claim the discovery of it to himself, but Sir Henry Wotton affured King James, That he firft obferved it.

Here I must add a paffage, concerning which I am in doubt whether it reflected more on the fincerity, or on the understanding of the English Ambaffador. The breach between the Pope and the Republick was brought very near a Crifis; fo that it was expected a total feparation, not only from the Court, but the Church of Rome, was like to follow upon it. It was fet on by P. Paulo and the seven Divines with much zeal, and was very prudently conducted by them. In order to the advancing of it, King James ordered his Ambaffador to offer all poffible affiftance to them, and to accufe the Pope and the Papacy as the chief authors of all the mischiefs of Chriftendom. The Prince and Senate anfwered this in words full of refpect to King James, and faid, That they knew things were not fo bad as fome endeavoured to make the World believe, on defign to fow difcord between Chriftian Princes: And when the Pope's Nuncio objected, That King James was not a Catholick, and fo was not to be relyed on: The Duke answered, The King of England believed in Jefus Chrift, but he did not know in whom fome others believed. Upon which P. Paulo and the Seven Divines preffed Mr. Bedell to move the Ambaffador to prefent King James's Premonition to all Chriftian Princes and States, then put in Latin, to the Senate, and they were confident it would produce a great effect. But the Am

baffador

baffador could not be prevailed on to do it at that time, and pretended that fince S. James's day was not far off, it would be more proper to do it on that day. If this was only for the Sake of a Speech that he had made on the conceit of S. James's Day and King James's Book, with which he had intended to prefent it, that was a weakness never to be excufed. But if this was only a pretence, and that there was a design under it, it was a crime not to be forgiven. All that Bedell could fay or do to perfwade him not to put off a thing of such importance was in vain; and indeed I can hardly think that Wotton was fo weak a Man as to have acted fincerely in this matter. Before S. James's day came, which I suppose was the first of May, and not the Twenty fifth of July, the difference was made up, and that happy opportunity was loft; fo that when he had his audience on that Day, in which he presented the Book, all the answer he got, was, That they thanked the King of England for his good will, but they were now reconciled to the Pope, and that therefore they were refolved not to admit of any change in their Religi on, according to their agreement with the Court of Rome.

It may be cafily imagined what a Wound this was to his Chaplain, but much more to those who were more immediately concerned in that matter; I mean P. Paulo with the fe ven Divines, and many others, who were weary of the Corruptions of their Worship, and were groaning for a Reformation. But now

the

the reconciliation with Rome was concluded " the Senate carried the matter with all the Dig nity and Majesty that became that most serene. Republick, as to all civil things: For they would not ask Abfolution; but the Nuncio, to fave the Pope's credit, came into the SenateHouse, before the Duke was come, and croffed his Cushion, and abfolved him, Yet upon

this they would not fuffer any publick figns of joy to be made; nor would they recall the Jefuites. But in all these things greater regard was had to the dignity of their State, than to. the intereft of Religion; fo that P. Paulo was out of all hopes of bringing things ever back to fo promifing a conjuncture; upon which he wifh'd he could have left Venice and come over to England with Mr. Bedell: But he was fo much efteemed by the Senate for his great Wifdom, that he was confulted by them as an Oracle, and trufted with their most important Secrets: So that he faw it was impoffible for him to obtain his Congè; and therefore he made a shift to comply as far as he could with the established way of their Worship; but he had in many things particular methods, by which he in a great measure rather quieted thian fatisfied his Confcience. In faying of Mafs, he pafs'd over many parts of the Canon, and in particular thofe Prayers, in which that Sacrifice was offer'd up to the honour of Saints He never prayed to Saints, nor joined in those parts of the Offices that went against his Concience; and in private Confeffions and Difcourfes, he took people off from those abuses,

and

and gave them right Notions of the purity of the Chriftian Religion; fo he hoped he was fowing Seeds that might be fruitful in another Age: And thus he believed he might live innocent in a Church that he thought fo defiled. And when one prefs'd him hard in this matter, and objected that he ftill held communion with an Idolatrous Church, and gave it credit by adhering outwardly to it, by which means others that depended much on his example would be likewife encouraged to continue in it: All the answer he made to this was, That God had not given him the Spirit of Luther. He expreffed great tenderness and concern for Bedell, when he parted with him; and faid, that both he and many others would have gone over with him, if it had been in their power: but that he might never be forgot by him, he gave him his Picture, with an Hebrew Bible without Points, and a little Hebrew Pfalter, in which he writ fome Sentences expreffing his efteem and friendship for him; and with these he gave him the invaluable Manuscript of the Hiftory of the Council of Trent, together with the Hiftory of the Interdict and of the Inquifition; the first of these will ever be reckoned the chief pattern after which all, that intend to fucceed well in writing Hiftory, muft But among other Papers that P. Paulo gave him, fome that were of great importance are loft: For in a Letter of Mr. Bedell's to Dr. Ward, he mentions a Collection of Letters that were sent him Weekly from Rome during the contests between the Jefuites and Domini

copy.

cans,

cans, concerning the efficacy of Grace; of which P. Paulo gave him the Originals; and in his Letter to Dr. Ward he mentions his hav ing fent them to him. Thefe, very probably,. contained a more particular relation of that matter than the World has yet feen, fince they were writ to fo curious and fo inquifitive a Man; but it seems he did not allow Bedell to print them, and so I am afraid they are now irrecoverably loft.

When Bedell came over, he brought along with him the Archbishop of * Spalata, and one † Despotine a Phyfician, who could no longer bear with the corruptions of the Roman Worfhip; and fo chofe a free'r air. The latter lived near him in S. Edmondsbury, and was by his means introduced into much Practice, which he maintained fo well, that he became eminent in his Profeffion, and continued to his death to keep up a conftant correfpondence with him. As for the Archbishop of Spalata his Story, it is too well known to need to be much enlarged on. He was an ambitious Man, and fet too great a value on himself, and expreffed it fo indecently, that it funk much in the estimation of the English Clergy, by whom he was at firft received with all poffible respect : but after he had stayed fome Years in England, upon the promotion of Pope Gregory the XIV. that had been his School-fellow, and old acquaintance, he was made believe that the Pope intended to give him a Cardinal's Hat,

Spalata. Defpotine.

and