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.]

In this yeare the king kept his Christmasse at Greenewich, where was such abundance of viands serued to all comers of anie honest behauiour, Abr. Fl. ex Ed. Hall in Hen. 8 fol. xv. Christmasse pastimes or delights at Gréenwich. as hath béene few times séene. And against Newyéeres night was made in the hall a castell, gates, towers, and dungeon, garnished with artillerie and weapon after the most warlike fashion: and on the front of the castell, was written Le forteresse dangereux, and within the castell were six ladies, cloathed in russet sattin, laid all ouer with leaues of gold, and euerie one knit with laces of blew silke and gold. On their heads, coifs, and caps all of gold. After this castell had béene caried about the hall, and the quéene had beheld it, in came the king with fiue other, apparel|led in coats, the one halfe of russet sattin, spangled with spangles of fine gold, the other halfe of rich cloth of gold, on their heads caps of russet sattin, embro|dered with works of fine gold bullion.