The Pageant of Popes, Book 6 · Part 19
139. Clement the sixt.
CLement the sixt borne in Lemonia by professiō a Benedictine, called before Peter Rogers being abbot of Phisca, succeded Benedict at Auenio. This mā with his faction troubled the Romaine Empire aboue measure: for he excommunicated (sayth Naucler) all the Princes, lordes and bishops, that consented to the doings of Lewis. To deface the Emperour he created Uicountes and made them Uicares of the Empyre: & Lewis on ye other side appointed other Uicares to gouerne the Church. Ierom Marius in his booke called Eusebius Captiuus, doth thus set out the rigour of Pope Clement: Clement ye sixt (sayth he) much giuen to women, honour and auctoritye, prouoked with diuelishe furye, set vp bills in wrytinge vponupon Church doares wherein he threatned the Emperour to be punished wt more cruell tormentes, vnlesse he woulde obey the Popes minde and that within three dayes, and would giuegive vp his right of the estate imperiall. Great was the cruelty of this Clement voyde of clemency. The Emperour commeth to Frankeforde, and preparing with all diligence to do all that was commaunded, besought the Pope by his Embassadours, to pardon him and to receiue him to fauour. But the Pope aunswered the Embassadours, that he would neuer pardon Lewis, vnlesse he would first confesse all his errours and heresyes and yelde vp the Empire, and put into the Popes hand both himselfe, his children, goodes & possessions, to dispose them at his pleasure, & would promise that he would neuer more enioy any part thereof without the fauour of the Pope, & deliuered a certaine fourme of of these articles in wryting to the Embassadours, cōmaū ding them to carye the same to Lewis. The good Emperour least if he did not thus submit himselfe it mighte bee cause of slaughter and sedition, receiued the order taken by the Pope, and looking vponupon it was content in such wyfe to saue Christian bloud, and therefore he did not onelyonly set his seale to it, but gaue his oath to performe all. Which when the Pope heard he waxed angrye. But note whether hee toke the Emperour to fauoure, and whether he shewed anye token of good will, by that which followeth. Lewis shewed that order to the Princes electours, and oratours. The Princes detested and abhorred certaine of ye articles, because they were deuised by the Pope to the confusion of the Empyre: and therfore they promised sufficient ayde to the Emperour if as he did before, he would maintaine the libertye and honour of the Empyre. They sence Embassadours desiringe the Pope not to exact those articles yt tended to the vtter subuersion of the Empyre: and ye oratours crauinge and doing nothing els came awaye againe. But Clement blaming Lewis onelye for all, did purpose the destruction of him and his children: he cursed him cruelly euen at consecrating the Sacrament. He renued all the extreame processes which Pope Iohn had giuen out against him, he pronounced him to be an heretick and scismatick. He charged the Princes electours to choose another Emperour. He deposed the Archbishop of Mens both of his bishoprick and auctoritye of electorship, because he knowing the Emperours innocencye and vngiltiues, woulde not abuse his maiestye. But the other electours being brybed with money by Iohn king of Bohemia, as the bishop of Colen who toke viii. Thousande markes, & the duke of Saxonye two Thousande markes) did appoint his sonne Charles to be king of the Romaynes: whō this vncurteous Clement did allowe afterward in open consistorye. But who is able to report the horrible bloudshed and warre that arose in the Empire by meanes of this mischiefe wroughte by Clement: for kinge Edward the thirde of England slue xx. Thousande Frenchmen, and Iohn king of Bohemia father to Charles was slaine with many nobles. But Lewis yet takinge thought because of the Popes processes, & not medling with the gouernment of the Empyre, was by the Popes procurement poysoned in a cuppe whereof he dyed. Thus wryteth Marius: Lo by these kinde of treacheryes hauehave the prelates of Rome brought the Empyre to ye low ebbe and poore estate, that it is at this daye: for the sayde Charles whom they against all lawe created, to make his sonne to succede him, did so corrupt the electours wyth bribes and fayre promises, that he morgaged to them the cōmon reuenues of the Empyre, which they enioye to this daye, and therefore the Romaine Empyre cannot aduaūce it selfe againe. For then the Electours cōpelled Charles to take an oath, yt these pledges should neuer be reclaymed: whereby at length it came to passe that the Empyre being thus decayed, the Turke inuaded the Church of Christ, & destroyed it wonderfullye, and it is by the especial grace of God, that Mahomets blasphemye doth not wyth fyre and sworde rage ouer all Christendome &c.
This Pope Clement now at the fiftye yeare renued the Iubelie, & beinge absent caused it to be celebrated at Rome Anno 1350. for his aduauntage: and (sayth Premonstratēsis) there were fiue Thousande straungers comming in & going out at Rome, as might wel be counted dailye within the said yeare. He made at seuerall times xii. Cardinals whereof some were monkes, some his nephewes and kinsemen: beside he promoted diuers other to dignityes, & bestowed cost on diuers buildinges. He gaue licence to the bishop of Bamberge to absolue those that toke parte wyth Lewis, but vppon these conditions: first that they shoulde sweare fealty to him as to the Uicar of Christe: secondly, that they should beleue that the Emperour hath no power neither to make nor marre the Pope: thirdlye that they should acknowledge none to be Emperour whō the Pope had not confirmed. While his companiōs and seruaunts went to dinner leauing onelyonly his chamberlayne with him, he fel downe sodeinly & dyed of an impostume Anno 1352. This Clement (sayth Marius) toke vpō him so prodigally in his Popedome, yt he gaue to his Cardinals in Rome, bishoprickes and benefices being then voyde in Englande: wherewith the king was offended and vndid all the prouisions of the Pope within his Realme, commaūding vponupon paine of imprisonmente and life, that no man shoulde be so hardy as to bring in any such prouisions of the Pope within his Realme any more, and vnderunder the same punishmente charged ye 2. Cardinals forthwith to auoide the Realme, Anno 1343.
¶ Certaine blasphemyes gathered out of the Bull which the said Pope published for the yeare of Iubelie.
WHosoeuer purposeth for trauel sake to come to Rome, maye choose that daye whereon he setteth forvvarde a confessour or confessours, or els in his iourneye by the waye, or in any other place: VntoUnto the which confessours or ghostlye fathers wee giuegive ful power to giuegive absolution in all cases that concerne ye Popes owne prerogatiue, in as ample maner as if our owne parson were present. Item we graunt that if anye being confessed dye by the waye, that he shal be free and discharged frō all his sinnes: And furthermore we commaunde the Angels of Paradise (that his soule beinge fullye deliuered from purgatorye) they receaue it into Paradise.
¶ And in an other Bull he wrote thus.
WE will not that anye man be tormented in him selfe with the paine of hell: and also vve graunte to all those that weare the Crosse, 3. or 4. soules at their owne pleasure whom soeuer they will to deliuer them oute of Purgatorye.
Against these hereticall blasphemyes, the Uniuersitye of Paris did then openlye detest and reproue.
There were an hundred Thousand poore men of ye clergye in that yeare resorted to Auenio to obtaine pardons out of all countryes, and to be hyred confessours.