to him. He was afterwards employed by the pontiff, to perfuade those two princes and fome others, to enter into a league against England; to restore the ancient religion in that kingdom, cleanse it from herefy, and relieve the devotees to the apoftolic fee, then in a very difagreeable and fad condition; an affair of greater neceffity and merit than to war against the Turks, who had appeared in Hungary. To difpatch this embaffy with quicknefs, and to avoid the toils of Henry VIII. the cardinal went incognito, and with very few attendants, first to the Emperor, then at Toledo in Spain, with the design of proceeding from thence to France. But Henry had been too cunning for the Pope, and had entirely counterworked his project; fo that Pole met with but a cool reception from the Emperor; upon which he returned to Avignon, where he acquainted the Pope with his ill fuccefs, and receiving a letter from his Holiness to continue in those parts, he took this opportunity of making a vifit to his beloved friend and acquaintance, cardinal Jacob Sadolet, at Carpentras; with whom he paffed fix months much to his fatiffaction, and in the utmost fafety; this place, as well as Avignon, being under the Pope's jurisdiction. His Holinefs having occafion for him to go to Verona, recalled him from Carpentras; and arriving at Verona, he found much friendship and hofpitality from John Matthew Gilbert, bishop of that place. At length the Pope confidering how to reward his fervices, fent him legate to Viterbo; an easy employment, and where he might refide entirely fafe, out of the reach of his enemies.

In this poft he remained feveral years, ftill maintaining his character for piety and learning, and acquiring the love of the people by his moderation towards Proteftants; for which, however, he was charged by thofe who were bigotted to their own opinions, and who had no chriftian charity, to allow a difference of thinking in others, with favouring herefy. The Pope having called the council of Trent, appointed cardinal Pole, together with the cardinal of Paris, and cardinal John Merone, his three legates there. But the wars in Germany and other countries, rendering it Impoffible to hold an assembly at that place

1543

for fome time, Pole returned to Viterbo, between which and Rome he paffed his time, pursuing his ftudies in great repofe; till the pontiff refolving to have his views in calling a council no longer defeated, issued a second citation for holding it at the fame place; and appointed Pole again, with two different cardinals, (one of them cardinal Monte, afterwards Pope, by the name of Julius III. and the other cardinal St. Crucis, alfo raised afterwards to the papacy by his own name of Marcellus II.) his legates there. Accordingly cardinal Pole attended there as long as he was able; but the bad air bring- 1545 ing a dangerous catarrh upon him, he obtained leave to go to Padua, for the benefit of advice and better air. The council was soon afterwards removed on the fame account to Bononia. About which time, cardinal Pole having recovered his health, returned to Rome, and was received as ufual by the Pope, very graciously, who made him his chief counfellor in matters relating to kings and fovereign princes; and whenever any defences of this or that proceeding were neceffary, Pole was always the penman. Thus, for inftance, when the Pope's power to remove the council was contested by the Emperor's ambaffador, he drew up a vindication of that proceeding; and when the emperor set forth the interim, the cardinal was employed to answer it. This famous decree contained a scheme for an accommodation, or a truce, to be observed between Papifts and Proteftants; but gave great offence to both fides, each thinking too much to be conceded to the other. The tenor of it was in general very favourable to the Romish doctrines, fomewhat foftened, difguifed, and palliated. The only conceffions to the Protestants were the use of the cup in the eucharist, and of marriage to the clergy; and even thefe were only conditional and temporary, and to continue till a general council should decide about it. Yet trifling as they were, they were confidered of too great confequence by the Pope to be deemed as confented to by him, and therefore he opposed them. While this was the fcene in Italy, the imperious Henry VIII. the great enemy of Pole, had been dead fome time; and as his fon Edward VI. now on the throne, had been bred up a Proteftant, cardinal Pole re

1540

figned

figned all thoughts of ever feeing England more, and steadily continued to apply himself to the duty of his character, unenvied and admired by all.

3549

Paul III. having fat in the papal chair upwards of 14 years, and died at Rome in the 81ft year of his age, there were three parties in the conclave, which affembled to elect his fucceffor, the French, that of the emperor, and cardinal Farnefe of the late Pope's family. The two laft joining, unanimoufly chofe Pole. The majority of the votes was undeniable, but the French objected that fome of their party were not arrived by reason of the distance, and complained that the election was hurried. This party was joined by cardinal Caraffa, who hoping, if Pole was fet afide, to be chofen himself, not only backed their arguments, but began to load him with calumnies, objecting, that he lay under a fufpicion both of herefy and incontinency: in fupport of which he alledged, that in Germany at the council of Trent he was familiar with the Lutherans, and that his intimacy with Tremellius (a learned Jew who had been baptized in the cardinal's house, and was known to incline to Lutheranism) confirmed the fufpicion; which was further afcertained by his keeping Flaminius, a fufpected Lutheran, among his domestics for fome time, and then enriching him with fome ecclefiaftical dignities. That he had fpared several heretics at Viterbo, punishing but few in any moderate way, and none at all with death *. Neither was that gravity of countenance which he wore fo far removed from the fufpicion of luxury, but that many perfons thought the young nun which he maintained at his own expence, was really the fruit of his own loins. To conclude, he wondered what they meant by running with so much burry to chufe a foreigner, as if Italy could not produce any who were worthy of the pontificate, fo that they were under a neceffity of fending to Britain for a Pope; and to what end? continued he Why, that the emperor, whofe creature he is

known to be, may plunder Rome a fecond time." The cardinal effectually defended himself against thefe virulent calumnies. With regard to the first, he appealed to all that he had done and fuffered for the dignity of the Romish church, and the catho lic doctrines.

As to his conduct at Viter

bo, it was obfervable that he had lived fo as to preferve the peace, without the neceffity of having much recourse to any punishment, much lefs to extremity. And with refpect to the young nun, he made it appear fhe was the daughter of an Englifh woman; who dying at Rome, he had placed the girl in a nunnery, to fave her from falling into a wicked course of life; that for a provifion, besides the small matter left her by her mother, he had de pofited a hundred aurei in the fidei monte, as it is called. Upon the whole, his anfwer was fo clear and fatisfactory, that his party grew warmer in his behalf; and immediately proceeding to confirm their election by a fecond fcrutiny, they went to cardinal Pole's apartment, and finding he was gone to bed, (for it was now late at night) they spoke to Priuli, who was then in waiting as gentleman of the Bedchamber, to awake his master, and acquaint him they were come to adere him, according to custom. Priuli performed the request with much joy; but Pole received it in a different temper. He was very angry with his friend, and drove the cardinals away, telling them he would not have a thing, which was to be feared rather than defired, to be carried on tumultuously and rafhly, but decently and orderly. That the night was not a proper time, God was a God of light, and not of darkness, and therefore it ought to be deferred till day came. This fcruple feemed fo extraordinary, that fome concluded he had loft his fenfes; and as by this ftrange refusal he had put them much out of humour, at which time the mind being prejudiced, generally frames objections, and fets before itself fuch difficulties as it had never thought of before, they began to think it might be better if he was

not elected Pope; for it would not be out of the way to suppose, should he obtain it, that he would exert himself in reforming the court of Rome, and college of cardinals. Therefore upon this confideration, reinforced by Pole's enemies, who joyfully feized this happy moment, when he had difobliged his friends to fecond this objection, they refolved to elect fome other perfon to the papal chair; and after much caballing and many intrigues, cardinal de Monte was chofen, who affumed the name of Julius III. What were the intentions of cardinal Pole in this manner of proceeding, is hard to fay; he certainly might have afcended the chair without any difficulty or interruption; it was entirely his own fault that he did not. Some authors relate that he was twice elected to fucceed Paul III. and that the first time, he made the excufe that the election was too hafty, and without due deliberation; and the second, because it was done in the

night. However that be, cardinal 1550 de Monte, now Julius III. gave a strange omen of what advancements he intended to make; for at giving out of the conclave, he bestowed his hat, as is the custom, on a boy who was his monkey-keeper; and being asked what he faw in him worthy to make a cardinal of, he answered, as much as the cardinals had feen in himself to make him Pope.

This

boy was only 17 at the time of this strange advancement; and father Paul obferves, that he turned out a great disgrace to his dignity. But it has been faid the caufe of his promotion was the Pope's having an unnatural affection for him, tho' others afcribe it to his money. Be that as it will, this was a very ridiculous and imprudention in the Pope, who nevertheless carried it always very friendly to Pole, during all his pontificate; and when the latter came, among the other cardinals, to kiss his feet, as ufual, he rose and embraced him in the kindest manner, not without tears of joy; and frequently acknowledged, that he owed his promotion entirely to the refufal of cardinal Pole.

The tranquility of Rome being foon afterwards greatly disturbed by the wars in France, and on the borders of Italy, the cardinal retired, with the Pope's leave, to a monaftery of the benedictines called Magazune, fituated near the lake of Benacus, in the territory of Verona. In this pleasant retirement he continued till 1553, when he was unexpectedly furprised with the news of the death of the fovereign of England, Edward VI. and the acceffion of his fifter Mary. This opened a scene to new events, and entirely altered the fituation of cardinal Pole, as will be related in the next Number.

to thofe contained in a former Number, without any apology.

"The enmities of religious people would never rife to fuch a height, were it not for their mistake that God is better ferved with their opinions than with their practices; opinions being very inconsiderable, further than they have influence upon actions.

"All reformations of religion feldom extend further than the mere opinions of men. The amendment of their lives and converfations are equally unregarded. And though all the reformation our Saviour preached to the world, was only repentance and amendment of life, without taking any notice at all of men's opinions and judgments; yet all the · Chriftian September, 1761.

lieve religion more concerned in one erroneous opinion, than all the most inhuman and impious actions in the world.

"Charity is the chiefeft of all Christian virtues, without which, all the reft fignify nothing: for faith and hope can only bring us on our way to the confines of this world; but charity is not only our convoy to heaven, but engaged to stay with us there for ever.---And yet there is not any fort of religious people in the world, that will not renounce and difclaim this neceffary cause of falvation, for mere trifles of the flightest moment imaginable; nay, will not prepofterously endeavour to fecure their eternal happiness hy destroying that, without which it is never to be cbtained. From hence are all their fpiritual Mm m

quarrels

quarrels derived, and fuch punctilios of opinion, that though more nice and peevish than thofe of love and honour in romances, are yet maintained with fuch animofities, as if heaven were to be purchased by no other way but that, which of all others is the most certain and infallible to lofe it.

"The first quarrel and murder that ever was committed in the world, was upon a fanatic emulation in religion, when Cain killed the fourth part of all mankind, his brother Abel, merely out of zeal for feeing the truth of his brother's religious worship preferred before his own, though God himself were judge.---And ever fince that time, much about the fame proportion of all mankind, has been conftantly destroyed by the reft, upon the very fame

account.

"The church of Rome teaches the people religion, as men teach finging birds-fhut them up, and keep them dark.

"The curiofities of ceremony in that church are like the painted glass in church windows, defigned to keep out light, not let it in.

"The vices of tyrants run in a circle, and produce one another; begin with luxury and prodigality, which cannot be fupplied but by rapine. Rapine produces hate in the people, and that hate fear in the prince; fear cruelty, cruelty defpair, and defpair deftruction!

"They that have but a little wit, are commonly like thofe who cry things in the streets: if they have but a groat's worth of rotten and stinking stuff, every body that comes nigh shall be fure to hear of it; while thofe that drive a rich noble trade, make no noife of it.

substantial things, and cries up the flight and frivolous, like the wind that paffes over folid bodies, and bears up duft and feathers.

"The obfervations of fome men are like the fifting of bakers, that retain the bran, and let the flour pass through.

"It is both the wifeft and fafeft way, to keep at a convenient distance with all men.---For when men converse too closely, they commonly, like those that meet in crowds, offend one another.

"The ambition of fome men, and the wants of others, are the ordinary causes of all civil wars.

"He that applies himfelf to understand things that are not to be known, uses his wit and induftry like the edge of a tool, that is cut upon a thing that is too hard for it---Befides his lofs of labour, he does but render it more blunt and dull than it was before.

"They that difpute matters of faith into nice particulars, and curious circumftances, do as unwifely as a geographer, that would undertake to draw a true map of Terra Incognita, by mere imagination. For though there is fuch a part of the earth, and that not without mountains, vallies, plains, and rivers; yet to attempt the description of these, and affign their fituations and tracts, without a view of the place, is more than ridiculous.

"He that thinks to pleafe God by forcing his underflanding in difquifitions of him beyond the limits, which he has been pleased to prescribe, befides the lots of his labour, does but endeavour to intrude where he is denied accefs, and prepofterously attempts to serve God

a king, whofe name was Malicknazir ; a more accomplished prince neither the rifing or the fetting fun had ever beheld; his heart was replete with every virtue, and his foul was adorned with every fcience his majestic air, and graceful perfon, added new dignity to the royal diadem, and fo much was he beloved by his fubjects, that they every day offered up

the prefervation of his life, and the continuance of his profperity. Malcknazir thus beloved by his fubjects, and dreaded by his enemies, reigning over a kingdom bleft with peace and plenty, appeared to be fecure of happinefs; but the greateft monarchs are fubject to calamities and grief, as well as the poorest pealants. The princefs Farzana, who loved Malick