, to take hym, & bryng hym home.

This pitious case of Pacie was not a litle lamented by the whole Senate, & chief learned mē in Venice, in so much that the kyng was not onely certified thereof, by Thomas Lupset (who then was chief mā about Pacie, & his Secretary, for that Ambassage) but also the sayd Senate of Venice wrote in such sharpe and vehemēt wise, vnto their Ambassadour then beyng in England, that he should signifie to the kyng, touchyng Pacies case, that thereby the kyng knowyng the truth, and the whole circumstance of the matter, was not a litle sorowfull therfore. Whereupon Pacie was forth-with sent for home, and when he came to England, he was commaunded by the kyng, to be specially well tended, and to lacke no kepyng: MarginaliaPacie pretily recouered.In so much that within a small proces of tyme, he was pretily well come agayne to his wyttes,and began to study the Hebrue tongue, with Wakefielde, so that (the Cardinall then beyng absent) such wayes was found by his frēdes, MarginaliaPacie broughte to the kinges speeche.that he was brought to the kyng, lying then at Richmond, where he & the kyng secretly communed together, by the space of ij. houres and more, not without great reioysing to the kyng, as it was perceaued, to see him so well amended, & returned to him self again, giuyng likewise streit charge & cōmaundemēt, that he should lacke nothyng.

The Cardinall, beyng then not present, when he heard of this, fearyng least he had disclosed somewhat to the kyng, whiche he would not haue knowen, and doubtyng that the kyng should cast hys fauour agayne vnto Pacie, began within a while after, to quarell, and pyke matters, and to lay certein thinges to Pacies charge, where as he rather shoulde haue cleared him self of those thyngs, which Pacie layd vnto hym before the kyng: which was contrary to all good forme & order of iustice. For where þ^e kyng had wylled the Cardinall to trye him self of those thyngs, which Pacie had rightly charged him with all, hee sittyng in iudgement with the Duke of Northfolke, and other states of the realme, not as a defendent, but as a Iudge in his own cause, so bare out him self, & weyd downe Pacye, MarginaliaPacie cōmaūded to þ^e Tower by the Cardinall.that Pacie was cōmaunded to þ^e tower of London, as prisoner: where he continued by the space of ij. yeares, or therabout, MarginaliaPacie discharged out of the Tower.and afterward by the kynges commaūdement, was discharged. But he beyng there prisoner was therwith so deadly woūded, and strocken, that he fell worse from hys wyttes then euer he was before, beyng in such a phrenesie, or lunasie, that to hys dying day, he neuer came perfectly to hym selfe agayne. Notwithstāding, this in him was no perpetuall phrenesie, but came by fittes, and when the fitte was past, hee could looke on his booke, and reason & talke hamsomely, but that now and then he shewed his disease. And thus much betwene the Cardinall and Pacie.

MarginaliaThe Cardinals labour to bee Pope.By this story of Pacie, and also by other places aboue mētioned, ye may partly cōceaue, how gredy thys Cardinal was, to be made Pope. Touching which matter, here by þ^e way somthing to entreate, first is to be vnderstāded, þ^t forsomuch as Pacie either would not, or could not serue the Cardinals purpose herein, hee thought to accomplishe his desire, by other meanes, MarginaliaSteuen Gardiner Ambassadour at Rome for the king, & the Cardinall.and namely by Steuen Gardiner, who was then shortly after, sent Ambassadour to Rome by the king, and the Cardinall, in the tyme of Pope Clement the vij. and that for two speciall causes: one was about the diuorcement, the other for promotyng the Cardinall to bee Pope. As touchyng the diuorcement, we will speake (the Lord willyng) hereafter. In the meane tyme, as concernyng the aduauncement of the Cardinall, great labour was made, as in letters may appeare sent frō the Cardinall to the sayd Steuen Gardiner, in which letters he dyd sollicite þ^e said Gardiner, by all meanes, to pursue the sute, willyng hym to sticke for no coste, so farre as vi. or vij. thousand poundes would stretche: for more hee sayd he would not geue for the triple crowne. Marke here (Christian reader) what an holy Catholicke Churche this is, whiche rather may be called a Burse or Marte of Marchauntes (ne quid dicam durius) then any true forme of a Churche.

Many, both of his, and also of the kynges letters, I could here inserte, but for growyng of the volume, I let them passe. One for exāple sake, sent by the Cardinall to Gardiner, an other also from the kyng to the sayd Gardiner, shall at this tyme suffice, concernyng this matter. And first the Copie of the Cardinals ambitious letter here, in forme foloweth.