IV. would

not be re- conciled with the emperor.
The French army re- lieved by the
for tlie emperor.
Death of certain of the French captains.
1219. vailed so far, as neither the power of the pope nor of all Christendom is able to drive ihem out ; as hereafter by the sequel of my story is further to be declared.
In the mean time, to return to where before we left, when the French king, coming thus unto the pope at Lyons to entreat for the emperor, could find no favour, he took his leave, and with great heaviness departed, setting forward on his journey to Marseilles, and so sailed to the isle of Cyprus, where he remained all that winter, and there falling into penury and lack of victual, he was fain to send to Venice, and other islands by, for help of provision. The Venetians gently sent unto him six great ships laden with corn, wine, and other victuals requisite, besides the relief of other islands more. But emperor especially Frederic, the emperor, understanding of their want, so fur- ThV™' nished the French camp with all plenty of necessaries, that it had kfng'^*' abundance. Whereupon the French king, moved with the kindness of again en- thc cmpcror, wrotc special letters to the pope in the emperor's behalf; the pope but the hard heart of thc pope would not relent. Blanch, the king's mother, hearing in France what the cmpcror had done to her son, sent him most hearty thanks, with presents and rewards manifold.'
The French army lost many distinguished men on its way to Egypt. Particularly, the bishop of Noyon, who was earl Palatine and one of the twelve peers of France, died on board ship near Cyprus, The earl of St. Pol and Blois was accidentally killed with a stone at Avignon, before the embarkation : he had under him fifty bannerets, ■who were dispersed after liis death. John carl of Dreux, a young officer of great promise, died at Cyprus, w ith many noble personages of both sexes, who fell sick from change of air and diet.'
In this mean time, about the beginning of June a.d. 1249, the ,in"by Frenchmen got Damietta, being the principal fort or hold of the Saracens in all Egypt. After the winning of Damietta, the prince and June 5th. people of the Saracens, being astonished at the loss thereof, offered to the Christians great ground and possessions more than ever belonged to Christendom before, so that they might have Damietta restored to them again. But the pride of the earl of Artois, the king's brother, would in no case accept the offers of the Saracens, but required both Damietta and Alexandria, tlie chief metropolitan city of all Egypt, to be delivered unto them. The Saracens, seeing the pride and greedi- ness of the Frenchmen, in no case could abide it : whicli turned after- wards to the great detriment of our Christians, as in the end it proved.-* The next year ensuing, whicli was a.d. 1250, on Ash Wednes- day, the Frenchmen, issuing out of their tents by the city of Damietta, flew upon the Saracens who besieged them, and so after a great num- saraceng, bcr of the enemy slain, with victory and great spoils returned to their tents again. Now, within thc city of Damietta Avas the queen with her ladies, and the pope's legate and bishops, with a garrison of horsemen and footmen for the defence of the city strongly ap))ointcd. Thc next day, the Frenchmen supposing to have the like hand of thc Saracens, as they had thc day before, gave a fresh as.sault u))on them; but in that conflict the Saracens had so strongly
(1) Matth. Paris, fol. 226. (2) Ibid. fo. 229. [M. Par., p. 771. See Appendix.— Ed.] (3) Ibid.
Trench men
A.D.1250. V ictory of the French over the
French discom- fited by the Para cens.
SUFFERINGS OF THK FLKXCII AUMV. 447
appointed themselves, that the Frenchmen lost ten times more tlian iienry
they got the day before, and so, after a great slaughter of their men, 1_
retired unto their tents again. Whereupon, the Saracens began to take A. D. great heart and courage against our men, stopping also the passages ^'^•'^- round about the city of Damietta, that no victuals could pass unto them. In like manner the Soldan also, gathering the galleys about Alexandria and all the land of Egypt, so enclosed the seas, that no intercourse should be to them by water.
At length, after long talk and consultation between them on both The sides, the Soldan advised them betimes to resign unto him the city of m'e'il"^'' Damietta, with the furniture which they foimd therein, and they ^§^["7^" should have all the country about Jerusalem, with all the captives of by the the Christians, in a friendly manner restored unto them : wherewith the Christians, said he, ought to be contented, and to seek no further, but only to have the land of Jerusalem ; which being granted to them, they should not encroach into other lands and kingdoms, to which they had no right. This form of peace, as it liked well the xhe eari meaner sort of the poor soldiers, and divers others of the said council aJ^^tl^J" and nobility ; so the proud earl of Artois, the king's brother, in no pope's case would assent thereto, but still required the city of Alexandria to agTin" re- be yielded to them ; to which the Egyptians would by no means form 'of"
^O^^^- offered
From that time the French army, being compassed about by sea The and land, began every day more and more to be distressed for lack me*ii'eat of victuals and with famine, being driven to such misery that they 5,^^^^^°"," •were fain to eat their own horses in Lent-time, Avhich should have Lent- served them for other uses ; neither could any Christian, nor Frede- '™^' ric, being deposed by the pope, send them any succour. Further- more, the more misery the Christians were in, the more fiercely did the Saracens press upon them on every side, detesting their forward wilfulness, insomuch that divers of the christian soldiers, not able to abide the affliction, privily conveyed themselves, as they could, out of the camp to the Saracens, who were gladly received and relieved; some were suffered still to keep their faith, and some married Anves amongst them, and for hope of honour did apostate to their law, and so wrought no little harm to the Christians. The Soldan, being per-TheSoi- fectly instructed by these fugitives of all things belonging to the ^^"ssase king's army, sent him word in derision, asking where were all his J^j^^''^''^ mattocks, forks, and rakes, his scythes, ploughs, and harrows, which French- he brought over with him, or why he did not use them, but let ™'^"' them lie by him to rust and canker ? All this, and much more, the king with his Frenchmen were fain to take well in worth. It J^^ so' happened, shortly after, that this Soldan died, being poisoned by a Avorse
1 • '^^ J \,- \ i xl r^l, • i- r "I'followeth.
his own servants, which was to the Christians an aggravation ot their miseries; for, albeit the said Soldan had been a cruel tpant to the Christians, yet was he hated of his own people, whereby his strength was the less. After him succeeded another much more cruel ; who, as he was better loved, so he became much stronger, by a general confederacy of all the Saracens who were in the east parts, joining now together ; so that when the Christians desired rtie now to have the form of peace before proffered, he flatly denied deshe'^ them. And so the French host, which at first began to be feared, ag^^iutho
448 MLu.Miuixr.s and atostasv of the christians.
Henry hy tlifir pridc rind f»vor-grcedincss growing more and more into
: contt nipt amongst their enemies, now were utterly despised.
A.I). Tlio Christians, thus seeing all things to go backward with them, ^ -''^'- and how the infidel Saracens daily did prevail, began to murmur i>taie against God, and some also, who were well settled before, to stagger u-fo'r'c. in their relicfion, casting out these words of infidel itv: " How is this,"" nm have'' said they, "'-that the Lord hath left us in whose cause we figlit.? "■ How often within the time of remembrance have we been con-
{ounde blood, have enjoyed great spoils and victories.'' First, this city of Damietta, which we Christians had gotten dearly, with effusion of so much christian blood, afterwards we were constrained for Victories nought to rcsigu again. After that, the army of the Templars, Trmpiars fighting for the holy temple against the Saracens, near to Antioch, k"c ers ^^'"^^ vanquished, and the standard-bearer slain in tlie fields. Again, of jorii- within these few years, our Frenchmen, fighting in like manner against the Saracens at the city of Gaza, were put to the worst, and many afterwards out of captivity ransomed by Richard, duke of Exeter, brother to Henry III., king of England. Then came in theChorosmians, sent by the Soldan of Babylon, who, by a wile, invaded the Christians in the city of Jerusalem, where almost all the christian army in the Holy Land were destroyed And now here, our most christian king, together with the whole nobility, is like to be in danger utterly to be overthrown. And how is it that the Lord tlius standeth against us, and fighteth with them ? Hath he more regard of tliem than of us.^"^ Such nuirmuring words of an unstable faith many there began to cast out, as taking displeasure on account of their suflTerings : but not conr«idering, on the other side, what idolaters they were, what pride and discord was amongst them, what cruelty and murder they had showed at home in persecuting the poor Why the Albigenses, what superstition they first brought out with them, with not pro- what idolatry they proceeded, putting their trust in masses, in the niris'-"^^ pope's indulgences, in worshipping of images, and in praying to fi'"ht*in saints. And what helps then could they look for at God's hand, against who had iniagcs in their temples, to fight against them who had tens. "* none ? or what marvel if the Lord of hosts went not with their arniy, committing such idolatry every day in their pavilions to their sacra- mental bread and wine as they did, and fighting with the strength of their own merits, and not by the power of their faith in Christ alone, which is the only victory that overcometh the world .'' [1 Jolm v. 4.] Finally, having in their camp the legate of him whom the Lord takcth to be his enemy : as by example of Frederic, the emperor, may be well perceived ; who, after he was accursed by pope Gregory a little before, coming the same time to war against the Saracens in Palestine, God's blessing wrought so mightily with him, that without any bloodshed he recovered Jerusalem, and set all the country about it in great quietness, till at last the popish Templars, who at the pope's setting on, went about to betray him to the Soldan of Babylon, lost all again by their own malicious mischief, which the emperor before had gotten.^
ll) Ex Matlh. Paris, fol 23!. l2) Ei Mitth. Paris.
GRUDGE UETWEEX Tilt PBEXCH AND ESCMSH SOLDIERS. 44D
But let US proceed further in tliis holy progress. The French ucnry
. III. lere to
king with his army seeing himself distressed, and no good tl
be done against the Soldan of Egypt, after he had sufficiently fortified |\;.^-
the city of Damictta with an able garrison left witli the duke of "^
Burgundy, he removed his tents from thence to go eastward. In his army also followed William Longspath (of whom mention was made before), accompanied with a picked number of English warriors, q^^^„^ retained unto him : but such was the disdain of the Frenchmen bet^vee.l against this William Longspath and the Englishmen, that they i-rench could not abide them, but flouted them in opprobrious manner, with Engnsu " English tails," insomuch that the good king himself had much ado s'jW'e^. to keep peace between them.
The original cause of this grudge between them began thus : Rooty there was, not far from Alexandria in Egypt, a strong fort or castle, fhe Eng-' replenished with great ladies, and rich treasure of the Saracens ; this ^^^^l"' hold it chanced the said William Longspath, with his company of about English soldiers, to get, more by good luck and politic dexterity, dria. than by open force of arms; whereby he and his retinue were greatly enriched. When the Frenchmen had knowledge hereof, they, being not made privv thereto, began to conceive a heart-burning against the English soldiers, and could not speak well of them after that. It happened, not long after, that the said William had intelligence of a ventu- company of rich merchants among the Saracens, going to a certain o? wiT-' fair about the parts of Alexandria ; having their camels, asses, and ^^™^ mules, richly laden Avith silks, precious jewels, spices, gold and silver, spaui with cart-loads of other wares, besides victuals and furniture, whereof the soldiers then stood in great need. He, having secret knowledge hereof, gathered all the power of Englishmen unto him that he could, and so, bv night, falling upon the merchants, some he slew with their guides and conductors, some he took, some he put to flight. The Emiciicd carts with the drivers and the oxen, and the camels, asses, and mules, cLs"^ with the whole carriage and victuals, he look, and brought with him, soods. losing in all the skirmish but one soldier, and eight of his servitors ; some of whom, notwithstanding, he brought home wounded to be cured.
This being kno-\m in the camp, forth came the Frenchmen, who ^^^^^^^ all this while loitered in their pavilions, and meeting their carriage by French, the way, took all the aforesaid prey wholly unto themselves, rating the said William and the Englishmen, for so adventuring and issuing out of the camp without leave or knowledge of their general, contrary to the discipline of war. William said again, he had done nothing but what he would answer to, whose purpose was to have the spoil divided to the behoof of the whole army. When this would not serve, he being sore grieved in his mind, so cowardly to be spoiled of that for which he had so adventurously travailed, went to the king to complain. But when no reason or complaint would serve, by reason Depart- of the proud earl of Artois, the king''s brother, who, upon despite and ^^^6° disdain, stood against him, he, bidding the king farewell, said he Despite would serve him no longer. And so William de Longspath with onh"' the rest of his company, breaking from the French host, went to l;^"'],'^ Acre. Upon whose departure, the carl of Artois said, " Now is the •"•p^inst army of Frenchmen well rid of these tailed people." Which words, ush. '
VOL. TT. G G
450 DAMIKTIA TAKKK BY THE CHRISTIAXS.
Henry spokcii in gnat (.kspitc, wore evil taken of many good men tliat L_ heard him.'
A_D. Before tlie arrival of the French army in the land of Egypt, the
L^^ Soldan of lial^ylon, liaving beforehand intelligence of their coming,
connnitted the custody of Damietta to a certain prince of his whom
he specially trusted, committing also to his brother the keeping of
Cairo and Babylon. It followed now after the taking of Damietto,
that the Soldan of Babylon accused the prince who had the custody
thereof, before his nobles, of treason, as giving the city unto the
Christians ; who, notwithstanding, in judgment did sufficiently clear
himself, declaring how he was certified that the king would land at
Alexandria, and therefore bent all his power to prevent the king"'s
arrival there ; but, by stress of weather, he missing his purpose,
Damietta and the king landing about Damietta, by reason thereof the city was
theairL taken unprovided, he, notwithstanding, with his company resisting
tians. as Well as they might, till they could no longer, and so departed,
cursing (said he) Mahomet and his law. At these words, the Soldan,
The keep- being ofFeudcd, commanded him to be had away as a traitor and
bune'" blasphemer, and to be hanged, albeit he had sufficiently purged
wrong- himself by the judgment of the court. His brother, mIio was the
to death, keeper of Cairo and Babylon, being therewith not a little grieved,
and bearing a good mind to the christian religion, devised, in himself,
how to give the said city of Cairo with Babylon to the French king ;
and so, in most secret wise, he sent to the king, showing his full
purpose and what had happened : and, furthermore, instructing the
The tri- king in all things how and what he should do ; and, moreover,
Cairo de- requiring the sacrament of baptism, meaning indeed good faith,
sireth to and Sending also away all the christian captives which he had with
eiied. him in prison. The king, being glad hereof, sent in all haste for
i^one-"* William Longspath, promising a full redress of all injuries past,
spathsent wlio upon liopc of some good luck, came at tlie king^s request, and
comeih. SO joiued again with the French power.
THE LAMENTABLE OVERTHROW AND SLAUGHTER OF THE
FRENCH ARMY FIGHTING AGAINST THE INFIDELS, THROUGH
THE SINISTER COUNSEL OF THE POPE^S LEGATE.
To make the story short, the king, setting forward from Damietta, directed his jouniey towards Cairo, slaying by the way such Saracens as were set there to stop the victuals from Damietta. The Soldan, in the mean time, hearing of the courageous coming of the French host, as being in gi'eat hope to conquer all, sent unto the king by certain that were ne.\t about him, offering to the Christians the quiet and full possession of the Holy Land, with all the kingdom of Jeru- salem, and more ; besides other infinite treasure of gold and silver, or what else might pleasure them, only upon this condition, that they would restore again Damietta, with the captives there, and so would join together in mutual peace and amity. Also they should have all Fair offers their christian captives delivered up, and so both countries should dantothe frccly pass ouc to another with their wares and traffic, such as they French, (jhosc to adveuturo. Furthermore, it was firmly affirmed and spoken,
(1) Ex Matth. Paris, fol. 233, 231.
VICTOKV OF THE CHRISTIAN'S OVEU THE SARACENS. 451
that the Soldan, Avitli most of liis nobles, was minded no less than to Hemi, leave the filtliy law of Mahomet, and receive the faith of Christ, so that '"
they might quietly enjoy their lands and possessions. The same day A.I). great quietness would have entered, no doubt, into all Christendom, _li^-_ with the end of much bloodshed and misery, had it not been for the The pope's legate, who (Laving commandment fi-om the pope, that if any gafe^ ^ such offers should come, he should not take them) stoutly '■'■ et frontose thiTmu" contradicens^' (as the words be of the story) in nowise would receive '''"'^'"• the conditions offered.'
Thus, while the Christians unprofitably lingered the time in debating this matter, the Soldan, mean while, got intelligence of the compact between the tribune of Cairo and the French king; whereupon he sent in all haste to their city to apprehend the tribune till the truth were fully tried, which seemed to him more apparent, for that the christian prisoners were already delivered. Hereupon Thechns- the Soldan being in some better hope and less fear, refused that f'u^ing^ which before he had offered to the Christians ; albeit, thev Avith ereat T°^ "^^
' , *^ , c> lers, couJu
mstance afterward sued to the Soldan, and could not obtain it. Then not have the Soldan, being wholly bent to try the matter by the sword, sent wh^ to the east parts for an infinite multitude of soldiers, giving out by ^^o*^^(j proclamation, that Avhosoever could bring in any christian man's head, cruei pro- should have ten talents, besides his standing wages. And whosoever ofUie sa- brought his right hand should have five. He that brouQ-ht his foot '■^'^®."* should have two talents, for his reward. thechris-
After these things thus prepared on both sides to the necessity of j^g^g^^i war, the king- cometh to the great river Nile, having gotten together of Artoi.s, many boats, thinking by them to pass over, as upon a sure bridge, third part On the other side the Soldan pitched himself to withstand his coming christian Gvei. In the mean time happened a certain feast amongst the army Saracens, in which the Soldan Avas absent, leaving his tents by the over the water-side. This being foreseen by a certain Saracen, lately conA'erted ^''^' to Christ, serving Avith earl Robert, the king's brother, and showing them AA'ithal a certain shalloAv ford in the river Nile, where they might more easily pass over ; the said earl Robert, and the master of the Temple, Avith a great power, amounting to the third part of the army, passed over the river, after Avhom also folloAved William Long- spath, AA'ith his band of English soldiers. These, being together joined on the other side the Avater, encountered the same day victory of Avith the Saracens remaining in the tents, and put them to the !^^ *^''"^'
. ^ . . ~. -_ - '^ r. tians
Avorse. After this victory, the r rencli earl, surprised Avith pride against and triumph, as though he had conquered the whole earth, Avould cens.'" needs advance, dividing himself from the main host, thinking to Avin the spurs alone ; to whom certain sage men of the Temple giving Good contrary counsel, advised him not so to do, but rather to return and take their Avhole company Avith them, and so should they be more not s'oi- sure against all deceits and dangers, Avhich there might be laid privily for them. The manner of that people (they said) they better kncAv, and had more experience thereof than he ; alleging, moreover, their Avearied bodies, their tired horses, their famished soldiers, and the insufficiency also of their number, A\diich Avas not able to withstand the multitude of the enemies, especially at this present brunt; in
(1) Ex Matth. Paris, fol. 233. GC 2
4.')2 THE KARI. Oi- AinoiS \M1.1. KOT BE ADVISED.
iimry wliicli the adversaries ilid well see the whole state of their dominion ^- now to consist either in winning all, or losing all ; witli other such
A.I), like words of persuasion. AN'licn the proud earl did hear this, being
'^*'' inflamed with no less arrogancy than ignorance, with opprobrious
Mohukcs taunts lie reviled them, called them cowardly dastards, and betravcrs
of carl Pill i-i.' 11 "o
Hobert,toot the whole country; objecting unto them the common report of gavThim niany, who said, that the land of the holy cross might be won to Kood Christendom, were it not for the rebellious Templars, with the
counsel. TT • 11 1 .1 • ^ 11
Hospitallers and tlicu: lellows.
To these contumelious rebukes the master of the Temple answered again for himself and his fellows, bidding him display his ensign when he would, and where he durst, for they were as rcadv to follow him, as he to go before them. Then began William de Longspath, the worthy knight, to speak : desiring the earl to give ear to those men of experience, who had better knowledge of those countries and people than he had, commending also their counsel to be discreet and wholesome, and so turning to the master of the Temple began with gentle words to mitigate him likewise. The knight had not half ended his talk, when the earl, taking the words out of his mouth, began to fume and swear, crying out on these cowardly Englishmen with tails. " ^^'hat a pure army," said he, " should we have here, if these tails, and tailed people were purged from it V With other like words of great villany and much disdain. •Worthy Whcrcunto the English knight answering again, "Well, earl Robert," fhe tng- ^^id he, " wheresoever you dare set your foot, my step shall go as 1**^ . , far as yours: and, as I believe, we go this dav where vou shall not
knipht to J ' ' -1 n 1 11 • • 1 •
liiin. dare to come near the tail or my horse : as in the event proved
tnie.' Anum- In the mean time the French king, intending to set forward his Frencii army, thought best to send away such as were feeble and lacked ►oidiers armour unto Damietta, bv boats. The Soldan, hearing thereof,
sent to ' » ' O '
Demi prepared a great number of boats to be carried, by wain and cart,
drowned to the watcr-sldc ; who, meeting them by the way, drowned and
by the'" ^^Pstroycd by wildfire every one, so that of all that company of our
way. Christians, of whom some were burned, some slain, some drowned,
not one escaped alive, save only one Englishman, named Alexander
GifFard ; who, although he was sore wounded in the chace in five
places in his body, yet escaped to the French camp, bringing word
unto the king what was done. And this was upon the water.
Mansor Now upon the land : seeing earl Robert would needs set for^vard,
by^thi"'" ^^'^P^iing to get all the glory unto himself before the coming of the
tiench. host, they invaded first a little village or castle wliich was not far
off, called ^lansor. The country boors and pagans in the villages
by, seeing the Christians come, ran out with such a main cry and
shout, that it came to the Soldan"'s hearing, who was nearer than our
men did think. In the mean while the Christians, invading and
entering into the munition uncircumspectly, were pelted and pashed^
with stones by them that stood above ; whereby a great nimiber of
our men were lost, and the army sore maimed, and almost in despair.
Then, immediately upon the same, cometh tlie Soldan with all his
main power ; who, seeing the Christians'' armv to be divided, and the
(1) Ex Malth. Paris fol. 2."6. (2) " Pashod," ntnirk.— Ed.
LOLIS IX., THK FRENCH KING, TAKEN PRISONER. 453
nne brother separated from the other, had that which he long wislied ^^yj'^y i'or, and thus enclosing them round about so that none should escape,
had with them a cruel fight. Then the earl began to repent him of •^■/^• his beady rashness, but it was too late ; who, then seeing William J^'ii_ the English knight doughtily fighting in the chief brunt of the ^^^^.^"' enemies, cried unto him most cowardly to fly, " seeing God," said anny en- he, " doth fight against us." To whom the knight, answering again, the'*soidi'n " God forbid," saith he, " that my father's son should run away from "on^"^^" the face of a Saracen." The carl then, turning his horse, fled away, Eaii Re- thinking to escape by its swiftness, and so taking the river of Thafnis, ardi/fly" oppressed wuth harness, there sunk and Mas drowned. Thus the i"^row^^' earl being gone, the Frenchmen began to despair and scatter. Then ed. William de Longspath, bearing all the force of the enemies, stood jF.'co"a'e against them as long as he could, wounding and slaying many a and death Saracen, until at length his horse being killed, and his legs maimed, liam he could no longer stand ; who yet notwithstanding, as he was down, ^p"4 mangled their feet and legs, and did the Saracens much sorrow, till at the last after many blows and wounds, being stoned of the Sara- cens, he yielded his life. After the death of him, the Saracens setting upon the residue of the army, whom they had compassed on every side, devoured and destroyed them all, insomuch, that scarce one man escaped alive, saving two Templars, one Hospitaller, and one poor rascal soldier, who brought tidings hereof to the king.
These things being known, in the French camp, to the king and his sorrows soldiers; first of their drowning Mho M-ere sent to Damietta, then of l"^'^*'^ the ruin and slaughter of the army, M'ith the king's brother, near the camp for tov/n of INIansor, there Mas no little sorroM^ and heaviness on every thdr** side, M'ith great fear and doubt in themselves Mliat it Mas best to do. ^'■ At last, Mhen they saM' no remedy, but they must stand manfully to revenge the blood of their brethren, the king, M-ith his host, passed over the flood of the Nile, and coming to the place where the battle had been, there they beheld their felloM-s and brethren, pitifully lying Heads M'ith their heads and hands cut off. For the Saracens, for the rcMard p"?}||f"'''' before promised by the Soldan or Sultan, unto them that could bring chrisiiar.i the head or hand of any Christian, had so mangled the Christians, *^"' "^' leaving their bodies to the Mild beasts. Thus, as they M'ere sorrowing and lamenting the rueful case of their cluistian felloAvs, suddenly appeareth the coming of the Soldan, with a midtitude of innumerable thousands, against M'hom the Frenchmen eftsoons prepare themselves to encounter, and so the battle being struck up, the armies began to join. But, alack for pity ! what coidd the Frenchmen here do, their number at first so maimed, their hearts M'ounded already M'ith fear and sorrow, their bodies consumed with penury and famine, their horses for feebleness not able to serve them ? In conclusion, the Pitiful Frenchmen M'ere overthroM'n, slain, and despatched ; and, seeing ofTife'"^'^ there M-as no flying, happy was he that first could yield himself. In French. this miserable conflict, the king, M-ith his tM'o brethren, and a few that The king clave unto him, were taken captives, to the confusion of all christian J^vo'' '"* realms, and presented to the Soldan. All the residue Avcre put to the ''{^'.',','^" sword, or else stood at the mercy of the Saracens, whether to be slain i;y tii. or to remain in Moeful captivity. And this Mas the end of that sorroM'ful battle, M'herein almo'st all the nobility of France Mere slain,
45i DAMIKTTA KESIGNED.
nn,r,j ami in wliidi tluiv was liaidly out- man of all that multitude who escaped tree, tliey being either slain or taken prisoners. Fvirtlierniore,
A.l). they that were slain or left half alive, had every one his head and _^'-'^^- hand cut off upon the Sohhin's juoclaniation above mentioned.
The Soldan or Sultan, afler tiie taking of the French king, fraudu- lently suborning an army of Saracens to the number of the P'reneh army, with the amis and ensigns of them that were slain, made towards Damietta, Avhere the duke of Burgundy, Avith the French queen, and Olho, the ])ope's legate, and other bishops and their gar- risons were remaining ; supposing, under the show of Frenchmen, to be let in : but the captains, mistrusting their hasty coming, and mis- doubting their visages, not like those of the Frenchmen, shut the gates against them, and so returned they, frustrated in their intent.
The purpose of the Soldan was, if he might have gotten Damietta, tf»
send the French king up higher into the east countries to the Caliph,'
the chief pope of Damascus, to increase the titles of Mahomet, and
to be a spectacle or gazing-stock to all those quarters of the world.
The manner of Calipli Avas, never to let any christian prisoner come
out, whosoever came once in his hand. But forasmuch as the Soldan
missed his purpose, he thought, by advice of council, to use the king"'s
life for his OAvn advantage in recovering the city of Damietta, as in
the end it came to pass. For although the king at fiist Avas greatly
unAvillinG:, and had rather die than surrender Damietta arain to the
Saracens, yet the conclusion fell out, that the king Avas put to his
Danuctta ransoui, and the city of Damietta Avas also resigned ; Avhich citv, being
to the^ tAvice Avon and tAvice lost by the Christians, the Soldan or Sultan aftt-r-
saracens. •\vards causcd it utterly to be razed down to the ground. The ransom
thekin^''s of the king, upon condition that the Soldan should see him safely con-
NumSr ducted to Acrc (Avhich I take to be Cesarea), came to a hundred thou-
of the ^.iwiA marks. The number of Frenchmen and others avIio miscarried
slain. in that Avar, by Avater and by land, came to eighty thousand persons.^
And thus have ye the brief narration of this lamentable pcregi'ina-
tion of Louis, the French king •, in Avhich, Avhen the Frenchmen Avere
once or tAvice avcU offered by the Soldan, to have all the kingdom of
Jerusalem, and much more, in free possession ; they, not contented
Avith that Avhich Avas reasonable and sufficient, for greediness to have
all, lost all ; having at length no more than their naked bodies could
cover, lying dead upon the ground, and all through the original cause
of the pope, and Otho, his legate. By their sinister means and
pestilent pride, not only the lives of so many Christians Avere then
lost, but also to the said pope is to be imputed ail the loss of other
cities and christian regions bordering in the same quarters : forasmuch
as, by the occasion hereof, the hearts of the Saracens, on the one side,
were so encouraged, and the courage of the Christians, on the other, so
much discomfited, that in a short space after, both the dominion of
Antioch and that of Acre, Avith all other possessions belonging to
the Christians, Avcre lost, to the great diminishing of Christ's church.
The. two During the time of this good king lying at Acre, or Cesarea,
vaifa^nce Almighty God sent such discord betwixt the Soldan of Halaphia and
French''^ the Soldan of Babylon, for letting the king so escape, that the said
king. Soldan or Sultan of Babylon, to Avin the king unto his side, entered
(1) Sec Note I. P. snt,— El). (2) Hsec Mattli. Paris, fol. 287, 23S.
THE pope's tyranny AGAINST FUEDKRIC II. 455
league with liim (whom both his brethren, and all his nobles almost, t'enry
at home had forsaken), and remitted his ransom, and also restored 1-
unto him such prisoners as were in the said battle found to be alive.' A. D. Thus the Lord workcth, where man commonly forsaketh.* \2b0.
Another cause, moreover, why the ruin of this French army may worthily be imputed to the pope, is this : for that when Louis, the French king, perceiving what a necessary friend and helper Frederic, How pre- the emperor, might be to him in these hisaifairs against the Saracens, emiKw was an earnest suitor for him to the pope to have liim released, neither jj'j^'^'^ he, nor the king of England, by any means could obtain it. And, si-ned in although the emperor himself offered to pope Innocent, with all again^'t"' humble submission, to make satisfaction in the council of Lyons, pro- ^l^ns^ b"t mising, also, to expufjn all the dominions of the Saracens, and never t'>e pope
. ^ ^ . M'ould not
to return into Europe again, and there to recover whatsoever the suiTer Christians had lost, so that the pope would only grant his son Henry '"™" to be emperor after him ; yet the proud pope would not be mollified, but w-ould needs proceed against him with both swords ; that is, first, with the spiritual sword, to aecurse him, and then with the temporal sword, to depose him from his imperial throne. Through the occasion Tyranny whereof, not only the French king's power went to wreck, but also such uif,nis-' a fire of mischief was kindled aa:ainst all Christendom, as yet to this ciiiefof
o 'J the pops
day cannot be quenched ; for, after this overthrow of the French king against and his army, the Christians of Antioch and of other christian regions peroT." thereabouts, being utterly discouraged, gave over their holds and cities ; whereupon the Saracens, and after them the Turks, got such a hand over Christendom, as, to this day, we all have good cause to rue and lament. Besides this, where divers Christians were crossed to go over and help the French king, the pope for money dispensed with them to tarry still at home.
But as I said, the greatest cause was, that the emperor, who coidd have done most, was deposed by the pope's tyranny, whereby all those churches in Asia were left desolate : as touching the which em- peror Frederic, because we have divers and sundry times made mention of him before, and for that his story is strange, his acts wondrous, and his conflicts tragical, which he sustained against four or five popes, one after another, 1 thought not out of story in a whole narration to set forth the same, for the reader to consider what is to be judged of this cathedral see of Rome, which hath wrought such abominable mischief in the M'orld, as in the sequel of the story following, faith- fully translated out of Latin into English, is to be seen.
* Forsomuch as the story of Frederic is incident in the same time of this king Henry HL, and containeth matter much worthy of memory, considering the utility thereof, after the tractation of our English stories I could not but also insert the whole narration of this tragical history of the said Frederic, which I have caused faithfully and amply to be collected and translated out of the Latin book of Nicholas Cisnerus, containing as followeth."**
THE TRAGICAL HISTORY OF FREDERIC II., EMPEROR.
Frederic IL came out of the ancient house of the Beblins or A. D. Ghibellines ; which Ghibellines came of the most famous stock of 1194 the French kings and emperors. He had Frederic Barbarossa to his
to 1250.
fl) This was the seventh and last principa'i crussde. — Ep. {2) Matth. Paris, fol.
(3) This passage between asterisks is from the edition of 1570. Ste A]iiiendix. — Ku.
4~>6 I£ARI,Y IIISTOUY OF FRKUKRIC II.
//M^-ryo/ arandfallicr, whose son, Henry VI., was emperor after liiin ; wlio of
Fredcnc (^^nstantla, the daughter (or, as some write, the niece) of Roger I.,
^^ror. i-i^p ^jf si^,;]^,^ bp^j ^l,jg Frederic II.
A.I). This Constantia was fifty years of age^ before she was conceived
1194. with him; wliom the emperor Henry VI., to avoid all doubt and
surmise that of iier conception and childing might be thought, and to
the peril of the empire ensue, caused liis regal tent to be pitched
abroad in a place where every man might resort ; and, when the time
of his queen's travail approached, Constantia, in presence of divers
Frederic jadics, luatrons, and other gentlewomen of the empire, a great number,
De'c"26th, was brouglit to bed and delivered of this Frederic, the seventh day
AD.11U4. i^eforc the kalends of January, a.d. 11.94, who by inheritance was
king of Naples, Ajmlia, Calabria, and Sicily.
Henry, his father, shortly after he was born obtained of the princes- electors by their oath to him given, that they would choose his son Frederic for their emperor after his decease ; and so tliey did, and immediately called him Caesar,^ being yet but in his cradle. sepi.28th, This Henry wlien he died, which was shortly after the birth of A.D.ii97. Pi-gfjei-icj committed the protection of him to Constantia, his wife, to I'hilip, his brother, chief governor of Etruria, and to the bishop of Rome, A.D. 1197.
Constantia, not long after the death of Henry, her husband, being sickly and growing into age, and thereby not so well able to govern the troubled and unquiet state of the empire, resigned ; and willed by her testament the safety both of her son Frederic, and silso of his dominions, to the protection and government of Innocent III., think- ing thereby safely to have provided, cnnspira- This popc Inuoccnt, as soon as he had the protection of the young pope"' emperor and his seigniories, became, instead of a patron and protector i''rh"t"' ^^ ^''"^ ^^^ ^''^ dominions, both an enemy and a conspirator. The Frederic exainplcs are many : one is, he persuaded Sibylla, the widow oi i.u n.fno- Tancred, whom Henry put from the kingdom of Sicily, to endeavour "'>• to recover the same again, and that she should thereunto ask aid of Philip, tlie French king. Whereupon, with king Philip's counsel, co-operation and aid, one Walter (who was sprung from the earls of Brenno, an ancient and illustrious house in the Terra di Bari, and who had married Alteria, king Tancred's eldest daughter) in hope of obtaining the kingdom invaded Campania and A])ulia. At which time, also, the same worthy protector. Innocent III., sent liis legates with letters of excommunication against all those that would not admit and take the said Walter for tlieir king.
Another example is, that whereas the princes-electors and other nobles (as before is said) had promised by their oath to Henry, that they would make Frederic, his son, emperor after his decease, the pope, seeing them to put their endeavour thereunto to bring it to pass, absolved them all from the oath which they had taken and given for the election of Frederic, the emperor, as one not content he should obtain the same. And further, he raised slanders and defamations against Philip, whom the electors had chosen to govern the empire during the minority of Frederic his nephew. He wrote an epistle, which is yet extant, to Barthold duke of Zaringhen, inviting him to be emperor; and when the latter gave place to Philip, he went about to procure that Otho, the son of Henry Leo, should be made emperor,
(I) See Aprmflix. (2) Rather, ' King of tlic Romans,' that is, htir-apparent.— Ed.
THE POPK S CONSPIRACIES AGAIKST FREDERIC. 457
and that the princes-electors and lords of Germany should crown him mstoryof forthwith (after the manner) at Aix-la-Chapelle,' and he deprived all such ^''"f^^'' bishops as he knew to favour Philip as emperor, in the defence of his ^'"p^"''- nephew's right ; but Philip, \vhose cause was better, his skill in martial a.D. affiiirs greater, and who in power and strength was mightier, after divers 1212. and great conflicts, to the marvellous disturbance and vastation of the whole empire, by God's help put the other to the worse. All these calamities and mischiefs Conrad de Lichtenau,^ at that time living, in his Annals most pitifully complaineth of, and accuseth the bishop of Rome and his adherents to be the chief authors and devisers of this great and lamentable mischief, as such that, for to make themselves rich by the spoil thereof, sought by all means and desired the same.
Not long after, a peace was concluded between Philip and Otho, and Philip reconciled again to the pope ; Avhich Philip, within a Phiiip while after, was murdered in his chamber and slain by Otho de 5une'22d, Wittlespach. After this event Otho was raised by the nobles of ^i^'-'os' Germany to the imperial seat, and consecrated at Rome for emperor by this Innocent III., his friend and patron ; and so continued till a great variance and discord chanced to arise between the said Otho variance and the pope ; whereupon Innocent sought by all means, how against oth"o'a''na Otho, likewise, he might work mischief, and bring him to his end. «'>«p°P'=- The occasion of this sudden change and alteration my author makcth no mention of, but that Otho (now being of great power) not only invaded and ravaged Flaminia, Picenum, Umbria, and Etruria, but also occupied most part of Campania and Apulia, which properly appertained to the inheritance of Frederic, a.d. 1211.
Thus you see, first, how by the counsel and consent of Pope Innocent and by his instigation, besides his secret conspiracies, this good Frederic and his dominions were hurt and damaged ; then, again, through his default what damage the said Frederic sustained by Otho, who was made so strong as he was by the pope and his means, notwithstanding the great trust he was put in, for the protec- tion both of Frederic and his dominions.
At this time Frederic was come unto theeighteenth year of his age;' Frederic's who in his youth, by the provision of Constantia, his mother, was so an^J"'"° well instructed in letters and with virtuous principles so imbued, }^"o^- that at these years there appeared and did shine in him excellent gifts both of wisdom and knowledge. He was excellently well seen in Latin and Greek learning, which was just then beginning to emerge from the barbarism under which it had been long buried. He also acquired the German, the Italian, and the Saracen languages. He had also cultivated those virtues which nature had implanted in him by the precepts of piety, wisdom, justice, and fortitude, and by habitual practice. Insomuch that he might well be compared with the worthiest and most redoubted emperors and kings that have ever lived.
Being now called to the empire by a deputation from the German princes, he immediately quitted Sicily and set out for Germany. On his way thither he stopped at Rome, where, according to Fazellus,^ he was honourably entertained by Innocent ; who, nevertheless, would suspected make him no promises, for that he mistrusted the name of Frederic, ^gn,',' from recollection of the grandfather. ^^^r*
(1) See infra, pp. 458, 663.— Ed. (2) See supra, vol. i. p. 136, note (3;.— Eo. (3) See Appendix. (4) Fazellus flourished in tlie sixteenth century : lie wrote " De rebus siculis, ' fulio, Panormi, 1558; traiiblaled into Italian by M. Remigio, 4to. Venez, 1571.— Ed.
458 FRKUERIC GUANTS Tllfc; CAKON OF I'ROSC K U'lION'.
iiiMioryof FrccUric then, quitting Home, set forward for (lerniany. On
"ir"^ reaching 'IVcnt, lie k>arnt that the more easy and direct road was
Emperor, prcoccupicd bv thc cncniv : lie therefore with much painful travel
A. D. crossed the Rhretian Alps, and pushed along thc tract of thc
Vl-O. Rhine, thc cities all the way submitting to him. Olho, who had
hastened out of Italy into Germany, intending to meet him at thc
Rhine and stoj) his passage, was thus disappointed of his object, and
Frederic was crowned, first at Mentz, and afterwards (as the manner
is) at Aix-la-Chapelle.^ Having subsequently held several diets, and
Death of Otlio dviug, he settled thc empire and succeeded in appeasing almost
"uy'lotii, tlic whole of Germany. And then, accompanied by all his nobles
A.D.1218. 3pj j>rinces, he returned to Rome, and of Honorius III. was with
great solemnity consecrated and called Augustus, Nov. 22d, a.d.
Consecra- 1220. AVhicli Honorius succeeded^ Innocent III. in the ])apal see,
Frederic ^""-l ^^'''^^ a grcat liclp to Frcdcric (although he loved him not) in this
the em- behalf, to rcvenffc himself upon Otho.
After his consecration, Frederic gave many grcat and liberal gifts, as well to the bishop of Rome himself, as also to the court of Rome besides. Also he gave and assured by his charter to thc church of Rome the principality of Fondi ; for by the insatiable covctous- ncss of thc Romish bishops this wicked use and custom grew, that unless the emperors, elect and crowned, would give them such-like great and large gifts, they could not obtain of them their consecration or confirmation, which for that intent they devised.
Furthermore, Frederic, the emperor, willing to show himself more bountiful and liberal to the church, neither yet to restrain any privi- lege that might benefit the same, gave and admitted those constitutions which thc pope himself would desire, and which are yet extant in the Frederic civil law ; by wliicli liis doings he delivered to their hands a sword (as thro^uRh it w'cre) to cut his own throat : for the bishops of Rome, now having his libe- gygjj what they listed, and all in their own hands, might by the pain sword to of proscription bring what emperor or king under " coram nobis," that them listed, and keep them by their own laws, as if it were bound in
own
throat, certain bands, out of the which they might not start. For whatsoever
Canon of he wcrc, wlio for the diminution of the liberties of the church was ex-
probcnp- communicate and so continued a year's space, he should be within
and"con- ^^^^ danger of this proscription, and should not be released before he had
nrniedby madc Satisfaction, and were admitted by the pope to the church and
congregation of good men again. Whereby it came to pass, that
whatsoever emperor, in thc government of his dominions, should in
any point displease or do contrary to the lust of thc bishop of Rome,
he then as enemy to the church was excommunicate ; and, unless within
a year he were reconciled to them again, by this their principal law
he was in the proscription ; and often it chanced that princes, to avoid
thc pain of this proscription, were ready to do whatsoever thc pope
would have them, and commanded them, to do.
After the consecration of Frederic was with great solemnity finished, and that the pope and church of Rome in all ample man- ner (as is partly described) w^erc gratified, and yet larger constitu- tions to them confirmed, he departed from Rome and went to Italy, there to set things in order and receive the homage of thc cities and great towns which belonged to the imj)erial jurisdiction ; and from
(1) Dec. 6th. A.D. Vni. and July 25th, \.D. 1216. L'.Vrt de V. des D. Scf Aiijicndix.— Ed.
(2) Crowned pope July 21th, UMC— Fd.
DISPUTES BETWEEN' THE EMPEROR AND THE POPE. 459
thence into his own provinces and dominions, where he heard o^ mitoryof certain, who began to raise and make new factions against him ; "'ii!'" amongst others Thomas and Richard, brothers of Innocent III. and ^"'f_"!Zl earls of Anagni, who held certain castles in the kingdom of Naples: A. D. these he discovered to have conspired with Otho, when he invaded that ^226. kingdom, in the hope of obtaining it for themselves. He therefore seized their castles, and all he found therein. Richard he took, and sent as a prisoner into Sicily ; but Thomas escaped, and came speedily to Rome ; whither also repaired certain bishops and others who were conspirators against Frederic ; as also such others as the fear of the emperor''s laws and their own guilty consciences caused to fly : all of xheiibe- whom Avere (that notwithstanding) by this bishop of Rome, Honorius Frederic III., to gi-atify again the liberality of the emperor bestowed upon him, ^J^"/®' under his nose succoured, maintained, and defended. Which thing pensedof when Frederic understood, he began to expostulate with the pope, in""""" considering the unseemliness of that his fact ; against whom the pope, fxpostu- on the other side, was so chafed and vexed, that he immediately, lateth; without further delay, thundereth out against him, like a tyrant, his curset'h.^ curses and excommunications.
Thomas Fazellus declareth the origin of this misunderstanding between them, somewhat otherwise. There were (saitli he) amongst those who were found traitors to the emperor certain bishops, who, fleeing to the pope, requested his aid : whereupon the pope sent his legates to the emperor, and requested him, that he would admit and receive to favour those bishops whom he had banished and put from their offices ; and that he Avould not intermeddle with any ecclesias- tical charge wherewith he had not to do : and said further, that the correction and punishment of such matters pertained to the bishop of Rome, and not to him ; and, moreover, that the oversight of those churches in that kingdom, from the which he had expelled the bishops, pertained and belonged unto him.
Whereunto Frederic thus replieth, " that forasmuch as now, for The em- four hundred years and more, from the time of Charlemagne, all em- puJth'io perors and kings in their dominions might lawfully commit to apt I'l^i'opr's
1 o ^ o ./ 1 demand
and fit men for the same, such ecclesiastical functions and charges as within their territories and kingdoms fell, he looked to have the like privilege and authority also, that other his predecessors before him had." And he further said, " that he had the same and like authority in the empire that his father Henry, and Frederic his grandfather, and other his predecessors before them had ; neither had he so de- served at the hands of the church of Rome, neither of Honorius himself, to be deprived of those privileges which his ancestors before him had, and kept." And further, Frederic being chafed and moved with these demands of the pope, breaketh forth and saith, " How long will the bishop of Rome abuse my patience ? When will his covet- ous heart be satisfied ? Whereunto will this his ambitious desire grow ? with such-like words more, repeating certain injuries and con- strife be- spiracies, both against him and his dominions, as well by Honorius pope and" as by Innocent III. his predecessor; as also other like injuries of"'eempe- popes to his ancestors practised. '' What man," saith he, " is able election to suffer and bear this so incredible boldness, and intolerable insolency .v"fion'^,f'" of so proud a bishop ? " *' Go," saith he unto the legates, " and tell bisiiops.
460 DECREES OF GBATIAN APPEALED TO.
Hutoryof Honorius, that I will lay down the insignia of my empire and the '^//""^ crown of my kingdom, rather than I will suffer him thus to diminish ■^"'^'•''"'•- the authority of our majesty/''
A. D. Now, because much disquietness and controversy hath arisen, for 1226. the most part throughout all Christendom, in every kingdom and realm severally, for and about the authority of choosing and depriving of bishops (as may be seen by the example of this Frederic), which the pope only and arrogantly challengeth to himself, and not to apper- tain to any other, I thought good not with silence to overpass, but somewhat to say, and to prove the authority of christian kings and princes, in this behalf, to be both sufficient and good.
And first, by the holy Scriptures, and by decrees of councils, as also by the ancient custom of the primitive church, it may easily be proved, that in the first age of the church the chief care and power of distributing ecclesiastical offices were vested in the christian people, regard, however, being had to the counsels of the administrators of ecclesiastical concerns. Whereunto appertain certain places collected and gathered out of the ' Decretum' of Gratian, and specially in these canons, the tenth, eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth, fourteenth, twenty-sixth, twenty-seventh, and thirty-fourth, of the sixty-third Distinction. Eiecrion Furthermore, when kings and princes began to embrace Christ's t'ob^'i'n^' religion, both for honour and order's sake it was granted, that when and th*eir ^^^^ people dcsircd such ministers as were by them thought meet, the iubjects. princes should either confirm such as were so nominated, or else them- selves should place fit men over the churches ; who should then be presented for consecration to those who were chiefest in the ecclesias- tical function and authority. So did the emperors of Constantinople (receiving the order and manner from Constantine the Great) use the right of bestowing ecclesiastical functions with the consent both of the people and of ecclesiastical persons ; and long so retained they the same, as appears in the rescript of Honorius, the emperor, to Boniface,'^ also, in the examples of Pelagius and Gregory the Great, of whom one was appointed Ijishop of the church of Rome in the reign of Justinian, the emperor,^ when Totila was governing Italv ; and the other in the time of Maurice, the emperor, when the Lombards possessed Italy.*
And whereas Gratian in the beginning of the ninety-sixth and ninety-seventh Distinctions doth declare, that the rescript of Honorius, the emperor, is void and of none effect, for that in determining the election of the bishop of Rome he acted contrary to the authority of the holy canons, and because there can nowhere be read of any license given to the civil magistrate to meddle at all with ecclesiastical matters, still less with sacred orders — each man may plainly discern his great folly and want of understanding in so saying: as though at that time any holy canons existed which should debar emperors from the consti- tuting of ecclesiastical ministers; or as though it were doubtful whether the emperors, at that time, had passed any laws touching matters of ecclesiastical discipline, or whether such laws were really in use; when the contrary most manifestly, both by the laws and histories of that age
(1) Tliomas Fazellus, lib. 8. (2) Can. 8. dist. 79. et ran. 2. dist. 97.
(3) Justinian flourished frnm a. p. .527 to 5C5 ; Mauritius, from a.il iS2 to 602. — Kd.
(4) Dist. 63. ran. 15, 10, 24.
THE POPE BREAKS THE LATERAN DECREE. 461
and time, as well of the clmrch as of the empire, may appear. And not Histuryof to seek far for the mutter, this thing is sufficiently proved by reference ^"^j"' to these titles, ' De sacro-sanctis ecclesiis,' ' Episcopis,' ' Clericis,' ^'"Z"''"'""- besides other ecclesiastical chapters touching religion, which are to be a. 1). seen in the books of the principal and chief constitutions, collected 122G. and set forth by Justinian ; in which many of the chapters are attri- buted to Honorius and Theodosius : so, in like case, the twenty-first canon of the sixty-third Distinction doth declare, that the Grecian emperors, who next ensued after Justinian, did observe that manner of ordaining and electing the bishops of Rome, although at that time " Interpellatum erat," they somewhat spurned at it. The emperor of whom mention is made in that canon is Constantine IV., sumamed Pogonatus.^
Charlemagne, in like manner, followed their steps in this particular ; xiie ciec- for (as in the twenty-second canon of the same Distinction is de- cree/hy clared) at a synodal council in Lateran (Adrian I. being pontiff), ciehun- where were assembled one hundred and fifty-three other bishops, fifty-t'iiree it was decreed, that the right of electing and ordering the bishop the^^J'un" of Rome and all other prelates should be in Charlemasrne, as well '^'' ""^ ^^
' ^ tcrsn to
in Italy as other his dominions and provinces ; and that whoso- be in tiie ever M'as not promoted and allowed by him should not be conse- '^™'"''^"'" crated of any one ; and that those who repugned and disobeyed this decree should be under anathema, and except they repented should incur the most severe punishment of proscription and confis- cation of all their goods. A most striking example of this is to be seen in a rescript, extant in the eighteenth canon of the same sixtv- third Distinction. Yet notwithstanding, Stephen IV., the author of that rescript, in spite of the said decree, without the emperor's consent was made bishop of Rome ; who, to the intent he might elude the punishment in that case decreed, went into France to Louis the Pious, son of Charlemagne, to excuse himself, and at Rheims crowned he him with the imperial diadem, (a. d. 81 6.) Neither could this bishop here stay himself, but, spying the great lenity of the emperor, essayed to make frustrate the aforesaid constitution. For his purpose was, and so he brought to pass (as in the twenty-eighth canon of the same Distinction appeareth), that it should be lawful for the ecclesi- astical order, with the senate and people of Rome, without the authority of the emperor, to choose the bishop of Rome; reserving, that he should not be consecrated without the Avill and consent of the emperor. Thus is it manifest, that the bishops of Rome themselves, not regard- Rome''ti!e ing but despising the strait penalty and sanction of the aforesaid ''reakerof decree of the Lateran council, were not only the first that brake the cree of same, but also by contrary rescripts and constitutions laboured and cI'l '^°""' endeavoured to extol and set up themselves above all others.
After this, Lothaire, the grandson of Charlemagne, being emperor, Lotbaire and coming into Italy, there to dissolve the conspiracy and confederacy [^"^3/^? of Leo IV. about the translation of the empire, renewed and esta- '^^" •*^- blished again the synodal decree of Lateran, touching the jurisdiction eiertionof of the emperor for the election of the bishop of Rome and other eccle- '"*''°'"'" siastical persons ; and hereof it came, that those epistles were written by Leo, which are extant in the sixteenth and seventeenth canons of
(1) Constantine Pogonatus, a.d. CfiS to C85 ; CViarlemapne, a.d. TSfi to 8H. — Ed.
1G:2 THK i:.mim:kor"s right to klkct thk pope.
iiiitoryof the same Distinction ; who also (as appcarcth in the nintli canon of tnc
' tl" tenth Distinction) made a profession, that he would always maintain
Emperor, ^.j^g same imperial precepts. This Leo, when he was reproved of
A. D. treason and other evils, pleaded his cause before Louis IL, emperor
1 226. of Rome, and son of Lothaire above recited.'
But after this, as time grew on, the bishops of Rome nothing rclin(]uishing their ambitious desires, Otho, the first emperor of that name, deprived and put from the see of Home that most filthy and wicked bishop, .lolm XIL, both for divers and sundry wicked and lieinous acts by him committed, as also for his gi-eat treasons and conspiracies against his royal person, and did substitute in his place Leo Vin. ; who, calling a synod at Lateran, in the same temple and place where the other before was kept, did promulgate a new consti- tution with consent of the senate and people of Rome concerning the Theeicc cmpcror's jurisdiction, which is contained in the twenty-third canon agrin"i- ^^ ^''^ sixty-third Distinction, whereby the old right and power of the tided to emperor in the election of the bishop of Rome and other ecclesiastical
be in the '. ... ' . , . r ^ i
.mperor's prelates was agam, with even a more weighty sanction, conhrmcd and tlon*'*"^' ratified. By Otho IIL again this right was re-asscrted ; by whom John XVIIL (whom Crescentius the Roman, usurping the sovereign power, had made pontiff with the consent of the people of Rome and the ecclesiastical order), having his nose cut off and his eyes put out, was hurled from the Capitol.^ But when, notwithstanding, the bishops of Rome wovdd not alter their old accustomed disposition, but with all their industry endeavoured to abrogate that jurisdiction of the emperor over the bishop of Rome (as people loath to be under subjection), Henry IIL (Leo IX. being then bishop of Rome) did once again ratify the same, and caused that bishop, who extolled him- self at the council of Mentz (a.d. 1049) before all his fellow-bishops, to stoop and give place to the archbishop of Mentz.
So after the death of the aforesaid emperor Henry IIL, Nicholas