The Pageant of Popes, Book 5 · Part 7 – Part 15
87. Benedict the ix.
BEnedict the ninth who before was called Theophilact, the sonne of Albericus and nephewe (as is said) to the former Pope Benedict & Pope Iohn: as he by coniuring and diuelishe artes did first aduaunce his vnkles, so nowe by his magicke he brought to passe that he succeded them. He beīg Pope did greatly aduaūce euē next to himselfe as his chiefe and secret counsellers, Laurence, & Iohn Gratiā, for that they were notorious coniurers broughte vp with him vnderunder Pope Syluester: He with these companiōs had vsed before he was Pope accordīg to ye cursed ceremonyes of their sorcery, to call vppon theyr euill spirites in woods and forrests, and to bewitch by his cunning any woman yt liked him, to couet his carnall companye. But (sayth Benno) as on a time he wyth these his mates was comming from the woods to the Church, a nomber of birds beinge together, a sparowe made a merye and pleasaunt kinde of chirping: This Laurence being both captaine coniurer, & also a southsayer, curious in the obseruation of byrds, was demaunded what it was that the birde prated? The byrde (quoth hee) calleth other birds to the great gate, where a countreymans carte is broken, and his meale spilte, which was caried in it: and therefore she wyth her much chattering biddeth them to come thither to eate, and fil themselues. Which being harde, diuers of them yt stoode by ranne in all poast hast to the gate to try the matter, and whē they came there they found it so in deede as Laurence had sayd. Theyr cunninge in south saying and coniuringe was such, that they knew what was done both East, West, South and North, & in the corners of the world, eyther touching warres, or the death of Princes, And therefore manye had theyr cunninge in greate reuerence, and did attempt dilligently to learne of them, and gatte theyr skill, especiallye one Hildebrand: Who forsaking an abbey where he was placed, did so follow this trade, that he excelled his maysters, and was wonderfull busye in pestilent practises, by meanes of his magicall artes, as the Church by the fruite thereof did afterwarde feele, sayth Benno. But to returne to Benedict, who after the death of Conradus conspired wyth his former counsellers, to disherite his sonne Henry the thirde of the Empier, and to plant in his steede Peter king of Hungarie, and therefore he sent the crowne of the Empier to him with this Uerse.
Petra dedit Romam Petro, tibi Papa coronam,
The rocke to Peter gaue Rome the towne,
The Pope to thee Peter giueth ye crowne.
But Henry at the first conflict ouercame Peter, and toke him prisoner, and purposed to set forward to Rome, which beinge heard Benedict being terriblye afraide, soulde his Popeship to his companion Iohn Gratian, who payed for it fiftene hundred poundes, & was afterward called Gregorie the sixt. But in the meane time the Romaynes deposinge Benedict for his negligence and slouth Anno. 1045. did place in his steede Iohn bishop of Saba, callīg him Syluester the thirde: For this sale (sayth Platina) Benedict was accused of all men, and cōdemned by deuine sentence, and at the length by Gods iuste iudgemente he was strangled to death by a deuill in the woods Anno. 1056. The Historiographers write, yt this Benedict or Theophilact, was seene of a certaine Hermite in a most ouglye and gastlye shape hard by a Mill, for his bodye was all rough and hairye like a beare, wyth head and tayle like an asse: And being asked of the Hermite how he was thus trāsfigured? He aunsweared, I wāder in this shape because in the time that I was Pope, I liued without reason, without lawe, without God: and defiled the sea of Rome with all kind of villanye. In his time the Cardinals that began of little, grew to be great in dignitye.
88. Syluester the thirde.
SYluester ye third a Romaine, first called bishop of Saba obtayned to be Pope, partly by his owne briberye, partlye by the tumult and vprore of his countreymen after the expulsion of Benedict, as some say, but as it is rather to be thought by the magicall sorcerye of his father Laurence ye famous coniurer: For thus sayth Benno. After Benedict was driuen out and yt Popeship sould, Iohn Gratian being in the place, Iohn bishop of Saba was thrust in vppon him, and called Syluester the thirde, and thus these iii. Popes beinge at once, it rente the Church of Rome a sonder, and deuided it into diuers factions: thus wyth cruell warres and great bloudshed the Church was torne in peeces, foulye mangled with sciesmes, & choaked with errors, while vnderunder the colour of wine it gulled in poyson: Thus wrote Benno of that wretched time. But (sayth Platina) Syluester enioyed the rowme but a while, for within xlix. dayes the frendes of Benedict with great tumult restored Benedict to that, which he had first both lost and soulde. The Popeshippe saith (Platina) was now brought to this passe, that he that was of greatest wealth, and beste able to giuegive bribes and most ambitious, & not most godlye or best learned, he onelye (good men being oppressed and reiected) obtayned that dignitye: which trade (sayth he) I woulde to God they had not continued euen vntounto our time, but these are but small matters, for we are like to see worse vnlesse God amende it. Thus muche doth Platina complayne of theyr leude liues, who otherwise flattered ye Sea of Rome and extolled theyr doctrine. But as touching Syluester, the Emperour Henry draue him from the Popeshippe, & caused him to returne to his owne bishopricke, wherein he continued (as before he was,) Cardinall and bishop of Saba. In the time of the foresaid Benedict the sixte daye of April Anno 1039. there was seene a mighty beame of fire burninge in the Element, as Masseus wryteth in his sixte booke. Anno Domini 1041. Pope Benedict made one Cazimirus a monke in Clunace abbey and a deacon, kinge of Poleland, on this cōdition, that for eueryevery head in Poleland, he should pay yerelye to the Pope and his successors, an ordinary summe of money: And furthermore that they should not let the heyre of theyr heade to grow longe, and that they of Poleland shoulde remember for euer, howe yt this polling had giuen them a shauē king out of an abbey.
89. Gregorie the sixt.
GRegorie ye sixt an Italian first called Iohn Gratian, learned the magicall sciences of Syluester the seconde: He bought the Popeship of his kinseman Benedict the ix and at the length obtayned it. He after sciesmes and sedition being made Pope sayth Premonstratensis, perceyuinge yt certaine filchers purloyned the goodes of the Church, & that straungers were robbed on all sides, began to hauehave a regard vntounto the riches, and first admonished them, afterward he excommunicated them, and last of all he warred on them that contemned his threatnings: and thus he did both recouer the Church goodes wyth encrease, and also executed, and put to death the wasters thereof. The Cardinals being moued with this cruelty called him Simnist, murtherer and bloud sucker: and on a time while he was sicke, they saide hee was vnworthye to be buryed in the Church: Whereunto among other thinges he aunswered thus: I hauehave warred vppon other, that wyth the damage of the laietye I might purchase glorye to the clergye, and thus ye recompence mee? and sone after he recouered his health. The troublesome & tragical broyles which these Popes wrought at this time, are thus described by Otho, Frisgensis, Godfri Viterbiensis, and other auctors: While (saye they) Benedict the ix. was Pope, Syluester the thyrd, and soone after Gregorie the sixt did inuade the seate. And in the 7. yeare of the Emperour Henry the third, these 3. Popes made themselues 3. seueral seates in Rome: wherby they brought in a detestable sciesme, & euerye one endeuoured that he might not yelde to other in sedition, impietye and villanye. Benedict he sate as Pope in Lateran Pallaice, the rest, the one at S. Peters, ye other at S. Maries made his pontificall throne. While these thre Popes did at once (to the perill of the whole estate) possesse & comber the Citye, Iohn Gratian a priest came vntounto them, perswading them eueryevery one to take a peece of moneye and giuegive ouer their title of Popeship, and so it came to passe: and for this cause the Romaynes created Gratian Pope, as one yt had saued the commō wealth. Henry the Emperour hearing of these sturres, in haste came to Rome & helde a Synode, wherein those three Benedict, Syluester & Gregorie were condemned, and the fourth Pope created in theyr steede called Clemens the second. And thus sayth Benno the Emperour made Theophilact to flye, he put Gregorie in prison, and afterward he banished him wyth Hildebrād into Germanye, and cōpelled the bishop of Saba to returne to his bishopricke: So Gregorie dyed in Germanye, of whose falsehod and money together (sayth Benno) Hildebrand was made heyre, who after his death returned to Rome.
90. Clement the second.
CLement the seconde was made Pope in a Synode at Rome by the Emperours commaundement while the other three Popes were yet liuinge. Hee caused the Romaynes to giuegive ouer to the Emperour theyr title in electing the Pope, for the auoydinge of those broyles which arose there vppon: But some saye that it was the Emperour who made the Romaynes sweare, that they shoulde neuer name anye to be Pope. But the Emperour beinge gone into Germanye, they forgettinge theyr oath, did poyson this Pope Clement, because he was chosen wythoute theyr consente, the ninth monthe after his creation: which poyson was tampered by Steuen, who succeded him called Damasus the second, or as some thincke that Brazutus being commonlye practised in these thinges, and companion to Theophilact and Hildebrand, was auctor therof. At this time were great and straunge contencions about the Sacramente of the alter, and by the deuils doinge manye wonders and myracles were wroughte, but ye Pope forbad manye to vtter their conscience hereof, least it shoulde be preiudiciall to the masse: And therefore manye of the doctours as appeareth by theyr wrytings, wrote doubtfully.
91. Damasus the seconde.
DAmasus the second otherwise called Steuen Bagniarie, gate the Popeship by force at the Emperours cōmaundement, with consent of the clergye and laitye: for (sayth Platina) it was now a common thinge for eueryevery ambitious parson to prease into Peters seate violentlye, but he kepte it not long, for the thirtenth day after he was poysoned by the sayde Brazutus Anno 1049. This Damasus beinge chaūcelar to Clemēt his predecessour did poyson his maister, and therefore dranke worthely of the same cuppe. After this (sayth Benno) Theophilact who before was fled returned to Rome, and there wyth his olde acquaintaunce Laurence, wroughte much mischiefe, and by the letters of his scholer Hildebrande beinge then in the Emperours Court and a traytour about him, he knewe all the Emperours secretes. While he thus did greatlye vexe the Romaynes, they by the counsell of Cardinals sent Embassadours to the Emperour, desiringe him to assigne one to be Pope. And therefore one Bruno, afterwarde called Leo ye ninthe was made Pope, and perforce againste his wyll brought to Rome: In whose company through ouermuch gentlenes of the Emperour, Hildebrand was suffered to returne to Rome, who afterward wrought such mischiefe in the worlde, as neuer was harde of, both againste Emperour, Church, clergye, and common wealth vnderunder colour of religion: meaninge not to keepe his oath longe sworne to the Emperour, So sayth Benno of him.
92. Leo the ninth.
LEo the ninth a Germaine borne of the countrey of Dasburg, being also himselfe countye Etistheim and bishop of Tulledo he became Pope in this maner. Because the Romaynes (not for the louelove of the Emperour) but beinge wearyed wyth those ambitious and seditious prelates that straue for the Popeship, desyred him to appointe one to be Pope: he sent them this Bruno bishop of Tulledo, a man of a simple witte, for none of the other Germaine bishoppes durste aduenture to come amonge the poysoned cuppes of Rome. He goinge on forwarde in his pontificall roabes, had wyth him in companye the abbot of Clunace, & Hildebrand the monke, the clergye of Rome meetinge him & seing him come on this manner, altered his Popes vesture, did most dispitefullye charge him wyth apostasye, because he had receyued his auctoritye from the Emperour, therefore they perswaded him to put of his pōtificals, and to returne to Rome in his wonted apparell: Saying, the election of the Pope was not graūted to the Emperours, but to the clergye and people of Rome. Bruno obeyed theyr commaundement, and came to Rome in his owne priuate apparel. And through the counsaile of Hildebrand did cō fesse openly before the auncients, that he had offended, and therefore because he ascribed the auctoritye to them, they chose him Pope more willinglye, and for this deede called him Leo or Liō, whose courage argued him rather to be a sheepe. Afterward he made Hildebrand a Cardinall, and partner of his Popeship with him, committing to him the charge of S. Peters Churche, whereof Benno wryteth thus. As sone as he came to Rome (meaning Hildebrād) he obtayned of Leo to be made one of the keepers of the alter of S. Peters Church, and within a while he filled his cofers: and to the end he might put out his money to some man for dailye enterest, he became familiarlye acquainted with ye sonne of a certaine Iewe, who though he were latelye become a Christian, yet he left not his Iewishe trade of vsurye. And before this hee had well acquainted himselfe wyth the famous worker of mischiefe Brazutus frende to Theophilact: who is reported to hauehave poysoned by his cū ning these Popes wythin xiii. yeares Clement the second, Damasus the second, Leo the ix. Victor the second, and Nicholas the seconde. Pope Leo held a counsell at Vercella, wherin he condemned the doctrine of Berengarius, who helde opinion against transubstantiacion, and the real presence of Christ in the Sacrament: Likewise he held a nother counsell at Maguntia wherein was concluded that priests should not keepe hounds nor haukes, neither medle with any such profane things: Also ye mariage of ye clergye was vtterlye condemned by ye procurement of Hildebrād: And it was decreed to be simonye, for a priest to be preferred to an ecclesiastical lyuing by a layman. By the enticement of Hildebrand and Theophilact, this Leo not knowinge their disposition, moued warre against the Normans, whose power was thē great in Apulia. But Theophilact meaning to worke the Pope mischiefe secretelye (because he durst not openly do it) bewrayed first al his secrete coū sell, and finallye with Hildebrands aduise, betrayed the Pope himselfe to the Normans, from whom (his men beinge slaine) he himselfe escaped narrowly: who yet returninge to Rome was poysoned by Brazutus the fift yeare of his Popedome.
93. Victor the second.
VIctor ye second a Germaine borne in Bauaria was made Pope, not by free election, but because the Romaynes did so much stande in awe of Henry the Emperour, that they durste do nothinge against the oath made to the sayde Henry in the time of Clement the seconde. And therefore to gratify the Emperour, they sent Hildebrād as Embassadour to him, to know his pleasure in the election, and by this meanes this Victor beinge a Germaine came to be Pope: In this Embassage Hildebrande toke vppon him by vertue thereof, to make Henry the Emperours sonne heyre to the Empire. This Victor helde a great Synode at Florence, wherin he condemned all those priestes of Symonie, who had bene presented to their spiritual liuinges by any temporall parsons. Immediatly after the establishmente of this Victor, Brazutus repayred to Rome at the procurement of Hildebrande to poyson him, or anye other (sayth Benno) that should steppe into the Popeship before Hildebrand, and so Victor sone after he had raigned two yeare was poysoned by the same Brazutus. Anno 1057.
94. Steuen the ninth.
STeuen the ninth borne in Loraine, the duke of Loraines brother, was made Pope after Victor with generall consent of all, but withoute the Emperours agreemente. This Steuē caused ye Church of Millain (which almost 2. hundreth yeares had defied ye supremacye of Rome) to become subiecte vntounto it:A note for gredye benefice mongers and nonresidents, that euen Antichrist himselfe is like to be a vvitnes against them, vvho thus condemned that vvherein they offende obstinatlye. He also before he came to be Pope, had accused the Emperour Henry of heresye, because hee somewhat abridged the vsurped auctoritye of Rome. Also he helde a counsell in Florence against mariage of priestes countinge it fornication, and therein concluded many thinges against dualities, pluralityes, and totquots. But at ye length in the tenth yeare of his raigne Hildebrand caused his olde companion Brazutus to giuegive him such a drinke, yt the Pope dyed thereof Anno. 1058. At his death Hildebrand was not at Rome, but returned in all hast vppon it, and at his comming he commaunded all the clergye to appeare before him, and bounde them wyth an oath to suffer none to be Pope, but such a one as obtayned it with the cō sent of euerye one.
95. Benedict the tenth.
BEnedict the x. borne in Campania was first called Mincius, while the Romaynes were in an vprore and cryed oute to hauehave one of their owne countreymen to be made Pope: this Benedict had the name generally, and so was made Pope, contrary to ye oath which ye clergye had made to Hildebrand at his departure lately. Hildebrād therefore taking it despitefully thus to be deluded in his absēce, deposing Benedict, was very importune with the clergye, to make one Gerhard bishop of Florence, that came wyth him, Pope in his presence, as they promised him at his departure. The clergye because they coulde not with safetye chose another in Rome went therefore to Senas, and there they chose this Gerhard Pope, naminge him Nicolas the seconde. Gerhard beinge Pope held a Synode at Sutrius against Pope Benedict, who vnderstanding of this conspiracye wroughte by Hildebrand, was content for quietnes sake to forsake Rome, and to liue like an outlawe priuatly in Veltra, after he had bene Pope ix. monthes. Christian Masseus reporteth, that this yeare a great company of snakes about Tornaie fought cruelly together, vntill the people beset them with fier and burned them.