M. Hardinge.
The Findes of Hell were not yet let loose, that begate Lutherans, Zwinglians, and Caluinistes. And hereof we vnderstande the youthe of your Churche, whiche hauinge diuided it selfe from the olde and Catholike Churche, is no other but the malignante Churche, and Synagoge of Satan.
To answeare your demaundes. VVho so euer they were, that poisoned these greate personages, (if they were poisoned at all) good men were they not, neither the doers, nor the counsailours. Henry of Luxenburg it was, who was poisoned by reporte. VVhome your Latine Booke printed amonge the Huguenots calleth Henry the seuenth, M. Doctor Haddon in his answeare to Osorius, accompteth him the fourthe, in bothe your Englishe translations (that I haue seene) he is called onely Henry. As he laide siege to the Citie of Florence, and had now brought the Citizens to despaire of their safetie: when manly courage might not serue, they betooke them to cowardly malice. Firste they poysoned (as it is saide) the minde of a frier Dominican with Golde, that afterwarde he shoulde aduentere to poison the Emperours body with Venime. Paulus Aemilius saith, that he died of a sickenesse, whiche he fell into at Bonconuēto,* 1.1 as he iournied from Pisa thither. Onuphrius, writing of his Death, saith that he died at Bonconuento a town in the territorie of Siena, and maketh no mētion of his Poisoning. Cor∣nelius Cornepolita writing this storie, semeth to geue litle credite vnto it. For he addeth an heare saie, Vt aiunt,* 1.2 as they saie, as though it were a matter auouched by no certainetie, but by Hearesaie. Nau∣clerus reporteth, that the order of those religius men is saide to haue a testimoniall in writinge, witnessinge the foresaide Friere to haue benne Innocent, and that the whole was but a fained tale.
Victor the thirde Pope is mentioned by Martinus Polonus, to haue benne poisoned by the malici∣ous procurement of the Emperoure Henry the thirde, bicause he stoode in defence of Gregory the se∣uenth, whom the Emperour so muche hated and persecuted. Vincentius holdeth contrary opinion, that he died of a dysentery▪ as Platina reciteth.
Touchinge Kinge Iohn of Englande, they that write that he was poisoned in a drinkinge cuppe by Monkes, them selues make no better then a fable of it: and who so euer write it, referre them selues to hearesaie, and to the popular fame. The Author of your Actes and Monumentes reporteth, that many opinions are amonge the Chronicle writers of his Deathe. As ye procede in your malicious railinge against the Pope, ye spitte out your poison, demaūdinge certaine question, shorte, in Woordes▪ but full stuffed with false and cankered slaunders.