The Pageant of Popes, Book 5 · Part 18 – Part 20
98. Gregorie the seuenth.
GRegorie the seuenth was first called Hildebrand borne in Hetruria, a notable cōiurer and great Magician, he gat to be Pope by his saluage sorcerye, & bloudy meanes. He forsaking ye abbey wher he was monke, gat to one Laurence an archpriest of whom he learned his notorious enchauntments, which ye sayd Laurence had learned of Pope Syluester the seconde. There was greate familiaritye betweene this Laurence, Theophylact, Iohn Gratian & Hildebrand, being archpriests or Cardinals of Rome: wherby this Hildebrand by his subtiltye bare all the swaye wt Theophylact, while he was bishop vnderunder the name of Benedict the ninth, and so he cōtinued in his factious dealing in al other Popes times, till he came to the place himselfe. Benno Cardinall wryteth of him, that when hee listed, hee would caste of his sleeues, and skip and daunce in forme of sparkles, or flames of fyer, and with these myracles he deluded the eyes of the simple people, bearing them in hande it was a signe of his greate holinesse. And (sayth Benno) because the deuill could not openlye persecute Christians by Pagans, he practised craftelye to ouerthrowe the name of Christe by this counterfaite monke, vnderunder the colour of religion. Diuers auctors do write that this Hildebrand or hellybrand rather, by the helpe of his companiō Gerardꝰ Brazutus poysoned vi. or vii. Popes, so to open himselfe a gap to come to be Pope: and yet hee in these broyles behaued himselfe so subtellye, that no man could charge him therewithall, yt it was rather thought he sought to shonne the Popeship. And yet when in name he was not Pope, yet was he the onelyonly instrument, and contriuer of all their doings and deuises: and began to worke by litle and litle vnderunder other, which he brought to perfectiō in his owne time. Under coulour of religion and godlines, he practized all treachery and mischiefe. He accused Pope Alexander his maister, because he had craued the Emperours assistaūce against his aduersaries: His accusatiō was this, yt he was vnmeete to be Pope according to the Canons, who cōtrary to the Canons had craued ayde of a prophane Prince: & cast him into prison, where he wrought his death, & forthwith ere he was buryed vsurped his place: He imparted his treasure (sayth Benno) to Brazutus and to a certaine Iewe, that were his companions, and by theyr meanes he purchased the voyces of diuers, who ere that Alexander was buryed cryed out amayne: Peter ye Apostle hath chosen Hildebrand to be Pope, & so they set him in the Popes throne callinge him Gregorie the seuenth. And this was done in the thousand yeare after the destruction of Hierusalem, in the which yeare the Popes began to challenge & take vppon them the name, office, and power of Christe: for it was proclaymed at the enstalling of this Gregorie, yt he was created ye true vicar of Christ, & Gregorie applyed vntounto himselfe those thinges that are spoken in ye 7. Psalme of Christe: Hee altered the lawes of God, for where the Scripture licēceth al estates to marrye, he barred ye clergye therof, forcing thē to vow single life aboue their abilitye. Now was ye Scripture in him fulfilled prophesyinge of the warre of Gog and Magog, which this Gregorie broched so perillouslye to all Christendome, as the like neuer happened, which his companion Vrban the second did execute. Gregorie at the first entrye to his Popeship began to vrge such canons, as he had in his auncestours time procured against priestes mariage, and the bestowinge of benefices by temporall men, which hee did not of purpose to take away the abuse of byinge and sellinge of ecclesiastical lyuings, but with a fayre showe to abridge Princes and other estates, of their preeminence in that matter, whereby he might binde all the bishops and clergye to be more subiecte to Rome, who now depended more on their Princes, because of the bestowīg of the lyuings, wherby the Popes strength encreased, & the tēporal Princes were weakened, and neglected of their clergye. And the better to atchieue his purpose, because Henry the Emperour was chiefe of temporall Princes, he attempted it first againste him: for this matter he sommoned a councell at Rome, wherto the Emperour could hauehave no regarde, because of his warlike affayres then presente. And yet this matter so delighted ye Pope, that for compassing it he spared neyther treason nor murther, but in manye places he procured ciuill warre, & sedition, with al kinde of mischiefe that might be. For first seekinge ye Emperours death he attēpted it diuers wayes, as thus amonge other euen in ye Church: The Emperour (saith Benno) vsed to go to prayers to S. Maryes Church in Auentine hill. Hildebrand therefore hauinge his false espyes caused the place to be wel noted, where the Emperour vsed to kneele or sit in the Church all seruice time: & hyred one to go and laye certaine great stones secretelye in the roofe of the Church righte ouer the same place, in such sort as he might throwe them downe vppon ye Emperours head, and so slaye him: which as this fellowe went aboute and was busye wyth a great stone, the waighte thereof ouerwhelmed him, so as he fell downe to the pauement and the stone vppon him, which brused him so as he dyed of yt, which hee had prouided to slaye the Emperour withall. This thinge being knowen, the Romaynes bound his heeles to a roape, and drewe the dead carkasse through Rome streats three dayes together for an example. Againe (saith Benno) Iohn bishoppe of Portua who was of Hildebrands priuye councell, said in his preachinge before the people & clergye in S. Peters Church: what meaned Hildebrand and we to do this thīg wherby we should be burned aliue? (meaninge that violence which they had vsed towarde the Sacrament of Christes bodye:) Because Hildebrand demaunding of it (as ye heathen vsed to do of their idols) what successe he shoulde hauehave against the Emperour, & because the Sacrament spake not and gaue him no aunsweare, he threw it into the fyre, maugre all the Cardinals that were about him, and said to the Sacrament most blasphemouslye: Could the idoll Gods of the heathens giuegive them aunswere of theyr successe, and can not thou tell mee? He excommunicated the Emperour being a cōformable Prince, withoute lawfull accusation, without canonicall citacion, or iudicial order: and caused his peeres to reuolt frō him, and soughte by secrete traytors to murther him. Also hee caused the bishops to sweare them selues vtter ennemies against him, wresting & wringinge places of the Scripture to make a shew to maintaine his purpose, But (sayth Benno) as sone as he roose vp from his chayre being newly framed of wood, by Gods workinge it claue in peeces & was rente terriblye into diuers partes.
When he sawe that his secrete treasons toke not effect, he brast out into open outrage and enmitye: he excommunicated the Emperour, and discharged all his subiectes of theyr allegeaūce, & gaue his crowne vntounto Rodolpho duke of Sueuia, which he sent to him with this poesye.
Petra dedit Petro, Petrus diadema Rodolpho.
This moued the Emperour very sore, in so much that hee stripped himselfe out of his royall roabes, and puttinge on wollen apparell, came with his wyfe and his sonne a litle child in the depth of winter, a cruel and perillous iourneye to Canusius, and stoode barefooted at the gates of the Citie, fasting from morning to night, suing humblye for pardō at Hildebrands hand, and for three dayes suffered with lamētable miserye to be laughed at, and flowted by Hildebrand amonge his paragons and monkes. He desired often to be let in to come to the Pope, but hee was still aunswered for three dayes together, that ye Pope was not yet at leasure to speake with him. The good and gentle Emperour toke it paciently to be thus delayed, and because he could not be let into the Citye, he abode in the suburbes wt his great inconuenience, for the frost was verye extreame more then ordinarye: and yet he endured it continuallye 3. dayes, least by taking his ease he should hauehave offended my Lorde bishops grace, and still he sued to be pardoned. At the length the fourth daye by the intercession of the Countesse Mathilda, who for louelove, not for honesty was in fauour with the Pope, & the abbot of Cluny, and Adelaus Earle of Sauoy he was admitted to come in. And thoughe hee craued pardon on his knees, & offered vp his Crowne, yet would the Pope neither pardon him nor absolue him, vnlesse hee woulde promise that accordinge to the Popes appointment he would purge him of his fault in the councel, with other vnlawfull conditions. All which he promised and confirmed with hand & seale, and yet was not restored to his estate. This being knowen, the Princes & Lordes of Italye were highlye offended that the Emperour Henry in such maner with so great dishonour, and so shamefullye had submitted himselfe to recouer the fauoure of this Hildebrand, who by treachery purloyned the Popedome, and defiled all thinges with slaughter and harlotrye. But the Pope and his Cardinals beinge puffed vp with this yt they had brought the Emperour to this seruile yoake, began to attempt further matters: but Henry reuēged this dishonour sone after by the sworde, and after sharpe battelles he ouercame Rodolpho, who hauinge his hand cutte of commaunded to bring vntounto him the bishops and auctors of his rebellion, before whom he sayde thus hauing his hand layde before them. I am (quoth he) iustye plagued, lo this is the hand wherewith I pleighted my allegeaunce to my soueraigne Lord Henry, and by your enticements I hauehave often time fought against him to my losse, and falsifyed my fayth, and therefore hauehave receyued the rewarde due to my periurye: Consider therefore whether ye hauehave guided me righte or no: Go ye therefore, and stand to your first fayth vowed to your king, for I must go to my father: this being said, he dyed. After his death at the Popes commaundement they set vp another to be Emperour, one Harman a Saxō County of Lucelburg: who while he was assaulting a certaine Castell in Germanye, was slaine by a certaine great stone, which a woman hurled downe vponupon him. And yet the Popes malyce ceased not, but he raysed vp a thirde traytour againste the Emperour euē his kinsmā Egbertus a Marquesse, who also being taken in a Mill by the Emperours frends, was miserably slaine. In the meane time the Pope did solace himselfe with the companye of Mathilda, who forsaking her husbande Azon Marquesse of Esta kept continually by the Popes deare side, whereby she was called S. Peters doughter: and so of one ieast another sprāg, for (as Lambert Hirswaldēsis saith) the talke was how S. Peters doughter liued in secret incest wt S Peters heyre, and that he that had deuorced other men from theyr wiues and honest matrimonye, liued in whoredome with another mans wyfe. Also this Gregory iudged to death three men before they were conuict or confessed theyr cryme, without the sentence of anye seculer Iudge, and caused them to be hanged forthwith. Another time he cast Centius the sonne of a Senatour into prison being his especial friend, & caused him to be tormented & rolled in a barrel of sharpe nayles till he was almost dead: But Centius escaping apprehended the sayde Hildebrand and mighte hauehave quitted his quarrel, yet the people disappointed him, but the Pope ere he were deliuered sware openlye yt he would forgeue him, and the rest yt had apprehended him. But being at libertye contrarye to his oath he reuenged it, causing Centius and ix. of his company to be hanged for it, ye other he condempned to banishment, and among them the sonne of a widow, who after the yeare of his vanishment was expyred did returne & was led with an halter about his necke by his mother to Gregorie, whō ye mother for full satisfaction desired to take her sonne and deliuer him againe as a new purged mā: But Gregorie had hanged him but yt the Iu…tices▪ cōsidering the penaunce that he had done were more iuste and wyse, and refused to do it, and therefore Gregorie in a rage commaūded one of his feete to be cut of, wherof the yongmā dyed wythin fiue dayes, to the great griefe of the poore wydowe his mother. Abbas Vspergensis & other write thus: It is manifest (say they) that this Hildebrand was not chosen by God, but intruded himselfe by money & guile, who tossed the ecclesiastical estate vpside downe, and troubled the kingdome of Christen Empier, practised to murther the quiet Prince, defended oath breakers, fostred debate, sowed discentiō, raysed offences, made deuorcemēts, and disordered eueryevery thing that seemed to be well among the godlye. He was the first that put the ministers of the Church from their wyues by excommunicatiō: He moued broyles through Fraunce, Germany and Englande, tedious to be tolde. This deuorcement of ministers wiues, did offende a great nomber of learned men at that time: for in Germanye and Fraunce there were yet xxiiii. and more bishops, who wyth the clergye of theyr Diocesse were then maryed, and did stoutly maintayne theyr mariage still, beside those that were in England & Italye. Amonge other things Gregorie commaunded the Saturday to be fasted. He canonized Pope Liberius sainte, who was an Arriā heriticke, also he apointed an holye daye in reuerence of him. He toke awaye the Crowne from the kinge of Poland. He condemned Berengarius opinion againste reall presence, & was the first that is noted to hauehave established the doctrine of transubstantiatiō. He condemned a layman of sacrilege, that should reape the commoditye of tenthes as of impropriat parsonages, but condemned him of heresye, that inuested a priest, and him of Idolatrye that should take a benefice of a layman. These and other like attemptes gaue Hildebrand, whereby hee made the Popes leaden blade, to hew asonder almost the Emperours iron sworde. Many of ye clergye as 14. Cardinals beside diuers bishops & other, did so abhorre ye detestable treachery of this coniurer Gregorie, yt they forsoke him for shame, his villanyes were so manye, and so monstrous encreasinge dailye: In steed… of God he serued the deuill, & of Princes whom he shoulde honour hee made worse then slaues: finallye as his name was Hildebrand so in deede he was an helly brande to all Christendome, tormoyled by his meanes with rebellions, treasons, murders &c. But at the length Henry ye Emperour began to set himselfe against the Popes practises, and in the yeare of Christ 1083. in a Synode at Brixia, layinge his treacheryes to his charge hee did depriue him of his place, and appointed another in his steede, whom hee called Clement the thirde. He sent his armye to Rome to driue out Gregorie, and to establishe this Clement, and by his longe siege he brought Rome to so great penurye, that they were compelled to sue for peace. But Hildebrand because he would not come in the Emperours sighte, beinge reiected & forsaken of the Romaynes fled to Salerne, wher he ended his wretched life in great miserye Anno 1086, Antonius and Vincentius shewe that this Hildebrand euen at the latter gaspe called to him a certaine Cardinal, and confessed to him yt he had haynouslye offended, because at the deuils enticemēts he had sturred vp hurlye burlies, hatred, and warres among many, and bad the cardinal go to desire the Emperour to pardon him. Diuers mē wrote against him & his vile life, as Cādidus a Cardinall, VValramus bishop of Niemburg, Venericus bishop of Vercellen, Rowland priest of Parmen, Sigebertus Gemblacensis. Also of this Gregorie it is said that he neuer wēt without a booke of coniuring about him.
99. Victor the thirde.
VIctor the third abbot of Cassa was made Pope, not by the election of the Romaynes or Cardinals, but was thrust in by the ayde of his harlot Mathilda, and the Normans that were of his faction. He being established began to defende Gregories prankes against the Emperour, and Clement appointed by him, but the hastines of hys death shortened his mallice: who as Hermannus, Contractus, Carsulanus, Praemonstratensis and sondrye other testifye, was poysoned by his deacō, who at masse time put the poyson into the challice, against yt Pope should receiue it. Diuers wonders are reported to hauehave happened at that time, as of tame birds, geese, cockes, hennes, pigions, & pecocks flewe into the mountaynes and became wild, houge store of fishe died in the Sea: diuers Cityes were so shaken wt earthquakes, so as the greater Pallas at Syracuse falling downe, did slaye all that were then in the Church, sauing a couple.
100. Vrban the second.
VRban the seconde an Hetrurian borne called Otho before, was made Pope by the harlot Mathilda, and the Norman Lords in Apulia in dispite of ye Emperour. This is a scholer of Hildebrand, whom for followinge his maisters steppes, Benno calleth a blind guide, a sciesmaticke, an heriticke, and companion of Liberius the Arrian hereticke: He watred those graftes of mischiefe which Gregorie had planted, and was therefore called the turmoyler of the world, by descantinge of his name and in steede of Vrban calling him Turban. He excommunicated Clement ye seconde established by the Emperour, and also the Emperour for establishinge of him, & procured manye forsworne rebels both nobles and commoners, to conspire againste him: and likewyse the same Clement as being Pope, did againe excommunicate him as an vsurper, wherevppon it moued many reasonings amonge both spirituall & temporall, who should be right Pope: And these controuersyes were tossed both in Germanye and other countryes. But when Vrban would absolue none, whom Gregorie had excommunicated, he was fayne for feare of his life, to flie by stealth from Rome. He held fiue coūcels in sondrye places, and all for the establishing of Gregories decrees, and to cō firme that auctoritye which the Church had gotten. Amonge many other enormities he cōcluded that no priests sonne shoulde be capable of orders. He made ye archbishop of Toledo primate of Spaine, vppon condition yt he should sweare fealtye to ye Pope, & so by that meanes he broughte Spaine vnderunder his winge. He cursed the kinge of Fraunce for imprisoning a bishop. He caused all that should take order to sweare with this clause, So God helpe me and the holye Euangelistes: finally he standing in awe of one Iohn Pagan a Romaine, did hide himselfe for two yeares in the house of one Peter Lion, where he dyed Anno 1099. And his bodye was conueyed by nighte ouer Tiber for feare of his foes, the same yeare also dyed Clement the thirde, who had seene in his time the death of three Popes.
Of the former Hildebrand and this Vrban his scholler, Theodor Bibliander writeth thus to Princes of al estates: Hildebrand (sayth he) by sturringe vp the Greeke Emperour against the Turkes, did sowe the seede of the voiage of Gog & Magog, vppon-whom the bloude of the Church cryeth vengeaunce, that was shed wyth the sworde of his tongue. But this Vrban by causinge Christians to goe warre vppon Pagans, with vaine colour of fighting for ye holye Lande, & for Christes Sepulcher, hath caused more Christian bloud to be shedde of all Nations, then can be esteemed: and did it onelye to oppresse Clement the second and his faction, the while to restore himselfe to be Pope. In the time of this Vrbā, VVilliam Rufus kinge of England was sore combred with the proude prelate Anselmus archbishop of Canterbury, who whē he was commaunded to aunsweare to his misbehauiour, did auoide it in appealinge to the Courte of Rome, both against the liking of al the bishops in Englande, and in spite of the kinges harte went to complaine to the Pope.