Compare 1577 edition: 1 At length, he sent his ambassadors to Rome, part|lie to purge himselfe of the archbishops death,King Henrie sendeth am|bassadours to the pope. partlie to excuse his fault, for that in his furie he had vtte|red words against the archbishop, which had giuen oc|casion to naughtie men to contriue his death, & part|lie to require the pope to send his legats into Eng|land, to make inquirie both for the death of the arch|bishop, and also of the state of the clergie. The kings ambassadors found the pope at Tiuoli, and there were heard to declare their message: but little cre|dit was giuen to their words, in so much that the pope plainelie told them, that he vnderstood the mat|ter to be much otherwise than they had declared. Yet according to the kings request, he sent two of his cardinals into England, which vpon due examinati|on, might vnderstand the truth of the matter tho|roughlie as apperteined.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 There be that write, that the king sent ambassa|dours twice vnto the pope, Matth. Paris. for the first that went, could not come to his presence, nor be suffered to de|clare their message: those that were sent the second time, were receiued of some of the cardinals, but yet onelie with words without anie other way of freend|lie interteinement. At length, when the feast of Ea|ster drew néere, on the which either absolution or ex|communication was to be denounced against eue|rie man, there were certeine of the cardinals which gaue intelligence to the English ambassadours, that the pope by aduice of the colledge, meant on the thursdaie before Easter daie to declare the sentence of interdiction against the king of England, and a|gainst all his dominions, and to confirme that which had beene alreadie pronounced against Richard the archbishop of Yorke, and the other bishops his com|plices.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 The ambassadours being brought to a streict issue herewith, by helpe of some of the cardinals found meanes to haue it put into the popes head, how the English ambassadours had commission to vnder|take, that the king of England should obeie in all things what order soeuer it pleased the pope and his court to award him. Herevpon they tooke their oth, that it should so be, and by that meanes they auoi|ded the interdiction. The messengers of the archbi|shop of Yorke & the other bishops vsed the like shift, but yet the same daie the pope did excommunicate the knights that had murthered the archbishop Tho|mas, and all those that had procured, aided, succoured, or abetted them therein. Some write, Ger. Dor. that those am|bassadours which the king sent to the court of Rome, could not be suffered to come to the popes presence,The ambassa|dours were glad to vse a shift by briberie. till according to the fashion, they had giuen 500. marks in reward, and so at length were admitted to his presence.