20.1. A copie of the said writing read as followeth.

A copie of the said writing read as followeth.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 _SIr, the most christened king my soue|reigne and naturall lord hath comman|ded me to saie to you, that he hath concei|ued a maruellous greefe and displeasure of that, that in place of amitie, which he so much desi|red to haue with you, the former enmitie in full force still remaineth. By the which he séeth and perceiueth, that the euils and inconueniences long since begun, shall continue and augment, not onelie vnto you, and vnto him, with your vassals and subiects, but also vn|to all christendome: and that the forces and youths which the one and the other ought to emploie against the enimies of the faith, shall be spent to the effusion of christian bloud, and in offense vnto God: and that you and he endowed with so manie gratious gifts, shall not inioy the benefits, which it pleased the son of God to leaue to vs, by his testament, which is peace, whereof all goodnesse procéedeth; and in place of the same shall haue war, wherof foloweth all calamities, dangers, inconueniences, pouerties, and miseries.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 Héerewith you shall submit your selfe vnto them whome yée may command,The inconue|niences of warre mooued to y^e emperor. and shall hazard the bloud and substance of your subiects in the pursses of stran|gers. Euerie one as for himselfe ought to haue re|gard thereto, and for the short time that we haue here to liue, not to go about to depriue himselfe of that tranquillitie, ioy, good regard and pastime, that the princes may haue by peace: and by following the warre, to be in pouertie, heauinesse, and hazard of losse of goods, honours, and liues: and that worst is, after they haue had euill daies in this world, to be in danger of eternall paine in the world to come, tho|rough them that haue béene the cause thereof, and that would not yéeld vnto reason.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 The king my souereigne lord is readie to put him|selfe for his part in all deuoir, and more than so, to haue peace and amitie with you: and by this means peace shall be procured throughout all christendome, whereby men might doo God good seruice, in making warre on the Infidels, which will be so thankfull to him, that it will put off the punishment of faults, which haue béene committed héeretofore by reason of the warres, which haue too long indured betwéene you two, and not yet like to ceasse, considering the termes which you hold and séeke to mainteine; sith on the one part, certeine aduowing themselues on you, haue assailed and taken by force the citie of Rome, which is the place of the holie and apostolike sée, where they haue committed and done all the mischéefe that might be deuised.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 The churches and relikes were prophaned,The herald prosecuteth the state of Rome & the pope in la|mentable sor [...]. the pope holding saint Peters seat, as vicar of God on earth, taken and put out of his libertie. By means whereof, they that haue committed and executed the said execrable deeds and wickednesse, with their au|thors and fautors, be fallen and run in paines of right; and they that hold them captiues, beare them|selues on you; and he that dooth keepe them, hath béene and is of the principall capteins, of whome you haue béene serued in your warres in Italie and other parts. And on the other side, the difference which at this time resteth betweene you and the king my so|uereigne and naturall lord, is principallie vpon the ransome and recouerie of the princes his sonnes, which you hold for hostages of the same. He hath of|tentimes offered, and yet dooth offer to paie to you, and giue to you, not onelie that which may be said to be reasonable, and in such cases accustomed, but also more largelie.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 You ought not to stand vpon things which by force and constraint he hath promised, the which iustlie and honestlie he maie not performe nor accomplish: you had a great deale more gained, to haue taken the said ransome which was offered vnto you, than to continue the warre, and to giue occasion of all the e|uils and inconueniences that dailie happen thereby thorough christendome. You sée the king of England,The herald mooueth the emperor with the king of Englands example, &c. with whome he hath brotherlie amitie for euer, and also the Uenetians, Florentines, and duke of Bar, and other princes and potentats, following and hol|ding the partie of the said christian king, for that they sée he yéeldeth to reason, and by reason you will not thereto incline, the vniuersall peace can not be con|cluded in christendome. The enimies of the faith gaine countries: all Italie is in armes, bloud and rapine, and the apostolicall sée in trouble: so that if on your part you séeke not remedie, and that things doo thus continue as they haue begun, it is to be feared that God will be angrie.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 And for as much (sir) as to the declarations which the aboue said princes haue offered vnto you,The herald commmeth to the verie drift of his message. and the presentations which the said christian king hath made vnto you, you haue refused to giue eare, thereby to come to some accord with him, and to content your selfe with a ransome more than reasonable: also for EEBO page image 900 that you will not render vnto his good brother, per|petuall alie and confederat, the king of England, that which is his, set the pope at libertie, and leaue I|talie in peace and tranquillitie, he hath commanded me to declare, signifie, and notifie vnto you, his great gréefe and displeasure, with his said good bro|ther the king of England, that they will hold and take you for their enimie, declaring all maner of treaties and couenants heretofore passed betweene them and you, in all that concerneth your profit & vtilitie to be nothing, and that for his part he will not obserue nor kéepe the same.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 Naie he hath resolued by all meanes that he may imagine with his good fréends, alies, & confederats, & with all his forces to indamage you, your coun|tries,What the king of Eng|lãd desireth of the emperour in the French kings behalfe. lands, and vassals by warre, or otherwise, in such sort as he maie deuise, vntill the time that you haue restored vnto him his children, with honest meanes and couenants touching his ransome, deli|uered the pope, rendered vnto the king of England that you hold of him, and acquited the summe which you owe him, and suffer his alies and confederats to liue in peace, rest, and tranquillitie, and protesteth be|fore God and all the world, that he dooth not wish nor desire the warre, but that it wholie displeaseth him, and is not therefore the cause of the euill that is or maie come thereof, considering that he hath put, and will put himselfe vnto all reason, as he hath offered and signified vnto you and to all other christian prin|ces, and yet dooth.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 And of all this he calleth God (who knoweth all things) to witnesse. And for that vnder colour of the publication of the pretended tretie of Madrill made, he being yet prisoner in Spaine, diuerse of your sub|iects, and of them of the king of Englands, and of his haue carried their merchandizes and other goods into the kingdomes,The king of Englands meaning and the French kings for the returne of the emperours subiects out of their coun|tries, and con|trariwise. streicts, and seignories the one of the other, whereby maie insue great damages, if of them no mention should be made in this present declaration and signification: my souereigne lord and the said king of England be contented that li|bertie be giuen vnto all subiects being in the said kingdomes, countries, streicts, and seigniories, to re|tire and depart from thence with all their goods and merchandizes within fortie daies after this intimati|on made. Prouided that you shall doo the like vnto their subiects in all & euerie their merchandizes. Gi|uen the eleuenth daie of Nouember 1527, & signed Guien king of armes.