Clement the Eighth, and that republic. I say calm, for he did not excommunicate them; considering, as I conceive, that in the late council of Trent it was at last (after many politic disturbances and delays, and endeavours to preserve the Pope's present power), in order to a general reformation of those many errors, which were in time crept into the church, declared by the council, "that though discipline and especial excommunication be one of the chief sinews of church government, and intended to keep men in obedience to it; for which end it was declared to be very profitable; yet it was also declared, and advised to be used with great sobriety and care; because experience had informed them, that when it was pronounced unadvisedly or rashly, it became more contemned than feared." And though this was the advice of that council at the conclusion of it, which was not many years before this quarrel with the Venetians, yet this prudent, patient Pope Clement dying, Pope Paul the Fifth, who succeeded him (though not immediately, yet in the same year), being a man of a much hotter temper, brought this difference with the Venetians to a much higher contention; objecting those late acts of that state to be a diminution of his just power, and limited a time of twentyfour days for their revocation; threatening, if he were not obeyed, to proceed to the excommunica

tion of the republic, who still offered to show both reason and ancient custom to warrant their actions. But this Pope, contrary to his predecessor's moderation, required absolute obedience without disputes.

Thus it continued for about a year; the Pope still threatening excommunication, and the Ve netians still answering him with fair speeches and no compliance; till at last the Pope's zeal to the Apostolic See did make him to excommunicate the Duke, the whole Senate, and all their dominions; and that done, to shut up all their churches; charging the whole clergy to forbear all sacred offices to the Venetians, till their obedience should render them capable of absolution.

But this act of the Pope's did but the more confirm the Venetians in their resolution not to obey him. And to that end, upon the hearing of the Pope's interdict, they presently published, by sound of trumpet, a proclamation to this effect:

"That whosoever hath received from Rome any copy of a papal interdict, published there, as well against the law of God as against the honor of this nation, shall presently render it to the Council of Ten upon pain of death. And made it loss of estate and nobility but to speak in behalf of the Jesuits."

And the flood

man that had

Then was Duado, their ambassador, called home from Rome, and the Inquisition presently suspended by order of the state. gates being thus set open, any a pleasant or scoffing wit might against the Pope, either by free speaking or by libels in print; and both became very pleasant to the people.

safely vent it

Matters thus heightened, the state advised with Father Paul, a holy and learned friar, the author of "The History of the Council of Trent," whose advice was, "neither to provoke the Pope, nor lose their own right;" he declaring publicly in print, in the name of the state, "that the Pope was trusted to keep two keys, one of prudence and the other of power; and that if they were not both used together, power alone is not effectual in an excommunication."

And thus these discontents and oppositions continued, till a report was blown abroad that the Venetians were all turned Protestants; which was believed by many; for that it was observed that the English ambassador was so often in conference with the Senate, and his chaplain, Mr. Bedel, more often with Father Paul, whom the people did not take to be his friend; and also, for that the republic of Venice was known to give commission to Gregory Justiniano, then their ambassador in England, to make all these proceed

ings known to the king of England, and to crave a promise of his assistance, if need should require; and in the mean time they required the king's advice and judgment; which was the same that he gave to Pope Clement, at his first coming to the crown of England (that Pope then moving him to a union with the Roman church); namely, "To endeavour the calling of a free council for the settlement of peace in Christendom; and that he doubted not but that the French king and divers other princes would join to assist in so good a work; and in the mean time the sin of this breach, both with his and the Venetian dominions, must of necessity lie at the Pope's door."

In this contention, which lasted almost two years, the Pope grew still higher, and the Venetians more and more resolved and careless; still acquainting king James with their proceedings, which was done by the help of Sir Henry Wotton, Mr. Bedel, and Padre Paulo, whom the Venetians did then call to be one of their consulters of state, and with his pen to defend their just cause; which was by him so performed, that the Pope saw plainly he had weakened his power by exceeding it, and offered the Venetians absolution upon very easy terms; which the Venetians still slighting, did at last obtain by that which was scarce so much as a show of acknowledging it. For they made an order, that in that day in

which they were absolved, there should be no public rejoicing, nor any bonfires that night, lest the common people might judge that they desired an absolution, or were absolved for committing a fault.

These contests were the occasion of Padre Paulo's knowledge and interest with king James; for whose sake, principally, Padre Paulo compiled that eminent history of the remarkable council of Trent; which history was, as fast as it was written, sent in several sheets in letters by Sir Henry Wotton, Mr. Bedel, and others, unto king James and the then Bishop of Canterbury, into England, and there first made public both in English and in the universal language.

For eight years after Sir Henry Wotton's going into Italy, he stood fair and highly valued in the king's opinion, but at last became much clouded by an accident which I shall proceed to relate.

At his first going ambassador into Italy, as he passed through Germany, he stayed some days at Augusta, where having been, in his former travels, well known by many of the best note for learning and ingeniousness (those that are esteemed the virtuosi of that nation), with whom he, passing an evening in merriments, was requested by Christopher Flecamore to write some sentence in his Albo (a book of white paper which the