A Copy of a very fine and witty letter sent from the right Reverend Lewes Lippomanus bishop of Verona in Italy, and late Legate in Polone, from the most holy and blessed father Pope Paul the fourth, and from his most holy sea of Rome.  
Translated out of the italian language by Michael Throckmerton.  
Curtigiane of Rome.  
1556.   

To the Reader.  
THis letter of the bishop of Verona gentle Reader, though it be short in words, yet if thou consider it well, it is long & pithy in matter. For it plainly displayeth the practices not only of the popish Prelates, whereby they have procured and propped up their kingdom so long to continue, and what devices they have to make it (if it possibly might be) everlasting: but also of all other wicked that seek empire and glory in this world, not caring nor passing how unjustly they come by it. But God (against whose glory, this kingdom of Antichrist is no less contrary than the kingdom of the devil himself, and who will not the evil to come by, or at the least long enjoy his desire) mindeth, as thou mayst perceive, th'end of this wicked kingdom of Antichrist and walled that all other wicked men's purposes should be letted. For he maketh (as thou seest, the subtle, maugre their teeth) to open their own subtlety, & the wicked to utter his own wickedness, so that knowing the one, thou mayst easily judge al. Wherefore if thou wilt not show thyself overmuch ingrate, thou art provoked to confess his great mercy toward his poor sheep, and to praise him for his love and favour toward thee. And unless the nobility and people in every country will show themself utterly void of reason, they will (now God hath begun) put to their hands & wits to pull their necks from under the tyranny of the bishop of Rome, God and man's enemy) and such wicked practisers & not willingly put their own necks into halters, but rather defend themselves, According to God's law, & the law of nature, than to suffer themselves to be wilfully murdered. thank God for his gifts, shut not thine eyes against his light, serve him, and he will not fail the in thy need, but prosper what so ever thou shalt take in hand, having his fear & glory before thine eyes.  
Farewell.   

To the most reverend Reynold Cardinal Pole Legate a Latere, archbishop of Cantor. Portionare of winchester, etc. Metropolitan and primate of all England.  
ALbeit I doubt not but your grace proceedeth in ordinary practice as other your complices & collegees do, for the maintenance & propping up of your prelacy & Papistical kingdom, yet I thought good to advertise your grace (by this translated letter following of the practice & proceeding of your very friend the bishop of Verona, legate in Polone, who although he hath had sinister success in the Pope's affairs in that realm by reason of overlerned Princes, & men of over much experience in prelate's practices, yet if his trusted friends had not disclosed his secrets, there had been better hope of his enterprise. And now like as the displaying of his secrets in sundry tongues hath dissolved his doings, and marred the Pope's market for ever, not only in Polone and Prusia, but also in sundry other places and dominions where this practice is bruited, and no hope of redress, unless bribing help, so must your grace with the rest of your English prelate's use fair words, familiar entertainment and liberality towards the nobles of England in time, and yet where bribing and bealycheare will not serve, you must take occasion by one pretence or other to go in, as ye have will begun, in chopping of their heads, and hanging up for holidays of the suspected favourers of the gospel, and as near as ye may, make the English blood thin, namely the gentlemen and rich people, so that when they are once pulled under foot, ye may pill and subdue the commons at your pleasure and transpose the realm as ye lust. And as I doubt not the experienced dexterity of your handling the pope's affairs in England in bringing the realm into hunger, misery, and dissension, so were it to be wished that your Prelates and unskilled clergy in other places, were instructed in the like practices with all silence and secrecy, lest the vysour of hypocrisy being plucked of (as the bishop of Veronas unlucky chance was, and your bribing and bloodshedding coming once to light) cause further peril to your states than hitherto hath been felt.  
The God of all mercy and might confound all false and wicked practising. Amen. Your grace's most humble servant M. Th.   

To the right honourable master Peter Conterini, gentleman of Vencce, at Rome  
Right honourable sir, I have divers times sith it hath pleased god to trouble me by making me to take in hand this enterprise of Polone written to your honour, as to one that both for countries sake, and for our old acquiantaunce, and also for his goodness doth vouchsafe to be my father and protector in my great torments and troubles, wherein I have been wrapped, praying you always that it would please you to aid me with your authority (which is so great with our holy father's holiness) that I may be able to come out of this hell, and return to Rome, or to my church. But all the troubles paste are nothing in respect of those that I suffer at this present, the which I can not but write unto you, to th'intent that your honour understanding it, may be moved to have compassion on my misfortune, and to do your uttermost to cause me to be called home, which I beseech you on my knees lifting up my hands. The new turmoils whereof I writ unto you be these.  
The lord Nicholas Raduil Count Palatin of Vilna is doubtless one of the greatest men of power & authority within all the realm of Polone. And as he is also one of the chiefest that doth favour and promote the cause of the Lutherians, so he should not be. Now I being such a man both of nature & sure judgement that I can not (I can not, I say) suffer that the most holy sea apostolic of Rome should be thus rend in pieces & railed on; as I see it every day rend & railed on in deed, I determined with myself no longer to dissemble, but to pull of my viso, and to write unto this lord a plain letter afmy mind without respect.  
Nevertheless to colour the matter the better, I feigned, that one M. Adam Conarskye secretary to the king, had saluted me by his letters, & had rehearsed many friendly words on the behalf of his lordship. And upon this occasion I began my letter, whetting my wits, & making it as earnest and as pithy as I could possible: and I sent it him the .21. of February, at which time I was at a castle of the archbishop of Gnezna called Lovitz, where I also am at this present. Theffect of this letter was, that I admonished this lord Count Palatine, how through the hole realm it was commonly reported, that his lordship agreed with the Lutherians in all points. And I began to rehearse them unto him particularly one by one. And in the end I exhorted him to give over & leave these heretical opinions, for otherwise God would punish him. The truth is, I touched all the hole rabble of the Lutherans, and spoke of their doings, as much as the great and inward hatred I bear them could express. For in deed there is none evil, but it may be well spoken of those villains. This lord the Count Palatine, who I thought seeing my letters so true and so well proved with good reasons, should have been pulled from his practising with the Lutherans, made me such an answer (right honourable M. Petre) as Martin Luther himself would not have done, I do not say, unto a man in my state (which am nevertheless a minister & legate, albeit unworthy of our holy father's holiness, & of his most holy sea of Rome) but not to any common person were he never so vile & miserable. I would have sent your honour a copy of the same answer, but to tell you the truth me thought it would sound to our very great shame, if it should be red. And therefore I tremble for very fear, least by one means or other it will he put forth in print, and perchance translated into divers tongues. For I know the cast of these heretics wherewith God is not pleased. But it may please your honour to hear the rest.  
When I was in the year .1548. joined in commission with the most Reverend than bishop of Fano now worthily a Cardinal & with the Reverend of good memory, Ferentinus our holy father's nuncio or legate in Germany, after the victory that themperor had over the protestants, to bring and reconcile the princes & people to the obedience of the sea apostolic (for so was the pretence of our ambassade, albeit it succeeded not very prosperously, & we reconciled very few) there were at that time prisoners to th'emperors majesty john Friderike, Duke & Curfuster of Saxony, & Philip landgrave of Hesse. Than I with my right reverend colleagues, as obedient children, according to our instructions gave counsel to themperor and his most noble brother the king of Romans, that they should cause those two princes heads to be openly cut of, as the ringleaders and mainteynours of heretics.  
For by this means and with this terror an end at length should have been made of all heresies in germany. But their majesties thought it not best to follow such counsel, and therefore, the matters of the sea Apostolic be in that country as they be: that is, they were never in worse case, and I see, they will be every day worse & worse. And I having the like commission at this present from our most holy father pope Paul the fourth, have often given counsel to this most noble king of Polone, exhorting him that he would cause to be cut of viii or x. heads of the most chief of those that go about to stir up this doctrine of the Lutherans in Polone: For this is the right way to keep the realm clean from heresies  
It is true, that I have given this council to the kings majesty, & I have uttered it unto one that is in great authority with him, to th'intent he should help to persuade him. Now such a matter of so great importance which would have been kept so secret as ever any was, lest it should breed more envy & battered unto the most holy vicar's of Christ, such a matter I say, I fear it be disclosed & opened abroad in every corner. For the said lord Count Palatine hath laid it to my charge by his letters: & having written it, it is no doubt but he hath spoken it, & will speak it unto others.  
Now pleaseth it your honour to consider, in what case I stand, and of what mind I may be, and whether I have reasonable cause to desire to be dispatched hence. Those that be the promoters of these heresies be in any & mighty. I have done what I could to rid the world of them. Truly there hath been no lack on my behalf. What think you they will do towards me if I continued long in their eyes? I can look for none other than to be banned cursed railed & cried out upon, if no worse hap. But this is the grieveth me most, that they will go about to spread horrible tales abroad against our holy father's holiness, not only in Polone, but also throughout all Germany, & will say, as their manner is, that these be the Counsels that his holiness will make: that is, with chopping of heads, & other such like violences: Yea I understand they speak it all ready, and wonderfully blow it abroad: whereby I do perceive a wondered impediment & hurt to the doing of those things that the most Reverend and noble Cardinal of Caraffa hath lately committed unto me by his letters, that is, to let them understand, that this their desire to make a national council, is a part and point of an heretic. And that therefore they speak not nor think thereof, but tarry for a general council, which his holiness will shortly make. I say in this now am I altogether occupied, and I thought I might have done some good in deferring and prolonging the time, as his holiness desire is: but the matter being disclosed (as I have said before) I can not see but all men be against me, no man will hear me, all men's minds are alienate from me and utterly set against me. In somuch (to be short) were it not for these most reverend fathers, specially this most Reverend father, the said Archbishop, who is my sanctuary, I could not tell where to save my life, they speak so much evil of me. And when they have nothing to talk of, than they go about saying, they know for what cause I can not be made cardinal: as though I should be angry with God for that it hath pleased him I should be born out of lawful matrimony. I am content it hath pleased him to make me to be born a christian man, and therefore I pass not upon that other. But this combreth me exceedingly to understand that there goth about a certain letter printed in divers tongues, wherein because I was assistant to the most reverend of good memory Cardinal Crescentius the Legate in the council of Trent, all thing is imputed to me & my counsel that was done in the same council of Trent, and specially that audience was not given to the Lutherans, as in deed it was not meet nor ought to be. For I confess, that I have always been of this opinion, that he which is out of the church, ought not to be admitted to speak of matters of the church. But those that understand it on the contrary part, when I shall speak any more of the holding of a general council, will out of all peradventure say to my face, that we mind to make it such a Council as he counseled & laboured to be done at Trent: that is not to here the other part. Your honour with your noble brethren M. Francisce (the light of the common wealth of Venece) and M. Paul made so much of, and gave so much honour unto our holy father's holiness, when he was a barefooted Friar at Venece, that his holiness being most mindful and thankful I know, is desirous also to requite and do you pleasure again. Wherefore I heartily beseech your honour let it stand with your pleasure to bestow one drop of the favour that ye are in, and cause me to be rid out of these troubles and dangers. And it may please his holiness to understand, that it is to no purpose for me to have the doing of things here any longer, for the great hatred that I have already purchased me. Let his holiness consider whether it be better to send one to supply my place, or to leave this realm without any Legate, which in mine opinion were best, because he can not be here any longer with honour & estimation  
Moreover I think, that when that shallbe done, and is done, yet these men will have it after their own fantasy, and there will be a great schism, so that the nobility will follow one way and one doctrine, and the bishops an other. And yet I can tell you, not all the bishops, for one part of them begin to halt, and a little thing will make them agree with the Count Palatine (of whom I writ) and the others. But let his holiness do, as it pleaseth him, in sending or not sending an other Legate to supply my place, so he dispatch me hence, & that quickly. Who can see, who can suffer, that at the shrovetide, disguisings, masks, & mummeries of monks, friars, and Cardinals, should be openly made, to the open shame & reproach of all the hole order of the Church, as there hath been here in my time? And who can digest these troubles, these villainies, and not think upon the danger of his life? Much good do it him: surely I aknowlage myself to be a man that can not do it. And I have no hope that I shallbe able hereafter to do any good here. To be plain I have done as much as was possible for me to do, to let the diet and parliament that shallbe kept at Bartilmew tide: But yet notwithstanding it will proceed. Neither shall it avail to waste my brains & destroy my body, suffering myself to be tossed from place to place in Couch, in company of the said most reverend Archbishop through all the greater and the less Polone, and so to have brought to pass, that the noble king hath given commandment contrary to the determination & conclusion of the last parliament, as I advertised our holy father's holiness, to the great grudging of the adversaries. Besides I fear lest these fellows shall cause men to come out of Germany, & specially out of Schwitzerland half a dosin of the greatest clerks & most famous divines that be there, because it is bruited abroad, that the Pope minded to send of his divines to this parliament to defend our cause. And all be it I have both said and earnestly affirmed in every place, that they should not think, that his holiness will ever send or consent to any such parliament, which shall be none other but a national council. Yet nevertheless as far as I can understand, they mind to cause of our enemies, divines of other countries to come hither: Your honour may consider, what confections these men will make, and what consultations and conclusions they will determine agaynsts us. God help us, for I see the matters be in a very evil case. I recommend me unto your honour.  
From Lovitz the .20. of july. 56. Your honour's servant Ludovicus Lippomanus bishop of Verona, the unworthy Legate.  
Postscripte.  
I Am about to make a Convocation of all the bishops and prelate's of this Realm, and will begin it now in Petricovia. Two things I hope I shall obtain there, the one to gather a great sum of money, and I trust the pope's holiness will be a contributour unto it (for so hath he put me in hope) whereby we may be better able to defend our matters, above all things contenting them, and stopping their mouths which be importunately busy, and make much troublous ado. And we have oft proved, that this practice is a very good way: The second, that there be some correction of life of the clergy, who (to be plain) are a very evil example. But the mischief is, that the reformation of manners is at this present to little purpose, to preserve our high estate and authority. For those cursed Heretics pretend and cry, that the doctrine must be corrected. As for example: they be not content that the priests should be honest wise, and discrete, but they will have the mass all together hurled away. Nother are they contented, that the Pope should be a modest man and of a virtuous life, and that he should not receive money for spiritual things, but they will, that there should be no Pope neither good nor had. This is the prick, this is the mark they shoot at. I say, we are in an evil case.  
The xxij. of july.   

The same. L. Lippomanus. Legate.  
I Have this day received letters from Venece, which have increased sorrow upon sorrow. For one my very friends, writeth unto me, that the brute of the service, which I have done here and of the contentions that I have found in these parts, chief with the said Count Palatine, coming to the ears of mine honourable lords of Venece, their honours be very sorry complain and lament of me saying, that they be afraid, lest I being a Venetian, and of the blood I am of, the Almains and poleakes will believe, that the lords of Venece themselves consent to all my doings, whereby they may hereafter be partakers of the same hatred that they go about to steer against the Pope, and perhaps; at one time or at an other of the self same dangers. And to say the truth, these men spread abroad very much how because I am a venetian, all things please the venetians that I do, and that I would not do it, if I knew it should displease their honours.  
To conclude, for all respects, for the advancement of the cause and matters of our holy father's holiness, for not encombring of my lords of Venece with these men, and for the surety of my life, it shall be well done to call we away hence. I would gladly have been called away by some other means, and with some other honour: but patience, things be at such a point, that I must think upon my life, and not upon honour. I shall lack none hereafter, if I can escape hence with life. Yet eftsoons I commend me unto your honour.  
The xxii. of july. The same Lewis Lippomaous Legate.