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s League of Cognac, these Powers (Rome and Venice) “ had used their constant Endeavours to persuade

Henry to come into it, as also to declare himself “ Protector thereof. They also ordered their Am

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ANDREW GRITTI, Doge of • excellent King of England and Venice, to the King.

• France, whom we have en! We send to your most se- • joined to visit you, and to rerene Majesty, the noble and

• late several Things to you in our most beloved Citizen, Dr. our Name. • Lawrence Aurium, Knț. to re- Therefore, we entreat you

fide as our Ambassador at your ' to give such Credit to the • Court, whom we have order- • Words of the said Ambassador, • ed, in his Instructions, to ac- ' who shall speak the Sentiments

quaint your Majesty with cer- • of our Mind, as if delivered • tain Matters ; and we pray by ourselves. Given in our

your Highness to give the fame • Ducal Palace, on the 23d of • Credit to what our Ambassador "July, 1526. • shall say, which proceeds from

our Will, as if spoken by our- FRANCIS SFORZA, Duke of • felves in your Presence. Given Milan, to the Cardinal of ? in our Ducal Palace, on the

York. ! last Day of March, 1525.

Most Rev. most illustrious

' Lord, and honoured Father, ANDREW Gritti, Doge of we lately received your Lord

Venice, to the QUEEN. fhip's Letters from Sir Gregory • We send the noble and our Casali, who, in your Name, • beloved Citizen, Dr. Mark An

had

communicated several • thony de Venerio, as our Ambaf- Things to us, relating to the • sador to his Majesty's Court, most Christian King's Glory,

with Instuctions to impart cer. your Lord thip's Honour and • tain Matters to your Majesty in • Credit, the common Safety of our Name.

Italy, and our Welfare, than • We entreat your Majesty to · which nothing could be more • have the fame Regard for what • acceptable to us in this Storm; • he says, as if spoken by us in • for we are so tofled, that with

your Presence. Given in our out his Majesty's Aslistance and Ducal Palace, on the 28th Day your most Rev. Lordship's of July, 1526.

• Help, we must be dashed on

• the Rocks, The Doge of Venice to WOLSEY. « The Arrival of his Majesty's

• Most Rev. Father in Chrift, • Ambassadors in Italy was very ( we send the noble and our most seasonable, for they persuaded • beloved Citizen, Dr. Mark An- o several of the Italian Princes of 'thony Venerio, as our Ambassa- • his Majesty's Desire of defenddor to the most serene and most ing them, and the Imperial

Dignis

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“ bassadors, in case the King would accept of " what they proposed, to settle with him the Pen« fion he was to have : But this Pension was not to “ be raised till they had conquered Naples and Mi« lan." It seems then, upon the Hopes of an imaginary Pension, the Pope meant to persuade Henry to declare

War

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Dignity ; neither are we dif- • whom we pray may long hap« fident, but that our Enemies, • pily live and prosper.

being deterred from being de- • Cremona, Feb. « firous of new Adventures, may 27, 1525 • be brought perhaps to a found FRANCIS, D. of Milan.' • Way of Thinking.

The Duke of MILAN to the As to what interests our.

KING. « felves we are not ignorant,

• Moft Serene and most Christian • that all is to be done thro' the

Lord, Authority, Endeavours, and

• Sir Gregory Cajali, being on • Care of your most reverend

« his Return to your most ChrifLordship, that some time or

• tian Majesty, I could not let • other we may be at Rest, and

pass such an Opportunity of unreturn you such Thanks as we

• folding some Things to him, that are able, beseeching you to • continue us your pious

• he may lay them before your Offices;

• Majesty ; and I moft humbly • and we, in all Changes of Af« fairs, shall not only venture our

entreat you to give the same

Credit to him, as if I myself • Fortune, such as it is, but our

• should speak to you. • felves also for your Welfare

• One Thing I must not con6 and Honour. • What the State of War, as

ceal, and that is, that I am o well as that of Italy, is, your

• the Person who owe my Estate

• and Life to your most Christian most Rev. Lordship will learn s from Augustin Scarpinello, our

Majesty, to whom I humbly • Minister there. I cannot, out

recommend myself and mine.

• Given at Milan, on the 12th • of my Duty to his Majesty,

6 of March, 1525. be silent on the fine Oppor

FRANCIS, D. of Milan.' tunity, which now offers, of carrying the British and Im- The Duke of Milan's Letter to

perial Standard into France; the Cardinal of York. • for while the disheartened Ene- * Moft Reverend, moft Illustrious,

my is employed here, such an • and most Honoured Lord and Enterprize would be

very
eafi-

• Father, • ly accomplished. We humbly • We have communicated se• commend ourselves, and all veral Things to Sir Gregory

« • that belong to us, to your most Casali, relating to our Ēn• Rev. and Illustrious Lordship, gagements to his Mof Christian

Me

War against the Emperor, and consequently draw him into a very great Expence.

“ But, for once, “ continues Rapin, the King would not be his Dupe: “ He knew, by Experience, what it was to join with

the Pope in the Italian Affairs." This surely shews that the Court of London attended only to the preserv

ing

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• Majesty, and our Regard for • fhip, made and concluded on

your Lordship, which tend to • the 10th Day of the Month of " the Exaltation of the one, and • Auguft laft paft, by the Depu• the Honour and Advantage of • ties, Proxies, and Commissaries the other ;

neither have we • of the most High and most • been filent on the Hopes we • Powerful Prince, our most dear, ' conceive, from both your Cle- • and most beloved Brother, and 'mencies, whom we join in Coufin, the King of England,

• this Union of Succour. -+ • and the Ambassadors, Proxies, • As the aforesaid Knight is to and Commissaries of us, and of lay the whole before your

most our most dear and most beloved • Rev. Lordship, we entreat you Lady and Mother. ' to give the same Attention to

. And further we ratify, ap« him, as if we ourselves con- prove, and hold agreeable, all • ferred with you; and we most • and every the Claules and Artihumbly recommend ourself, cles, in all their Effects and

• , ' and ours to your most Rev. Tenours, which are more at

Lordship, and pray for your length declared in the said reHappiness. Given at Milan, spective Treaties, made and the 12th of March, 1525. • concluded between the DepuFRANCIS, D. of Milan.' • ties aforesaid ; and the before

( mentioned Ambassadors and + This Blank, we suppose, was • Commissaries of us, and of our left to be filled up with the Sum • said Lady and Mother, in this ftipulated for Sforza.

Behalf, bearing Date as above.

• And we swear, as before, to King Francis the Ift's Oath.

observe and inviolably keep • We Francis, by the Grace • each and every Article of the • of God King of France, do • faid Treaties, without counter• promise on our Honour and

veneing or infringing on any • Royal Word, and do swear or either of them in any Shape • by the Canon of the Mass or Manner whatsoever. • and holy Evangelists, by us • In Testimony whereof we

now touched, that we shall • have signed these Presents with I maintain and cause to be main- our Hand, and caused our fe

tained, by our Kingdom, Coun- • cret Seal to be fixed thereunto,

tries, Lordships, and Subjects, at Cognac, the ioth Day of · firmly and inviolably, the Trea- May, 1526.

, • ty of Peace, Union, and Friend

. FRANCIS

on

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ing a Balance of Power in Europe, and not to keep so close to either of those great Powers, as to see the leffer States ruined, which, by Henry's Junction with them, would have been inevitably the Cafe : Is it not therefore highly to Wolsey's Honour, that he advised his Master to keep clear of being too deeply engaged in the Affairs of foreign Princes, when England was not immediately concerned in Interest? And perhaps he had, in most of the Courts of Europe, more Influence than ever fell to the Share since, or will again, of any Premier Minister : For we find him for the Space of 12 Years (not to carry the Observation beyond the Time he was made Archbishop of York) presiding at the Helm of Government, regulating Treaties of Peace and Commerce, the Operations of War and all publick Affairs, relating both to the Civil and Ecclesiastical State, in a Manner that has not many if any Equals; all this while continuing in the good Graces of a Prince, not the most celebrated in History, for a steady and constant Affection towards those, whom he had sometimes distinguished as the peculiar Objects of his Favour.

Luther finding the King, after the State of Religion.

great Indignities that had been offered 1526.

him, was not so easily mollified by a

Submission that carried in it only a Shew of Repentance, but in Fact was highly affronting to his Majesty,* inasmuch as it aimed to pierce him

through * Luther's Sentiments and Epi- Deity, lately sprouted up in

• thets, in his first and second Let- * England, had said so! ters, in Answer to the King's " When was it lawful to act Book, are so extraordinary, that the Buffoon with distinguished we have given many of them a Words, in an Affair so serious Place here.

" and sacred ? I, without a • Nothing less than a glorious' Mask, openly do say, that King plays the Orator !

this Henry, King of England, . • It was sufficient the new De- 'is a Liar, and that he has fender of the Church and the acted, by his Lies, more like

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through his Minister's Sides, and charged him in effect with the Publication of a Book in his own Name, of which he was not the Author ; which caused him to repent of writing this penitential * Let

ter ;

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a

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" Amen.

a vain Y efter, than a King. - wittingly, frames Lies against Kingly Majesty, and my own 'the Majesty of my Celestial

Humility reproach me, while King, it will be lawful for me, • I speak to a lying Scoffer, 'in Defence of my own King, , • screened with the Title of a to bespatter his English Majelty King. — If the King be a Fool, 'with Mud and Naltiness, and

• • he becomes forgetful of Royal to trample this blasphemous

• • Majesty, that he may appear • Crown under my Feet.

to the Publick by his known

Lies, and that, while he treats * LUTHER to HENRY theVIIlth. 6 of sacred Matters I - -Why • Grace and Peace in Jesus • should it not be allowed beau- • Chrif, our Lord and Saviour, • tiful in me, to cram thote • Lies down his Throat again ? Though I deservedly ought

That, if he had conceived to fear, moit serene King and any Pleasure from his Lies a-- • illustrious Prince, addressing gainst the Divine Majesty, the your Majesty with my Letters, fame may be short-lived by • having been, as I am very conhearing the Truth against his ' fcious, moft grievously offend

own Majesty. -Lastly, ing to your Majesty in my • The Intent of this King is so • Answer, which not of any

foolish, that it is contrary to • Propensity of my own, but ex« Common Sense, These • cited thereto by those who had

are the foolish and ridiculous great Regard for your Na• Works of Henry and Thomas jetty, I ignorantly and hastily

(Aquinas.) Restless sa- published. However, your Ma

tan does this, that he might " jetty's Royal Clemency, the • divert us from the Studies of • Encomiums whereof, which I • the Scriptures, through the daily receive in Writing, and al• Means of cursed Henry's, facri- . fo from a great many Travellers, ·legious Thomists, &c. * gives me Hopes and Courage

These are my Guards, which to believe, that when you ac"strike Henrys, Thomists, Pa- knowledge yourself to be mor'

pifts, and whatever there be of tal, you will cheriih no im. • such like impious and facrile- • mortal Enmities. I have also gious Dregs, Rabble, and Jakes, • been informed, by very

credit• speechless and dumb:If he « able Persons, that the Book • had erred like a Man, he published against me, with

. , • should have been pardoned ; your Majesty's Name, was not « but as this damnable Corrup- • wrote by the King of England, ter and Reptile, knowingly and • as those deceitful Sophifters VOL. IV.

L

would

no

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