Actes and monuments of matters most speciall and memorable, happenyng in the Church. [vol. 2, part 1] with an vniuersall history of the same, wherein is set forth at large the whole race and course of the Church, from the primitiue age to these latter tymes of ours, with the bloudy times, horrible troubles, and great persecutions agaynst the true martyrs of Christ, sought and wrought as well by heathen emperours, as nowe lately practised by Romish prelates, especially in this realme of England and Scotland. Newly reuised and recognised, partly also augmented, and now the fourth time agayne published and recommended to the studious reader, by the author (through the helpe of Christ our Lord) Iohn Foxe, which desireth thee good reader to helpe him with thy prayer.

*A briefe discourse, concerning the storie and life of Thomas Wolsey, late Cardinall of Yorke, by way of digres∣sion, wherein is to be seene and noted the expresse i∣mage of the proud vayneglorious Church of Rome, how farre it differeth from the true Church of Christ Iesus.

ALthough it be not greatly pertinent vnto this our hy∣storie,* 1.1 nor greatly requisite in these so weightie matters entreating of Christes holy Martyrs, to discourse much of Thomas Wolsey Cardinall of Yorke: notwithstandyng, forsomuch as there be many, whiche being caryed awaye with a wrong opinion, and estimation of that false glit∣tering Church of Rome, doe thinke that holynes to be in it, which in deede is not: to the entent therefore, that the vayne pompe and pride of that ambitious Church, so farre differing from all pure Christianitie, and godlynes, more notoriously may appeare to all men, and partly also to re∣fresh the Reader with some varietie of matter, I thought compendiously to expresse the ridiculous and pompous qualities, and demeaner of this foresayd Thomas Wolsey, Cardinall and Legate of Rome, in whome alone, the I∣mage and life of all other suche like followers and profes∣sors of the same Church, may be seene and obserued. For like as the Lacedemonians in times past, were accusto∣med to shewe and demonstrate droncken men vnto theyr children,* 1.2 to behold and looke vpon, that through the foule∣nes of that vice, they might inflame them the more to the studie and desire of sobrietie: euen so it shall not be hurtfull sometimes to set forth the examples which are not honest, that others might thereby gather the instructions of bet∣ter and more vpright dealing.

Wherefore thou shalt note heere (good Reader) in thys hystorie, wyth all iudgement, the great difference of lyfe and Christian conuersation, betwene this Church, and the other true humble Martyrs and seruants of God, whome they haue, and doe yet persecute. And first to beginne, with the first meeting and comming in of this Cardinall, and his fellow Cardinall Campeius into England:* 1.3 it was about the tyme, when Pope Leo intending to make war agaynst the Turkes, sente three Legates together from Rome, whereof one went into Germanie, an other into Fraunce, Laurentius Campeius was appointed to come into England. When he was come to Callis, and that the Cardinall of Yorke had vnderstanding therof, he sent cer∣tayne Byshops and Doctors, with as much speede as he coulde, to meete the Legate, and to shewe hym that if hee would haue hys Ambassade take effect, he should sende in poste to Rome, to haue the sayd Cardinall of Yorke made Legate, and to be ioyned wyth hym in commission. Which thing he much affected, misdoubtyng least hys authoritie thereby might perhaps be diminished through the com∣ming of the Legate, and therefore required to be ioyned with hym in like degree of the Ambassade.* 1.4 Campeius be∣ing a man light of beliefe, and suspecting no such matter, gaue credite vnto hys wordes, and sent vnto Rome with suche speede, that within xxx. dayes after, the Bull was brought to Callis, wherein they were both equally ioined in Commission: during whiche time, the Cardinall of Yorke, sent to the Legate at Callis, red cloth to clothe hys seruants withall, which at their comming to Callis,* 1.5 were but meanely apparelled.

When all things were ready, Campeius passed y^e Seas & landed at Douer, and so kept forth his iourney towarde London. At euery good towne as they passed, he was re∣ceaued with procession, accompanied with all the Lords & Gentlemen of Kent. And when he came to blacke Heath,* 1.6 there met him the Duke of Northfolke, with a great num∣ber of Prelates, Knightes, and Gentlemen, all richly ap∣parelled, & in y^e way he was brought into a rich tent of cloth of gold, where he shifted hymselfe into a Cardinals robe, furred with Ermines, and so tooke his Mule ryding to∣ward Lōdō. Now marke y^e great humilitie in this Church of the Pope, and cōpare the same with the other Church of the Martyrs, and see which of them is more Gospell like.

Thys Campeius had eight Mules of hys owne, laden with diuers farthelles and other preparation.* 1.7 The Cardi∣nal of Yorke, thinking them not sufficient for his estate, the night before he came to London, sent him xij. mules more, with empty cofers couered with red, to furnish his cari∣age withal. The next day, these xx. mules were led through the Citie, as though they had bene loden with treasures, apparell, and other necessaries, to the great admiration of all men, that they shoulde receiue a Legate as it were a God, with such and so great treasure, and riches. For so the common people doth alwayes iudge and esteeme, the maiestie of the Cleargie, by no other thing then by theyr outwarde shewes and pompe: but in the middest of thys great admiration, there hapned a ridiculous spectacle, to y^e great derision of their pride & ambition. For as the Mules passed through Cheape side, and y^e people were pressing a∣bout them, to behold and gaze (as the maner is) it hapned that one of the Mules breaking his coller that he was led in, ranne vpon the other Mules, whereby it hapned,* 1.8 that they so running together, and their girthes being losed, ouerthrew diuers of their burthens, and so there appea∣red the Cardinals gay treasure, not without great laugh∣ter and scorne of many, and specially of boyes and gerles, whereof some gathered vp peeces of meate,* 1.9 othersome pee∣ces of bread and rosted egges, some found horse shoes, and old bootes, with such other baggage: crieng out, beholde, heere is my Lord Cardinals treasure. The Muliters be∣ing therewithall greatly ashamed, gathered together their treasure agayne as well as they could, and went forward.

About three of the clocke at after noone, the xxix. day of Iuly, the Cardinall himselfe was brought through the Ci∣tie, with great pompe and solemnity, vnto Paules church whereas, when he had blessed all men with the Byshops blessing (as the maner is) he was guided forth vnto y^e Car∣dinall of Yorkes house, where as he was receaued by the said Cardinal, and by him, on the next day being Sonday, was conducted vnto the King, to fulfill his Ambassade a∣gaynst the Turke, which might haue destroyed all Hun∣garie,* 1.10 in the meane time whiles they were studieng with what solemnitie to furnish out their Ambassade.

When the Cardinall of Yorke was thus a Legate, hee set vp a Court, and called it the Court of the Legate, and proued testamentes, and heard causes, to the great hynde∣rance of all the Byshops of the Realme. He visited By∣shops & all the Clergy, exempt and not exempt: and vnder colour of reformatiō, he got much treasure, & nothing was reformed, but came to more mischiefe: for by example of his pride, Priests and all spirituall persons waxed so proude, that they weare veluet, and silke, both in gownes, iackets, dublets, and shoes, kept open lechery, & so hyghly bare thē selues, by reason of his authorities & faculties, that no mā durst once reproue any thing in them, for feare to be called hereticke, and then they would make him smoke or beare a Fagot. And the Cardinall himselfe was so elated, that he thought himselfe equall with the King: and when he had sayd Masse, he made Dukes & Earles to serue him of wine with a say taken, and to hold the bason at the Lauatories.

Furthermore, as he was Ambassadour sent to the Em∣perour at Bruxels, he had ouer with him the great Seale of England,* 1.11 and was serued with his seruitours kneeling on their knees, and many noble men of England wayting vpon him, to the great admiration of all the Germaines that beheld it: such was his monstrous pompe and pride, Ex Par••lip. Abb. Vrspur.

This glorious Cardinall in his tragicall doyngs, dyd exceede so farre all measure of a good subiect, that he became more like a Prince then a Priest:* 1.12 for although y^e King bare the sword, yet he bare the stroke, makyng (in a maner) the whole Realme to bend at his becke, & to daunce after hys pipe. Such practises and fetches he had, that when he had well stored his own cofers, first he fetched the greatest part of the Kings treasure, out of the realme, in xij. great barels ful of gold & siluer, to serue the Popes warres. And as his auaritious mind was neuer satisfied in getting, so his rest∣les head was so busie, ruffling in publicke matters, that he neuer ceassed, before he had let both England, Fraunce, Flaunders,* 1.13 Spayne, and Italy, together by the cares.

Thus this Legate well following the steppes of hys maister the Pope, and both of them well declaring the na∣ture of their religion, vnder the pretence of y^e Church, pra∣ctised great hipocrisie, and vnder the authoritie of y^e King, he vsed great extortion, with excessiue taxes and lones, and valuation of euery mans substance,* 1.14 so pilling the commōs and Marchaunts, that euery man complayned, but no re∣dresse was had. Neither yet were the Churchmen altoge∣ther free from the pillax and pollax, from the pilling & pol∣ling (I meane) of this Cardinall, who vnder his power Legantine, gaue by preuētions, all benefices belonging to spirituall persons: by which hard it is to say, whether he purchased to himselfe, more riches then hatred, of the spiri∣tualty. So farre his licence stretched, that he had power to suppresse diuers Abbeyes, Priories, and Monasteries, and so did: taking from them all their goodes, moueables, and not moueables, except it were a little pension, left onely to the heads of certayne houses. By the saide power Legan∣tine, he kept also generall visitations through y^e Realme, sending Doctor Iohn Alein his Chaplein, riding in hys gowne of veluet,* 1.15 & with a great traine, to visit all religious houses: whereat the Friers obseruants much grudged, & would in no wise cōdescend thereunto: wherfore they were openly accursed at Paules crosse, by frier Forest, one of the same order: so that the Cardinall at length preuayled both against them,* 1.16 and all other. Against whom great disdayne arose among the people, perceauing how he by visitatiōs, making of Abbots, probates of testamentes, graunting of faculties, licences, and other pollings in his courtes Le∣gantine, had made his treasure equall with the Kings, and yet euery yeare he sent great summes to Rome. And thys was their dayly talke against the Cardinall.

Beside many other matters and greeuances which stir∣red the harts of the commons against the Cardinall, thys was one, which much pinched them, for that the sayd Car∣dinall had sent out certain strait commissions in the Kings name, that euery man should pay the vj. part of his goods. Wherupon there folowed great muttering amongst y^e cō∣mons,* 1.17 in such sort, y^t it had almost growen to some riotous commotion or tumult, especially in the partes of Suffolke, had not the Dukes of Northfolke and Suffolke, with wisedome and gentlenes stept in and appeased the same.

Another thing that rubbed the stomackes of many, or rather which moued them to laugh at the Cardinall, was this, to see his insolent presumption, so highly to take vpon him, as the Kings chiefe counsailer, to set a reformation in the order of the Kings houshold, making and establishing new ordinances in the same. He likewise made new offi∣cers, in y^e house of the Duke of Richmond, which was then newly begon. In like maner he ordeined a Counsell, & e∣stablished another houshold for y^e Lady Mary, then being princes: so that all thing was done by his cōsent, & by none other. All this, with much more, tooke he vpō him, making the King beleeue, y^t all should be to his honour, and y^t he needed not to take any paine, insomuch that the charge of all things was committed vnto him: whereat many men smiled to see his great folly and presumption.

At this tyme the Cardinall gaue the King the lease of the Manour of Hampton Court,* 1.18 which he had of the Lord of S. Iohns, and on which he had done great coste. Ther∣fore y^e King again of his gētle nature, licenced him to lie in his Manour of Richmond, & so he lay there certain times. But when the common people, and specially such as were King Henry the vij. seruantes, sawe the Cardinall keepe house in the royall Manour of Richmond, which K. Hen∣ry the vij. so much esteemed, it was a maruaile to here, how they grudged, saieng: See a butchers dogge lie in the Ma∣nour of Richmond. These with many other opprobrious wordes, were spoken agaynst the Cardinall, whose pride was so hygh, that he regarded nothyng: yet was he hated of all men.

And now to expresse some part of the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 practises and busie intermedlynges of this Cardinall in Princes warres, first here is to be noted,* 1.19 that after lōg warres be∣twene England & Fraunce. 1524. (in the which warres, kyng Henry takyng the Emperours part agaynst Fraū∣ces the French kyng, had waged with his money, y^e Duke of Bourbon, and a great part of the Emperours army, to inuade and disturbe certaine partes of Fraunce) it happe∣ned that the French kyng commyng with his armye to∣ward Millan, at the siege of Pauia, was there takē by the Duke of Bourbon, & Uiceroy of Neaples,* 1.20 and so led pri∣soner into Spayne.

Here note by the way, that all this while, the Cardi∣nall held with the Emperour, hopyng by hym to be made Pope: but when that would not be, he went cleane from the Emperour, to the French kyng, as (the Lord willyng) ye shall heare.

After this victory gotten, and the French kyng beyng taken prisoner, who remayned in custody about a yeare & halfe: at lēgth through great labour & solicitation, as well of other, as namely of the Cardinall, and kyng Henry, an order was taken,* 1.21 and conditions propoūded betwene the French kyng and the Emperour, among which other di∣uers conditions, it was agreed, that they should resist the Turkes, & oppresse the Lutheranes: and so was the kyng set at libertie, leauyng behynd him, his ij. eldest sonnes, for pledges: But shortly after he reuoked his othe, beyng ab∣solued by y^e Byshop of Rome, & sayd,* 1.22 that he was forced to sweare, or els he should neuer haue bene deliuered. Which was. an. 1526. Pope Clement vij. seyng the French kyng restored to libertie, & misdoubting the puissance and domi∣nation of the Emperour in Italy so neare vnder his nose, absolueth the French king frō his othe: also ioyneth toge∣ther a confederacie of Uenetians & other Princes agaynst the Emperour, bearyng great hatred agaynst all thē, that any thyng fauored the Emperours part, especially the fa∣milie of Columna in Rome, which familie was then Im∣periall, & therfore to shew his hatred against them, he sayd to Pompey Cardinall of the same familie, in threatnyng words, that he would take away his Cardinals hatte. To whō it was aunswered agayne of the Cardinall, that if he so did, he would put on a helmet,* 1.23 to ouerthrow the Popes triple crowne. Whereby it may appeare, here by the way, what holynesse and vertue lyeth in the Pope and Cardi∣nals in that Catholicke sea of Rome.

Thus the false Pope, vnder the lying title of holynes, was the father of much mischiefe & of great warres, which after ensued.* 1.24 For the Duke of Bourbon and other of the Emperours Captaines, hauyng intelligēce of the Popes purpose & confederacie, gathered their army together, and after much bloudshed and fightyng, about Millā, Hawde and Cremona, at length they approched & bent their siege agaynst Rome, & after three sharpe assaultes obteined the Citie with the whole spoyle therof: where also they besie∣ged the foresayd Pope, with his Cardinals, in the mount of Adriā and tooke him prisoner. an. 1527. As touchyng the cause of the besiegyng of Rome, now ye haue heard: for the maner of taking of Rome, and of the Pope, the order ther∣of is thus described in Hall, and other.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Cardinall Wol∣sey.
• * 1.2

  Example of the Lacedemonians.
• * 1.3

  Campeius sent into England.
• * 1.4

  Cardinall Wolsey see∣keth to be ioyned in e∣quall com∣myssiō with Campeius.
• * 1.5

  Note the state and pride of the Popes Clergye.
• * 1.6

  The recea∣uing of the Popes Le∣gate into England.
• * 1.7

  Ambition & pompe in the Cardi∣nall.
• * 1.8

  How God confoundeth the pride & pompe of men.
• * 1.9

  The Cardi∣nalles 20. great Mules loden with rosted eggs, and rotten shoes and such other treasure.
• * 1.10

  Ex Edouar Hallo.
• * 1.11

  〈1 paragraph〉〈1 paragraph〉
• * 1.12

  〈1 paragraph〉〈1 paragraph〉
• * 1.13

  〈1 paragraph〉〈1 paragraph〉
• * 1.14

  The pilling 〈…〉〈…〉 Car∣dinall.
• * 1.15

  The Fryers obseruaunts 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of the Cardi∣••••ll.
• * 1.16

  Of Fryer 〈◊〉〈◊〉, Vid. 〈…〉〈…〉. Reg. Henri••. 8.
• * 1.17

  〈…〉〈…〉 19. Reg. Henri••, 8.
• * 1.18

  〈1 paragraph〉〈1 paragraph〉
• * 1.19

  The Cardinall ruffling in mat∣ters and warres of Princes.
• * 1.20

  Fraunces 〈◊〉〈◊〉 French king ta∣ken prisoner.
• * 1.21

  The French king prisoner a yeare and a halfe.
• * 1.22

  The pope absol∣ueth the French king frō his othe.
• * 1.23

  The answer•• of the Cardinall to the Pope.
• * 1.24

  The Pope stir∣reth vp warres,