sendeth for kyng Arnulphus for ayde agaynst his aduersaires. Who then marching toward Rome, was there resisted by the Romanes from entryng. But in the siege (sayth the author) the Romanes within so playde the Lions, that a poore hare (or such a like thyng) commyng toward the City: the hoste of Arnulphus folowed after with such a maine cry, that the valiaunt Romanes vpon the walles for very feare, (where there was no hurt) cast thēselues desperatly ouer the walles: so that Arnulphus with litle labour scaled the walles, and gat the Citie. Thus Arnulphus obteinyng the Citie of Rome, rescueth Pope Formosus, & beheadeth his aduersaries, whom the Pope, to gratifie with like recompence agayne, blesseth and crowneth him for emperour. Thus Formosus sittyng fast about the space of 4. or 5. yeares, folowed his predecessors: after whose tyme (as I sayd) within the space of ix. yeares were ix. Bishops as foloweth. But in the meane tyme concernyng the story of this Formosus declared by Sigebert, and many other Chroniclers: this thyng would I gladly aske, & more gladly learne of some indifferent good Catholike person, which not of obstinacie, but of simple errour being a papist would aunswere his conscience. Whether doth he thinke the holy order of Priesthode, whiche he taketh for one of the vij. sacramentes, to be MarginaliaCharacter indelebilis.Character indelebilis or not? If it be not indelebilis, that is, if it be such a thing, as may be put of: why then doth the Popes doctrine so call and so hold the contrary, pretendyng it to be indelebile, vnremouable? If it be in dede, so as they teache and affirme, indelebilis character, why then dyd Pope Iohn, or could Pope Iohn, adnichilat & euacuat one of his seuen Popeholy Sacramentes: makyng of a Priest a non Priest, or a layman: vncharacteryng his owne order, whiche is (as he sayth) a character, which in no wise may be blotted out, or remoued? Agayne how soeuer Pope Iohn is to be iudged in this matter, to do either well or not wel, this would I know, if he did wel in so dispriestyng and discharactering Formosus, for such priuate offences? If yea, how then standeth his doing with his owne doctrine, which teacheth the contrary? If he dyd not well how then standeth his doctrine with his doynges to be true, MarginaliaWhether the Pope with his cardinals may erre.which teacheth that the Pope with his Sinode of Cardinals can not erre? Moreouer if this Pope Iohn did not erre in his disorderyng Formosus: how then dyd Martinus his successour not erre, in repealing the sayd doyng of his predecessour? Or how did not Pope Formosus erre him selfe, who beyng vnpriested by Pope Iohn: afterward without reiteratyng the character or order of Priesthode, tooke vpon him to be Pope, and made actes & lawes in the Churche? Agayne, if Formosus now Pope did not erre, how then did Pope Stephen his successour afterward not erre: who did annichilate the consecration, and all other actes of the sayd Formosus, as erroneus? Or agayne if we say that this Stephen with his Sinode of Cardinals dyd right: then how could it be, that Pope Theodore, & Pope Iohn the x, whiche came after the foresayd Stephen, did not plainly erre. Who approuing the consecration of Formosus: did condemne, & burne the actes Sinodale, of Stephen and his Cardinals, which before had condēned Formosus: accordyng as in story here consequently may appeare.

MarginaliaBonifacius 6.

Pope
Stephen. 6
Pope.
Ex chroni. Martini pœnitentiarij. Sigibert.
Ex polich. et alijs.After Formosus had gouerned the sea of Rome fiue yeres succeded first Bonifacius the vi. who continued but 25. dayes, then came Stephen the vi. which so enuied the name of his prededessor Formosus: that he abrogated and dissolued his decrees. And taking vp his body, after it was buried, cut two fingers of his right hand, and commaunded them to be cast into Tiber, and then buried the body in a priuate or laymans sepulchre.

This Stephen after he had set in the chaire of pestilēce one yeare: succeded in the same chaire, Pope Rhomanus, and sate 3. monethes: repealing the actes decreed by Stephen his predecessor, against Formosus. MarginaliaPope Theodorus 2.
Pope Iohn. 10.

One coūcell burneth an others decreesNext to whome came Theodorus. 2. who likewise taking parte with Formosus against the foresayd Stephē, reigned but 20. daies. Then sate Pope Iohn the 10. who did fight and repugne against the Romanes, And to confirme the cause of Formosus more surely, did hold a sinode at Rauenna of 74. bishops, with the Frenche king Endo and his Archbishops being present at the same. At the which councell, were ratified all the decrees and doings of Formosus: and the contrary actes of the sinode of Stephen the vi. were burned. This pope liued not Pope fully two yeares: MarginaliaPope Benedictus. 4
Pope Leo 5 emprisoned and vnpoped by his own chaplayne.after whom succeded Benedictus the 4. which kept the chaire three yeares. After whom Leo the 5. was next Pope, who within xl. dayes of his papacie, was with strong hand taken and cast in prison by one Christopher his owne houshold chaplaine, whō he had long nourished before in his house. Which thing (sayth Platina) could not be done without great con-spiracie and great slaughter of men. MarginaliaPope Christoferus. 1.Which Christofer being Pope about the space of seuen monthes, was likewise himself hoisted from his papall throne by Sergius, like as he had done to his master before. And thus within the space of 9. yeares, had bene 9. Popes one after an other. MarginaliaPope Sergius. 3.Then Sergius after he had thrust downe Pope Christofer, and shorne him monke into a monastery, occupied the rowme 7. yeares. This Sergius a rude man, and vnlearned, very proude and cruell: had before bene put backe from the popedome by Formosus aboue mētioned. By reason wherof, to reuēge Formosus agayne being now in his papacie, caused the body of Formosus, where it was buried to be takē vp: and afterwarde set in the papall sea (as in his pontificalibus) first disgraded him, then MarginaliaPope Formosus after his death beheaded of Pope Sergius.commaunded his head to be smitten of, with the other three fingers that were left (as Sigebertus writeth) which done, he made his bodye to be thrown into Tiber, deposing likewise all such, as by the said Formosus before had bene consecrated and inuested. This body of Formosus thus throwne into Tiber, was afterward (as our writers say) found and taken vp by certaine fishers, and so brought into S. Peters temple. MarginaliaA false fayned miracle vpon the body of Formosus.At the presence wherof (as they say) certaine images there standing by, bowed down themselues, and reuerenced the same, with lye and all. MarginaliaPopishe miracles not to be credited.But such deceauable miracles of stockes and Images in monkish and frierly temples, be to vs no newes, especially here in England: where we haue bene so inured with the lyke, and so many, that such wily practises cannot be to vs inuisible: though this crowneshorne generation, thynke themselues to daunce in a net. But the truth is, while they thinke to deceaue the simple, these wily beguily most of all deceaue themselues, as they wil finde except they repent. MarginaliaBearing of candles on Candlemas day howe it came vp.By this Pope Sergius, first it came vp to beare about cādles on Cādelmas day: for þ^e purifieng of the blessed virgin. As though the sacred conceptiō of Iesus the sonne of God, were to be purified as a thing vnpure: & that with candellight.

MarginaliaPope Anastasius. 3.After Sergius, entred pope Anastasius, in whose time the body of Formosus forenamed, is thought to be found of fishermen in the riuer of Tiber, & so brought, as is said, into the temple to be saluted of the images, which thing may quickly be tainted as a lie. For how is it to be thought that the body of Formosus so long dead before, and now lyeng 7. yeares in the ryuer: could remayne whole all that while, that fishers might take it vp, and discern it to be the same? After Anastasius had sate two yeres, folowed MarginaliaPope Lando. 1.Pope Lando, the father (as some stories thinke) of Pope Iohn, which folowed after. This Lando reigned vi. monthes. After him succeded his sonne and bastard, MarginaliaPope Iohn. 11.Pope Iohn the xi. whiche Iohn is sayde to be the paramour of Theodora a famous harlot of Rome, and set vp of the same harlot either against Lando, or after Lando his father to succede in his rowme. MarginaliaHarlots at this time ruled all at Rome.There is a story writer called Liuthprandus, who writing de Imperatoribus Lib. 2. cap. 13. maketh there mention of this Theodora, and Pope Iohn. xi. and sayth moreouer that this Theodora had a daughter named Marozia: which Marozia had by Pope Sergius aboue mentioned a sonne, which afterward was pope Iohn the. 12. The same Marozia afterward it chaunced to marry with Guido Marques of Tuscia: through the meanes of which Guido and hys frendes at Rome, she brought to passe that this Pope Iohn the 11. was smothered with a pillow laid to his mouth, after he had reigned 13. yeares. And so the foresayd Iohn the 12. her sonne, to succede next after hym. But because þe clergie and people of Rome dyd not agree to his election, therfore was Pope Leo the vi. in hys place set vp. MarginaliaPope Iohn. 12.
Pope Leo. 6.
Pope Stephan 6.
Pope Iohn. 12. restored.Thus Pope Iohn the sonne of Sergius and Marozia beyng deiected, reigned Pope Leo 7. monthes. After hym Pope Stephen two yeares. Who beyng poysoned, then was pope Iohn the 12. aboue rehearsed, the sonne of Sergius and Marozia set vp agayne in þe papacie, where he reigned nere the space of v. yeares. Of the wickednesse of this strumpet Marozia, how she maried two brethren, one after the death of the other: And how she gouerned all Rome, & the whole church at that time, I let it passe. Although the latin verses wherwith the sayd Liuthprandus MarginaliaLiuthprādus Ticinēsis. li. 3.doth inuey against suche women as marry two brethren, were neither vnworthy here to be recited, and perhappes might be further applied then to that Marozia of Rome, but for shortnesse I let them also passe.

MarginaliaPope Stephan. 7.
Pope Leo. 7.
Pope Stephan. 7.
Pope Martin. 3
Pope Agapetus. 2.After Ioan. 12. followed Pope Stephen. three yeares. Pope Leo 3. yeares and 4. monethes. Pope Stephen the eight 3. yeares and. 4. monthes. Pope Martine 3. yeares & 6. monthes. After him Pope Agapetus 8. yeares & 6. monethes. About whose tyme or a little before began first the order of monkes called Ordo Cluniacensis, &c.

MarginaliaOrdo Cluniacensis beginneth.But now to leaue of those monstruous matters of