MIra legis, quicunq̀;, legis, protenta nefundi
Exitus, vt pœnas addita pœna luat.
Vera legis, Domini cuicunq̀; potentia nota est,
Vt delinquentes ira seuera premat.
Sæpè fit vt fusus cumuletur sanguine sanguis,
Sæpè fit vt pœnis abruat ira nouis.
Omnia sunt Domini dextræ subiecta potenti,
Qui ciet arbitrio bruta, homines q̀; suo.
Carnificis taurus luctando corniger ictus
Euitans, fracto fune repentè fugit.
Fortè viam quâ turba frequens confluxerat antè.
Fæminea vt cernat membra perire rogo,
Taurus ijt, fertur quâ confertißima turba,
Læsus at ex tanta solus & vnus erat:
Solus & vnus erat, rapidos qui misit in ignes.
Et miserè paruum sparsit ouile Dei.
Et quasi consultò ferretur, præterit omnes,
Cornibus hunc tollit, proterit hunc pedibus.
Ille iacet, madido fædatur sanguine corpus.
Eruta perq̀; vias viscera sparsa iacent.
Quis non a Domino, nutu qui temperat orbem,
Cogitet hæc fieri? non repetendo tremat?
Vltio terribiles comitatur iusta procellas,
Sera licet, certis paßibus illa venit.

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And thus much concernyng the state of the Churche. Wherin is to be vnderstād, what stormes and persecutions haue ben raysed vp in all quarters agaynst the flocke and congregation of Christ, not onely by the Turkes, but also at home within our selues, by the Bishop of Rome, and his retinue. Where also is to be noted in the dayes and reigne of this kyng Henry the vij. how mightely the workyng of Gods Gospell hath multiplied and encreased, and in what great nūbers of men & wemē haue suffered for the same, with vs in England, as by these stories aboue past, may be apparent.

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MarginaliaThe state of the common wealth, commonly foloweth the state of the church.Now these things declared, which to the churche matters bee appertenynyg, consequently it remaineth somethyng to entreate of þ^e state lykewise of þ^e cōmon wealth, which cōmonly doth folow þ^e state of the churche. Where the churche is quietly and moderately gouerned, and the flocke of Christ defēded by godly princes in peace & safetie, from deuouryng & violēce of bloudy wolues: the successe of ciuile estate, for the most part, there doth florishe, and the princes long continue throughe Gods preseruation, in prosperous rest and tranquillitie. Contrarywise where the Churche of Christ either throughe the negligence of princes, or throughe their settyng on, the poore members of Christ be persecuted and deuoured: MarginaliaThe dewtie of princes to defende their subiectes from the slaughter of the Churche of Rome.shortly after ensueth some iust recompense of þ^e Lord vpon those princes, that either their lyues do not long continue, or els they finde not that quiet in the cōmon wealth, whiche they looke for. Examples hereof, as in all other ages be aboundant: so in this present tyme be not lackyng, whether we consider the state & conditiō of other countreys farre of, or els of our owne countrey nere at home.

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And here not to wander in our story, farther then to Fraunce onely: let vs a litle behold the example of kyng Charles the viij: who lyuyng in thys kynges tyme, dyed also not long before him. This Charles is commended of Philippus Cominæus, to bee a moderate, valiaunt, and victorious prince, adourned with many speciall vertues to a prince apperteinyng.  

And yet the same kyng, because he was slacke and remisse in defēce of Christes Churche, neither did vse his authoritie, nor tooke his occasion offered to hym of God, to amende and refourme the state of the Byshop and clergie of Rome when hee might, hee was therefore him selfe punished and cut of, of the Lorde, as by hys story ensuyng may ryght well appeare. For so it is of him recorded, that beyng meruelously excited and prouoked þ^t of hys owne mynde (contrary to the coūsaile of most of hys nobles) he tooke hys viage vnto Italie, neyther beyng furnyshed with money, nor the season of the yeare beyng conuenient thereunto. And that this may appeare the better to pro-cede of the Lordes doyng, to the entent he would haue the Churche and clergie of Rome reformed by the princes swoorde, whiche so vexed all Christendome at that tyme, we shall heare what is testified in the commentaries of the foresayd Philip. Cominæus lib. 3. De bello Neapolit. writyng in this wise:

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MarginaliaEx commentarijs Phil. Cominæi De bello Neapolitano lib. 3.
Vid. supra pag. 867.

MarginaliaThe prophecie of Hierome Sauonarola. MarginaliaNote. And this the sayd Hieronymus declared before to Cominæus one of þ^e; kyngs counsailours, whiche was the writer of the story, and required him to signifie the same vnto the kyng: which so did; and he moreouer him selfe commyng to the presence of the kyng, declared no lesse. All whiche thynges, as hee had foretold, came directly to effect.   For the kyng beyng but easely accompanyed with a small power, entred into Italie, where first he came to Asta, then to Genua, and to Pisæ, from thence proceded to Florence, whiche also he obteyned, displacing there Petrus Medices the Duke, who had vsed great tyrannie vpon the subiectes. MarginaliaVide. phil. Cominaū de bello Neopol. lib. 3.From thence he remoued toward Rome, where a great part of þ^e Citie wall at þ^e cōmyng of the French kyng, fell downe. Afterwarde when the kyng was intred into the Citie, and the Pope (who thē tooke part with Alphōsus kyng of Neaples agaynst the Frenche kyng) had immured him selfe within the mount of Adrian, the walle of the castle fell downe of it selfe: whereby, when the kyng was both occasioned, and exhorted also by his captaines to inuade the Pope, and to depose hym, and to reforme the Church of Rome (which he might then easely haue done, as it had pleased him) yet all these occasions offred so opportunely of God, moued not þ^e king to do his duetie, and to helpe the poore Churche of Christ:   Wherfore shortly after, returnyng home into Fraunce frō Neapolis, either þ^e same yeare or þ^e next yeare folowyng he was stroocken with a sodeyne sicknes at Amboise, as he was lookyng on them that played at tennes, & that in the stynkyngest place in all the Castle, where he fell down & dyed within xij. houres, accordyng to the forewarnyng of Hieronymus, who wrote vnto him a litle before, both of his sonnes death and of his owne: Whiche was about the yeare of our Lord. 1498.MarginaliaDe bello Neopolit. lib. 5. Ex Philip. Cominæo. lib. 5.

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Lyke examples we haue many here also in this our realme of England.  

So long as kyng Ihon kepte out of the realme, the Popes authoritie and power, hee continued safe and quiet with his nobles: but so soone as hee brought the realme vnder tribute and subiection to that foreine Byshop, God styrred vp his nobles against him, whereby hee had much disquiet and trouble and soone thereupon decayed.

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