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I Haue atteined to ye Popedome.
Men vse common∣ly to flye out of a tempest into the Hauen, but thou wyllingly thest out of the Hauen into a tempest: thou art a woonderfull marriner.
I haue ••••ten the Popedome.
A
rare matter, I wyl not say difficult: Dyd the care ouer one soule seeme so litle grieuous vnto thee, but that thou must take the charge & burden of al vpon thee: Thy shoulders are strōg, or thine ambition is great, so far to pricke thee foorth where thou knowest thou shalt be in euyl case.
I am ascended to the Pope∣dome.
By what meaues see thou. For there are two wayes, both tendyng vnto trauaile, but the one leadyng vnto mi∣serie. Whichsoeuer of these thou followest, knowe that thou art in miserie: or, yf the best happen, that of a freeman thou art be∣come a bondslaue. So thou that art sayde to haue ascended, art fallen downe, beyng nowe become one of those to whom is song that saying of the Prophete: They that goe downe into the Sea in shyppes, hauing busynesse vpon many waters: they that ascende vp into heauen, and descende downe to Hell, whose soule languish∣yng within them by reason of the greatnesse and abundance of the storme, is troubled, and they stagger lyke a drunken man, and al theyr wysedome is consumed.
I am ascended into the seate of the hygh popedome.
The deeper the sea is, the more it is subiect to wyndes, and dangerous for tempestes.
I am made Pope of Rome.
Looke howe muche Rome is bygger then other Cities, so much more toyle remay∣neth for thee. Some wyll houour thee, some adore thee, some attende and stand about thee, some lay sylken couerlets vnder thy feete, harneyes thy whyte Steedes with golde, prepare thee wyne and banquettes, and taste them vnto thee, whiche is suche a kynde of seruice as the auncient Popes neuer hearde of. Con∣trarywyse, some wyl let theyr owne busynesse alone, and fasten theyr eyes vpon thee, thee wyl they note, of thee wyll they iudge, but how iustly GOD knoweth, some also wyll reprooue thy manners, wrest thy woordes, teare thy fame, carpe thy lyfe, and whatsoeuer is any where done amisse, men wyl say it proceedeth from thee, as the only cause and fountaine of euil, and thou shalt be called the beginner of all discordes and mischiefes among the people: How, wyl they say, can the body of the church be whole, when the head is sick & yll at ease? I pray thee, is eyther a golden eup, or a silken bed, or a mitred head, so much to be estemed, that it shoulde be purchased with the losse of quietnesse & a good name?
I am chosen Pope.
Gouerne thy selfe in this tallyng as wel as thou canst, which is so greatly esteemed at this day, which truely is altogether vayne or intollerable, insomuche that not without cause certayne popes beyng ouerweeryed with tediousnesse, haue wyshed to theyr enimies none other punysh∣ment then that felicitie. For to speake in fewe woordes, the popedome if it be rightly administred, is a great honour, a great burden, a great seruitude, a great labour: But yf it be yl gouer∣ned, it is a great danger to the soule, a great euyll, a great misery, a great shame, and in al respectes a businesse full of peryl.
I holde nowe the seate of the popedome.
Thou shalt not holde it long. Mans lyfe is short, Kynges lyues shorter, and Popes lyues shortest of all, for that by reason of the greatnes of the cares and charge, the olde daies of the Pope are shortened, which are alredy weerled and worne before he attayne to that dignitie.
I syt in the top of the Popes seate.
The hygher thou syttest, the greater is the fall, and men can scarcely come downe from an hygh place without danger, or la∣bour. Take heede thou discende soberly, least thou be founde to be one of those, of whom it is sayd, They are lyfted vp on high, to the end their fal may be the greater. There is no man doubteth but that men must descend from almortall aduancement, but this is the difference, in that iust and wyse men do descende, and al other fall downe headlong. And therefore the Carthagien Captayne, who as it is reported of hym, sayde when he was dyeing, The end of all that are aduaunced, is to fall downe, spake not impro∣perly, as an vniust man.
I gouerne the state of the Popedome.
The fyrst Popes were woont to be called from that state to the honour of Martyrdome, but nowe a dayes they thynke that they are called to all kynde of plea∣sures and delicacie, and for that cause men striue nowe for this place, and euery man coueteth that preferment. For who is he that sueth or wysheth to be Pope of Rome, or Byshop of any other place, but only for encrease of power and ryches: Contrary to the precept of iustice, men seeke to gouerne, not to profite, and that moreouer which is sacrilegious and shameful to be spoken, fat Benifices, & great Ecclesiastical
prefermentes are bought with great rewardes, yea they be bar∣gayned for, and promised before they fal. O most vyle exchaunge of manners, in that men cannot be drawen from that, vnto whiche in olde tyme they were wont, and also ought to be enforced. And furious ambition is now so hot, that it seemeth to exceede the boundes of christian shamefastnesse and modestie, but rather, to be an Heathen desire and wylfulnesse: Whom, I meane the Heathen, we haue hearde say to haue been so earnest that way in theyr petitions and suites, that it is read how that Iulius Caesar sued for the hygh Byshops or Prelates office, not without moste large and lasciuious expence of money, wherein recountyng the greatnesse of his debt when in the mornyng he went foorth to the election, he kyssed his mother, saying that he woulde neuer more returne home, vnlesse he were hygh Byshop: And he kept promise, for he returned hygh Byshop in deede. It appeareth with what vehemencie (not request) he laboured for that prefer∣ment, insomuche that he determined to wyn it, or els to dye for it, or to goe into exyle: whiche he myght doo both lawfully, who in his youth had purposed vnto hym selfe to raigne: so that he thin∣keth hym selfe iniured, yt there be any other gouernour in the world but Caesar▪ or any land that belongeth to twayne. But how it may be lawful for a Christian to sue for the popedome, that hath proposed to hym to serue and beare the yoke of his lorde, I do not perceiue, and to sue for it, not onely by most la∣nish prodigalitie, but also, that is not much lesse vile, by flatterie & lyes, which are aries vnmeete for men, but so common and vsual now a dayes, that these are onely the meanes to come to prefer∣ment.
I am pope of Rome.
Thou shoul∣dest say seruant of seruantes: Take heede thou couet not to be Lorde of Lordes. Remember thy profession, remember thy duetie, remember thy Lorde, who wylbe wrath with none more for transgressing of duetie, then with him that presumeth to be called his owne Vicar.