BOOK thereunto. Never was there any prince so handled by a
II. pope, as your holiness hath intreated us. First, when our

cause was proponed to your holiness, when it was expli-
cate and declared afore the same; when certain doubts in
it were resolved by your counsellors, and all things dis-
cussed, it was required that answer might be made there-
unto by the order of the law. There was offered a com-
mission, with a promise also that the same commission
should not be revoked; and whatsoever sentence should be
given, should straight without delay be confirmed. The
judges were sent unto us, the promise was delivered to
us, subscribed with your holiness's hand; which avouched
to confirm the sentence, and not to revoke the commission,
nor to grant any thing else that might lett the same; and
finally to bring us in a greater hope, a certain commission
decretal, defining the cause, was delivered to the judges
hands. If your holiness did grant us all these things justly,
ye did injustly revoke them; and if by good and truth the
same was granted, they were not made frustrate nor anni-
hilate without fraud; so as if there were no deceit nor fraud
in the revocation, then how wrongfully and subtilly have
been done those things that have been done! Whether will
your
holiness say,
that ye might do those things that ye
have done, or that ye might not do them? if ye will say
that ye might do them, where then is the faith which be-
cometh a friend, yea, and much more a pope to have, those
things not being performed, which lawfully were promised?
and if ye will say that ye might not do them, have we not
then very just cause to mistrust those medicines and reme-
Idies with which in your letters ye go about to heal our con-
science, especially in that we may perceive and see those
remedies to be prepared for us, not to relieve the sickness
and disease of our mind, but for other means, pleasures,
and worldly respects? And as it should seem profitable,
that we should ever continue in hope or despair, so always
the remedy is hattempered; so that we being always a-heal-
ing, and never healed, should be sick still. And this truly
5 explicated

h attempted;

II.

was the chief cause why we did consult and take the advice BOOK of every learned man, being free, without all affection, that the truth (which now with our labour and study we seem partly to have attained) by their judgments more manifestly divulged, we might more at large perceive; whose judgments and opinions it is easie to see how much they differ from that, that those few men of yours do shew unto you, and by those your letters is signified. Those few men of yours do affirm the prohibition of our marriage to be inducted only by the law positive, as your holiness hath also written in your letters; but all others say the prohibition to be inducted, both by the law of God and nature: those men of yours do suggest, that it may be dispensed for avoiding of islander; the others utterly do contend, that by no means it is lawful to dispense with that, that God and nature hath forbidden. We do separate from our cause the authority of the see apostolick, which we do perceive to be destitute of that learning whereby it should be directed; and because your holiness doth ever profess your ignorance, and is wont to speak of other men's mouths, we do confer the sayings of those, with the sayings of them that be of the contrary opinion; for to confer the reasons it were too long. But now the universities of Cambridge, Oxford, in our realms; Paris, Orleance, k Bituricen, Andegavon, in France; and Bonony in Italy, by one consent; and also divers other of the most famous and learned men, being 'free from all affection, and only moved in respect of verity, partly in Italy, and partly in France, do affirm the marriage of the brother with the brother's wife, to be contrary both to the law of God and nature; and also do pronounce that no dispensation can be lawful or available to any Christian man in that behalf: but others think the contrary, by whose counsels your holiness hath done that, that sithence ye have confessed ye could not do, in promising to us as we have above rehearsed, and giving that commission to the cardinal Campege to be shewed unto us; and after, if it so should seem profitable to burn it, as afterwards it was * Biturisen, Audegavon,

i slanders;

I freed

BOOK done indeed as we have perceived. Furthermore, those II. which so moderate the power of your holiness, that they do

affirm, that the same cannot take away the appellation which is used by man's law, and yet is available to divine matters every where without distinction. No princes heretofore have more highly esteemed, nor honoured the see apostolick than we have, wherefore we be the more sorry to be provoked to this contention, which to our usage and nature is most alienate and abhorred. Those things so cruel we write very heavily, and more glad would have been, to have been silent if we might, and would have left your authority untouched with a good will; and constrained to seek the verity, we fell, against our will, into this contention; but the sincerity of the truth prohibited us to keep silence, and what should we do in so great and many perplexities? For truly if we should obey the letters of your holiness, in that they do affirm that we know to be otherwise, we should offend God and our conscience, and we should be a great slander to them that do the contrary, which be a great number, as we have before rehearsed: also, if we should dissent from those things which your holiness doth pronounce, we would account it not lawful, if there were not a cause to defend the fact, as we now do, being compelled by necessity, lest we should seem to contemn the authority of the see apostolick. Therefore your holiness ought to take it in good part, tho' we do somewhat at large and more liberally speak in this cause, which doth so oppress us, specially forasmuch as we pretend none atrocity, nor use no rhetorick in the exaggerating and encreasing the indignity of the matter; but if I speak of any thing that toucheth the quick, it proceedeth of the meer verity, which we cannot nor ought not to hide in this cause, for it toucheth not worldly things but divine, not frail but eternal; in which things no feigned, false, nor painted reasons, but only the truth, shall obtain and take place and God is the truth to whom we are bound to obey rather than to men; and nevertheless we cannot but obey unto men also, as we were wont to do, unless there be an express cause why

II.

we should not; which by those our letters we now do to BOOK your holiness and we do it with charity, not intending to spread it abroad, nor yet further to impugn your authority, unless you do compel us; albeit also, that that we do, doth not impugn your authority, but confirmeth the same, which we revocate to its first foundations; and better it is in the middle way to return, than always to run forth headlong and do ill. Wherefore if your holiness do regard or esteem the tranquillity of our mind, let the same be established with verity, which hath been brought to light by the consent of so many learned men; so shall your holiness reduce and bring us to a certainty and quietness, and shall deliver us from all anxiety, and shall provide both for us and our realm, and finally shall do your office and duty. The residue of our affairs we have committed to our ambassadors to be propounded unto you, to whom we beseech your holiness to give credence, &c.

XLIII.

A promise made for engaging the cardinal of Ravenna. An

original.

Rome Febr. 7. 1532.

b. 13.

EGO Willielmus Bennet serenissimi domini mei D. Hen- Cotton lib. rici Octavi Angliæ, &c. regis, in Romana curia orator, ha- Vitell. bens ad inscripta ab ipso rege potestatem et facultatem, fol. 149. prout constat per ipsius majestatis literas patentes datas in regia sua Grenewici die penultima a Decembris M.D.XXXI. manu sua propria suprascriptas, et secreto sigillo suo sigillatas; Quoniam in ipsius regis arduis negotiis expertus sum singularem et præclaram operam reverendissimi in Christo patris et domini D. Henrici Sancti Eusebii S. R. E. presbyteri cardinalis Ravennæ, quibus et deinceps uti cupio, ut eandem semper voluntatem et operam sua dominatio reverendissima erga ipsum regem præstet, libere promitto eidem

. Decemb.

BOOK cardinali nomine dicti mei regis, quod sua majestas proviII. deri faciet eidem cardinali, de aliquo monasterio seu monasteriis aut aliis beneficiis ecclesiasticis in regno Galliæ primo vacaturis, usque ad valorem annuum sex millium ducatorum: et insuper promitto quod rex Angliæ prædictus præsentabit, seu nominabit eundem cardinalem ad ecclesiam cathedralem primo quovis modo vacaturam, seu et ad præsens vacantem, in regno Angliæ, et de illa ei provideri faciet; et casu quo ecclesia primo vacatura hujusmodi, ceu ad præsens vacans, non sit ecclesia Eliensis, promitto etiam quod succedente postea vacatione ecclesiæ Eliensis, rex Angliæ transferri faciet eundem cardinalem, si ipsi cardinali magis placuerit, ab illa alia ecclesia de qua provisus erit, ad ecclesiam Eliensem: et dictorum monasteriorum et beneficiorum ecclesiasticorum in regno Galliæ, et ecclesiæ cathedralis in regno Angliæ possessionem pacificam, cum frucThis is all tuum perceptione, ipsum cardinalem assequi faciet et hæc omnia libere promitto, quod rex meus supradictus plenissiown hand, me et sine ulla prorsus exceptione ratificabit et observabit et exequetur; in quorum fidem præsentes manu mea propria by him to scripsi et subscripsi, sigilloque munivi. Dat. Rom. die septimo Februarii, M.D.XXXII.

written

with his

and was

sent over

the king.

Cotton lib.

Vitell.

b. 13. fol. 178.

XLIV.

Bonner's letter about the proceedings at Rome. An original.

Rome, April 29. 1532.

a PLEASETH it your highness; this is to advertise the same, that sithen we William Bennet, Edward Kerne, and Edmond Boner, sent over letters of the 7th of this present to your highness; there hath been two disputations publick, the one the 13th of this, the other the 20th day of the same, according to the order given and assigned, which was three conclusions to be disputed every consistory; and