alienate his Majesty and Realms, with others, from the devotion and obedience of the See Apostolick. This I shewed his Holiness, that your Grace doth evidently perceive to follow, in case his Holiness should incline to the Cæsareans desire on this behalf: Yea further, I said, that your Grace most clearly perceiveth also by that Act, the Church of England utterly to be destroyed, and likewise your Person; and that these your Grace, with weeping tears, most lamentably committed unto me to shew to his Holiness. Furthermore I shewed to his Holiness, that your Grace, howsoever you should proceed in this Cause, did intend to proceed so sincerely, indifferently, and justly, that you would rather suffer to be jointed, Joint by Joint, than either for affection or fear, do any act either against your Conscience or Justice. Furthermore I said, that seeing his Holiness may be so well assured, that your Grace will do nothing but according to Justice in this Cause, he may the more boldly deny Avocations to the Cæsareans, seeing that the Queen and the Emperor can desire but Justice, which they may have at your Grace's hand, and my Lord Campegius, as well there as here; and by this means his Holiness should deliver himself from great pains and unquietness of mind, which he should sustain in case the Cause should be known here, where he should have the King's Highness on one part, and the Emperor on the other side, daily calling upon his Holiness. To this his Holiness most heavily, and with tears, answered and said, That now he saw the destruction of Christendom, and lamented that his fortune was such to live to this day, and not to be able to remedy it, (saying these words) For God is my Judg, I would do as gladly for the King, as I would for my self; and to that I knowledg my self most bounden, but in this case I cannot satisfy his desire, but that I should do manifestly against Justice to the charge of my Conscience, to my rebuke, and to the dishonour of the See Apostolick; affirming, that his Counsel shews him, that seeing the Cæsareans have a Mandate or Proxie of the Queen, to ask the Avocations in her Name, he cannot of Justice deny it, and the whole Signature be in that same opinion; so that though he would most gladly do that thing that might be to the King's pleasure, yet he cannot do it, seeing that Signature would be against him whensoever the Supplication should be up there: And so being late, we took our leave of his Holiness, and departed. Seeing that we could obtain nothing of the Pope for stopping the Avocation, we consulted and devised for the deferring of it, till such time as your Grace might make an end in the Cause there.

And so concluded upon a new Device, which at length we have written in our common Letter, wherein I promise your Grace, Mr. Gregory has used great diligence, and taken great labours at this time, we can do no more for our lives: And if your Grace saw the importune labour of the Ambassadors of the Emperor's and Ferdinandoes, you would marvel, I promise your Grace they never cease; wherefore in staying hitherto, as we have done, it is marvel, as God knoweth, whom I pray to preserve your Grace in health and prosperity ad multos annos. I beseech your Grace most humbly to commend me to the King's Highness; and likewise I beseech your Grace to pardon my ill writing. At Rome, the 9th day of July.

Your daily Beadman

and Servant,

W. BENET.

XXX.

A Letter of the Pope's to the Cardinal concerning the Avocation. An Original.

(Cotton Libr. Vitell. B. 11.)

19 Julii, 1529. DILECTE Fili noster, salutem et Apostolicam Benedictionem. Difficile est nobis explicare literis, qua nostra molestia seu potius dolore fuerimus coacti, ad Avocationem Causæ istic commissæ concedendam; nam etsi res ita fuit justa ut tanto tempore differri non debuerit, tamen nos qui isti Serenissimo Regi pro ejus singularibus erga nos et Apostolicam sedem meritis placere in omnibus cupimus, sicut consuevimus, ægre nunc adducti sumus, ut quamquam justitia cogente, quicquid contra ejus voluntatem concederemus. Nec vero minus, Fili, doluimus tua causa, cui rem hanc tantæ curæ esse perspeximus quantum tua erga dictum Regem fides et amor postulat; sed tamen quod datur justitiæ minus esse molestum debet, cum præsertim id fuerit tam dilatum à nobis, omniaq; antea pertentata ne ad hoc descenderemus. Itaq; optamus in hoc adhiberi à te illam tuam singularem prudentiam et æquitatem, persuadereq; te tibi id quod est, nos, qui semper vobis placere quantum nobis licuit studuimus, id quod vestro maximo merito fecimus, et semper facturi sumus, nunc non nisi invitos et justitia coactos quod fecimus fecisse: Teq; omni studio et amore hortamur, ut dictum Regem in solita erga nos benevolentia retinere velis, eique persuadere, nihil ex

hoc apud nos de benevolentia erga se veteri imminutum unquam fore, quod recipiemus Circumspectione tua longe gratissimum. Quemadmodum plenius dilectus Filius noster Cardinalis Campegius hæc Circumspectioni tuæ explicabit. Dat. Romæ apud Sanctum Petrum sub annulo Piscatoris die 19. Julii 1529. Pont. nostri anno sexto.

BLOSIUS.

XXXI.

An Act for the releasing unto the King his Highness of such Sums of Money as was to be required of him, by any his subjects, for any Manner of Loan, by his Letters Missives, or other ways or manner whatsoever.

(Act 26. Anno Regni 21 Henr. 8.)

ITEM quædam alia billa formam cujusdam actus in se continens, exhibita es præfato Domino Regi in Parliamento prædicto, cujus quidem billæ tenor sequitur in hæc verba,

The King's humble, faithful, and loving Subjects, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons in this present Parliament assembled, considering and calling to their remembrances, the inestimable Costs, Charges, and Expences, which the King's Highness necessarily hath been compelled to support and sustain, since his assumption to his Crown, Estate, and Dignity Royal; as well first for the extinction of a right dangerous and damnable Schism sprung and risen in the Church; which by the providence of the Almighty God, and the high prudence, and provision, and assistance of the King's Highness, was to the great honour, laud, and glory of his Majesty, repressed; the Enemies then being of the Church reformed, returned, and restored to the unity of the same, and peace over all componed and concluded, as also for the modifying of the insatiable and inordinate ambition of those which do aspire unto the Monarchy of Christendom, did put universal trouble, divisions in the same, intending, if they might, not only to have subdued this realm, but also all the rest unto their Power and Subjection: For the resistance whereof, the King's Highness was compelled, after the Universal Peace, by the great study, labour, and travel of his Grace conduced, and the same by some of the Contrahents newly violate and infringed; in shewing the form of the Treaties thereupon made, again to take Armour. And over and besides the

notable and excessive treasure and substance which his Highness in his first Wars had emploied for the defence of the Church, the Faith Catholick, and this his Realm, and of the People and Subjects of the same, was eft-soons brought of necessity to new, excellent, and marvellous Charges, both for the supportation of sundry Armies by Sea and by Land; and also for divers and manifold Contributions outward, to serve, keep, and contain his own Subjects at home in rest and repose; which hath been so politickly handled and conduced, that when the most part of all religious Christians have been infested with cruel Wars, Discords, Divisions, and Dissentions, the great Heads and Princes of the World brought unto Captivity; Cities, Towns, and Places, by force and sedition, taken, spoiled, burnt, and sacked; Men, Women, and Children found in the same slain and destroyed; Virgins, Wives, Widows, and Religious Women, ravished and defloured; Holy Churches and Temples polluted, and turned unto prophane use; the Reliques of the Holy Saints irreverently treated; Hunger, Dearth, and Famine, by mean thereof in the said outward Regions insuing, and generally over all was depopulation, destruction and confusion; the King's said subjects in all this time, were by the high providence and politick means of his Grace nevertheless preserved, defended, and maintained, from all these inconveniences and dangers and such provisions taken, by one way or other, so as reasonable commodity was always given unto them to exercise their Traffiques of Merchandise, and other their Crafts, Mysteries, and Occupations for their living; which could not possibly have been brought about, unless then the King's Highness, with continual studies, travels, and pains, and with his infinite Charges and Expences, had converted the peril and danger of the Enterprises and Exploits, set forth for the reduction of the Enemies unto Peace, from his own Subjects unto Strangers: Whereof finally such Fruit and Effect is ensued, as by the king's policy, puissance, and means, general and universal Peace is established amongst all Christian Princes; and this Realm now, thanked be God,' constitute in free, better, and more assured and profitable Amity with all outward Parties, than hath been at any time whereof is memory or remembrance. Considering furthermore, That his Highness, in and about the Premisses, hath been fain to employ, not only such sums of Mony as hath risen and grown by any manner of contribution made unto his Grace, by his said loving Subjects, but also over and above the same, sundry other notable and

excellent Sums of his own Treasure, and yearly Revenues, which else his Grace might have kept and reserved to his own use; amongst which manifold great Sums so employed, his Highness also, as is notoriously known, and as doth evidently appear by the accompts of the same, hath to that use and none other, converted all such Mony, as by any his Subjects and People, Spiritual and Temporal, hath been advanced unto his Grace by way of Prest and Loan, either particularly, or by any Taxation made of the same, being a thing so well collocate and bestowed, seeing the said high and great Fruits and Effects thereof ensued, to the honour, surety, well, perfect commodity, and perpetual tranquillity of this said Realm, as nothing could better nor more to the comfort of his said Subjects be desired, studied, or imagined; Of one mind, consent and assent, and by Authority of this present Parliament, do for themselves and all the whole Body of the Realm whom they do represent, freely, liberally, and absolutely, give and grant unto the King's Highness, by authority of this present Parliament, all and every Sum and Sums of Mony, which to them, and every of them, is, ought or might be due, by reason of any Mony, or any other thing, to his Grace at any time heretofore advanced, or payed, by way of Prest or Loan, either upon any Letter or Letters under the King's Privy Seal, general or particular, Letter, Missive, Promise, Bond, or Obligation of payment, or by any Taxation, or other Assessing, by virtue of any Commission or Commissions, or by any other mean or means whatsoever it be heretofore passed for that purpose, and utterly, frankly, liberally and most willingly and benevolently, for them, their Heirs, Executors, and Successors, do remit, release, and quit claim, unto his Highness, his Heirs and Successors for ever, all and every the same Sums of Mony, and every parcel thereof, and all and singular Suits, Petitions, and Demands, which they, or any of them, their Heirs, Successors, or Executors, or the Heirs, Executors, or Successors of any of them, have, had, or may have for the same, or any parcel thereof; most humbly and lovingly beseeching his Highness, for the more clear discharge for the same, that it may be ordained and enacted by the King, our said Sovereign Lord, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and the Commons of this present Parliament assembled, and by authority of the same, that all Promises, Bonds, Writings, Obligatory Letters, under the King's Privy Seal Signet, Sign Manual, or Great Seal passed, and other Bonds or Promises, whatsoever they be, had, or made, to any Person or Persons, Spiritual or Temporal, Shire, City,