Alfonso Valdez at Worms—A Dialogue by Valdez—The Chastisement of God—Approbation and Disapprobation—Mercury and Charon—Satan—Juan Valdez at Naples—Influence of Juan Valdez—Chiaja and Pausilippo—Conversion of Peter Martyr—His Method of Preaching—Purgatory—Opposition—Galeazzo Caraccioli converted—A Letter from Calvin—Illustrious Women at Chiaja—Ideas there discussed—Occhino preaches at Naples—The Triumvirs—Charles V. arrives at Naples—Conversation between Giulia Colonna and Valdez—Perfection—Assurance of Salvation—Humility—The royal Road—Meditations—Preachers of Fables—Valdez’ good and bad Qualities—Edict against the Lutherans—Carnesecchi—Secretary to Clement VII.—Interview with Charles V.—Carnesecchi’s Conversion—Divers Categories—Flaminio—A poor Student—Values the Treasures of Heaven—The Guest of Ghiberto and Caraffa—Flaminio’s Faith—Opposes and loves Carnesecchi—Approximates Catholicism—Oratory of Divine Love—Its Members—An Evangelical Monk—A Venetian Senator—Contarini’s Influence—Strange Call—He accepts the Cardinalate—Preserves his Independence—Contarini’s View—Dawn in Italy—The two Camps—Hopes—The Times of Rome—Glory to the Martyrs 454 BOOK VI. ENGLAND BEGINS TO CAST OFF THE PAPACY. CHAPTER I. THE NATION AND ITS PARTIES. (AUTUMN 1529.) England, during the period of which we are about to treat, began to separate from the pope and to reform her Church. In the history of that country the fall of Wolsey divides the old times from the new. The level of the laity was gradually rising. A certain instruction was given to the children of the poor; the universities were frequented by the upper classes, and the king was probably the most learned prince in Christendom. At the same time the clerical level was falling. The clergy had been weakened and corrupted by its triumphs, and the English, awakening with the age and opening their eyes at last, were disgusted with the pride, ignorance, and disorders of the priests. While France, flattered by Rome calling her its eldest daughter, desired even when reforming her doctrine to preserve union with the papacy; the Anglo-Saxon race, jealous of their liberties, desired to form a Church at once national and independent, yet remaining faithful to the doctrines of Catholicism. Henry VIII. is the personification of that tendency, which did not disappear with him, and of which it would not be difficult to discover traces even in later days. Other elements calculated to produce a better reformation existed at that time in England. The Holy Scriptures, translated, studied, circulated, and preached since the fourteenth century by Wickliffe and his disciples, became in the sixteenth century, by the publication of Erasmus’s Testament, and the translations of Tyndale and Coverdale, the powerful instrument of a real evangelical revival, and created the scriptural reformation.