Why it was generallie thought that this warre would haue [...]ckie succes.With these preparations, séeming sufficient to couer the land, and ouerspread the sea, it was thought that of a warre so full of deuotion and pietie, there could not be but hoped a happie end, speciallie adding the inuocation of God, and so manie seuerall inua|sions made at one time against the Turkes, who make their principall foundation of defense, to fight in the plaine field. These matters were solicited with no small industrie, and to stop all matter of imputa|tion against the office of the pope, the minds of prin|ces were throughlie sounded, and an vniuersall truce for fiue yeares betweene all the princes of christen|dome, published in the consistorie, vpon paine of most grieuous censure to such as should impugne it. So that the negociation continuing for all things apperteining to so great an enterprise, he assigned ambassadours to all princes: to the emperour he sent the cardinall S. Sisto, to the French king he dispat|ched the cardinall of S. Maria in Portico, the cardi|nall Giles to the king of Spaine,This ope| [...]h the place in our Eng|lish historie. and the cardinall Campeius to the king of England.

All cardinals of authoritie, either for their experi|ence in affaires, or for opinion of their doctrine, or for their familiaritie with the pope. All which things albeit they were begun with great hope and expec|tation, and the vniuersall truce accepted of all men, and all men with no little ostentation and brauerie of words, made shew of their readinesse with their forces to aduance so good a cause: yet, what with the consideration of the perill estéemed vncerteine and farre off, and extending more to one prince than to another, and what by the difficulties and long tract of time that appeared, to introduce a zeale and vnion so vniuersall, priuat interests and respects particular séemed to preuaile more,The popes negociation naked of all hope & issue. than the pietie of the expe|dition: insomuch that the negociation stood not one|lie naked of all hope and issue, but also it was follo|wed verie lightlie, and as it were by ceremonie.

This being one propertie in the nature of men, that those things which in their beginnings appeare fearefull, doo dailie take such degrées of diminution and vanishing, that vnles the first feares be reuiued by new accidents they lead men in processe of time to securitie. Which propertie of negligence, both tou|ching the affaires publike, and affection of priuate and particular men was well confirmed by the death that succéeded not long after to Selim, who,The death of Selim, and succession of Soliman. hauing by a long maladie suspended the preparations of the warre; was in the end consumed by the passions of his disease, and so passed into the other life, leauing so great an empire to Soliman his sonne, yoong in yeares, and iudged to beare a wit and mind not so dis|posed to the warres, although afterwards the effects declared the contrarie.