bout the thousand yeares expired after Christ: wherof we haue to intreat, Christ so permittyng. MarginaliaPope Siluester the .2.About the which tyme and yeare came Siluester þ^e second of that name, who next succeded after Gregory the. 5. before mentioned pag. 161. and occupyed the sea of Rome about the yeare of our Lord. 1000. lackyng one or two.

MarginaliaSiluester the .2. a foule sorcerer.This Siluester was a Sorcerer, which after the sort of them, that worke by familiars (as they call thē) and by coniuration, compacted with the deuill, to be made pope. And so he was (through the operation of Sathan) accordyng to his request. Which thyng some histories say, he did greatly repent before his death. But for a more ample declaration hereof, I will bryng in the wordes of Ioannes Stella. a Venetian, translated from Latin into English, concerning the sayd Siluester: to the entent that our inchaunters and sorcerers now a dayes (wherof there be to many in England) may the better through his example be admonished. The wordes of Stella be these, agreyng also with the narration of Benno, Platina and many other. MarginaliaIoannes Stella.
Platina.
Petrius Praemonstratēsis.
Nauclerus.
Antoninus.
Robertus Barnus.
Ioānes Baleus.Siluester the second of that name, beyng Pope, and a frenchman, called Gibertus: sate in his Papacyie iiij. yeares, one moneth and. viij. dayes. He entred into his Papacy, through wicked and vnlawfull meanes: who from his youth beyng a mōke, and leauyng his monastery, gaue himselfe wholy to the deuill, to obtaine that which he required. And first commyng to Hispalis a Citie in Spayne, there applyed his booke and profited there in so much, þ^t he was made Doctour, hauyng amongst his auditours, Otho the Emperours sonne, and Robert the French kyng, Lotharius Archbyshop of Senon, with diuers other mo. By whose aduauncement he was promoted, first Byshop of Rheme, afterward Bishop of Rauenna, and at last through the operation of Sathan, was exalted to the Papacy of Rome, vpon this condition, that after his death, he shoulde geue himselfe to the deuil, by whose procurement, he came to that promotiō. Vpon a certaine time he demaunded an aunswere of the deuill, how lōg he should enioy his Popedome? to whom he answered agayne: vntill thou say Masse in Ierusalem thou shalt liue. At length the iiij. yeare of his Popedome, saying Masse at Lent tyme, in the temple of the holy crosse being called then Ierusalem, there he knew the tyme was come, when he should dye. Wherupon beyng stroke with repentaunce, confessed his fault openly before the people: MarginaliaEx Ioā Stella.desyring all men to cut his body all in pices (being so seduced by deceites of the deuill) and so beyng hewen in pieces, they would lay it vpō a cart, and bury it there, wheresoeuer the horses would cary it of their own accord. And so the saying is to be, that by þ^e prouidence of God (whereby the wicked may learne yet hope of remission with God, so that they will repēt them in their lyfe) the horses of their owne accord stayd at the Church of Laterane, and there he was buried: where as commonly by the ratlyng of his bones within the tombe, is portēded the death of popes as the cōmon report goeth. Thus much out of Ioannes Stella, concernyng Siluester. MarginaliaAn admonition for sorcerers, and wicked coniurers.By whom our sorcerers and inchaunters, or Magicians may learne to beware the deceitful operatiō of Sathā: who, at the end deceiueth and feustrateth all them, that haue to do with hym: as the end of all such doth declare commonly, which vse the like art or trade. The Lord and God of all mercy, through the spirite of Iesus our redemer, dissolue the workes of Sathan, and preserue the hartes of our nobles, and of all other Englishmen from such infection. Amen.

MarginaliaThe feast of all soules brought into the Church.After Siluester succeded Ioannes. xix. by whom was brought in (as Volateran sayth) the feast of all soules, an. 1004. through the meanes and instigatiō of one Odilo Abbot of Cluniake, to be celebrate next after the feast of all Saintes. This monke Odilo, thinkyng that Purgatory (as he heard) should be in the mount Aetna: dreamed vpon a tyme in the countrey of Sicile, that he by his Masses had deliuered diuers soules from thence: saying moreouer, that he did heare the voyces and lamentations of deuils crying out, for that the soules were takē from them by the masses and dirges funerall. Ex Bakenthorpo. in prolo. 4. lib. Sentent. And not long after him came Iohn the xx. and Sergius the iiij. After whom succeded Benedictus the viij. then Iohn the xxi. who beyng promoted by art magike of Theophilact his nephew, Gratianus, Brazutus, and other Sorcerers brought in first the fast of the euē of Iohn Baptist and S. Laurēce. MarginaliaBenedictus the ix.After him followed pope Benedictus the ix. likewise aspiryng to his Papacy, by like magike: practising inchauntmentes and coniuration in woodes, after horrible maner. Who resistyng the Emperour Hēricus. iij. sonne to Conradus, and placyng in his rowme, Petrus the kyng of Hungary with this verse. Petra dedit Romam Petro, tibi papa coronin: Afterward for feare of Henricus preuailing in battaile, he was fayne to sell his seat to his succes-MarginaliaGregorius the. 8.sor Gratianus, called Gregorius vi. for 1500. poundes. At which tyme were iij. Popes together in Rome raignyng & raging one against an other, Benedictus. ix. Siluester iij. & Gregorius. vi. For the which cause Henricus surnamed Niger, the Emperour, commyng to Rome: displaced these iij. monsters at one tyme, placyng for them, Clemens ij: and thereupon inactyng, MarginaliaA constitution no pope to be chosen but by the confirmation of the Emperour.that there should no Byshop of Rome henceforth be chosen but by the consent and confirmation of the Emperour. Which constitution though it was both agreable and also necessary for publike tranquillity of that citie, yet the Cardinals would not suffer it long to stand, but did impugne it afterward by subtile practise and open violence, as in processe (the Lord permittyng) shall appeare, in the tyme of Henricus the iiij. and 5. In the tyme of this Clemēt, the Romanes made an othe to the Emperour, cōcernyng the election of the Byshops, themselues to intermeddle no farther therein, but as the assent of the Emperour should go with all. MarginaliaPope Clemens the ii.Howbeit the Emperour departyng thence into Germany agayne, by and by they forgot their othe, and within ix. monthes after poysoned the Byshop. Which fact some impute to Stephan his successor called Damasus ij. Some impute it to Brazutus, who (as histories recorde) within xiii. yeares poysoned vj. popes, that is, Clemēs ij. Damasus ij. Leo ix. Victor. ij. Stephanus. ix. Nicolaus the second.

MarginaliaPope Damasus the 2.Thus Clemēt beyng poysoned, after him succeded Damasus. ij. neither by consent of the people, nor of the emperour elected: but by force & inuasion, who also within xxiij. dayes beyng poysoned. an. M. xlix. much contention & striuyng began in Rome about the Papal seat. Wherupon the Romans, through the counsell of the Cardinals, sent to the foresayd Emperour, desiryng to geue them a Byshop and so he did, whose name was Bruno an Almaine, and bishop of Collen, afterward called Leo. ix.MarginaliaPope Leo the. 9. This Bruno beyng a simple man and easy to be led with euill counsell, commyng from the emperour towardes Rome in his pontificall apparel like a Pope: meeteth him by the way the Abbot of Cluniake, and Hildebrand a Monke. Who seyng him so in his pontificalibus, began to rate him, laying to his charge, that he would so take his autoritie of the Emperour, and not rather of the Clergy of Rome and the people therof, as other his predecessors were wont to do: & so counselled him, to lay downe that apparell, and to enter in with his owne habite, till he had his election by them. Bruno followyng their counsell and confessing his fault before the Clergy of Rome, obtained their fauour, and so was nominate Leo. ix. wherby Hildebrand was made a Cardinal, and put in high rowme. Vnder this Pope Leo were two councels, one kept at Vercellis, where the doctrine of Berengarius against the reall substance in the Sacrament was first cōdemned, although Berengarius yet recanted not, whiche neuerthelesse was done after in the Councell of Laterane, vnder Nicolaus. ij. an. M. lx. MarginaliaConciliun Moguntinum
Nauclerus Crantz.The other was kept at Moguntia, where amongst many other decrees was enacted, Priestes to be excluded and debarred vtterly from mariage. Item, that no lay men might geue benefice, or Byshoprick, or any spiritual promotion. &c.

This Leo beyng at Wormes with the Emperour vpō Christenmas day, did excommunicate the subdeacō because in readyng the Epistle, he did it not in the Roman tune, he beyng there present. The Archbishop moued therwith, departed frō the altar (being then at Masse) saying, he would not proceede no farther in his seruice, vnlesse his subdeacon were restored. Wherupon the Pope commaunded him to be released, and so they went forward in their seruice.

After the death of Leo, whom Brazutus poysoned the first yeare of his popedome.MarginaliaAlb. Cr?z Saxo. li. 4. Cap. 45Theophilactus dyd striue to be Pope: but Hildebrād to defeate him, went to the emperour (partly also being sent by the Romaines for feare of the emperours displeasure) MarginaliaPope Victor the 2.who assigned an other Bishop, a Germaine, called Victor. ij. This Victor hauing a Councell at Florence, deposed diuers Byshops and Priestes, for simony and fornication. MarginaliaConcilium Florentinum.For simony, in that they tooke of secular men their dignities for money: for fornication, in that contrary to their canon, they were maried. &c. The ij. yeare of his papacy and litle more, this pope also followed his predecessors being poysoned by the foresaid Brazutus, through the procurement of Hildebrand his maister.

MarginaliaPope Stephan the. ix.
The church of Millan first brought vnder the Church of Rome.Here now began the Church and clergy of Rome to wryng out of the emperours hand the election of the pope: electyng Stephan the ix. for pope, contrary to their othe and to the emperours assignmēt, Here was the church of Millan first brought to obedience of the Romishe Church, by this Stephanus the ix. byshop of Rome. Who also shamed not to accuse the Emperour Henry (of whom mention is madebefore) of heresie: for minishyng the autoritie of the