Paules: beside which he was also preferred to the Deanry of Excetor.MarginaliaRichard Pacie Ambassadour at Venice. For the other he was sent in the kynges affaires, Ambassadour to Venice. Whiche function there he so discharged, þ^t it is hard to say whether he procured more commendation, or admiration among the Venetians, both for dexteritie of his witte, and especially for the singular promptnesse in the Italian toung, wherein he semed nothyng inferiour, neither to Peter Vanne here in England, the kynges Secretarie for the Italian toung nor yet to any other, which were the best in that toung in all Venice. For opinion & fame of learning, he was so notoriously accepted, not onely here in Englād with Linacre, Grocinus, More, & other, but also knowen & reported abroad in such sort, that in all the great heape of Erasmus Epistles, he wrote almost to none, so many, as he wrote to this Richard Pacie.

As the sayd Pacie was resident Ambassadour at Venice, the kyng hauyng warre the same tyme, with Fraunces the French kyng (as is afore rehearsed) through the conductyng of the Duke of Bourbon,MarginaliaThe Duke of Bourbon waged wyth the kyng of Englandes money. whom he then waged with his expenses, sent commaundement to Pacie to geue attendaunce to the Duke of Bourbon, concernyng the receate of that money, and other necessities and exploytes to that expedition apperteinyng. In the meane while, as the French kyng with his armye, and the Duke of Bourbon were approchyng in battaile together, neare about the Citie of Pauia, it so happened (some thinke thorough the craftie packyng of the Cardinall) that the kynges money was not so ready, as it was looked for.MarginaliaThe Duke of Bourbon disapointed of the kings money. By reason wherof, the Duke of Bourbon perceauyng his souldiours about to shrynke from hym to the French kyng for lacke of payment, called to hym the Ambassadour, complainyng vnto hym how the kyng of England had deceaued hym, and broke promise with hym, to his great dishonour and vtter vndoyng. &c. Pacie then beyng sure of the kynges will, and suspectyng the crafty fetche of the Cardinall, desired the Duke not to take discomfort, nor any diffidence of the Kynges assured promise, excusing the delay of the money, as well as hee could, by intercipation, or other causes by the way incident, rather then for any lacke of fidelitie on the kynges behalfe: addyng moreouer, that if it would please hym happely to proceede, as he had couragiously begon, he should not stay for the kynges money:MarginaliaRichard Pacie helpeth the Duke of Bourbon with money. so sure he was of the kynges mynde therein, that he would supply the lacke of that payment vpon his owne credite, amongest his frendes at Venice, and so dyd. Whereupon the souldiours beyng sufficiently satisfied with payment of their wages, proceded forth with the Duke, vnto the battaile.MarginaliaRichard Pacie was the meanes why the French kyng was taken. In the whiche battaile, the foresayd French kyng, the same tyme, before the Citie of Pauie, was taken prisoner, as is afore declared. Which beyng eftsoones knowen to the kyng of England, Pacie had both condigne thankes for his faythfull seruice, and also his money repayd agayne with the vttermost, as hee well deserued. But as the laude, and the renowmed prayse of men, for their worthy proweses, commonly in this world neuer go vnaccompanyed without some priuye canker of enuy & disdayne folowyng after, so the singular industry of Pacie, as it wanne much commendation with many, so it could not auoyde the secret stynge of some Serpentes.MarginaliaThe Cardinal hated Pacie. For the conceaued hatred of this Cardinall so kyndled against him, that he neuer ceased, till first he brought him out of the kynges fauour, and at last also, out of his perfect wittes.

The occasion how he fell beside hym selfe, was this, for that the Cardinall after the death of Pope Adrian, hopyng no lesse, but that he should haue bene aduaunced vnto the Papacie, and yet missyng thereof, he supposed with hym selfe, the fault chiefly to rest in Pacies negligence, by whose great wytte and learnyng, and earnest meanes and sute, he thought easely he might haue achieued and compassed the triple crowne. Wherfore he seyng it otherwise come to passe, and inflamed agaynst Pacie for the same,MarginaliaThe Cardinal practiseth agaynst Pacie. wrought such wayes and meanes, that by the space almost of two yeares, Pacie continuyng at Venice, had neither writyng from the kyng, nor his counsaile, what he should do, nor yet any maner of allowaunce for his dyet (although he wrote, and sent letters for the same to England very often) for the Cardinall had altogether incensed the kyng agaynst hym. Whereupon the sayd Pacie tooke such an inward thought and conceite, that his wyttes began to fayle hym,MarginaliaPacie in great credite with the Venetians. he beyng notwithstandyng in such fauour among the Senatours of Venice, that neither for gold nor siluer he could their haue lacked. By some it is reported, that the Venitian Legate here in England, commyng to the Cardinall, required if he would commaunde any thyng to the Englishe Ambassadour at Venice.MarginaliaThe Cardinall falsely belyeth Pacie. To whom he should aunswere agayne in hygh wordes, saying: Paceus decepit Regem. Whiche wordes commyng to Pacies eares, so depely pearced hys stomacke, that he fell quite besides himself. I heard it moreouer of an other thus testified, who had a brother the same tyme dwelling with Pacie: that the Cardinall, about the returnyng of Pacie from Venyce, sent him a letter so poudered (wyth what spyces I can not tell) that at the readyng therof,MarginaliaPacie bestraught of hys wittes. Pacie then beyng in the fieldes, fell sodenly in such a mighty runnyng, for the space of two myles, that his seruantes had much a do to take him, and bring him home.

This pitious case of Pacie was not a litle lamented by the whole Senate, and chief learned men in Venice, in so much that the king was not onely certified therof by Thomas Lupset (who then was chiefe man about Pacie, and his Secretary, for that Ambassage) but also the sayd Senate of Venice wrote in such sharpe and vehement wise, vnto their Ambassadour then being in Englād, that he should signifie to the kyng, touchyng Pacies case, that therby the kyng knowing the truth, and the whole circumstaunce of the matter, was not a litle sorowfull therefore. Whereupon Pacie was forthwith sent for home, and when he came to England, he was commaunded by the king, to be specially well tended & to lacke no keeping:MarginaliaPacie pretily recouered. In so much that within a small proces of tyme, he was pretely well come againe to his wittes,and began to studie the Hebrue tōgue, with Wakefielde, so that (the Cardinall then beyng absent) such wayes was found by hys frends,MarginaliaPacie brought to the kings speech. that he was brought to the kyng, lying then at Richmond, where he & þ^e kyng secretly communed together, by the space of two houres & more, not without great reioysyng to the kyng, as it was perceaued, to see hym so well amēded, and returned to him selfe agayne, geuing likewise streite charge and commaundement, that he should lacke nothyng.

The Cardinall, being then not present, when he heard of this, fearing least he had disclosed somewhat to the king, which he would not haue knowen, and doubting that the kyng should cast hys fauour agayne vnto Pacie, beganne within a while after, to quarell, and pyke matters, and to lay certeine thinges to Pacies charge, where as he rather should haue cleared hymselfe of those thynges which Pacie layd vnto hym before the king: which was contrary to all good forme and order of iustice. For where the king had wylled the Cardinall to trye himself of those things, which Pacie had rightly charged hym withall, he sittyng in iudgement with the Duke of Northfolke and other states of the Realme, not as a defendent, but as a Iudge in hys own cause, so bare out himselfe, & weyed downe Pacye,MarginaliaPacie comma?ded to the Tower by the Cardinall that Pacie was commaunded to the tower of London, as prisoner: where he continued by the space of two yeares, or therabout,MarginaliaPacie discharged out of the tower. and afterwarde by the kynges commaundement was discharged. But he beyng there prisoner, was therewith so deadly wounded, and strocken, that he fell worse from hys wittes then euer he was before, beyng in such a phrenesie, or lunasie, that to hys dying day, he neuer came perfectly to hymselfe agayne. Notwithstanding, thys in him was no perpetuall frensie, but came by fittes, and when the fitte was past, he coulde looke on his booke, and reason and talke hamsomely, but that now and then he shewed hys disease. And thus much betwene the Cardinall and Pacie.

MarginaliaThe Cardinals labour to be Pope. By this story of Pacie, and also by other places aboue mentioned, ye may partly conceaue, how greedy this Cardinal was, to be made Pope. Touching which matter, here by the way somthing to entreate, first is to be vnderstāded, that forsomuch as Pacie either woulde not, or coulde not serue the Cardinals purpose herein, he thought to accomplishe his desire, by other meanes,MarginaliaSteuen Gardiner Ambassadour at Rome for the king and the Cardinall. and namely by Steuen Gardiner, who was then shortly after, sent Ambassadour to Rome by the king and the Cardinall, in the time of pope Clement the 7. and that for two speciall causes: one was about the diuorcement, the other for promoting the Cardinall to be Pope. As touching the diuorcement, we wyll speake (the Lord willyng) hereafter. In the meane tyme, as concernyng the aduauncement of the Cardinall, great labour was made, as in letters may appeare sent from the Cardinall to the sayd Steuen Gardinar, in which letters he did sollicite the said Gardiner, by all meanes, to pursue the sute, willing hym to sticke for no coste, so farre as sixe or seuen thousand poundes woulde stretche: for more he sayd he would not geue for the triple crowne. Marke here (Christian Reader) what an holy Catholicke Church thys is, which rather may be called a Burse or Marte of Marchauntes (ne quid dicam durius) then any true forme of a Church.

Many, both of hys, and also of the kinges letters, I coulde here inserte, but for growyng of the volume, I let them passe. One for example sake, sent by the Cardinall to Gardiner, an other also from the kyng to the sayd Gardiner, shall at thys tyme suffice, concerning this matter. And first the Copie of the Cardinalles ambitious letter here, in forme foloweth.