A treatyse of the donation or gyfte and endowme[n]t of possessyons, gyuen and graunted vnto Syluester pope of Rhome, by Constantyne emperour of Rome [and] what truth is in the same grau[n] thou mayst se, and rede ye iugement of certayne great lerned men, whose names on the other page of this leafe done appere.

❧ The preface of Vdalrike Hutten / vpon the lytell booke made by Laurence Valla / agaynst the fayned and falsely forged donation or gyfte of Constantyne / vnto pope Leo the tenth of that name.

AT the last moste blessed father / your noble & comfortable promise / whiche by your cōmaū¦dement was expressed / publysshed / & set forth at the very begynnīg / whan you were newly made po¦pe: hath vanquesshed & perfitely ouercōe the opinyon of those persones / whiche dyd disswade & frayde men away from publysshyng and sendyng forth abrode of the lytell boke made by Laurence Valla / agaynst the donation and graunt of Cōstantyne / for nowe seyng that you haue ones caused that marcyall triumphe to kepe sylence / wherwith pope Iuly the seconde prouo¦ked & styred vp men to warre & batayle / and as it wer by strykīg a cymbale of peace / haue raysed vp the her∣tes & myndes of all christen people / vnto the hoope of liberte: All men do recken & suppose / that them selues may vse all thynges / which they knowe to be laufull. And I verily of my parte / albeit that I was afore {per}∣swaded & in full belefe / if it shuld fortune & chaūce you to haue this most high auctorite & gouernaunce ouer all / for asmoch as you haue alwayes / so and in suche wyse loued & exercised the studies of best letters / that your profyting and goyng forwarde in thē / may with out dout be cōpared with the doctryne of the best ler∣ned men that be in this tyme / that you wolde nat suf∣fre any of the monumētes or workes made by aūcient authors in olde tyme to perisshe / & to be vtterly lost & cast away whiles you were pope / yet natwithstāding whan I red that inscriptyon or tytle openly set forthe in Italy. Leoni decimo pontifici maximo restaura∣tori pacis / whiche is thus moche to say in englysshe.

To Leo the tenth pope / the renewer of peace: I leapte vp sodaynly / beynge wonderfully styred with a sodayne ioye / and comforted / and restored agayn to my selfe / from that passyon and vnquietnesse of my mynde / wherin I had before contynued a longe sea∣son

by the reasō y^t I saw this nation dyd suffre many greuouse and shamfull thīges vnder tyrānuouse and cruell popes. I am therfore ryght ioyfull and gladde for their sakes / which are lyuing in this tyme / which by you / as it were by a most lucky starre of peace sprō¦gē vp or rysē / now after so longe darkenesse of tyrā∣ny beholdeth & loketh vp to the newe lyght of lyberte / and you are a very pope in dede / whiche do brynge peace / but your predecessours / whiche had nat this peace: Were no popes at all / for they dyd nat folowe Christ / whiche gaue peace to his discyples / and lefte the same as inherytaunce vnto them / sayeng these wordes. My peace I do gyue to you my peace I do leaue to you. And therfore also they were nat his vy∣cars / whose sted & offyce they dyd nat kepe or fulfyll / for they kyngdome of god is to kepe peace / but rather they were clene contrary & enemies to Christ / whose studies or workes they haue dispysed / and haue folo∣wed a contrary kynde or maner of lyuing / for peace belōgeth to him: and they desyred & folowed warres and batayls. He studyed to saue men by his doctryne and teachyng / and they laboured busely to kyll and destroye men / with weapons of warre. He shewed his kyngdome to be heuenly / and they fyrst of al / and most chefely sought the empiers of the worlde. Ther∣fore neither they were blessed: bycause they were nat peaceable or maynteners of peace. Neither were they the sonnes of god / for Christ sayth. Blessed are the peceable persons: for they shall be called the sonnes of god. ❀ Lo / thā by you most blessed father is restored and renewed the peace / which through their peruer∣syte was sayd to haue had a great fall & decaye. And this peace most chefly & in especyal learned men / haue receyued with great ioye by your benefyte and gyfte. Secondarely / they also very desyrously haue embra∣ced the same peace: from whome many thynges had ben vniustly taken away by fraude and gyle / for with peace is come also iustice through your restoryng / for accordyng to the sayeng of the prophete / nowe chefly in this tyme. Rightuousnesse and peace hath kyssed

to gyther. Faythe or fydelyte is come also / and that doughter of tyme / that is to witte / verite or trouthe: she is come also / & the vertues belonging to kynges and gouernours / that is to witte / mercy and mekenes are come also plentuously. Do you se here / O Leo the tenth / of howe many good thynges and cōmodytes at ones / you haue ben the author and begynner? you by bringyng of peace / haue also with it brought in the studies of peace / that is to say / the studies of the best artes and sciences. you haue also restored rightu¦ousenes / for in peace are lawes / and by the lawes is iustice caused. you haue also brought agayne lyberte whom trouthe accompanyeng: hath ben her selfe also greatly profytable to the men of your tyme / for where tyranny is / there can be no peace / bycause there is no fydelyte or trustines / neither can there be any iustyce or ryghtuousnesse: for as moche as euery man hathe nat that whiche is his owne / and bycause tyrantes done oppresse the lawes. Neither it is laufull there to say the trouthe: by cause there is no lyberte. But nowe we ben very free / & at lyberte in dede: bycause we haue peace / whiche we hauyng: shall haue and vse also the studies of peace. So than / this tranqui∣lyte / which coulde nat be had in the tyme of Iulius the author of warres / we wyll nowe vse vnder you / the restorer & renewer of peace / that we may rest qui∣etly in the studie of good letters. ❀Therfore nowe let it come forth to lyght / if any thīg hath ben long tyme hidde / and let euery thinge come forthe so moche the more boldly / by how moch it is more truly & more sin¦cerely & faithfully written / of whiche sorte is this bo∣ke / whiche other popes therfore haue nat suffred: by∣cause they wolde nat here y^e trouth / but you shall ther¦fore loue it / bycause you haue now afore begon to vs of y^e cuppe of trouth / for what pertayneth y^t to you be∣yng a pope of better cōsience / y^t they sayd this boke to haue ben writtē agaynst y^e dygnite of y^e ecclesyasticall estat? or y^t they sayd y^t it did speke yuel & rayled agaīst popes / for verely neither they were popes / whiche fayned & forged the donation of Cōstantyne / bycause they were nat pastors or herdesmen. Neither it was

a churche / whiche receyued and admytted it / bycause it was nat a congregation of faythfull christen men / for if they had ben herdesmen: they wolde haue fedde the shepe of Christ / and nat haue inuaded & deuoured them. And if it had ben a church: truly it wolde haue called people to lyfe & lyberte / & nat haue drawen vio¦lently empiers and nations vnder yoke and bōdage. For thus speketh the church. Come to me all you y^t do lust & desyre after me / & be you fulfylled of my ge∣neratiōs. Certainly she fylleth (I meane the church) whomsoeuer she hath receyued / but that congregati∣on of wicked men / dyd emptie and make bare those / whom they receyued. Moreouer Christ badde his vicars. Be good herdesmen / and nat rauenouse and gredy deuouryng woolues. For he sayde in this wise to Peter. Peter louest thou me? If thou doest Fede my shepe. He sayd. Fede my shepe / and nat de∣uour my people: euen so as thou woldest deuour the substance of a lofe of breed. And whan he called them to the apostleshyppe: he sayd. I shall make you fys∣shers of men / that is to say / I shall make you / that by preachyng and good ensamples gyuing / you shal allure and drawe vnto the trouthe / such men as done erre & wandre from they fayth / whiche thing bycause you do folowe / most blessed father: we are gladde / and do greatly reioyce / that this ordre is retourned agayne to their offyce and dutie / through your cau∣syng & bringing it to passe / by the reason that Peace / that lybertie / that iustyce / and verite by your meanes are called and brought agayne / for what more mery voyce / or what more swete or more pleasaunt worde myght be herde than this: I meane the restoryng of peace. So than with lytell busynesse / that is to wit with one lytell worde sette forth: you haue taken a∣way the great indygnation from the myndes of men / you haue pacifyed and layd the vehement and houge passyons and vnquietnesse of mennes myndes / and haue disapoynted and put by mischeues and dystruc∣tions / and haue ceassed all wranglyng and stryfes / where than it shulde haue cōe to passe (if these cogita¦tiōs of men had happened vpon an euyll pope) that

we wolde by force and violence haue takyn awaye many thynges: nowe by you it is brought to passe / that quietly restyng / we do optayne all thīges with∣out any trouble or busynesse / do you se. O Leo / a ve∣ry pope in dede / what maner one I do iuge this your dede to be? we may nowe thanke your goodnesse for the receyte of that thing: which els was to haue ben pursued after / and purchased with warre & fyghting / wherfore nowe lette certaine persones ceasse to feare / lest you wyll be displeased and miscōtent / if this bo∣ke be publysshed and sentte abrode agayne / by cause those peruerse and prepostrouse popes / that haue ben afore you / haue forbydden that any man shulde haue it in his hande / for you are in no poynte agreynge or lyke to them: bycause they in no poynte dyd agre with Christ / for they vnder gylefull and coloura••ie deceite / haue drawen to themselues the seculare and worldly empiers. But you / in the syncere and pure brightnesse of trouthe / haue opened an heuenly do∣minatyon / that is to wytte / the kyngdome of peace. So than by your meane / Christyan verite begyn∣neth to reuyue and quicken agayne / which where as she hathe ben of longe tyme oppressed: nowe taketh herte and stomake agayne / and she / which hathe ben many a day in captyuite and thraldome: nowe dely∣uered and brought out agayn from that prison & der∣kenesse: deserueth to se lyght agayne / vpon trust and boldnesse wherof / Valla encoraged: dare now ryse agayne from dethe / and present hīselfe in to the eares and syght of men / and that so moche the rather also: bycause he hath ben in olde tyme / in high fauour and loue with your auncestres / of whom as you haue re∣ceyued & taken this vertue as it were by inherytaūce: euyn so lykewise in other vertues you do nat swarue or go out of kynde from them / for lykewise as in eru∣dicyon and lernyng / you do resemble that exellently lerned Politian your maister and techer: euyn so in cōdicyons & maners you a•• nothyng vnlyke to your great graūdfathers graūdfather Cosmus Medices. And lykewise as this was his chefe praise / y^t althogh

he alone might haue done all thinges in his cyte / yet he wolde nat do al that he might / Euyn so let this be your laude / that wher as you might raigne and rule as an Emperour / you had leauer kepe and saue as a pastor or herdesman. But in Cosmus this was prin¦cipally worthy meruayle and prayse / that he beyng him selfe nat lerned / yet dyd he loue lerned men & had them in honour / causing them to besought forth and brought to him from all places on euery side / and so∣couryng them with his helpe / and also with his goo∣des. But Laurence your father / both loued learned men: and also was himself for his lerning / worthy to be accompted amonge the cheyfe lerned men of his tyme. ❀ O than this is an happie family and kynred which hathe ben ordained of god / to the helping / pro∣motyng / and fortheryng of good lernyng / for what other stocke or kinred is there / to whom els we be be¦holden / and whom ought we to thanke / as being the causers of the prosperite and cōmodites of this our time. By whose benefyte els is it: that we haue both the greke and also the laten letters reuiued & restored againe frome vtter destruction. So that in Italie onely / the Florentines are they whiche / so great a cō∣modite or benefite receyued: ought nat to repēte them or be ashamed or wery of tirauntes. No dout of it / Valla was derely beloued of your ancestres / whiles he was a lyue / therfore / for their reuerence & sakes / he is nat to be despised of you: although he be deed / where than are they / which thought it for to be feared lest you wolde nat suffre the publysshing and setting forth of this worke? as who wolde say / that you had at any time receiued and alowed in your minde / the fraude and craftie gile of them / whiche sinfully and cursedly haue imagined lyes of Constantine / or els as though this litell boke were nat such one / that nat only it may be red of all men: but also y^t it ought & is necessarie & nedefull to be redde of all men / for asmoch as very great frute & profite may come of it / whiles the trouth is perfitely knowen. But some man will happely say / that it is a cōuicious & a checking boke. Trouth

it is / and therfore it is a good booke / seynge that it bytterly and sharpely rebuketh euyll men. But they wyll saye agayne / it is deuellyssh / cruell / and vncha∣rytable agaynst popes. Nay / raither agaynst tyran̄∣tes / for if in the cityes of Grecelande / it is ordayned and decreed / that they ought to haue rewardes / whi∣che haue slayne any tyraunte and ridde him out of the worlde: what rewarde than shall we gyue to them / whiche doo impugne & fyght agaynst verye tyranny it selfe: Or if it be charyte and naturall / to loue our owne countrey. Howe can it be sayde / that he dothe vncharitably and vnlouyngly / whiche hateth the ene¦mye of it. Were nat those popes the enemyes of Chri¦sten men / whyche vyolentlye plucked the ryches and goodes of all men / to their owne selues? whiche wēt about with all enforcemēt / to bryng all free men in to seruitude & bondage? and which despoyled the kīges of their empyre / & the cōmunes of their money? whi∣che did sende vnto vs from Rome / byshoppes clothed in palles or robes / with so great losse and domage of our patrimonyes or lyuelodes? Or were they the vi∣cars of Christ / whiche dyde nat fulfyll his offyce / of whō it is written. His place hath ben made in peace.

Or if they be tyrantes / whiche do take vpon them selues to haue empire / dominyon / and rule ouer men that be free: Who doth this thyng more than he / whi¦che chalengeth or draweth hym in to seruytude & bon¦dage / that is the conseruer and mayntener of lyberte / that is to wyt / the prīce or emperour of y^e Romayns.

Therfore to cōclude / Valla speketh nat euyll agaīst popes / but he speketh the trouthe agaynst tyrauntes / and for that cause it ought to be supposed & thought that he dothe please you greatly: you (I saye) beyng a man sprongen of so noble a stocke or kyndred: of so noble auncestres / endued also with so exellent lear∣nyng / and hauynge also so honorable a name.

❀ There ought nat any lye or leasynge to be agreing vnto anye one of the stocke or kyndred of the Medi∣ces / and where so greatte learnynge is: there no peruersyte canne be receyued or haue entraunce.

And the highe and great stomake of a lyon doth nat suffre or receyue vnto it self the humilyte or vylenesse of fraude or gyle / whiche hath alwayes in his mou∣the this sentēce or sayng of the greke poete. To lye / is an vnhonest / a vyle / and a knauyshe thynge / and belongyng to villayns. The trouth: is an exellent and an honorable thyng / appertaynīg to noble & gen¦tylmen. Besydes this / if euer in any thynge Valla dyd shewe or declare what an exellent man he was / and with howe noble and stronge mynde he was en∣dued: he dothe it in this lytle boke / whiche natwith∣standyng the very great ieoperdye that he sawe sette forth a fore his eyes: (Suche was the worlde at that tyme) yet wolde he nat shrynke or god awaye frome the trouth / but boldely and styffely dyd stande by it / and in that poynte howe moche better and more lyke a Christen man dyd he / than dyd that dulle asse of la∣te tyme / whiche dedycated the priuylege of that wor∣shypfull & goodly donatyon or gyfte / to pope Iulyus the seconde / nat without the contumelye and reproche of the moost excellente learned man / & in euery poynt better than hym selfe. Affyrmynge / that him selfe had trāslate it out of y^e greke / wher as we dyd nat knowe that it was wryten or made in the greke tonge / for he dyd flatter / to thentent / that he myght please one per¦sone. But Valla hath spoken the trouthe / to the ende that he myght profyte and do good to many men. What thynge lacketh he / that belongeth to the perfec¦tyon of a Christen man / and a good man. They ther¦fore doo nothyng knowe you / whiche doo feare / that this labour of Valla shalbe myslykyng and displea∣saunte to you / for yf they dyd knowe you / or youre mynde / they wolde nat esteme and iuge your lyfe / by the maners and condycions of those popes / whiche haue ben robbers of men & theues / frome whom and whose opinyon I doo greatly dyssente and disagree / bothe whan I doo here your fame and prayse openly spoken of / and spredde abrode euery where: and also whan I doo consyder this your promyse full of very good opinyon / for you do restore and renewe peace.

But there can no peace be betwene the extorsyoners or robbers / and them whiche be robbed / & haue their goodes wrongfully by violence taken from them: ex∣cepte they haue that whiche is their owne / restored to them agayne. And you / excepte you were mynded to parforme and fulfyll the dede selfe / wolde neuer haue putte forthe and set afore vs this promyse / whiche els shulde be but vayne wordes. And therfore this is myne opinyon / that you wolde haue ben greatly dis∣pleased and angry with me / if both agaynst the iuge¦ment of myne owne mynde / and also agaynst the cō∣men iugement of all men. (For who is he that is of y^• opinyon or mynde) I shulde haue praysed vnto you / that vngratious & myscheuous ymagination or fay∣nyng / whiche those false popes haue vntrewly forged of Constantyne: sayeng and also facyng it out / that he hath gyuen and graunted to them thempire of the West parte of the worlde / with the cytie of Rome / the lady & regent of all people and nations / whose leude boldnesse I do marueyle at / chefely in this: that they were nat afrayde nor a shamed / to affyrme that thing whiche they knewe well / that no man wolde beleue. But they wened that they shulde easely haue perswa∣ded the germayns / and brought them in bele••e therof bycause the cōmen fame & noyse goeth / y^e the germaīs haue no brayne nor witte / & therfore they vse no witte nor polyce or crafty conueyance in this matter / for if they had had to do with other natyons / doutles this fayning or Imaginatiōs shuld nat haue ben so colde and faynte / as it is / but a great deale more craftely hādled / and they wold haue ben more ware and wise in the deuysing of this lye / excepte there can be any man founde / whiche can shewe / that euer they vsed any such fraude or gyle agaynst any emperour / afore that the name of Empyere came to the Germayns I am therfore (oh good lorde) excedingly ashamed of our forefathers there / which haue ben so slowe & dul∣wytted / that they coulde nat parceyue or espy the de∣ceipte / which was easy to be parceyued and knowen euyn of very chyldren. But their fraude and gyle is

so moche more worthy of more hatered: by howe mo∣che after worse facyon they haue abused or simplycite mistrustyng no deceyte or crafte at all. But who can prayse and meruayle ynough at your filycyte & hap∣pynes / most blessed Leo: in whose persone it hathe chaimced this change to be made of Popes / in to the better? for the church / from hence forwarde shall ha∣ue better popes / except this your promyse be nat ma∣de with the herte / but fayned / as I am sure it is nat. And therfore those persons do iniury vnto you: who so euer do but euen so moch as doubte ones / whether you wyll suffre them that do write agaynst y^e donatiō or gyfte of Constantyne / so shamfully & falsly forged and fayned / and agaīst those popes / whiche haue ben the ymagyners and deuysers of this most detestable and abhominable mischefe: all checkinge and bytter wordes / and also all sharpe and cruel dedes / are mete and conuenyent to be vsed euyn to the vttermost that maye be eyther sayd or done. Why nat? agaynst rob∣bers of princes and of the cōmunes / agaynst theues / agaynst tyrauntes / agaynst open rouers. For who is a more vyolent thefe or open robber / than is he: whi∣che so plucketh mennes goodes frome them / that he neuer taketh vp / or maketh an ende of so doīg. These were they / which takīg occasyō in a very smal thinge haue gone forth past al mesure in outrage of pyllyng and polyng away of mennes goodes / whiche haue set forthe / graces to be solde / which haue sold pardons / haue solde dispensations / and a thousande maners & kyndes of bulles / nowe so longe season / whiche haue ordayned lucre and gaynes to be gotten in the remis∣syon and forgyuenes of synnes. And also haue found and gottē wynnyng and aduauntage in the punyssh∣ment & paynes of them that are deed / which also haue suffred the ben••fyces / which are almoste of our fore∣fathers: to be bought of themselues / whiche haue bro¦ught the Germaynes in belefe / that they are no bys∣shoppes: whiche haue nat boughte theyr palles of them / with many thousande peces of golde / whiche haue nat ben cōtente / nor thought it ynough to exacte

and require money extraordinarily euery yere ones / but also as oftentymes as it hath come ī to their myn∣de / haue sent collectours & gatherers / sondrie of them for sondrie causes. As some / bycause they were about to make redy for warre agaynst the Turkes: Other some / that they might buylde vp the churche of saynt Peter in Rome / whiche they do nat care or prouyde to be fynisshed. And albeit that they dyd all these thī∣ges afore rehersed / yet for all that / they wolde thē sel∣ues cōmunely to be saluted & called moste blessed / and most holy fathers / and did nat suffre / nat onely any thynge to be done: but also nat so moche as to be sayd or spoken agaynst their conditions and maners. But if any man had spoken any whitte / or made any men∣cion of lybertie / or if any man had cast any thynge at all agaynst them in their way to letre / or delay / and hyndre them in their extortion or rauyne and robbry: they dyd wreke their teene vpon his soule / destroyēg it and dampnyng it forthwith to the pytte of helle. Wolde you nat rekyn him / most noble Leo / to be a ve¦ry great enemy to you: if any mā dyd accompte you in the nombre of suche insatiable theues? of so cruell tyrauntes? Or do you nat thynke him to be a frende & benefyciall vnto the estates of Popes: whiche with a gret loude voyce doth laude and prayse you / for that you are nothyng agreyng or lyke vnto them? and on the other syde doth take away from them al thynges / that belonge to the succesiyon of Peter. Or wyll nat you whiche are the renewer of peace / saye well of him / and gyue him your blessyng: which curseth those authors and causers of warres and seditions? Yes moreouer I knowe you so well / that I dare be bolde to say / your selfe wyll curse them / that the sayeng of the prophet may be applyed very well & accordyngly to euery one of them. He hath loued maladiction or cursyng / & it shall come to him. He wolde no blessing and therfore it shall be sette farre of frome him. For they with cursyng did destroye the soules of men: as though mennes soules were nat a possessyon derelye beloued of god / it may therfore be concluded / y^t they

were no pastors or herdesmen / because they dyd nat saue or kepe soules from perisshyng / but dyd distroy them / & dyd set forth the wepe of Christ in to daunger of the wolues / which go about the flocke of the lorde / for to deuoure it. I say they were nat shepherdes but wolues: nat kepers or watchemen / but traytours & theues / wherfore by very good ryght we may curse them: because god doth nat loue them / for as moche as thēselues had no mīde or loue to the peace of god Therfore to conclude so longe hath there ben no pope in y^e church: as longe as there hath ben no peace in it. Ye moreouer so longe might men neither say wel / ney¦ther do wel: how longe these Rauenous wolues wal∣ked through goddes folde making hauocke / & so long as those syngulare wyld beastes dyd wast & destroy y^e vineyarde of the lorde / & those incōparable tyrauntes were lordes / & had domunō ouer al Christendom / of whom Hieremy the prophete sayth / Many herdesmē haue destroyed & throwen down my vyneyarde / they haue my parte troden vnder the fote / for if euery man is so moche a worse tyrant? by how moche he killeth mo bodyes of the Citezens or cōmunes / y^t he him selfe may make hauocke & take his pleasure / safely / out of ieopardy: what is to be sayd of them / which y^t them selues might haue riches / dyd begyne & instytute the slaughter & murther of soules euery where? which we¦re nat contented / nor thought it ynough to kyll & slee the bodies of men / for that they defended the trouth: but also dyd kyll & sle the soule / y^t leue & dere spousesse of god / whiche dyde destroy / kyll / & deuoure y^t noble spoyle of hell / that rewarde of so great labour & tra∣uayll / & which was purchashed & gotten with the pre∣cious blode of Christ? whom we truly dyd nat enuye agayn of our parte / for that they were riche & of gret power & myght: but we hated thē / bycause they were noysome & euyl doers. But what alacryte or chereful¦nes can be sufficient for vs / y^t we might shewe y^e gret loue most depely graffed & roted now in the mides of Christen men towarde you / most blessed Leo? you ar the pryncypal loue of the worlde / you ar the chefe der∣lyng

& delyghte of al mankynde / the renewer & resto¦rer of peace / the quencher & ceasser of warres / the au∣thor and causer of securite & quietnes / the pacifyer & a layer of troubles & stryfes / the father of studies / the nourissher of learnyng / the repayrer & renewer of all good artes & sciences / wherby the wittes are adour∣ned & garnisshed / of whom it is written by y^e prophet In his dayes there shall springe or ryse iustyce / and plenty of peace. How moch more substanciall & true pease is contayned in these thynges: than were con∣tayned in those thynges / whiche of late dayes were spoken to Iulius of his warres and triumphes. For these thinges are the laudable & cōmendable workes of a very pope. And those of Iulius were y^e most ferce cruell / & vengeable dedes of a tyraunte. For douteles none of them was a pope / whiche haue drawen vnto themselues (caryng nat by whatso euer meanes) the seculare kingdomes. Neither he hath ben y^e vicare of Christ / or the successour of Peter: who so euer he be / that hathe defended that wretched & synful donation of Constantine / which neuer was made: neither yet was possyble to haue ben euer made. The improba∣tion & disprouīg wherof / in so moch I do nat suppose or thinke to be wicked: that I do iudge them grettely to minishe & derogate the dignyte of popes / who so euer do approue or alowe it. And also I haue confy∣dence & trust / that I do great pleasure vnto you: in that I do renew and call it agayne as it were frome darknes to lyght / from death to lyfe / that lytell boke of Valla made concernyng this mater / whiche hathe ben of late tyme reiected / refused / and condēpned. ye more ouer I do dedicate the same boke vnto your ho∣lynesse: to the entente / that it maye be witnessed and openly knowen to all men / howe that nowe (lyberte beyng restored / & as it were new borne agayne / by y^e reason that you are pope) all men maye laufully both speake the trouthe: ye / and also put forth the same in writyng / whiche my dede / all be it I do nat doute / but that yt dothe please you gretly: yet natwithstan∣dyng after that I shall haue perceyued this to be ap∣proued

of you / by some publyke and open testymonie I shall gyue dilygence that I may oftentymes fynde out some such lyke thīge. In the meane season Christ preserue you beynge so good & very a pope vnto vs / longe in helth & prosperite from Steckelberge castell the fyrst day of Decēbre / in y^e yere of our lorde. 1517.

Notes

• Popes beīge warriers are no popes at all.
• Io. 14.
• Peace was thynheritāce which Christ gaue & left to his apostles.

  Popes ma∣kyng warre / ar nat the vi¦cars but the aduersarys & enemyes of Christ.

  The workes of Christ & of certayne po∣pes cōpared togider.
• Mat. v.
• The cōmody¦tees ensuyng of peace and tranquillyte.
• Psal. 84.
• Verite is the doughter of tyme.
• Mercy and myldnesse / ar vertues belō¦gynge to go∣uernoures & rulers.
• Tyranny ex∣cludeth al ver¦tues and cō∣modities.
• They were no very po∣pes / that fay¦n••d the gyfte or graunt of Cōstantyne.

  Neither it 〈◊〉〈◊〉 a ryght churche that receyued the ••••ne graūt.
• Io. the .21 The succes∣sours of Pe¦ter 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to 〈…〉〈…〉
• P••al. ••.
• 〈1 paragraph〉〈1 paragraph〉
• psa. lxxv.
• Leo.
• The excedīg abusyons of certayne po∣pes.
• Psal. 1.8 Popes nat shepherdes: but wolues nat kepers of Christes floc¦ke: but bet•• ••yers of them.
• Psal. 119.
• Iere. ••••.
• 〈…〉〈…〉 thynge 〈…〉〈…〉 of 〈◊〉〈◊〉, and how deerly be¦loued of god.
• Psal. 71.