MarginaliaThe Emperour reioyseth of the popes election but without cause why.who a litle before he was reconciled to the Emperour: that he which was elected pope was a good man, a louer of peace, and studious as well for the tranquilitie of the Christian common wealth as of the Empire.

The legates of Fridericke also with the furtheraūce of Balduinus the Emperour of Constantinople, laboured very diligently for the conclusion of the promised peace: And to brief, euery many was in good hope and looked for no lesse. But farre otherwayes fel the matter out, and contrarie to all their expectations. For, the pope (set on, and incouraged by the Cardinals and other agaynst Fridericke) secretly and amongest them selues wrought contrary to that they openly pretēded: and not a litle disapointed both Friderick and others, of their expectation and good opinion they had in the Popes holynes. MarginaliaThe pope taketh Viterbisi whilest the Emperour hoped after peace.For whilest the Emperours legates attended the aunswere of their peace before promised, Raynerus the cardinall went secretly to Viterbiū with a certaine nomber of souldiers, and tooke the towne whiche before was on the Emperours part.

The Emperour hauyng vnderstandyng hereof, mustereth his bandes and with a sufficient power entereth the Popes dition, agayne to recouer Viterbium. But yet, takyng this war so in hande (not thinkyng therby to expell al conditions of peace) at the request of certeine of the Cardinals was contēted to leaue Viterbium, being furnished by the emperour of warlike prouisiō before, & came to Aqua. From thence he sent agayne other Embassadours to Rome, and with them also the Emperour of Constantinople with the Earle of Tholouse, who he thought were able to do much with the Pope in the prosecutyng of this peace. MarginaliaThe dissimulation of the subtil pope Innocentius. 4.And although at the tyme of Easter the matter seamed to haue bene through and peace concluded, for that his Legates had sworne in the behalfe of the Emperour (and as he willed them) that he would submit hym selfe to the Pope: And agayne for that the cardinals and others, commonly called and named hym Fridericus the Christian Prince, yet all thys was no more but for a further fetch and purpose. Not for that they mēt in dede to cōclude any peace with him, or to go through there with all, but that through thys dissimulation and lykelyhode of peace whiche they vnderstood the Emperour much desired: he should set free and open the passages, which he straitly kept that no mā could passe and come to Rome: whether, a great multitude dayly resorted and flocked for religions sake. But when all came to all, and that the legates perceiued no conclusion of peace was simply purposed on theyr behalfe: they began to dispayre of the matter, lettyng the Emperour so to vnderstand. The Emperour, yet notwithstandynge doubted not, but if he myght hym selfe speake with the Pope, he vppon reasonable conditions should wel inough accord with hym: MarginaliaThe Emperour hath to much confidence in thys pope.wherfore, he by his legates and letters desired him to apointe a place where the Emperour might resorte to hym. The pope semed to be contented here with all, and appoynted a day at Fescennia where they would talke together: and that the Pope would be there before hym, and except the Emperours comming. But the pope in this while, had made a confederacie with the Frenche kyng agaynst Fredericus: who when he knew those three Galleis to be ready and brought to Centincellas, whiche he before had spoken for vnto the Genewes: MarginaliaThe pope mocketh the Emperour and goeth to Liō where he proscribeth the Emp.secretly in the night with his cōpanie (hastenyng thether in post spede) toke shippe, and first came to Genua, and frō thēce to Lions in Fraūce: where, he (callyng a councel) with a loude voyce summoneth Friderick, and appoynting hym a day commaunded hym there personally to pleade his cause.

And yet, although he vnderstood the sodein departing of hym out of Italie, made playne demonstration of no conclusion or meanyng of a peace: and also knewe the councel whiche the pope had called, wherin he was hymselfe both plaintife and Iudge: and at the same councell those whiche he had by bribes allured, pretended the destructiō of the Emperour: with many other such euidēt demonstrations, both of hys enuious and hatefull hart towardes him: yet the most modest Emperour vsing the innocencie and vprightnes of his cause, and as one most desirous of peace and Christian concorde: sent the patriarche of Antioch, whiche lately was common out of Siria, the Byshop of Panormia, and Thadeus Suessanus the president of his courte (a moste skilfull and prudent Ciuilian) to the councell at Lions: whiche signified vnto them, that þ^e Emperour woulde be there for the defence of hys owne cause: and for that the day was very short, required a tyme more conuenient for him thether to make hys repayre. MarginaliaThe Emperour comming to make hys apparance befor the pope.The Emperour also, beyng onward of his waye and comne as farre as Taurinum, sent before other messengers (as the maister of the Flemish order, & Peter de Vineis) to giue thē vnderstanding of the Emperours comming: and that he would proroge the day of hearyng, till þ^t he myght conueniently trauell thether. But for any thing þ^t could be either said or done, or vpon how iust cause soeuer required: the pope would not giue so much as three dayes space in the which time the Embassadours assured them of the Emperours presence: As though there had bene no common prouiso for euery man in that case, by the law to haue vsed vpon any reasonable let. MarginaliaThe enmitie of the pope to the emperour.What should I lenger protract the tyme: when the daye by them appoynted was comne, the Pope with hys confederates (whom for money and bribes he had gotten to that councel) against Gods law, agaynst Christian doctrine, agaynst both the prescript of the law of nature, and reason, agaynst þ^e rule of equitie, agaynst the order of the law appoynted, agaynst the constitutions of Emperours, and also the decrees of the Empire: was of the same his aduersarie and iudge, without any obseruation of the lawe, or grauntyng dilatorie dayes, without probation of any crime, or his cause suffered to be pleaded vnto, or heard what myght be aunswere therein (beyng absent hym selfe) was thus condempned. What more wickeder sentence was euer pronounced, what more crueller facte (consideryng the person) might be committed: Or what thyng more brutishe and beastly could haue bene imagined or deuised. And yet heare at, were these byshops nothyng ashamed: but meanyng to leaue theyr doinges in writyng (as an impudent testimonie to their posteritye) established the same for a lawe to continewe.

MarginaliaVengeance falleth vpon the pope for his false iudgemēt.But marke what vengeaunce God tooke vpon thys wicked iudge. The writers of the Annales accorde, that when Fridericus the Emperour and Conradus his son beyng Cesar were both dead: He gapyng for the inheritaunce of Naples and Sicile, and thynkyng by force to haue subdued the same, came to Naples w^t a great hoste of men: where was herd in the Popes court manifestly pronoūced this voyce, Veni miser ad iudicium Dei. Thou wretch, come to receiue thy iudgemēt. And the next day after: the Pope was founde in his bed dead, all blacke & belw as though he had ben beaten with battes, as before in the history of kyng Ihon is declared.

When the emperour had vnderstandyng of this cruell and tyrannicall sentence of the Pope, passed and pronounced against him (considering his furious purpose and mynde therein) thought good by hys letters to let all christian princes and potentates vnderstand, as wel what iniuries and manifold displeasures he had sustayned by the foure popes in all their tymes, as also the crueltie and tyrannie of thys Pope in pronouncing the sentence of iudgemente and condempnation againste hym (passyng the boūdes both of iustice, equitie, and reason) which letter, as he wrote the same, here vnder followeth to be seene.