learned men) Iohannes Baleus calleth it the sinke or puddle of folishnes and impietie. Doubtles Charolus Molineus a mā both of singuler iudgemēt in the law, which in a tribunall courtes and iudgementes is vsed: as also in this, painteth forth þ^e decree of thys Gregory in his boke of annotations vnto Platina, whose woordes therof are these. MarginaliaCharolus Molineus vpon the decretalls of pope Gregory . 9.Certum est, multa capita in ijs. mutila & decurtata esse vt inuidiosum argumentum lateret, &c. That is: Doubtles, diuers chapiters in the same booke of decretals be mangled & vnperfect, þ^t many cōtentious argumēts therin might lurke. For whē þ^e ambitious desire of raigning like kings toke thē, they studied nothing els but how to inlarge and aduaunce their see and dominion wyth the empire it selfe and other kingdomes (ofte shaken and weakened through contention) and thys purpose and end had they and none other, in all their constitutions. Theh proofe wherof, Molineus declareth in hys booke de regibus Galliæ & Angliæ. But many mo examples by the emperours, princes, and lordes electoures of the Empire may be gathered: wherof to speake, more cōuenient place shall serue hereafter.

MarginaliaThe creatiō and death of pope Coelestin⁹;.In þ^e stead of this Gregorye, was placed Coelestine borne in Mediolanum amongst the Castellians: who as Blondus declareth, by fayned promises offred a league with Fridericus: and the xviij. day after, he was created pope he also dyed.

MarginaliaThe Emperour prepareth an armie to fight with the Tartarians, the Tartarians flee.Thus when the author of all this conspiracie was gone, Fridericus now thinkyng himselfe free & voyde of that feare which before he had and durst not be absēt out of Italie: wyth all hys indeuour leuieth an armye & prepareth hys furniture and other necessaries for the deliuery of the christians, so mightly oppressed as ye heard by the Turke or Tartarians. Who, hearyng of the commyng of the Emperour, left the straight way through Vngary which they came and returned by the ryuer of Danubium to Taurica, and so through the fennes of Meotida: and by the riuer Tanaum, into Sarmatia Asiatica. When the cardinals had now a long tyme protracted the creatiō of the pope & would not agree vpon þ^e same: The emperor put them in remembraunce of their duetie, & blameth thē for their disagreing & exhorteth thē to be more carefull for þ^e christiā cōmon wealth. His two epistles touching this matter are extant. Wherby appeareth that only for the care & desire of peace he had to the christian vnitie and state, he dyd the same (and for þ^t peraduenture) the cardinals refused to make peace with him, before they had created a new Pope. The one for more breuitie I haue omitted, & here the other incerted.

MarginaliaFridericke agaynst the CardinallsVnto you I wryte oh you childrē of Ephraim, which euill haue bente your bowes and worse haue shot your arrowes, filthely turning your backes in the day of battayle. Vnto you I speake O you children of Beliall and disperpled flocke. You insensible people and assistentes of the great iudge. Vnto you I write O you dissētious cardinals, whom the world for your desertes doth hate: for whose causes the whole world beyng at variaunce is euill spoken of. Doubtles, I can not speake vnto you, but to your detractation, because I am worldly and you spirituall. I am vnperfect, wherfore I must do as þ^e vnperfect world doth: neither can the parte be dissonant to the whole, nor I cōtrary to my self þ^t writeth. Attend ye therfore my rude epistle, wāting þ^e dignitie of rethorical stile. My prouoked tounge brasteth forth into wordes before my conceiuyng spirite hath deliuered the same: and so not attendyng to the higher regiment, hath hastened to expresse my wordes not fullye conceiued or premeditate. Thus I saye, a troubled mynde, oftentymes doth beget vnordered talke, and vntimely vttereth the same. This therefore is, that our harte hath conceiued, thatwe beleue and all men confes, that Iesus Christ the mediatour betwene God and man, which came from heauen to make peace vpon the earth, is not deuided and at variaunce, beyng also the maister and Lord of the Apostels. But Sathan beyng deuided in hymself, that blustering prince is amongst you, as those to whom he ministreth: He, euen he, þ^t perswader of discord and dissentiō, that mankiller, father of lies, and sprite of darknes, that hath deuided your tonges, and set dissention amongst your selues: Neither ye doo good one to another, nor yet to the worlde, being by you in so perilous a state brought. MarginaliaPeter ship by the dissentious cardinals greatly afflicted.And the litle ship of Peter, which is tossed vpō the sea by vehement windes, you nothing regard: which ship, though it neede not in deede vtterly to feare drowning, yet suffereth it by your negligence manye great stormes and perilous tempestes. Doubtles, if ye woulde diligently consider howe the nations and people whom ye were wont to iudge in scorne, shake their heades at you: euery one of you woulde bee ashamed of an other. And to say the truth, they can not doo to muche to detect your so detestable opprobrie: for whylest euerye one of you aspireth to the chaire, euery one is at variance with his felow: And whylest one of you cannot agree with the other, none is promoted, and whylest none is promoted, the cathedrall dignitie vanisheth: And thus by your discord, the peaceable state and concorde of the churche is confoūded, & the perfection of the fayth & religion wherby ye shoulde lyue, perisheth. And surely, through your default it perisheth, so that where as nature hath placed the sence and vnderstanding to be: that part lyke a monster remaineth with you, both senceles and headles. MarginaliaPeters shrill voyce turned into a scoffing Eccho.And no maruell, for why your hearing is impaired, and that sound of the mouth that shrillye was heard throughout the whole earth, is vtterly dombe, and become a scoffing Eccho. For why, the thundringes of Peter and Paul ar now no more hearde, the preachers are become dombe dogs, and are commaunded to silence. Perhappes you haue handes ready to receaue, but there bee no bribes: For why, those that were wonte to come frō Saba, and bring golde wyth them, nowe come no more: seing the Lord is not in the māger, & the celestiall shining star refusing to be their guid. Moreouer, ye want feete to walk wyth all, for seyng there is no man to geue you ought, you wyl not remoue one foote for any mans pleasure. Fye shameles people, the least and simplest beast maye learne you obedience, for the byrdes haue theyr captain and the seely Bee theyr kyng, but you wyll come vnder not gouernment. &c.

MarginaliaThe Emperour releaseth the Cardinalls out of pryson.The Emperour yet after this, at the request of Balduinus, the Emperour of Constantinople, who came to Fridericus to Parma, released the cardinals out of prison: thinkyng therby not onely to gratifie the Emperor Balduinus, but also thinking that therby things would haue the better growne to publique trāquilitie on euery side. MarginaliaInnocentius the. 4. created pope.When the Cardinals were all assembled at Auignia: they made Sinibaldus a Genues Pope: whom by a contrarie name for that he had determined (as I suppose) to be hurtefull to the common wealth, they called Innocentius the fourth. Of whiche election, when Fridericke vnderstood, he was well pleased therewith: And for that he had in all this troublous tyme ben his frend, he well hoped that the Christian common wealth should by hym haue bene brought to much peace and concorde. Wherfore, he sent both his legates and letters gratulatorie vnto hym, lettyng him to vnderstand: howe well it contented and pleased hym that he was made pope, and what peace and quietnes therby he promiseth (as it were to him self) he maketh full relatiō therof: offering againe vnto hym obseruaunce, helpe, and ayde in all thynges, commending his dignitie to the publique state and quietnes of the christian common weale and empyre. &c.

He also wrote his letters, to Otho duke of Boioria,