then I would knowe, when he sawe and discerned al this?MarginaliaCopes Dialogues suspected not to be hys owne. For as I vnderstande, M. Cope beyng yet at this present scarse come to the age of. xl. yeares, he coulde not be then aboue nine yeare olde (the other sufferyng an. 1535.) in the whiche age, in my mynde, M. Cope had smal discretion to iudge eyther of any such angelical proportion of mans personage, or of his diuine qualities, and heroical celsitude of his mind, as yet he remembreth in hs Dialogues. Whiche thing amōg many other probabilities, maketh me vehemētly to suspect, that these Dialogues printed in Antwerpe, an. 1566. were brought ouer by M. Cope, there to be printed, but were penned & framed by an other Pseudocopus, what soeuer, or in what Fleete so euer he was, vnles my marks doo greatly faile me. But as the case is of no great weight, so I let it passe, returnyng to other matters of more importance.

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Shortly after, the ouerthrow of the Pope consequently began by litle and litle to folow the ruine  

of Abbeyes and religious houses in Englande, in a right order and methode by Gods diuine prouidence. For neither coulde the fall of Monasteries haue folowed after, vnlesse that suppression of the Pope had gone before, neither could any true reformation of the church haue bene attempted vnles þ^e subuersion of those superstitious houses had ben ioyned withal.

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MarginaliaSuppression of Abbeyes first beginneth in England. Whereupon the same yeare in the moneth of October, the king hauyng then Tho. Cromwel of his Counsel, sent Doct. Lee to visite the Abbeys, Priories, and Nunryes in al England, &MarginaliaReligious men vnder age let out of monasteryes. to set at libertie al suche religious persons, as desired to be free, & al other that were vnder the age of. 24. yeares: Prouidyng withal that such Monkes, Chanons, & fFryers as were dimissed, should haue geuē them by the Abbot or Prior, in stede of their habite, a secular Priestes gowne, and. xl. shillynges of money: & likewise the Nunnes to haue such apparel as secular women dyd then commonly vse, and suffered to goe where they would.MarginaliaThe king first beginneth with the iuells of Abbeyes. At which time also from the sayde Abbeys and Monasteries were taken their chiefe iewels and reliques.

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MarginaliaAnno. 1536 WHen the kyng had thus established hys supremacie, and all thinges were well quieted within the Realme, he like a wise prince, & hauing wise counsaile about him, forecasting with hym selfe, what forreine daungers might fal vnto hym by other countreys about, whiche all were yet in subiection to the Bishop of Rome, saue onely a fewe Germane princes, and misdoubting the malice of the pope: to prouide therefore by tyme for perilles that might ensue, thought good to keepe in by all meanes possible with other Princes.

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MarginaliaA solemne procession in London for ioy of the French kinges health. And first to entertaine the fauour of the French king,  

who had bene sicke a litle before, and nowe was lately recouered to health, in signification of publique ioye and frendship, the kyng cōmaunded a solemne and famous procession to be ordeyned through the citie of London, with the Waits and chyldren of Grammar scholes, with the maisters and vshers in their array: Then folowed the orders of the fryers and Chanons, and the Priours with their pompe of Copes, Crosses, Cādlestickes, and Vergers before them. After these folowed the next pagean of Clerkes & priestes of London, all in Copes likewise. Then the monkes of Westminster and other Abbeys, with their glorious gardeuiance of Crosses, Candlestickes, and Vergers before thē in like sort. Last of al came the queere of Paules, with their residensaryes, the Bishop of London and the Abbots folowyng after in their Pontificalibus. After these courses of the Clergie, went the companies of the citie, with þ^e lord Maior & Aldermē in their best apparel, after their degrees. And least it might be thought this Procession of the church of London, to make but a smal or a beggerly shewe, the furniture of the gay Copes there worne, was counted to the number of. 714. Moreouer, to fill vp the ioy of this procession, and for the more high seruice to almighty God, beside the singyng queeres, & chaunting of the priestes,MarginaliaA pyping procession. there lacked no minstrels withal, to pipe at the Procession. Briefly here lacked nothyng els, but only þ^e ordināce to shoot of also. But because that is vsed in the Processions at Rome, therfore for difference sake, the same is reserued onely for the Popes own Processions, and for none other, in the moneth of October.

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This grand procession was appoynted, for a triumphe or a thankes geuyng for the late recouerye of the Frenche kynges health, as is aforesayd.

Ouer and besides this, the kyng to nourishe and reteine amitie with kinges and princes, least the Pope beyng exiled nowe out of England, should incite them to warre agaynst hym, directed sundry Ambassadours and messengers with letters and instructions.MarginaliaAmbassadours sent to sundry kinges. To the Emperour was sent syr Tho. Wyat, to the French kyng syr Fraunces Brian, and Doct. Edw. Foxe, who was also sent to the Princes of Germanie, to the Scottes king was sent  

sir Raffe Sadler, gentleman of the kinges priuie chamber.

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In Scotlande the same tyme were cast abroade diuers railing ballets, and sclaunderous rimes against the king of England, for casting of the Ladye Dowager, and for abolishing the Pope:MarginaliaSyr Raffe Sadler ambassadour to the Scottes king. for the which cause the foresaid Sir Raffe Sadler being sent into Scotland, with lessons and instructions howe to addresse him selfe accordingly, after he had obteyned accesse vnto the king, and audience to be hearde, first declareth the affectuous and harty commendations from the kinges maiestie his graces vncle  

, and withal deliuered his letters of credence. Which done, after a fewe wordes of courtly enterteinement, as occasion serued hym to speake, the sayde Syr Raffe Sadler obteynyng audience, thus beganne in the king hys maisters behalfe, to declare, as foloweth.

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MarginaliaThe oration of Syr Rafe Sadler to the scottish king. WHereas there is nothing, after the glorye of almightye God, in this worlde so muche to be tendered by kynges, Princes, or any honest persons, or so highly to be regarded and defended, as their honor, estimation, good fame & name, which who soeuer neglecteth, is to be esteemed vnnatural, and vnlesse a man labor to auoyde and extinguishe the false reportes, sclaunders, and diffamations made of him by malitious persons, he may wel be suspected, in conscience to cōdemne him selfe: the kyng your vncle consideryng þ^e same, and hearing of sundry ballettes, criminations, and famous libelles, made and vntruely forged and deuised in Scotland against his grace, by your graces subiectes, not onely vpon trust to finde with your grace such natural affection, frendship, and amitie, as the nearnes of bloud betwene vncle and nephewe, necessitude of reuerence, proximitie both of kinne & of dominions together doth require: but also vpon assuraunce, that your grace and wisedome wyll consider howe these sclaunders and diffamations, although they were but againste a priuate person, what soeuer he were, moste commonly redounde and are imputed to the whole degree and estate: as the diffamation of kynges toucheth kynges, and so of other degrees and dignities: dooth sende at this tyme to your grace, his nephewe (other he might haue sent more worthy, but me at this tyme for lacke of better hath he sente) to desire, pray, and require your grace, that according as the nearenes of bloud, connexion of estate, and other thinges before expressed, of right and iustice do require: beseeching your grace, gently to weigh and balaunce, and wel to ponder the malice of these the saide sclaunderers, and to call in againe all the saide diffamatorie balletes, libelles, and other writinges, punishyng the authours and setters forth thereof, according to their demerites: and furthermore to cause open proclamations to be made through your realme, that none of the inhabitauntes there shall in anye manner wise so misuse him selfe hereafter, vpon suche great paine and punishment, as to your grace, and your Counsayle shall be thought conuenient for the transgression thereof: so that other by their correction, and by the fearefull example of the penaltie, may beware howe to committ the like offence in tyme commyng. MarginaliaEuill example a pernitious thing in a common wealth. The example of such sclaunders is very pernitious to all kinges. For by such sclaunders of other princes, þ^e sclaūderers take boldenesse so to deale afterward with their own king, as they haue done with other, and the next step from such sclaunderous words, is to attempt dedes, and so to fall to sedition: of the importance and daunger wherof no man is ignorant.

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Wherefore, your grace, at the contemplation of your deare vncle, in tendering his proceedynges, shall doo well to folowe therein the louyng steppes of his good brother and allye the Frenche king, who hath alreadye at Roane and sundrye places els, caused certaine sclaunderous preachers to be sore punished: and further directed commissions thorowe his Realme for repressing the same: As also other Princes shalbe readye (his Maiestie trusteth) to doo the like in their dominions, if like occasion shalbe geuen to require the same of them. In whiche so doyng, your grace maye be assured in this your gentle dealing in that part, to winne your vncles most sincere & kind hart, to the encrease of your amitie and alliance, which, as to you shalbe most honorable, so shal it be no lesse profitable vnto hym.

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MarginaliaThe second poynt. And thus to conclude with the first parte of my narration concernyng the sclaunderous and diffamatorie libelles, leaste I shoulde seeme with prolixitie of matter more then needes, to abuse your graces silence: I wyll nowe descende to the other poynt of that whiche I haue to vtter vnto your grace, as touchyng the Popes Nuntio or messenger  

. Of whose ariuall, the kinges Maiestie your vncle hauyng partly intelligence, but not certainely knowing the

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