Compare 1577 edition: 1 Moreouer, in this meane while the pope trusting more than inough vpon the kings simplicitie and pa|tience, who indeed durst not in any case seeme to dis|please him, had sent an other collector of monie into England named Martine,Martine the popes collec|tour. not adorned with power legantine, but furnished with such authorities and faculties as had not beene heard of. He was lodged in the temple, where he shewed what commission he had to gather vp the popes reuenues, and to exact monie by sundrie maner of meanes, and so fell in hand therewith, vsing no small diligence therein, vn|to the great gréefe and hurt of conscience of manie: he had power to staie the bestowing of benefices, till he was satisfied to the full contentation of his mind. Benefices of small value he regarded not greatlie, but such as were good liuings in déed felt his heauie and rauenous hands extended towards them. He had power also to excommunicate, to suspend, and to punish all such as should resist his will, although ne|uer so wilfullie bent, in so much that it was said, he had sundrie blankes vnder the popes bulled seale, bi|cause that vpon the sudden he brought foorth such as seemed best to serue for his purpose. He vsed this his vnmeasurable authoritie to the vttermost, and there|in did not forget his owne profit, but tooke palfries and other presents of religious men.

¶ But to declare all the practises of this the popes agent, as it would be too long and tedious a processe, so it is nothing strange that these his landloping legats and Nuncios haue their manifold collusions to cousen christian kingdoms of their reuenues. For if they were not furnished with forlike fraud and wooluish rauine, they were no fit factors for him; sith it is required that like maister haue like man. And therefore he is aptlie described in the likenesse of a man, his head and face excepted, wherein he resem|bleth a woolfe; besides that, he is set foorth with a cro|siers staffe in his hand, at the hooke whereof hangeth his Iudas pursse, wherein are powched vp his pilfe|red Peter pence, and I wot not what extorted pai|ments and pretended duties. As for his deceits and crafts, he hath more varietie of them, than the cat of the mounteine hath spots in his skin, or the pecocke hath eies in his taile. Wherevpon it is trulie said of a late poet,

Sydera nemo potest quot sunt numerare polorum,

Antichasis de Christi & papae facinorb. sub au|thore an [...]nymo.Quot ne vere nouo gramina campus habet,

Sic quo nemo potest vafri ludibria papae

Eius & innumeros commemorare dolos:

Huic scopus immension seducere fraudibus orbem,

Huic scopus humanum ludificare genus.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 But to proceed,The nobles complain [...] [...] the king [...] popes [...] when men saw such vnreasonable couetousnes and polling, by the popes procurement; some of the nobilitie of the realme, not able longer to beare it, came to the king, and exhibited to him their complaint hereof, namelie for that the popes procu|rator bestowed diuers rith prebends and other rooms in churches vpon strangres knowne to be infamed for vsurie, simonie, and other heinous vices, which had no respect to preaching, nor to keeping of any hos|pitalitie, for maintenance whereof their ancestors had giuen foorth their lands to the inriching of the church, not meaning to haue the same bestowed on such maner of persons.The king writeth to the pope. The king vnderstood that truth it was which was told him, and therefore writ to the pope in humble wise, beseeching him of his fatherlie care to take order for some redresse therein.