plague and dyed. Likewise a great number of the registers and Doctours dyed: and such as fell into that disease, few or none escaped.MarginaliaEneas the author hereof escaped death hardly One amongest all the rest, Æneas Syluius, beyng striken with this disease, by Gods helpe escaped. This man lay iij. dayes euen at the poynt of death, all men beyng in dispayre of him: notwithstādyng it pleased God to graūt him longer lyfe. When as the pestilence was most feruent & hote, and that dayly there dyed aboue one hūdred, there was great intreatie made vnto Cardinall Arelatensis, that he would go to some other town or village neare hand: for these were the wordes of all his frendes and houshold: What do you most reuerend father? At the least voyde this wane of the Moone, and saue your selfe: who beyng safe, all we shall also be safe: if you dye, we all perish. If the plague oppresse you, vnto whom shall we flye? Who shall rule vs? or who shall be the guide of this most faythfull flocke? The infectiō hath already inuaded your chamber. Your Secretary and Chāberlaine are already dead. Consider the great daunger, and saue both your selfe and vs.MarginaliaThe inuincible constancie and fortitude of the Cardinall Arelatensis. But neither the intreatie of his houshold, neither the corses of those which were dead, could moue him, willyng rather to preserue the Councell with perill of his lyfe, then to saue his lyfe with perill of the Coūcell: for he did know that if he should depart few would haue taryed behynde, and that disceite should haue bene wrought in his absence.

Wherfore, like as in warres the souldiours feare no daūger, when as they see their Captaine in the middest of their enemyes: so the fathers of the Councell were ashamed to flye from this pestilence, seyng their President to remayne with them in the middest of all daungers. Which their doynges did vtterly subuert the opinion of them, which babled abroad, that the fathers taryed in Basill to seeke their own profite and commoditie, and not the veritie of the fayth: for there is no commoditie vpon the earth, whiche men would chaung for their lyues: for that all such as do serue the world, do preferre before all other thyngs. But these our fathers shewyng themselues an inuincible strong wall for the house of God, vanquishyng all the craftie deceites whiche Gabriell vsed, and ouercommyng all difficulties, which this most cruell and pestiferous yeare brought vpon them, at the length all desire of lyfe also beyng set a part, they haue ouercome all daungers, and haue not doubted with most constant myndes to defend the veritie of the Councel, euen vnto this present.

The tyme of the decree beyng passed, after the depositiō of Gabriel, it seemed good vnto the fathers, to procede to the election of an other Byshop. And first of all they nominated those that together w^t the Cardinalles, should elect the pope.MarginaliaThe commendation of Arelatensis. The first & principall of the Electours was the Cardinall Arelatensis, a man of inuincible constancie, and incomparable wisdome: vnto whose vertue I may iustly ascribe whatsoeuer was done in the Coūcell: for without hym, the Prelates had not perseuered in their purpose, neither could the shadow of any Prince haue so defended them. This mā came not to the election by any fauour or denomination, but by his owne proper right. The rest of the Electours were chosen out of the Italian, French, Germaine, and Spanish nations, and their Selles and Chambers appoynted to thē by lots, without respect of dignitie or person, & as the lots fell, so they were placed: Wherby it chaunced a Doctour to haue the hyghest place, and a Byshop the last. Wherein the distribution of lottes was very straunge, or rather a Diuine dispensation, reprouyng the deuises of mā, where as the Prelates had determined to haue the best Chambers appointed for themselues, and had earnestly contended before to haue their chambers appointed accordyng to their dignitie.

MarginaliaThe councell of Marcus. The next day after, there was a Session holden, where in Marcus a famous Diuine, made an Oration vnto the Electours, wherein he rekoned vp the manifold crimes of Gabriell, whiche was deposed. He endeuored to perswade the Electours to chuse such a man, whiche should in all pointes, be contrary vnto Gabriel, and eschew all his vices: that as he, through his manifold reproches, was hurtfull vnto all men: so he which should be chosen, should shew himselfe acceptable vnto all men, through iustice: and as Gabriell was couetous and ful of rapine, so this man should shew himselfe continent.

There was so great a number of people gathered together to behold this matter, that neither in the Church, neither in the streetes, any mā could passe. There was present Iohn Earle of Dierstein, who supplyed the place of the Emperours Protector: also the Senatours of the Cite, with many other noble men, to behold the same, whereof you shall heare (Christ willyng) more largely hereafter. The Citizens were without in armour to prohibite that there should be no vproare made. The Electours receiued the Communion together, and afterwardes, they receiued their oth: and the Cardinall Arelatensis openyng þ^e booke of Decrees, read the forme of the othe in þ^e audience of all thē, & first of all, he takyng the othe himself, began in this maner.

MarginaliaThe godly othe of Arelatensis. Most reuerend Fathers, I promise, sweare and vowe before my Lord Iesus Christ (whose most blessed body I vnworthy sinner haue receaued: vnto whom in the last iudgement I shall geue accoumpt of all my deedes) that in this busines of election, whereunto now by the will of the Coūcell we are sent: I will seeke nothing els, then the onely saluation of the Christen people, and the profite of the vniuersall Church. This shall be my whole care and study, that the authoritie of the generall Councels be not contemned: that the Catholicke fayth be not impugned, and that the fathers which remaine in the Coūcell, be not oppressed. This will I seeke for: this shall be my care: vnto this, withall my whole force and power, willl I bend my selfe: neither will I respect any thyng in this poynt, either for myne owne cause, or for any frend, but onely God and the profite of the Church. With this mynde and intent, and with this hart will I take myne othe before the Councell.

His wordes were liuely and fearefull.MarginaliaThe other Electours take their othe. After him all the other Electours in their order, did sweare and take their othe. Then they went with great solemnitie vnto the Cōclaue: where they remained seuē dayes. The maner of their election was in this sort. Before the Cardinals seate was set a Deske, wherupon there stode a basen of siluer: into the which basen all the Electours did cast their scheduls: which the Cardinall receiuyng, read one by one, and foure other of the Electours wrote as he read them.

The tenour of the Schedules was in this maner. I George Bishop of Vicene do chuse such a man, or such a man, for Byshop of Rome, and peraduenture named one or two: euery one of the electours subscribed his name vnto the Schedule, that he might thereby know his owne, and say nay, if it were cōtrary to that which was spokē: wherby all disceite was vtterly excluded. The first scrutinyMarginaliaA scrutinie is a priuie election by voyces thus ended, it was found that there were many named to þ^e papacy. Yet none had sufficient voyces, for that day there were xvij. of diuers nations nominate.MarginaliaAmedeus Duke of Sauoy. Notwithstanding, Amedeus duke of Sauoy, a man of singuler vertue, surmounted them all: for in the first scrutiny he had the voyce of xvi. Electours, which iudged hym worthy to gouerne the church.

After this, there was diligent inquisition had in the Councell, touching those which were named of the Electours, and as euery mans opinion serued hym, he did either prayse or discommend those which were nominate. Notw^tstanding there was such reporte made of Amedeus, that in the next scrutiny, which was holden in the Nonas of Nouember, the sayd Amedeus had xxi. voyces, and likewise in the iij. and iiij. scrutiny xxi. voyces. And for so much as there was none founde in all the scrutiny to haue ij. partes, all the other schedules were burnt. And for somuch as there lacked but onely one voyce to the election of the high bishop, they fell vnto prayer, desiring God that he woulde vouchsafeMarginaliaPrayer for vnitie and concorde. to directe their myndes to an vnity and concorde, worthely to elect and chuse hym which should take the charge ouer the flocke of God. Forsomuch as Amedeus seemed to be nearer vnto the papacy then all other, there was great communication had amōgs them touching his life and disposition. Some sayd that a lay man ought not so sodenly to be chosen: for it would seeme a straunge thyng for a seculer prince to be called vnto the byshopricke of Rome: which would also to much derogate from the ecclesiasticall state, as though there were none therein meete or worthy for that dignitie. Other some sayd that a man which was maryed and had children, was vnmeete for such a charge. Other some agayne affirmed that the byshop of Rome ought to be a Doctor of lawe, and an excellent learned man.

When these wordes were spoken, other some rising vp, spake farre otherwise, that albeit Amedeus was no Doctour, yet was he learned and wyse, for so much as all hys whole youth, he had bestowed in i and study, and had sought not the name, but euen the ground of learning. Thē sayd an other, if ye be desirous to be instructed further of thys princes life, I pray you geue eare vnto me, which doe know hym thorowly.MarginaliaLet lying Pogius be ashamed of hys false inuectiue agaynst Menedeus. Truely this man from his youth vpward, and euen from his young and tender yeares, hath lyued more religiously then secularly, being alwayes obedient vnto hys parentes and maisters, and beyng alwayes endued with the feare of God, neuer geuen to any vanity or wantonnes: neither hath there at any tyme bene any childe of the house of Sauoy, in whom hath appered greater witte or towardnes: whereby all those which did beholde and know thys man, iudged and foresaw some great matter in hym: neither were they deceiued. For if ye desire to know his rule