the assaultes of their enemies on earth, they would not seme to shrinke for the persecution of any plage or sickenes. But for somuch as they could not all be kept there, it was politickly prouided, that the Councell should not seme to bee dissolued for any mans departure. And for the more establishment of þ^e matter, there were certaine thynges read before the fathers, whiche they called De Stabilimento, whose authoritie continued long time after. MarginaliaA great pestilence in Basill.When as the Dogge dayes were come, and that all herbes wythered with heat, the pestilence encreased dayly more and more, that it is vncredible how many dyed. It was to horrible to see the corses hourely caryed thorowe the streates, whē on euery side there was weping, wayling, and sighing. There was no house voyde of mournyng: no myrthe or laughter in no place, but matrones bewayling theyr husbandes, and the husbandes theyr wiues. Men & women went through the streates, and durst not speake one vnto an other. Some taried at home, and other some that went abroade, had perfumes to smel vnto, to preserue them against the plage.

The common people dyed without nomber: and like as in the colde Autumne, the leaues of the trees do fall, euen so dyd the youth of the citie consume & fall away. The violence of þ^e disease was such, that ye should haue mette a mā mery in the streate now, & within. x. houres heard that he had bene buryed. The nomber of the dead corses was such also, þ^t they lacked place to burye them in: in somuch that all the churchyardes were digged vppe, and fylled with dead corses, & great holes made in the paryshe churches, wheras a great number of corses beyng thrust in together, they couered them ouer with earth. For which cause the fathers were so afrayd, that there appeared no bloud in their faces: MarginaliaLudouleus the prothonotary died of the plague.and specially the sodaine death of Ludouicus þ^e Prothonotary, did make all men afrayd, who was a strong man and florishyng in age, & singularly learned in both lawes: whō the same enuious & raging sicknes toke away in a fewe houres. By and by after, dyed Ludouicus þ^e Patriarke of Aquileia, a man of great age, & brought vp alwayes in trouble & aduersity, neither could he see the day of the popes election which he had long wished for: Notwithstāding he tooke partely a consolatiō in that he had sene Gabriell deposed before his death. This mās death was greuous vnto all the fathers, for now they sayd that. ij. pillers of the Councell were decayd and ouerthrowne, meanyng the Prothonotary and the Patriarke, whereof the one by the law, and the other with his dedes defended the veritie of the Councell.

About the same time also, dyed the kyng of Arragons Amner in Switzerland, a man of excellēt learning, being Byshop of Ebron. The Abbot of Vergilia dyed at Spire, & Iohn the Bishop of Lubecke, betwene Vienna and Buda.

These. ij. last rehearsed, euen at the point of death, did this thyng worthy of remembraūce. When as they perceiued the houre of their death to approche, calling vnto thē certaine graue & wise men, said: MarginaliaThe exhoration of those which died.All you that be here present, pray to God, þ^t he wil cōuert such as knowledge Gabriell for hygh byshop, for in that state they cannot be saued: & professyng them selues þ^t they would dye in the faith of the Councell of Basill, they departed in the Lord. MarginaliaThe bishop of Constance dyeth.In Boheme also departed the bishop of Constāce, which was Ambassadour for the Councell. There was greate feare & tremblyng throughout all þ^e councell. MarginaliaThe Abbot of Dona a true abbot.There had bene also in þ^e coūcel, by a long time, þ^e Abbot of Dona, of the diocesse of Cumana, a man poore vnto the world, but riche vnto God, whom neyther flatterynges nor threatnynges coulde turne away from hys good purpose & intent, chusing rather to begge in þ^e truth of þ^e fathers, thē to abound in riches with þ^e false flattering aduersaries.

Wherupon, after the Lordes were departed, which gaue hym hys liuyng, he remainyng still, was stricken with the plague and dyed. Likewise a great number of the registers and Doctors dyed: and such as fel into thatdisease, few or none escaped. MarginaliaEneas the author hereof escaped death hardly.One amongest all the rest, Eneas Syluius, being striken with this disease, by Gods helpe escaped. This man lay iij. dayes euen at the point of death, all men beyng in dispaire of hym: notwithstāding it pleased God to graunt him longer life. Whē as the pestilence was most feruente and hote, and that daily there died aboue one hundred, there was great intreaty made vnto Cardinal Arelatensis, that he would go to some other towne or village nere hand: for these were the wordes of all his frendes and houshold: What doo you most reuerent father? At the least voyde this wane of the moone, and saue your self: who beyng safe, all we shall also be safe: if you die, we all perishe. If the plague oppresse you, vnto whom shall we flye? Who shall rule vs? or who shall be the guide of this most faithful flock? The infection hath alredy inuaded your chamber. Your secretary and chamberlaine are already dead. Consider the great daunger, and saue both your selfe and vs. MarginaliaThe inuincible constancie and fortitude of the Cardinall Arelatensis.But neyther the intreaty of his housholde, neither the corses of those which were dead, could moue him, willyng rather to preserue the councell with perill of his lyfe, then to saue hys lyfe w^t perill of the councell: for he did know that if he should depart, few would haue taried behynd, and that disceite shoulde haue bene wrought in hys absence. Wherfore, lyke as in warres þ^e souldiors feare no daunger, when as they see their captaine in the middest of their enemies: so the fathers of the councel were ashamed to flye from this pestilence, seyng their president to remaine with thē in themiddest of all dangers. Which their doynges did vtterly subuerte the opinion of them, which babled abroade, that the fathers taried in Basill to seeke their owne profite & commodity, & not the verity of the fayth: for there is no cōmodity vpon the earth, which mē would chaūge for their liues: for that all such as do serue the world, do prefer before all other thinges. But these our fathers shewyng themselues an inuincible strong wall for the house of God, vanquishing all the crafty deceites which Gabriell vsed, and ouercoming all difficulties, which this most cruel and pestiferous yeare brought vpō them, at the length all desire of lyfe also being set a parte, they haue ouercome all daungers, and haue not doubted with most constant mindes to defend the veritye of the councel, euen vnto this present.

The time of the decree being passed, after the deposition of Gabriel, it semed good vnto the fathers, to procede to the election of an other bishop. And first of al they nominated those that together w^t the Cardinals, should elect the Pope. MarginaliaThe commendation of Arelatensis.The first and principall of the Electours was the Cardinall Arelatensis, a man of inuincible constancie, and incomparable wisdome: vnto whose vertue I may iustly ascribe whatsoeuer was done in the councell: for without him, the Prelates had not perseuered in their purpose, neither could the shadow of any prince haue so defended them. This man came not to þ^e election by any fauour or denomination, but by his own proper right. The rest of the Electors were chosen out of the Italian, French, Germaine, and Spanish nations, and theyr Selles and chambers appointed to thē by lottes, wythout respect of dignity or person, & as the lots fel, so they were placed: Whereby it chaunced a Doctor to haue the highest place, & a bishop þ^e last. Wherin þ^e distribution of lots was very straunge, or rather a diuine dispensatiō, reprouing the deuises of man, where as þ^e prelates had determined to haue the best Chambers appoynted for them selues, and had earnestly contended before to haue their chambers appoynted according to their dignitye.

MarginaliaThe councell of Marcus.The next day after, there was a Session holden, wher in Marcus a famous Diuine, made an Oration vnto the Electors, wherein hee rekoned vppe the manyfolde crimes of Gabriel, which was deposed. He endeuored to perswade the Electors to chuse such a man, which shuld in all poyntes, be contrary vnto Gabriel, and eschewe all