¶ The foresaid pope Iulie, the kings confederat, Abr. Fl. ex Guic. pag. 314. Cardinall S. Petri ad v [...]|cula made pope. was (before his aduancement to the popedome) car|dinall of saint Petri ad Uincula, a man mightie in freends, reputation, and riches, who had drawne to him the voices of so manie cardinals, that entering the conclaue, he was with an example all new and without shutting the conclaue, elected pope the verie same night following the deceasse of his predecessor pope Pius (those that were of the contrarie opinion not daring to oppose against him.) He, either hauing regard to his first name Iulie, or (as coniectures were made) to signifie the greatnesse of his concep|tions, or lastlie bicause he would not giue place to A|lexander, no not in the excellencie of name, tooke vp|on him the name of Iulie, the second of that name. Amongest all the popes that had passed, it was woon|dered that by so great consent, they had created for pope, a cardinall who was knowne to be of a dispo|sition rigorous and terrible, and in whome was no ex|pectation of rest and tranquillitie,Pope Iulie a factious fel|low and an enimie to peace. hauing consumed his youth in continuall trauels, offended manie by necessitie, and exercised hatreds against manie great personages; a man to whose wit nothing was more more familiar, than the inuention of trouble, faction, and conspiracie.

But on the other side, the causes of his election to that degrée appeared cléerelie, and surmounted all o|ther difficulties: for he had béene of long time a car|dinall of great power and might, & with his magni|ficence, wherein he had alwaies excéeded the residue, and with the greatnesse of his spirit, by the which he did great things, he had not onelie made himselfe mightie in opinion and freends; but by times and de|grées had erected high his authoritie in the court of Rome, bearing the name, title, and dignitie of the principall defendor of the ecclesiastike libertie. But that which serued most to his aduancement, was the promises immoderate and infinite which he made to the cardinals, princes, and barons,Indirect meanes to at|teine the pope|dome. and to all others whome he might make profitable to him in that ac|tion. Besides, he had the meane to distribute monie, benefices, and spirituall dignities, as well such as were his owne, as those that were the rights of o|thers; for that such was the brute & renowme of his liberalitie, that manie made willing offers to him to dispose as he best liked of their treasures, their names, their offices, and benefices.

They considered not that his promises were farre too great, than that being pope he was either able or EEBO page image 812 ought to obserue, for that he had of so long conti|nuance inioied the name of iust and vpright, that pope Alexander himselfe (his greatest enimie) spea|king ill of him, in all other things could not but con|fesse him to be true of his word. A praise which he made no care to defile and staine, to the end to be|come pope; knowing that no man more easilie be|guileth an other, than he that hath the custome and name neuer to deceiue anie. Which practise of dissi|mulation was much frequented of those that aspired & possessed the popedom; insomuch that the same was in Alexander the sixt so notable, that it was a pro|uerbe ordinarilie in Rome,A prouerbe vpon the popes dissem|bling, Gui [...]c. 305. that the pope did neuer the thing which he said, and his sonne the duke of Ua|lentinois seldome spake that which he ment. Which kind of people (pretend they what they will) are ex|cluded from the rest of Sion, as the psalmist saith:

Buch. in Psal. 15. Quem fraudis expers simplicitas iuuat,

Vrgétque rectum propositi tenax,

Nec mente saeuus grata blandam

Edocuit simulare linguam,

Perpetua requie fruetur.]