Hetherto noble emperour, hath the good opinion and great confidence (many yeares in mutuall loue established betwixt vs) lasted and continued: well hopyng, that no such cause should rise betwixt vs, to hatch either hatred or other occasion offensiue betwene your hyghnes empyre and our kingdome. MarginaliaThe great amitie and long cōtinued leage betwene the empyre and kingdome of Fraunce.Especiallye, seing that all our predicessours kynges of Fraunce, late of moste worthy memory (tyll these our dayes) haue bene so zealously affected to the most high and regall state of your empire: As that also we, after whom God hath placed successiuely to raigne as kyng, haue ben none otherwise mynded nor affected towards the same. None otherwise also on their behalfe, haue þ^e auncient & renowmed emperours of Rome our neighbours & your predecessours, shewed thēselues towards vs (eche other esteming þ^e empire & kingdome of Fraunce as one) & faythfully conseruing together þ^e vnitie of peace & concorde. In so much, that there hath not chaunced betwene them these many yeres, to much as one sparke of discord and dissencion. But this not withstanding, we for our part cannot but greatly maruel, and not without good cause are troubled and vexed: That wythout deserte or any offence, you haue taken the prelates of our realme vpon the sea, makyng their repayre to the see Apostolicall: to the whych, as well by their fayth as by their obedience they stande bounde and are obedient, neyther could they wythstand the Pope hys commaundement: these haue you imprisoned and so styll detayne the same. MarginaliaThe French K. not without great allurement of the pope would so haue writtē to the Emp.Whereat (we do your maiesty to weete) we are not well pleased, neyther yet take it in so good part as your paraduenture thynke we doe. For by theyr owne letters we vnderstand , they had excogitate nothing preiudiciall to your imperiall estate and celsitude, althoughe the Pope had prosecuted therein more then became hym to do. Wherfore, seyng that there is no cause why you should detayn them: it is meete, and becommeth no les your magnificence, but that you restore vnto vs and set at liberty, the sayd prelates of our realme: wherein also you shall appease our grudge and keepe vs your frend, whych accompt the displeasure you do to them, as our owne and proper iniury. For why, it were a great dishonour to our realme and kyngly estate, if we should wynck hereat, and ouerpasse the same with silence. Wherefore, if you wyll consider and respect the thyng that wee haue sayd, we doubt not but that you wyll release the bishop of Penestrum, wyth the other Legates and prelates of the church, which you to our preiudice do detaine. MarginaliaHere it should seeme the Emperour found the fault of contradiction.In desiring of our ayde doubtles, we gaue vnto them a manifest nay: neyther coulde they obtayne in our kingdome any thyng at all, which seemed to be agaynst or preiudiciall to your maiesty. Let therefore your imperiall prouidence ponder in the ballance of iustice, those thinges which we write vnto you, neither let our lawful request vnto you be frustrate or made in vayne. For our realme and kyngdome of Fraunce is not so debilitate or empouerished, that it wyll be spurned at, or troden vnder your feete. Fare ye well.

Our imperiall magnificence hath perused your kinglye letters: wherein, if we had not founde manifest contradiction, they might peraduenture haue obtayned at our hands all þ^t they required. But euen as wyth a little leuen a whole lumpe of dow is sowred: so a manifest vntruth alledged, hath made the whole argument of your letter both fauty and vnsauery. MarginaliaThe French kings letters contrarie to them selues.It is apparant that you wanted the vertue of mediocritie in the conclusion of the same your graces letter: For that, they them selues bewraye no les, then we geue you manifestlye to vnderstand, and many mo besides doth know. It is noto-rious also, and to all the worlde reuealed, in what sorte that Apostolicall father hath impugned our innocency, as well wyth the one sword, as with the other. MarginaliaA good Apostolical father with a tone swoord.And how that, whylest we at hys cōmaundement tooke our iourney beyonde the seas: the same our enemye and hostile aduersary, inuaded our kingdome of Sicilia: and the same not in one place or two, but in diuers and sundrye partes therof hath wasted, spoyled, and destroyed. After thys, when wyth great intreaty at our returne from Asia, we had concluded a peace wyth hym: which with vs at hys own pleasure he made. And had taken and receaued our deuotion for the same which in seruiceable maner we graunted him: Marginalia120000 ounces of golde, as before you heard.The said Apostolicall father (that notwithstanding) hath since þ^t time, rather aggrauated his displeasure towards vs, then any thing at all qualified the same: and further hath to our depriuation and subuertion, excogitate and deuised agaynst vs, all the mischiefe he might or hath bene able, no cause in all the worlde geuen of vs to prouoke the same. And farther, hath promulgated to our great diffamation and shame (as well by hys letters as Legates) the sentence of excommunication against vs vnto all nations. Lastlye, he aspiring to our imperiall state, and conspiring our supplantacion, hath made warre agaynst vs, as agaynst king Dauid Gods anoynted: and hath vnto a priuate Councel for that purpose, called all the prelats he can get, as one that meaneth to set the whole worlde together by the eares. But such is the maruelous wysedome of God, by whom we lyue and raygne, beholding the wicked purpose he went about (confoūding the crafty in their craftines) hath geuen into our handes as wel your Prelates of the realme of Fraunce, as also of other regions and prouinces: MarginaliaThe craftie compassed in their craftines.all whych, we imprison and detayne, as ennemies and aduersaries to our imperiall crowne and person. For where there desisted not to be a persecutour, there hath there not wanted also a sufficiēt withstander and defender. Let not therefore your kyngly highnes maruell, althoughe Augustus detayneth in prison your French prelates, whiche haue indeuoured themselues to conspire and so to disturbe our imperiall estate and regiment. Fare ye well.

Whē Friderick now saw there was none other remedy, and that in vaine he laboured to haue peace with the pope, he prosecuteth hys warre to the vttermost: & when he had gotten Tudertum and reconciled the same, he de- destroyed the towne of Geminum and Naruia & geueth the spoyle of them vnto his souldiors: He gentely receaued the yelding vp of Siburnum, and wasteth allþ^e countrey round about Rome. MarginaliaGregory. 9. dyeth for thought & curste hard.The pope herewyth dismayed and troubled wyth such as otherwise dissauded & counselled hym, & that things not so wel prospered with hym and against the emperour as he wished and desired: beyng in dispayre of obtaynyng his purpose, died for very anger and thought.

What opinion the prelates of Germany at that time had of thys Gregory, is extant and to be sene by the oration of Eberhardus byshop of Iuuauence that he made to the nobilitie of Boiaria in the parliament at Reginoburgh written by Iohannes Auentinus, in hys 7. booke. Doubtles, he not onely brought great and ruinous calamities to the whole christen common weale and also empire: whilest he saught thus to depresse and bridel the emperour, and aduaunce his papall see & dignitie: MarginaliaWhat horrible impietie Gregory brought into the church.But also brought into the church of God much horrible impietie, blasphemy, and wickednes: wherof both Blondus, Platina, Baleus and others make mentiō: And amōgst others, that most detestable Cantilene Salue regina, in þ^e which he attributeth the honour & worshyp onely due to Iesus Christ, vnto the virgine his mother. This is he, in whose name the boke of the decretals was set out, which ( to omitte the iudgementes and opinion of diuers other