MarginaliaO pestiferous hipocrite. The pope prayed S. Peter to dishonour hys king, And saint Peter byndeth the pope to honour hys king.BLessed S. Peter, prince of the Apostles, & thou Paul also the teacher of the Gentiles, geue eare vnto me, I beseche you a litle, and gently heare me. For you are the disciples and louers of truth, the thinges that I shal say are true. This matter I take in hand for truth sake, that my brethren (whose saluation I seke) may the more obsequiously obey me, and better vnderstand, how that I trusting vpon your defence (next to Christ, and his mother the immaculate virgin) resist the wycked, & am readye to helpe the faythfull. I did not enter this seate of myne owne accord, but much against my wil, and with teares: MarginaliaCrocodili lachrymæ.for that I accounted my selfe vnworthy to occupy so high a throne. MarginaliaScripture well applyed.And this I say, not that I haue chosen you, but you haue chosen me, and haue layde thys great burthen vpon our shoulders. And now wheras by this your assignment, I haue ascended vp thys hill, crying to the people, and shewing them their faultes, and to the childrē of the church, their iniquities: the mēbers of Sathan haue rysen agaynst me, and haue layde handes together to seeke my blood. MarginaliaA figure called xxx.
Cuius contra riū verū est.For the kyngs of the earth haue risen vp agaynst me, and the Princes of this world: with whom also haue conspired certayne of the clergy: subiectes agaynst the Lorde, and agaynst vs hys anoynted, saying: let vs breake a sūder their bands, and cast of from vs their yoke. MarginaliaVim faciunt scripturis, vt plenitudinem accipiunt potestatis.This haue they done agaynst me, to bring me either to death, or to banishmēt. In the number of whom is Henricus, whom they call kyng, the sonne of Henrye the Emperour, whych hath lyft vp so proudly his hornes & heele agaynst the church of God, making conspiracy with diuers other bishops, both Italians, French, and Germaynes. Agaynst the pride of whom, hetherto your authoritye hath resisted: MarginaliaLet all papistes marke here well the holynes of their holy father.who rather being broken then amēded, comming to me in Cisalpina, made humble sute to me for pardon & absolutiō. I thinking nothing els but true repētance in him, receiyued hym agayne to fauour, and did restore him to the communion onely, from which he was excommunicate: but to his kingdome (from which in the Synode of Rome he was worthely expulsed) I did not restore: nor to the rentes and fruites therof (that he might return to the fayth agagne) that I graunted not vnto hym. And that I did for this purpose, that if he should defer to fall to agrement with certayne of hys neyghbours, whom he hath alwayes vexed, and to restore agayne the goods both of the church, and otherwise: than he might be compelled by the censures of the church, and force of armes therunto. Wherby diuers and sundry bishops and princes of Germany (such as he had long troubled) being helped by this oportunitye, elected Rodolphus their Duke, to be king in the place of Henricus: whom they for hys transgressions had remoued and dispatched from hys Empire. But Rodolphus first in this matter, vsing a princely modesty, and integrity: sent vp his messengers to me, declaring how he was constrayned (wyld he, nild he) to take that regall gouernment vpon him: albeit he was not so desirours therof, but that he woulde rather shew him selfe obiedent to vs, then to the other that offered him þ^e kingdome: MarginaliaAs though he were not set vp by you, rather then by them.and whatsoeuer our arbitrement should be therein, he would be vnder obedience, both of God and of vs. And for more assurance of this his obedience, he hath sent his owne children hether for pledges. Vpon this Henricus began to snuffe, and first entreated with vs, to restrayne and inhibit Rodolphus, through the payne of our curse, from the vsurpacion of his kingdome. I answered agayn, I would see whether of them had more right and title therunto, and to sende our Legates thether vpon the same, to know the whole state of the matter: and therupon I woulde decise betwixt them, whether of thē had the truer part. But Hēricus would not suffer our Legates to come to take vp the matter, &shew diuers both secular men, & of the Clergy, spoiling and prophaning churches, & so by this meanes hath indaungered himselfe in the bands of excommunication. I therefore trusting in the iudgement and mercye of God, and in the supportacion of the blessed virgin, also bold vpon your authority, doo lay the sentence of cursse vpon the sayd Henricus, and all his adherentes: MarginaliaThe more to blame Emperours to suffer you to be so sausye with them.& here agayne I take his regall gouernment from him, charging and forbidding all Christen men, that haue bene sworne vnto him (whom I discharge here of their othe) that hereafter they obey him in nothing, but to take Rodolphus to their king, who is elected by many princes of the prouince. For so right it is and conuenient, that as Henry for his pride and stubbernes, is depriued of hys dignitie and possession: so Rodolphus being gratefull to all men, for his vertue and deuotion be exalted to the imperiall throne and domination.

Therefore O you blessed Princes of the Apostles, graunt to this, and confirme with your authoritye that I haue sayde: so that all men maye vnderstande, if you haue power to binde and lose in heauen, you haue also power in earth to geue and take away Empires, kyngdomes, principalities, and whatsoeuer here in the earth belōgeth to mortall mē. For if you haue power to iudge in such matters, as appertayne to God: what thē should we thinke you haue of these inferior & prophane things? MarginaliaNego argumentū.And if it be in your power to iudge the aungels, rulyng ouer proud princes: what then shall it beseme you to do vpon their seruantes. Therefore let the kings vnderstād by this example, and al other princes of the world, what you be able to do in heauen, & what you are wyth God: that thereby they may feare to contemne the commaundementes of holy church. And now do you exercise thys iudgement quicklye vpon Henricus, whereby all men maye see this sonne of iniquitie to fall from hys kyngdome, not by any chaunce, but by your prouision & onely worke. Notwithstanding, this I would craue of you, that he being brought to repentance, through your intercession, yet in the day of iudgement, may finde fauor and grace with the Lord. MarginaliaConfer this clause with the historie of the storie hereafter folowing, O double hipocrite.Actum Rome. Nonis Martii, indictione. iii.

MarginaliaGilbertus Archbishop depriued.Furthermore, Hildebrand not yet content with this, interditeth & deposeth also Gibertus archbishop of Rauenna, for taking the Emperours part, commaunding all priestes to geue no maner obedience to him: And sendeth thether to Rauenna an other archbishop, with full authoritye.

MarginaliaThe. 4. battel betwixt Henrye and Rodulph. Henricus victore.After and vpon this, Henricus and Rodolphus, to try the matter by the sword, coped together in battaile, not without bloudshed: where as Henricus by the fauour of God, against the iudgement of Hildebrand, had the victory. Rodolphus there greatlye wounded in the conflict, was had out of the army, and caryed to Hiperbolis: where he commaunded the bishops, and chiefe doers of his conspiracy to be brought before him. When they came, he lifted bp his right hande, in which he had taken his deadly wound, and sayde: MarginaliaRodulphus at his death repenteth.This is the hande, which gaue the othe and sacrament vnto Henricus my prince: and which through your instigation, so oft hath fought against him in vaine. Nowe go & performe your first oth and allegeance to your king, for I must to my fathers, and so dyed. MarginaliaThe pope geueth war but God geueth victorye.Thus the pope gaue battayle, but God gaue the victory.

Henricus (after his enemy being thus subdued, and warres being ceased in Germanye) forgat not the olde iniuries receiued of Hildebrād, by whom he was twyse excommunicate, and expulsed from his kingdome: and three dayes makyng humble sute (yea and that in sharpe wynter) coulde fynde no fauour with hym. Besides that, he incited moreouer and ayded his enemy agaynst him: calleth together a councell or assemble of diuers bishops of Italy, Lombardy and Germanye, at