ny other that they can deuise, to reward, promote, auaunce, and recompence his frends to the vttermost,MarginaliaWell byd, and lyke a good chapman. assuryng them that these ij. princes wyl not faile also highly & in the best sort, to consider their gratitudes, with any thyng that they may excogitate to their profites and promotions, or any of their frends. So that by this meane, & with such good pollicitati?s groūded vpō a lefull, honorable, & iust cause, and not vpō any corrupt or indue intent, to c?duce things, to sinister purpose,MarginaliaThou must imagine here, good reader, to be no corruption, but honorable pollicitation. the kings said Oratours by their good policies shall attaine the perfite and sure good wyll of a great many of them, and by that way shall with good dexteritie combine and knyt those whiche wyl adhere hereunto, in a perfite fastnes, & in an indissoluble knot, firmely to sticke and holde together, without variatiō or declinyng from their purpose, for any persuasion, practise, or meane, that cā be made to the contrary. Whiche thyng surely to be prouided and such a knot of xx.xviij. or at the least if it may be, of xvj. Cardinals to be had, is in any wise expedient. For they persisting in their determination, shal not faile to impeche, that no aduerse part can haue a ful number to make a due and lawfull election. And yet they beyng founde in a constantnes to this good purpose, shall by litle and litle allure and bring other vnto them, so as the residue perceiuing so great a towardnes, & fearing a sufficient numberMarginaliaTo acceede, that is, to come. * to accede without th?, and thereby the election to passe against their wils, shall percase be the more prone & ready to come vnto that partie: wherunto nothyng should of reason sooner moue them, then the very respect to the infinite goodnes, that therby to thē selues in particular, & the vniuersall church and religion in generall, is apparant to ensue.

MarginaliaAn other shift if the worst fall. Neuerthelesse, if leauyng the directe waye, they wyll be abused with any other incantations, or for priuate ambition persist in contendyng for them selues, then is it euident, they search nothyng more then the ruine of the said See apostolicke. In whiche case other wayes be to be deuised, and theirMarginalia* That is not due. * indue demeanour to be remedyed and resisted. For this cause, and to be sure in al euentes, the kynges sayde Oratours shall by their wisedomes finde the meanes to haue some fast and sure persons in the Conclaue, such as may not onely practise and set forth thynges there to the purpose, but also geue suche knowledge outwarde, as the kynges sayd Oratours may therby the better know how to order their proceedynges. And amongst other, it is thoughte that Monsieur de Vaulx, one of the French Ambassadours, (whō the French kyng hath cōmaunded expresly to further this matter, by al the meanes to hym possible) shoulde be one to enter the sayde Conclaue, not as an ambassadour, but as the Minister of some Cardinal, frende of the French kyng. And semblably Syr Gregory de Cassalis, who for his wisedome, conduit, language, acquaintāce, and other good qualities, may do excellent good in that behalfe.

And in this matter it is to be considered, that since this election in the person of the sayd Lord Legate of Yorke, by one way or other suffereth no negatiue,MarginaliaThe case of the Cardinall must haue no negatiue so eger he is of his game. albeit the kynges highnes trusteth that the same shal haue his course directly: yet if for lack of grace or entendemēt, there should be any dispaire thereof, other wayes be to be prouided. And for that cause to shew the sayd Orators secretly, there is a protestatiō passed by the Cardinals beyng in Englande and in France, accordyng to a copyMarginaliaSecret threateninges to the Cardinals to cause thē to co cōsēt with Cardinall Wolsey. which the said Oratours shall receyue herewith, which is & shalbe kept secret, vnles then by the indue proceedyng vsed in the election, the same shal neede to be published. So that the kynges sayde oratours nowe aduertised therof, shal note for a special ground, that if it shal appeare that the electiō cā not be had in the person of the sayd Lord Legate of Yorke, the bande and number vnite and knitte together to the kinges deuotion, in findyng none other remedie, must be instructed before hand in that case, to persist in their determination, and when tyme shalbe, by reason of such dispayre, to protest, groūdyng the same their protestation vpō such respectes, as can not lacke to be introduced for the auoyding of the extreme daungers by the pertinacitie & wilfulnes of the aduerse Cardinals, imminent to the ruine of the Churche, and of all Christendome:MarginaliaPromise against the Cardinals, if they will not condescend to the Cardinall of Yorke. which protestation may before hand be couched and deuised by the saide M. Steuen Gardiner, and by the policie of the sayd Mōsieur de Vaulx and sir Gregory, be set forth in tyme conuenient: and thereupon the Cardinals of the kynges and the Frenche kynges adherentes, to departe the Conclaue, whereby, repayring to other sure place, they with the residue of the Cardinals absent, may proceede to such an election, as maye be to Gods pleasure, the weale of his Church, & fayth, & of al Christēdome, any election that thus by pertinacitie maye ensue at Rome, notwithstandyng.

MarginaliaNote these procedinges in chusing Popes. And to the entent the Cardinals maye be the better animated to finish the said election to the kynges desire, the kynges sayde Oratours shall as they see good, offer them a presidie of ij. or iij. M. mē to be in the citie of Rome, for the time of the same election, which if they wyl accepte, the sayd Orators shal see furnished, takyng money by exchāge and otherwise, for their entertaynmēt, as shalbe requisite. Which money or any other that they shall take for conducyng this the kynges purpose, shalbe truely repayde,MarginaliaSearch here thy dictionaries, good reader, for this eloquence passeth my intelligence. with * inpesse and all requisites as they shall assigne. And semblably, lest terrour or dread of the Imperials in Naples, should induce the Cardinals to any errour, the French king hath ordeyned that Seignior Renzio shal lie in a presidye, betwene the armye of Naples & the Citye of Rome, like as the Vicecoūt of Turein is also cōmaūded to lye on the other side, & semblably, the Venetiās. So that by those meanes not onely they shalbe out of all feare of the Imperials, but also in the more deuotion of these two Princes, which shal much cōfer to the kynges purpose, & ēbolden the Cardinals fauoring the desire of these two princes, both to persist in their deliberatiō, & also in tyme of extreme dispayre, to protest and depart, as is aforesayde.

And because nothing should withdrawe the mynds of the Cardinals frō this purpose, who percase might thinke that the sayd L. Legate of Yorke beyng elected, would not repayre to the Court of Rome, butMarginalia* 1. Demorari, that is to say, tary. * demore in Auinion or some other place, out of Italie, the kynges sayde Ambassadours shal remoue all such suspition, by two euident argumentes and reasons.MarginaliaThe first reason. One is, that the sayd Cardinall of Yorke auaunced to that dignitie, must therby leaue al other his promotions, and consequently shoulde be dispurueyed of any habitation, place, or conuenient lyuyng, if remaining in an other strange co?trey, he should defferre to come vnto Rome, where should be the place of his See, and entyre lyuyng. Wherfore it were farre from reason, to think that he which hytherto for his estate hath lyued in such abundāce, should be soMarginalia* Pusillanime 1. Pusillo animo that is, weake harted. * pusillanime for this promoti?, to bring him selfe into codigne penurie and pouertie, or to lyue in place priuate, to the hynderance of his honor, profite, or reputation.MarginaliaThe second reason. Secondly, the thyng principally mouyng hym to be contented at these princes requestes, to chaunge his state present, is the feruēt zeale he hath to expone his study, trauayle, labor, substance, wit, body, bloud, and lyfe in the quarell of Gods Churche, fayth, and of Christendome, whiche is too high an exception and a grounde to be taken, to remayne and lye in a corner or priuate place: but that rather then he woulde suffer so high an exception to be found in him, he would expone al that he might do,MarginaliaThis Cardinall dreameth that he is Pope already. who hauing the assistance of these two Princes, should not fayle (God wyllyng) to passe directly to his See, with honour and comfort vnto al Italie, and the discourage of the partye that would be aduerse therunto: And therfore the Cardinals shoulde not nede to feare of any such thyng, but might be wel assured to haue his presence there to their comfort, in al celeritie and diligence possible.

MarginaliaThe Cardinall casteth all his netts to catch the triple crowne. Furthermore, to the entent the kynges sayd Ambassadours maye haue all the freendes that maye be, to this purpose, expedient it shalbe, that they with the Venetians, the Florētines, the duke of Ferrare, & al other, whom they shal thinke good to wynne vnto their partie, vse the wayes that may best cōduce therunto. And amongst other, forasmuch as they which depended vpon the Cardinall De Medices, shall doubt in this case to be reiect, the kynges sayde Oratours shall inculke vnto them the singular deuotion and special fauour that the sayd Lord Legate of Yorke hath alwayes borne vnto their familie, assuryng them that he wyll take them in no further distaunce of entire loue, then they were with Pope Leo, Clemēt, or any other.MarginaliaTwo faces in one Cardinalls hatte. And semblably they shall put the Florentines in comfort of the exclusion of the gouernaunce of the said familie de Medices in Florence, and of their enioyng of their libertie: likewise putting the cardinals in perfect hope of recouery of the patrimonies of the church: to cōtaine the Venetians in good trust of a reasonable way to be taken for Saruia, & Rau?na, to their contentment: and also to shew the Duke of Farrare, how the sayd L. Legate was the meane of the c?iunctiō of hym in league with the Frenche kyng, with assured promise of his continuance, in as much loue and fauour as he may beare vnto hym, in al his causes and affayres. And thus hauyng those folkes to their frendes, whose Oratours shal haue the vttermost custodie of the Conclaue, and the kynges Ambassadours, and the Frenche Ambassadours beyng in the interiour partes thereof, they beyng so amply instructed and furnished, shall not fayle (God wyllyng) by one or other of the sayde two wayes, and specially by the direct election at Rome, if it be possible, or at the least by the way of the sayde protestation & departure of the Cardinal, to conduce the kynges purpose in the sayd election, to the desired end. In the doyng wherof, albeit there is no doubt, but that the French Orators wyll ioyne with them