kyng (who of hys owne mere mocion hath frankly and liberally, offred vnto hym all that by himselfe, his frends, his power, his agentes, or otherwise he may, or can possiblie do for his auauncement to the sayd dignitie Papall)MarginaliaThe Thrasonicall prayse of the Cardinall. is the person who for his singular vertue, his entire deuotiō to peace, and restauration of the sayd Sea, the excellency of his wisedome, learning and experiēce, the magnanimitie in his actions and doynges, the dignitie wherin he is already constitute, the promotions which he hath atteyned, the substāce that he is of, his reputation, his conduite, his diligence, hys dexteritie, his discretion, his policie, and finally the notable and high fauour that the kynges hyghnes and the sayde French kyng beare vnto hym, is onely, that he called to the sayd dignitie Papall, may, can, & wil meete with the inordinate ambition of the said Emperour, MarginaliaNote this cause: The Cardinall is most mete to be Pope because he can best bridle the Emperour. and consequently with establishment of tranquillitie amongest Christen Princes, is by the assistaunce of his frendes, meete, conuenient, & hable to succor, releue, & clerely to repayre the piteous iacture & decay, that the Church & Sea Apostolicke hath so long suffered, and to defend the same frō the imminēt daūger now apparant to ensue, if the sayd Emperour (who as the kings highnes is asserteyned) determined in the begynnyng of Ianuary nowe passed, to take hys iourney towardes Rome, should vpon this vacation of the sayd Sea, chaunced (as it is vpon many euident presumptions to be thought, by some detestable acte committed, for the said late Popes destruction) now by force, violence, cautele, blandishyng promises, or otherwise, haue the election to procede at his will, fauour, and deuotion: wherby, hauing a Pope at hisMarginalia* That is, after his owne desire. * arbitre, either he should not faile to vsurpe and take from hym the rights, prouentes, and patrimony of the Church, vsing him as hys chaplaine and vassall, or els by litle and litle vtterly to exclude and extincte him and his authority.

For this cause, if euer it were expedient that good Christen Princes looke to the tuitiō, mainteinaunce, defence, and continaunce of Christes Churche, faith, and religiō, now is it the time aboue all other, to prouide and beware by all wayes possible, lest the same neglected, forgotten and not in tyme releued, be brought vnto extremeMarginalia* If his vsurped authoritie were cleane extincte, the fayth and religion of Christ should stand and florysh much better. * ruine. And therfore the kings highnes hauing singular & speciall trust & confidence in the wisedomes, discretions, fidelities, diligences, and circumspections of his sayd Oratours, (to whom no part of the premisses is vnknowen, ne how necessary, & in any wise expedient it shalbe for perfection of the kyngs sayd great &Marginalia* By this weightie matter here, is ment the cause of the kinges deuorce. * weighty matter to them committed, to haue the said Lord Legate of Yorke, and none other, aduaunced to the sayde dignitie Papall) willeth, desireth, ordeineth, and expresly chargeth and commaundeth hys sayd Oratours, and euery of them, no lesse to employ, endeuor, and determine themselues, to sollicite, set forth, further, promote, labour, and conduce the aduauncement of the sayd Lord Legate of Yorke, to that dignitie, then they would that thing, which the kinges highnes most highly, next God and his soule, with all earnestnes and feruent minde, doth aboue all other thinges, couete and desire, and also no lesse then they woulde the speedy obteining & perfection of all such thinges, touching the kynges sayd weighty matter cōmitted to their charges: the making or marring wherof, beyng now the sayde late Pope deceased, consisteth onely in the aduauncement of the sayd Lord Legate of Yorke, to the dignitie Papall.

For (as the kyngs sayd Ambassadours may by their wisedomes well thinke and consider the same must of necessitie come, and fortune either to one that is an assured frende to his grace and the French kyng, or to one that is a manifest enemy to them, fauoring the Emperours part, or to one indifferent and meane betwene both. And if it should chaūce vpō a manifest enemy, it is euidēt that the kings desire at his hand were merely impossible to be had, and neuer were to be accepted that way. If it should come to one being indifferent & meane betwene both, it is more th? notorious, that his grace at the least, should be conteyned with faire words and promises, & yet such respect should be had to the Emperour, that finally vnder hope of obteyning some thyng, there should be no more but tracte, delaye, and finally no maner fruite nor effect: whereof experience hath alreadye bene seene in one that had cause to be more frendly to the kyng, then indifferent or meane betwene both, and yet how long the matter hath depended, is to the kynges sayd Ambassadours well knowen. So that of necessitie this thynge must be conduced to one that is an assured frend. Then noting substantially the thinges necessary to concurre in such a frend, both for the weale of Christendome, the reliefe of the Church, the firme adhering to the kings highnes & the Frenche king, with other their confederates, and the perfite cōducing of the kings great matter, which suffreth no tract, delay, or negatiue: it shalbe founde that there is none other for this purpose, but onely the sayd Lord Legate of Yorke.

The kynges sayd Ambassadours shall therefore plante the foundation of all their studie, labour, and solicitation, onely to that purpose. And for the better introducti? of the wayes and meanes, how this thyng shalbe solicited, they shall receiue herewith a scedule, wherein is mencioned and noted by name, how many and what Cardinals of likelyhode, shalbe present at the electi?, and how many & which of the other, shalbe absent. Semblablie, how many of them that be like to be present, may be thought to be frendes to the kynges highnes and the Frenche kyng, whose names in the sayd scedule be noted with A.MarginaliaA. signifieth the Cardinals of the kinges & the French kinges side. and howe many are thought to be Imperiall, whose names be noted with B.MarginaliaB. signifieth the Cardinals of the Emperours side. But there is neuer a C. to signifie any Cardinals of Christes side. In the same scedule be also set out the nomber and names of those that be thought to be neutral or indifferent, marked with N. And furthermore, they be first mentioned therin, which be thought most like to aspire vnto that dignitie. Herein be many thinges well to be regarded. First the nomber of the Cardinals that are like to be present, which (as is thought here) shall not excede xxxix. Sec?dly that, to haue electi? to the kynges purpose, shalbe requisite to haue ij. partes of the iij. of the sayd nomber, which ij. partes must be xxvi. Then is it to be noted, that they which be thought to be frendes to the kynges highnes and the Frenche king, be in nomber xx. So that if they may be made sure to the kynges deuotion, there shall lacke but vi. of the nomber which shall suffice to make the election: which number the kynges said Ambassadours shall moue, wynne, & attayne, either of th? that be thought to be indifferent, or some other.

In the c?ducyng wherof, ij. wayes be specially to be remembred. One is, if the Cardinals present, hauing God & the holy Ghost before them,MarginaliaAs though the popes election had any thing to doo with the holy ghost. shalbe minded (as to their dutie apperteineth) to haue respect vnto the present calamitie of the Churche, and all Christendome, intendyng the relief, succour, and restaurati? of the same, and to preserue th? selues, and the dignitie of the Sea Apostolicke, then lookyng profoundlye vppon the state of the thinges, they can not faileMarginalia* He might as well haue said, easely, as facily, if it had pleased hym: but our grosse termes are to lowe for thys high Prelate, as here commonly you may see. * facily of them selues, to finde & perceiue, that to conduce their purpose, there is onely the sayd Lord Legate of Yorke. And in this case, it is verely to be thought, that very reason it self, and their own conscience shall lead them like vertuous fathers, to haue their principall respect hereunto, and (particular affections set a part) to accorde and agree without difficultie, to that, which so manifestly is knowen to be the thing, aboue all other, expedient. Neuertheles, because percase humaine fragilitie suffereth not all thinges to be pondered, trutinate, and weyed in iust bala?ce, but that (as we be men) errours may r?ne, vnles then remedie be prouided: it apperteineth in matter of so high importaunce, to the comforte & releue of all Christendome, to succour the infirmitie, that may chaunce, not for corruption or to any peruerse, vnlefull, or euill entent, but rather to helpe to the lackes and deffaultes, which by such fragilitie might els take place: and therfore expedient shall it be, that the kynges sayd Oratours, to so notable a purpose, where they shall perceiue the consideration and respecte wherunto reas? leadeth, to be in any part to be ayded or supplied, do the same with policitations of promotions, spirituall offices, dignities, rewardes of money, or other thynges,MarginaliaYea syr, now ye speake to the purpose. Now we begyn to feele you, when ye bring your bribes and rewardes of money. such as to them shall seme mete to the purpose: inculkyng into the mindes of such persons as shalbe requisite, first what thynges the sayd Lord Legate of Yorke shall leaue, if he should be aduaunced to the sayd dignitie, which be such as the establiment of his state considered, be farre more to his commoditie (if he should regarde his priuate weale) th? to enter into this daungerous storme, and troublous tempest, for the relief of the Churche and all Christ?dome, wherunto (his said priuate weale set a part) he is totally deuoued and dedicate, to the exposition of his body, bloud, and lyfe, glad and ready with the sacrifice thereof, to do seruice to God, his Church, his faith, and religion: which sayd promotions, the kinges highnes findyng cause geuen vnto him, by the gratitude & conformitie of his frendes, will not faile to bestowe to their benefite, besides large rewardes, to haue this so vertuous an acte brought to perfection. For policitation wherof, the kinges sayd Ambassadours be furnished at this tyme, with ample Commission, as by the same they shall perceiue: the effecte wherof they shall execute without exception, as by their wisedomes shalbe thought conuenient, so alwayes as it be done with such circumspection, as may be apparaunce of good frute to ensue. And semblablie they be furnished with letters, aswell to the Colledge of Cardinals in generall, as to th? all that be lyke to be present in particular: which they shall nowe deliuer to the best furtheraunce and auauncement of their purpose, not sparyng to declare vnto them the liberalitie of the sayd Lord Legate of Yorke, the substaunce that he is of, the assured assistaunce that he shall haue of these Princes and their confederates, wherby he shalbe able aboue a-