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convenient order, with the Ambassadors of France, or voidyng of all Jelousie and Suspition: and as I shall proceed with the Ambassadors on both parties, and fynde them disposed, so shall I advertise your grace with all diligence from tyme to tyme. And thus Heauen preserue your most noble and roiall astate. At Dover the first day of August by your

most humble Chapleyn,

To the Kings grace.

VI.

T. CARLIS. EBOR.

A Letter of Cardinal Wolsey's to the King, concerning the Emperor's Firmness to him. An Original.

SIR;

(Paper-Office.)

THES wrytten with my owne hand shall be onely to Advertise your Grace, what I do perceyve and be in the Emperors owne parson, wich I assure your Grace for his Age is very wyse and wel understanding hys afferys: rygth colde and temperat in spech, with assury'd maner towchyng hys words, rygth wel and to good purpose when he doth speke: and undowgttydly by all appearance he shall prove a very wyse Man, gretly inclyned to trewgth and observance of his promyse; determynyd not onely fastly holly and entirely for ever, from hens forth to be joyned with your Grace, leving all other practyse and intellygens apart: but also in all his afferys to take and folowe your counsell and advise : And nothing to do without the same. And lyke as your Grace hath your singuler affyance in me, puttyng the Burdeyn of your officys on my shulders, thougth I knowleg my self farr unmeet for the same; so he ys determyned to do for his part. And hereunto he hath not onely bowndyn him sylf to me apart, twys or thrys by hys feyth and trowth givyn in my hande; but also he hath to every one of your Privy Counsell in most constant wyse declary'd the same, in suche maner and fashion as we all may perceyve that the same procedyth of his harte, without coloure, dissymulation or fashion. Wherefor, Syr, ye have cause to give thanks to Almighty God, wich hath given you grace so to ordyr and commen your afferys, that ye be not only the ruler of thys your Realme, which ys in an angle of the Worlde; but also by your wisdome and counsel Spayne, Itally, Almayne, and thes Lowe Cowntyes, wich ys the gretest parte of Chrystendome, shall be ruled and go

verned. And as for France, thys knot nowe beyng assurydly knit, shall not fayle to do as your grace shall commande. What honour thys is to your highnes I dougth not but that your grace of your high wysdom can rygth well consyder: giveying most harty thanks to almighty God for the same accordingly, beseechyng your grace most humbly so to do, whereby thys thyng thus honorably commensyd shall not fayle to your great exultation, to come to the desyryd ende: to the atteyning wherof I shal empley my poore parson wyt exspensyons, substance and Blood. From Grevelyng the 28th day of August, with the rude hand of your Most humble Chapleyn,

T. CARLIS. Ebor. To the Kings grace ys owne hands onely.

VII.

The First Letter of Cardinal Wolsey to King Henry, about his Election to the Popedom upon Adrian's Death. From the Originals lent me by Sir William Cook.

SIR;

Ir may like your Highnesse to understand I have this Houre received Letter's from your Orator's Resident in the Court of Rome, mentioning how the xivth Day of this Instant Moneth It pleased Almighty God to call the Popes Holynesse to his Mercy, whose Soul our Lord Pardon. And in what trayn the Matters there were at that Time for Election of the future Pope, your Highnesse shall perceive by the Letters of your said Órator's, which I send unto the same at this Time, whereby appeareth that mine Absence from thence shall be the onely Obstacle (if any be) in the Election of me to that Dignity; albeit there is no great Semblance that the College of Cardinals shall consent upon any being there present, because of the sundry Factions that be among themselves, for which Cause, tho afore God, repute my self right unmeet and unable to so high and great Dignity, desiring much rather to demure, continue and end my Life with your Grace, for doing of such Service as may be to your Honour and Wealth of this your Realm, than to be X Popes; yet neverthelesse, remembring what Mind and Opinion your Grace was of, at the last Vacation, to have me preferred therunto, thinking that it should be to the Honour, Benefit, and Advancement of your Affaires in Time coming: And supposing verily that your Highnesse persisteth in the same Mind and Intent, I shall de

vise such Instructions, Commissions, and other Writings, as the last Time was delivered to Mr. Pace for that purpose : And the same I shall send to your Grace by the next Post, who it may like to do farther therein as shall stand with your gracious Pleasure, whereunto I shall always conform my self accordingly. And to the Intent it may appear farther to your Grace what Mind and Determination they be of, towards mine Advancement, which, as your Orators wrote, have now at this present Time the Principal Authority and Chief Stroke in the Election of the Pope, making in manner Triumviratum, I send unto your Highnesse their several Letters to me addressed in that behalf, beseeching our Lord that such One may be chosen as may be to the Honour of God, the Weal of Christ's Church, and the Benefit of all Christendom. And thus Jesu preserve your most Noble and Royal Estate: At the More the last Day of September, by

Your most humble Chaplayn,
T. CARLIS. EBOR.

VIII.

The Second Letter of Cardinal Wolsey to the King, about the Succession to the Popedom.

SIR; Ir may like your Grace to understand, that ensuing the Tenor of Letter sent unto your Highnesse yesterday, I have devised such Commissions and Letters to be sent unto your Counsellors, the Bishop of Bath, Mr. Richard Pace, and Mr. Thomas Hanibal, jointly and severally, as at the last Time of Vacation of the Papall Dignity were delivered unto the said Mr. Richard Pace; for the Preferment either of me, or that failing of the Cardinal de Medici unto the same, which Letters and Commissions, if it stand with your gracious Pleasure to have that Matter set forth, It may like your Highnesse of your Benign Grace and Goodness to signe, so to be sent to the Court of Rome, in such diligence as the Importance of the same, with the Brevity of the Time doth necessarily require. And to th' Intent also that the Emperor may the more effectually and speedily concurre with your Highnesse for the furtherance hereof, Albeit, I suppose verily that ensuing the Conference and Communications which he hath had with your Grace in that behalf, he hath not prætermitted before this Time to advance the same, yet neverthelesse for the more acceleration of this Furtherance to be given thereunto, I

have also devised a familiar Letter in the Name of your Grace, to be directed unto his Majesty, which if it may. please your Highnesse to take the Payne for to write with your own Hand, putting thereunto your secret Sign and Mark, being between your Grace and the said Emperor, shall undoubtedly do singular Benefit and Furtherance to your gracious Intent, and vertuous Purpose in that behalf. Beseeching Almighty God that such Effect may ensue thereof, as may be to his Pleasure, the Contentation of your Highnesse, the Weal and Exaltation of your most Royal Estate, Realm and Affaires. And howsoever the Matter shall chance, I shall no lesse knowledge my self obliged and bounden farr above any my Deserts unto your Highnesse, then if I had attained the same, whereunto would never in Thought aspire, but to do Honour, Good, and Service unto your Noble Person, and this your Realm. And thus Jesu preserve your most Noble and Royal Estate. At the More, the First Day of October, by

Your most humble Chaplayn,
T. CARLIS. EBOR.

IX.

The Third Letter of Cardinal Wolsey, giving an Account of the Election of Cardinal Medici to be Pope.

SIR; AFTER my most humble and lowly Recommendations, This shall be onely to advertise your Highnesse, that after great and long Altercations and Contrariety which hath depended between the Cardinall's in the Conclave, they at the last fully resolved and determined (the Faction of France abandoned) to elect and choose either my Lord Cardinal de Medici or Me, which Deliberation coming to the Knowledge of the Nobles and Citizens of Rome, they alledging that the Affairs of Italy being in the Trayn as they then were, It should be to the extreme Danger thereof to choose a Person absent, which could not ne might in Time come to put Remedy unto the same, made sundry great Exclamations at the Conclave-Window, whereby the Cardinall's being in fear not only of the Inconvenience like to ensue unto Italy, but also of their own Person's, Albeit they were in manner principally bent upon me, yet for eschewing of the said Danger and Murmur, by Inspiration of the Holy Ghost, without further Difficulty or Businesse, the xixth Day of the last Moneth in the morn

ing, elected and chose the said Cardinal de Medici, who immediately was published Pope, and hath taken the Name of Clement VII, of which Good and Fortunate New's, Sir, your Highnesse hath much Cause to thank Almighty God: Forasmuch as not onely he is a perfect and faithful Friend to the same, but that also much the rather by your Mean's, he hath attained to this Dignity. And for my Part, as I take God to record, I am more joyous thereof, than if it had fortuned upon my Person, knowing his excellent Qualitys, most meet for the same; And how great and sure a Friend your Grace and the Emperor be like to have of him, and I so good a Father, by whose Assumption unto that Dignity, not only your and the said Emperor's Affairs, but also of all Christendom, shall undoubtedly come to much better and more prosperous Perfection: Like as upon the First Knowledge thereof the Frenchmen be clearly departed from Milan, and passed a River towards France called Ticino, Trusting that the next New's which shall come from thence shall be of their Arrival at Rome, wherin as I shall have further Knowledge, so I shall Advertise your Highnesse thereof accordingly. And thus Jesu preserve your most Noble and Royal Estate. At my poor House besides Westminster, the vith Day of December, by

Your most humble Chapleyn,
T. CARLIS. EBOR.

X.

A Remarkable Passage in Sir T. More's Utopia, left out in the latter Editions.

CETERUM Theologus quidam frater hoc dicto in Sacerdotes ac Monachos adeo est exhilaratus, ut jam ipse quoque cæperit ludere, homo alioqui prope ad torvitatem gravis. At ne sic quidem, inquit, extricaberis a mendicis, nisi nobis quoque prospexeris fratribus. Atqui, inquit, parasitus, hoc jam curatum est. Nam Cardinalis egregie prospexit vobis, quum statueret de cohercendis, atque opere exercendis erronibus. Nam vos estis errones maximi. Hoc quoque dictum, quum conjectis in Cardinalem oculis, eum viderent non abnuere, cæperunt omnes non illibenter arripere, excepto fratre. Nam is (neque equidem miror) tali perfusus aceto, sic indignatus est, atque incanduit, ut nec a conviciis quidem potuerit temperare: Cominem vocavit nebulonem, detractorem, susurronem, et filium perditionis, minas interim terribiles citans e scriptura sacra.

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