his vices: that as he, through his manyfolde reproches, was hurtfull vnto all men: so he which should be chosē, should shewe himselfe acceptable vnto all men, through iustice: and as Gabriel was couetous and ful of rapine, so this man should shew himselfe continent.

There was so great a nomber of people gathered together to behold this matter, that neyther in the church, neither in the streetes, any man cold passe. There was present Iohn Earle of Dierstein, who supplied the place of the Emperours Protector: also the Senatours of the Cite, w^t many other noble mē, to behold þ^e same, wherof you shall heare (Christ willing) more largely hereafter. The Citizens were without in armour to prohibite that there should be no vproare made. The Electors receyued the Communion together, and afterwardes, they receiued their oth: and the cardinall Arelatensis opening the booke of decrees, red the forme of the othe in the audience of all men, and first of all, hee takyng the othe hymselfe, began in thys maner.

MarginaliaThe godly othe of Arelatensis.Most reuerent Fathers, I promise, sweare & vowe before my Lord Iesus Christ (whose most blessed bodye I vnworthy synner haue receaued; vnto whome in the last iudgemēt I shall geue a coumpt of all my deedes) þ^t in this busines of election, whereunto now by the wyl of the Councell we are sent: I will seeke nothing els, then the onely saluation of the Christen people, and the profit of the vniuersall church. This shal be my whole care and study, that the autoritiy of the generall councells be not contemned: that the catholike fayth bee not impugned, and that the fathers which remayne in the councel, be not oppressed. This wyll I seeke for: this shall bee my care: vnto this, withall my whole force and power, wyl I bend my selfe: neyther wyl I respect any thing in thys poynt, eyther for mine own cause, or for any frend, but onely God and the profit of the church. With this mind and entente, and with thys harte will I take mine othe before the councell. His wordes were liuelye and fearefull. MarginaliaThe other Electours take their othe.After him all the other Electors in their order, did sweare and take their othe. Then they wente wyth great solemnity vnto the Conclaue: where they remayned. vij. dayes. The maner of their election was in thys sort. Before þ^e Cardinals seat was set a deske, wherupō there stoode a basen of siluer: into the which basen all the Electors did cast their scheduls: which the Cardinall receiuing, red one by one, and. iiij. other of the Electours wrote as he read them.

The tenour of the Scheduls was in this maner. I George bishop of Vicene do chuse such a mā, or such a mā, for B. of Rome, & peraduenture named one or two: euery one of the electours subscribed his name vnto þ^e Schedule, that he might thereby knowe his owne, and say nay, if it were contrary to that which was spoken: whereby all disceite was vtterly excluded. The first scrutiny MarginaliaA scrutinie is a preuie election by voyces.thus ended, it was found that there were many named to the Papacy. Yet none had sufficient voyces, for þ^t day there were xvij. of diuers natiōs nominate. MarginaliaAmedeus duke of Sauoy.Notwithstanding, Amedeus duke of Sauoy, a man of singuler vertue, surmoūted them all: for in the first scrutiny he had the voyce of xvi. electors, which iudged him worthy to gouerne the churche.

After thys, there was diligent inquisition had in the Councell, touchyng those whiche were named of the electours, and as euerye mannes opinion serued him, he dyd either praise or discommend those whiche were nominate. Notwithstandyng there was suche reporte made of Amedeus, that in the nexte scrutinye, whiche was holden in the Nonas of Nouember, the said Amedeus had xxi. voyces, and likewise in the iij. and iiij. scrutiny, xxi. voyces. And for so much as there was none found in all the scrutiny to haue ij. partes, all the other schedules were burnt. And for somuch as there lacked but onely one voyce to the electiō of the high bishop, they fell vnto prayer, desiring god that he would vouchMarginaliaPrayer for vnitie and concorde.safe to direct their mindes to an vnity and concord, worthely to elect & chuse hym which should take the charge ouer the flocke of God. Forsomuch as Amedeus semed to bee nearer vnto the papacy then all other, there was great communication had amongs them touchyng his life and disposition. Some sayd that a lay man oughte not so sodenly to be chosen: for it would seme a straunge thyng for a seculer prince to be called vnto þ^e bishopricke of Rome: which would also to much derogate frō the ecclesiasticall state, as though there wer none therin mete or worthy for that dignity. Other some sayd that a mā which was maried & had childrē, was vnmeete for such a charge. Other some agayne affirmed that the byshop of Rome ought to be a doctor of lawe, and an excellent learned man. When these wordes were spoken, other some rising vp, spake farre otherwise, that albeit Amedeus was no doctour, yet was he learned and wyse, for so much as al his whole youth, he had bestowed in learnyng and study, & had sought not the name, but euē the ground of learning. Then said an other, if ye be desirous to be instructed further of this princes life, I pray you geue eare vnto me, which doe know him thorowly. MarginaliaLet lying Pogius be ashamed of hys false inuectiue agaynst Menedeus.Truly this man from his youth vpward, and euē from his yong & tender yeares, hath liued more religiouslye thē secularly, being alwaies obedient vnto his parentes & maisters, & being alwaies endued w^t the feare of God, neuer geuen to any vanity or wantonnes: neither hath there at any time bene any child of the house of Sauoy, in whom hath appered greater wit or towardnes: wherby all those which did behold and knowe this man, iudged and foresaw some great matter in hym: neyther were they deceiued. For if ye desire to know hys rule & gouernaunce, what and how noble it hath bene: First know ye this, that thys man hath raygned since hys fathers decease, about. xl. yeares. During whose time, iustice, the Ladie and Quene of all other vertues, hath alwayes florished: For he hearing his subiectes hym selfe, would neuer suffer the poore to be oppressed, or þ^e weake to be deceiued. He was þ^e defender of the fatherles, þ^e aduocate of the widowes, and protector of the poore. Ther was no rapine or robbery in all his territory. The poore and rich liued all vnder one law, neither was he burthenous vnto his subiectes, or importune against straungers throughout all his coūtrey: there was no greuous exactions of money, thorowout all his dominion. Hee thought himselfe rich inough, if the inhabitaunts of hys dominions did abound and were rich, knowing that it was the poynt of a good shepheard to sheare hys sheepe, and not to deuour them. In this also was hys chiefe studye and care, that his subiectes might liue in peace, and suche as bordered vpon him, myght haue no occasion of grudge. By whiche policies he did not onely quietly gouerne hys Fathers dominion, but also augmented the same by otheres, which willingly submitted them selues vnto him. He neuer made warre vpō any, but resistyng against such as made warres vpon him, he studied rather to make peace, then to seeke any reuenge, desiring rather to ouercome his enemies w^t benefites, then with the sword. He maried only one wife, which was a noble virgin, and of singuler beutye and chastitye. He would haue all hys familye to keepe their handes & eyes chaste & continent, & thorowout al his house, honesty & integrity of maners was obserued. Whē as his wife had chaūged her life, & that he perceiued his Duchy, to be established, & that it should come w^tout any controuersye vnto his posterity, he declared his minde which was alwaies religious, and dedicate vnto God, and shewed what wil and affection he had long borne in hys hart. For he contemning the pompe and state of this world, calling vnto him his deare friendes, departed and went into a wyldernes: where as, building a goodly Abbey, hee addicted hymselfe wholye to the seruice of God, and taking hys