speciall causes of his commyng from Rome, and yet fearyng by the common bruite and talke of your subiectes, what his erande shoulde be: that is, to practise some annoyaunce by his pretended censures againste the kinges Maiestie your vncle: he therefore premonishing your grace before, as fearing the woorst, most iustly maketh his complaint thereof vnto your grace his nephewe, requiryng you, that for as muche as the forsaide bruites and reportes are sclaunderous to his Maiestie: and seeing that neyther the Emperour, nor the Frenche kyng, nor any other Princes haue consented therto or vnderstood thereof, the kinges maiestie therfore your vncle willyng to stop those bruites & talkes, desireth & most hartily prayeth your grace at his instant request, to vouchsafe, to consider & way: MarginaliaSupremacie of Princes. First, the supremacie of princes by the holy scripture graunted vnto hym & other princes in earth vnder Christ, vpon their churches.

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Secondly, to weigh what the Gospel and Gods word calleth a Church.

Also, what superstitions, idolatries, and blynde abuses haue crept into al realmes, to þ^e high displeasure of almightye God by reason therof.

Fourthly, what is to be vnderstanded by the true censure or excommunication of the Churche, and howe no such can be in the power of the Bishop of Rome, or of any other man, against his Maiestie, or any other Prince, hauyng so iuste grounde to auoyde from the roote, and to abolishe that execrable authoritie, which the Bishop of Rome hath vsurped and doth vsurpe vpon al princes, to their great detrimēt and dammage.

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As touching the consideration of which foure poyntes, although the kinges maiestie your vncle doubteth not your grace to be furnished & prouided with sufficient knowledge, rightly to discerne and iudge vpon the same, yet if it shall so please your grace further to know your vncles mynd touching the said poynts, I assure your highnes in the behalfe of your foresaid vncle his maiestie, that he wyl not sticke to sende vnto you such learned, wise and discrete men, as shall amply enfourme you thereof, and of such other thinges as your grace hauyng once a smacke thereof, shal thinke moste worthy for a prince to knowe.

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His request therefore to your highnes is, that you wyl consider of what moment and importaunce it shalbe vnto your grace (hauyng the Scottes your subiectes so euyl instructed in the premisses) for you to assent and agree to any suche censure, and so by such example to geue such an vpper hand ouer your selfe and other princes, to that vsurper of Rome, as is very like hereafter to happen in other places of Christendome, where so euer the true declaration of the truth and word of God shal haue free course, to scourge them, vnlesse they wyll adore, woorshyp, and kysse the feete of that corrupt holynesse, which desireth nothing els but pride, and MarginaliaRomes yokes. the vniuersall thral of Christendome vnder Romes yokes.

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But because the censures of that Nuntio be not yet opened, but lye secrete and vncertaine vnder mutteryng, I shall cease further to proceede therein, tyl further occasion shall minister to me more certaine matter for to saye and to iudge. In the meane tyme for so muche as it is most certainly come to the intelligence of theMarginaliaThe Abbot of Arbroth chosen Cardinall of Scotland. kings maiestie, that þ^e Abbot of Arbroth  

should be chosen of late & elected to be a Cardinall in this your Realme of Scotlande, his maiestie therefore for the good loue & harty wyl he beareth vnto your grace, as the vncle is bounde vnto the nephew, knowing that you as yet perceiue not so wel the hypocrisie and deceitfull guile and malice of the Romanes and their practises, as he hym self doth by his long experience: could not but hearing thereof, aduertise your grace, that his aduise is, you should not suffer any of your subiectes to take vpon hym that red hatte of pride: whereby he shal incontinently, the same beyng receyued (vnlesse he be of a contrary nature to any man that euer was yet of that sort) not onely be in maner discharged of his obedience and become the bishop of Romes true liege man, but also shall presume of his Cardinalshyp to be your felowe, and to haue the rule as well as you. MarginaliaInconueniences that commeth by Cardinals. Then shall the Bishop of Rome crepe into your owne very bosome, knowe al your secretes, and at last, vnlesse you wyl be yoked, and serue their pleasure in al poyntes, your grace is like to smart for it. The thyng perchance in the beginnyng shal seeme to your grace very honourable and pleasant: but wisdome would to beware of the tayle, which is very black and bytter.

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His maiesties father, and Graundfather to your grace, had a Cardinal, wherof he was weary, and neuer admitted other after his decease, knowyng the importable pride of them. In like maner also his highnes by the experience of one, hath vtterly determined to auoide al the sort: So wel his grace hath knowen & experienced their mischiefe, yoke, and thraldome, that thereby is layd vpon princes. By rea son whereof, as his highnes is the more able by his owne experience to infourme your grace: so of good wyll & meere propensitie of hart, caused partly by nature and kinne, partly by coniunction and vicinitie of dominions adioynyng so neare together, he is no lesse ready to forewarne your grace before, wishing that God wyll so worke in your princely hart and noble stomake, that his maiesties monition and frēdly warnyng, as it proceedeth from a sincere affection and tender care of his parte vnto his nephewe, so it maye preuaile and take place in your mynd, that your grace wisely weighing with your selfe, what supreme right Princes haue and ought to haue vppon their Churches and landes where they gouerne, & what litle cause the bishop of Rome hath therto to procede by vniust censures against thē, your grace may therin not onely stand to the iust defence of your deare vncle, but also may endeuor to folow his steps therin, and to take his counsaile, whiche he doubteth not, but shall redounde not onely to your graces honour, to the benefite, weale & profit of your realme & subiects, but especially to þ^e glory of almighty God, and aduauncement of his true religion.

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And thus haue I expounded to your grace, the summe of my errand and message from the kinges maiestie your vncle: who as he would be glad to be aduertised by answeare, of your graces purpose, mynd, and intention in this behalfe, so for my part, accordyng to my charge and duetie, I shall be prest and ready with al diligence, to geue mine attendance vpon your pleasure for the same accordyngly.

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MarginaliaThe kinges message to the French kyng. THe kyng considering the present state of his marriage whiche was not yet well digested nor accepted in the Courtes of other Princes: and also hauyng intelligence of the strayte amitie intended by the marriages betweene the Emperour and the French king, and also of the popes inclination to pleasure the Emperour, and further vnderstādyng of the order & meanyng of the French kinges Counsaile, not greatly fauouring his purposes, sent therfore vnto Fraunce for his ambassadour Edw. Foxe  

doct. of Diuinitie, his Chaplaine and Coūsaillour, with instructions and admonitions how to frame and attemper him selfe in those the kynges affayres. The contentes of whiche his instructions came to this effecte: That the saide Edward Foxe, first declaring to the French king the most affectuous commendations made on the kinges behalfe, with declaration of the kings most entire and hartie good wyl to vnderstand of his prosperitie, & the good successe of his affayres, which his maiestie no lesse desired then his owne: and also after the kyngs letters being deliuered to hym and to other personages of his Counsaile, then, after his accesse made vnto the kyng, should vtter & insinuate vnto the kyng, his maisters mind & intent in these three speciall poyntes folowing.

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MarginaliaThree causes to be declared in the kinges defence. The first was, to declare the iustnes of the kings cause, concernyng the late mariage with queene Anne, and diuorcement of the king, from his brothers wife.

The second, to signifie and expresse the iniuries done by the Pope, as afterward shalbe declared.

The thirde was to winne and allure to the kinges deuotion the Chauncelour of Fraunce.

And as touchyng the declaration of the iustnes of the kynges cause, first he takyng with hym certaine bookes printed, conteynyng the  

determinations of Vniuersities in that behalfe, with reasons and authorities confirming the same, should distribute the said bookes to the Bishop of S. Line, and to other bishops, to Monsieur de Langez, & other of the kinges counsaile moe, and to proue after the best fashion to obtaine their approbations of the same bookes, and with dexteritie to assay whether he could induce them of the Vniuersitie of Paris, and other learned men, to send forth this booke with their authorities and approbations. That done, then he being acquainted in al those pointes & articles of the kinges cause, in communication and conference (as the case required) shoulde not onely make answeare to such thinges as should be obiected, but also furnish & mainteyne the iustnes of that opinion, with his learnyng, in such sort as he could best inuent and cogitate.

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MarginaliaThe Popes iniuryes donne to the kyng of England. As touching the second part, which conteyned the iniuries done by the pope agaynst the king, the said ambassador in that behalfe, beyng a man no lesse acquainted, then also wel beaten and ripe in the manifold misbehauiours of the Pope, from the beginnyng of the cause, should declare & expresse to the French king, howe iniuriously the saide Pope had demeaned hym self toward the kinges highnes: first in sending  

a commission decretal, and then commaunding it to be burnt: as also in promising by schedule of his own hand,

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