The Pageant of Popes, Book 5 · Part 16 – Part 17
96. Nicolas the second.
NIcolas the seconde was made Pope as is mentioned in Benedict. After he had helde the councell of Spire against Benedict, hee returned to Rome, and sommoned a councell at Lateran by ye craft of Hildebrand for his owne purpose: wherein was decreed, that he should be condemned for an apostata, that should be Pope eyther by fauour or money without the whole consent of the Cardinals. Also he gaue the Cardinals, the priestes and laitye, power to excommunicate any such Pope, & to hold Synode against him any where, and to driue him out. In this Synode Berengarius was forced to recant his opiniō against the real presence: for he had long maintayned, that in the breade & wyne was neyther the body and bloud of Christ really, nor naturally, but a signe and figure thereof, as Platina, Mū clerus and other write of him. This Pope Nicolas established and strēgthened the Popedome, wyth sondrye and diuers straūge forgeryes, fables, and vntruthes, terrible vizards, and gastlye countenaunces of excommunication, and dreadfull threates of cursings. The wordes of the excommunication and curse are these, in the 23. distinction as Barnes testifyeth. In the name of God Amen: If anye man do breake this oure sacred decretal sentence, and presumptuously attempt to hurt or disquiet against this statute the Church of Rome, let him be accursed for euer, & damned by excōmunication: Let him be reputed amōge the vvicked, that shall not rise againe to iudgement: Let him feele the wrath of the Almightye against him: Let him feele the rage of Peter and Paule vppon hym in the life to come, that spurneth against their Churche in this life: Let his dwelling be in the wildernes, & let his house be left desolate for none to dwell therin: Let his children be orphanes, and his wife be a widowe: In his trouble let him be troubled: Let his childrē beg their bread, and be cast out, and be vagabounds driuē out of their owne houses: Let the vsurer rifle all his goodes, and let straungers spoile the labour of his handes: Let the whole world fight against him, and let all the Elementes be contrarye vntounto him: Let the merits of all saincts confound him: Let him spende this life prisoner fettered in chaines: and let the saincts powre their open vengeaunce on him. But our grace defende them that keepe this &c.
Such thonderbolts did the Pope shoote abrode to terrifye the world, which yet wroughte so in mens hartes, that for feare there of they yelded themselues subiecte to the Pope, against their owne natiue and Christian Princes. But to returne to the historye concerninge the sturre that Hildebrand kepte at this time in Rome, Thus wryteth Benno: Nicolas beinge Pope, Hildebrand perceyuing he could not yet gette to be Pope, deuised to get an archdeacōshippe by hooke or by crooke. At the length he set vppe one Mancius archedeacon of Rome, whom he tossed and disquieted with diuers iniuries: who beinge ouerlayed wyth the reprochful dealing and craft of Hildebrand, and beguiled wt his moneye, at the length graunted him to surrender vntounto him his archedeacōship. This being graunted, Hildebrād commeth to Pope Nicholas ere he were aduised, and very impudentlye, partly by vnreasonable request, partlye by ye threatnings of armed souldiers hired for the purpose, who gaue him watchworde to yelde or to dye, hee made Hildebrād archdeacon. This being done euen immediatlye after Brazutus ministred the same cuppe to Nicolas, that he had done to the other Popes. Nicolas beinge thus poysoned, ye Cardinals being so well acquainted with the ambition of Hildebrand, besoughte the Emperour earnestlye to assist them in the behalfe of Cadolus his bishop of Parma, whō they had chosen Pope: which thing so strake Hildebrand to the hart, that from thence forward he professed himselfe an vtter ennemye to the Emperour: He brake his oath of fealtye and allegeance. And makinge a conspiracy wyth ye Emperours ennemyes, and with the Normans, he beguiled Anselmus bishop of Lucia, causinge certaine Romaynes to chuse him bishop, and call him Alexander the secōd, as one whom hee would set vp against Cadolus chosen by the Cardinals. And thus Hildebrand brought trouble as much as he could, both to Anselmus and Cadolus, who in deede wayted to succede them both, &c.
97. Alexander the second.
ALexander the seconde was as yee reade made Pope by Hildebrands craft, for his owne purpose against the Emperours minde: and therfore ye Lombards by the Emperours consent, did set vp another against him called Cadolus, (as is before mentioned) who came to Rome and besieged it wyth a great armye, and after one or two battailes was wyth his companye put to flight. The Emperour willinge to ende this sciesme, sent to Rome Otho archbishop of Collen with his auctoritye, to debate the matter: who comming to Rome began with a sharpe oration to reproue the intrusion of Alexander, & to amplifye the Emperours auctoritye in the election of the Pope. But the mischeuous Hildebrand puft vp with his late victory, did interrupt Otho, and stoutly defended the Popes doing, auouching that the election belonged onelyonly to the clergye: whereunto Otho the bishop in this case more fauouring ye Pope, then his maister, did easelye giuegive place, and desired to hauehave a councell at Mantua to appease ye matter. Wherin was decreed that a man oughte not to heare masse of a priest yt laye with a concubine: that maryed priests shoulde leese their liuings: And yet their children wyth the Popes dispensation might take orders: That the Pope should be chosen onelyonly by Cardinals. But this Alexander perceyuinge at the length (sayth Benno) yt it was but for a pollicye of Hildebrand, that he was made Pope by the Emperours ennemyes to spite him withall, began to mislyke of it with himselfe: and on a time as he was preaching to the people, he tolde them that he would not any longer enioye the Apostolicall seate without the Emperours good will, and professed opēly that he would send letters to the Emperour for the same purpose. Hildebrand hearinge this was forthwith so enraged, yt presentlye he began to mumble, curse, and fret, and could scant keepe his hand from ye Pope till masse were done: Masse beinge done, he toke the Pope, and wyth a troupe of armed souldiours he led him into his chamber, where with his fistes he buffeted and bepomelled him shamefullye, rating and taunting him wyth rayling and reuiling wordes, because he would go aboute to seeke the Emperours fauour. And from that time forwarde Hildebrand (because he saw him so simple) allowed him but fiue shillinges a daye to spende, and the rest of the reuenues he retayned to himselfe, and casting Alexander into prison he purloyned a great masse of money. Alexander beinge thus in the miserable bondage of Hildebrand, in an eueninge dyed God knoweth whereof, and the same houre Hildebrand was enstalled Pope by his garrison of souldiours, without consente of the people or clergye: because he feared yt if he had delayed it, another shoulde hauehave bene chosen. None of the Cardinals subscribed to his election, vntounto the which when the abbot of Cassia came, Brother (quoth Hildebrand) ye hauehave lingred ouer longe, & you quoth the abbot hauehave hied you ouer fast, who ere your maister the Pope be yet buryed, hauehave vsurped his place contrarye to ye Canons. Hildebrand being thus chosen, how he liued, howe he draue the Cardinals from him, howe he tormented them miserablye, how he poysoned the world wt heresyes, how often he committed periurye, howe great & many conspiracyes he raysed, it is harde for manye men to vtter: But most of all, the bloud of many Christiās which by him and his meanes hauehave beene miserablye shedde, do crye oute vengeaunce on him. Thus and much more doth Benno the Cardinall write of him.