The Pageant of Popes, Book 6 · Part 28 – Part 29
148. Gregorie the xij.
GRegorie ye xii. a Venetian borne was first called Angel Corrarius, he being Patriarke of Constantinople, and S. Markes Cardinall was chosen to succeede Innocent. But hee was chosen at Rome vponupon this condition, that if it should be needeful for ye behoofe of the Church he should depose himselfe of his Popeship, because that Benedict the xiii▪ called Peter Moone, who at Auenio was chosē to succeede Clement the vii. Gregorie beinge enstalled Pope, did confirme his promise by wrytinge before notaryes and witnesses, vponupon condition that the other who also claymed the Popedome should do in like maner, and yelde vp his estate. But when Benedict woulde not but stoode stiflye to clayme his right, and fled from Auenio into Spayne, this Gregorie likewise woulde not giuegive place. But in the beginning they notwithstanding exhorting ech other by Legates, & offeringe on either side to yeld vp their titles, appointed to meete in Sauona to make peace. But by their conference vsed by Legates, they so mocked and disapointed one another (which caused many Christians to speake euill of them) they sturred a greater strife, and therefore a greate councell was helde at Pise Anno 1410. wherein these dalyers and deluders were both broughte before the Cardinals of either faction, who with one consente depriued them both of the Popedome. In this Sinode were 124. deuines, & almost 300. Lawyers which deposed them both, & choose forthwith one Alexander borne in Candy. This deede was allowed by al Nations, sauing the Spaniards, the Scots, & the Earle of Armenia, who whollye claue to Peter Moone: neuerthelesse Gregorie & Benedict defying this councell, toke vponupon them stil the estate as they did both before. But fearing least they should be apprehē ded, the one of them fled to Ariminus with Leonarde Aretine Secretarye, the other with his companions fled into Catalony. And thus at one time three Sunnes (for so the Pope calleth himselfe the Sunne of the world) did shine at one time in the Popedome, and yet none of them all shoane in heauen. Gregory after the degree of ye councell, was curteouslye entertayned by Charles Malatest Prince of Arminus. And while he stayed at Luca by the consent of ye Cardinals that hetherto forsaked him not, he created Gabriel Condelmerius his sisters sonne Cardinall. He drew by the eares one Nicolas of Luca a white fryer & doctour of diuinitye, oute of the pulpit, because in his Sermon he moued and perswaded him to seeke for peace and vnitye to the profite of all Christendome: beside that he vsed him so violently in the Church, he afterward also sent him to prison to terrifye other that they should not talke of this matter. In the ende the fathers of the generall councell of Constance sent vntounto him, that eyther he should come thether or send his messenger, and thereupon he sent Charles Malatest to be his proctour, who seinge them thus to be minded to put him from the Popedome, he stept vp into ye Popes trone (being there for the purpose prepared) and comming downe from it againe, francklye gaue ouer the fourth day of Iulye Anno 1415. for the which free yelding the whole assemble made him Legate of Picene, which as soone as Gregory vnderstoode within a fewe dayes for anger, griefe and anguish of minde, he dyed sodenlye. But Peter Moone stoode stiffely in his dignitye, of whom Iohn Gerson doctour of diuinitye of Paris did (being present in the said Synode) speake of yt lunaticke Pope Peter Moone saying, ye Church shall neuer be at peace vntil the Moone be quite eclipsed. But he woulde not yeld neyther for entreating, perswasion, nor threatning of any man. Thomas VValden doth make larger discourse hereof in his Sermon preached before king Henry the fift of England.
Because that the doinges of these two Popes raigning both at ons, that is Gregory the ix. & Peter of the Moone are so notorious that it were worthye to be knowen, but so longe that it were tedious here to be shewed, onelye this may suffice to signifye their treacheryes, which Theodoricus hath written as a preface to the rest of their storye cō piled by him at large. I come now (sayth Theodoricus) to Gregory who succeded the former Pope Innocentius. A man should scante finde incke and paper sufficiente, and shoulde be tediouslye occupyed to declare by what crafte, guile, deceite, iugling, caueling, hypocrysies & subtilties this Gregory was chosen by the Colledge of Cardinals, with whom he and Peter Moone afterwarde delayed to agree for the quietnesse of the vniuersall Churche: promisinge and not performing: and excused themselues for not agreeing, mocking and deluding with naughtye pranckes all Christendome: vsing shiftes, excuses, false forgeryes, & frumpinges on both partes by theyr messengers to & fro. But it is euidente that they hauehave their consciences seared, sayinge that they are plaine and simple men, when as they are in deede full fraughte with diuelishe delusions. And because it shoulde be a godlye deede, they hauehave saide and do say yt they would yeild to vnitye, which yet in their malicious hartes they neither do nor euer did purpose as by their deedes shall appeare, as I will reueale to the worlde for euer, not onelye in this booke, but also in my other worke called Nemus vnionis. Although alas there be manye kinges & princes, and many inferiour secular powers, Cityes, boroughes, townes, villages and castels, and the most part of Ecclesiastical prelates of al sortes, beside clarkes and Ecclesiasticall parsons both secular and regular in sondrye countryes, nat…ons and landes walkinge & wandering in desertes of darcknes, and many of them not desiringe the common profite of the catholicke fayth, but beinge deuided into sondrye factions for theyr sondry affections, do yet cleaue to the said Gregory & Peter, vpholdinge and cherishing them most dampnably in their obstinacye, sciesme and heresye, and lifting them vp as their idols, like the foolishe Egiptians &c. What ende therefore is like to come of this lamentable sciesme which they foster which are Lords of this world, not to procure peace but greater discorde, and to be feared if God helpe not to the destructiō of lower powers, who being perilouslye bewitched & charmed with the vaine promises & sleightes of these two Popes & their adherents, do vphold them in the pride of their ranckour, mischiefe and errour, as if there were no God in heauen, but that the saluation of soules and bodyes did onelye depende vponupon these two priestes of Babilon: from whom more mischiefe hath spronge and flowed ouer al the face of the earth, then euer proceeded from any that fought for the Papacye, from the beginning to this oure time. And out alas these biles and soares are so brast out in the eyes of al the world that there is no shift to denye or couer the same: whereupon the Catholicke fayth is darkened wt cloudes of ignorance, al religion hath suffered shipwracke: Christians being at iarre amonge themselues do deuoure one another: Gonnes and other instruments of mischiefe and murther are put in practise: feare of God, honesty and vertue hauehave departed farre from kinges and gouernours and from the people of all sortes, and vice hath stepte into their places: and finallye the whole & vniuersall Church is sicke frō the Crowne of ye heade to ye sole of the foote. &c. Much more to the like effecte complayneth Theodoricus, being then Secretarye to the said Gregory when these vprores were thus raysed by these prelates, whose particuler doinges as they are manye and diuers, so are they straūge, monstrous, horrible, and to be wondred at that anye man though he did but suspect that there were a God, would so delude both the world & him, but yt the spirite of God hath saide yt they shoulde be blinded in their sinnes. And thus was all the worlde troubled with this Gregory on the one side the Sunne of darcknes, and with Petrus Luna the mā of the Moone on the other side.
149. Alexander the fift.
ALexander the fift was borne in Crete, a franciscan fryer in profession, called Peter Philargus or of Candy. He succeded the foresaid Gregorie in his Popeship, for the former prelates Gregorie and Benedict being deposed in the coūcel of Pice as is said, this Alexander was chosen Pope by general consent of all that were there present. Which dignitye being bestowed vponupon him (sayth Platina) he was worthelye called Alexander, because he being before but a beggerly and begging fryer, might now be matched with the proudest Prince in Europe, for excessiue prodigalitye & hautye courage. Wherupon he vsed to ieast merelye oftentimes saying: I am a rich bishop, a poore Cardinall, and a beggerly Pope. This Pope was of so stout a stomacke yt he cast oute of his kingdome Ladislaus then most mightye king of Naples & Apulia, who did conuert to his vse more conuenientlye the lordships of the Church being euil gotten. To this wicked deposition of the Prince agreed all yt clergye and priestes of the councell of Pise. This beinge done, the Pope did most vnlawfullye bestowe it on Lewes duke of Andegania. The councell of Pice being dissolued this Pope went to Bononia, where Balthazar Cossa Cardinall of S. Eustace was president, being a moste sinnefull Sodomite & filthye baude. This man was confirmed Legate by Pope Alexander, because that councell was sommoned by his politicke deuise, and because he was the man who mighte best encounter and deale against such as durst at any time go about to gouerne the Ecclesiasticall estate. And this Pope (saith Platina) was more wild in maners, more saluage, more bould and more laymanlike then became his profession. His life was counted almost a warrefare: he thought that souldiours and warrelicke prancks, and many other wanton toyes which are not to be named, became him well enoughe. Amonge other decrees this Pope made bulles for S. Frauncis markes yt they should be counted amonge the articles of Christen fayth, & made a solemne holy daye that they should be worshipped of all beleeuers▪ because he had beene a franciscan fryer. When this Pope began to be very sore sicke of a poysoned medicine which was mynistred to him by his Phisition Marcillius Parmensis, receyuing of Balthazar a great bribe to do it, (as Baptista Panaetius sheweth in his sixe and fiftye Sermon) whereby Alexander perceiued yt his death drue nye, he exhorted the Cardinals that came to him to mutual concord, and to maintaine the honour of the clergye. And being now at the last gaspe, he said Anno 1411. in the viii. month of his Popedome: I protest by this death which I see to be at hand, all that was done at the councell of Pise was good and lawfull. After he had said this the company weeping and mourning, he breathed out very feebelye this sayinge of oure sauiour: I giuegive you my peace, I leaue my peace with you. Thus presumptuouslye durst he being euen at deathes doare, take vponupon him the power of Christ to giuegive ye peace of Christ (being peace of conscience though he did not so vnderstand it) which he could neuer do. And thus he gane vp the ghost in his sinne neuer asking mercy of God for it.
After this Pope had thus at his departure bestowed his charitable blessing, there followed both dearth and pestilence, as if that God had turned his blessing into cursing.