The Pageant of Popes, Book 5 · Part 23 – Part 29
103. Calixtus the seconde.
CAlixtus the second being before called Guido of Burgundy came of the kinges of Fraunce and Englande, he succeded Gelasius. And after he was cōfirmed at Rome, he sent a messenger to the said Conon in Germanye, to cō tinue the excommunication of his predecessour against the Emperour. Hereupon ye Emperour was cōpelled to summon a councell of Princes and bishops at Tybur, to make peace betweene him & the Pope: and least the Popes part shoulde hauehave spoyled his dominions, he toke peace vppon vnequall conditions. He confirmed to his great dishonour the electiō of this Calixtus, who was chosen Pope at Cluny in Fraunce by a fewe Cardinals, whom Gelasius had brought wyth him: and yet was the other Pope Gregorie aliue, whom ye Emperour himselfe had first created. And when the Popes Legates demaunded of the Emperour to giuegive ouer his auctoritye in Ecclesiasticall causes, and bestowing spirituall liuinges: he desired respit to deliberate thereon with the Princes of Germanye, who councelled him to seeke for the fauour of the Pope, (to such puissancye was ye Pope then start vp ouer the mightie Monarches.) Finallye Embassadours meetinge at VVormes in Germanye for eyther parte to debate the matter, after greate controuersyes and sharpe reasoninges on eyther syde, the Pope bare awaye the victorye: for the Emperours Proctours were the bishop of Spire and the abbot of Fulda, by theyr callinge bounde to fauour the Popes part, who perswaded the Emperour to yelde ouer his righte for feare of the excomunication, which would cause his subiects to reuolt from him: And so he obeyed. This beinge done the Popes Legates did absolue him, and gaue him licence to repayre to seruice in the Church, which Gelasius had denyed him. These compositions were drawne in wrighting for both sydes, and therfore the Popes part euen to triūph of their victorye, and shewe how the Emperour was vanquished, caused theirs to be read with open Proclamation, and hanged them vp at Lateran to be seene openlye. Calixtus after he had thus maistred the Emperour, persecuted Pope Gregorie his aduersarye that stoode against him for the Popedome, by the Emperours meanes: Gregorie hearing of this fled from Rome to Sturium, where Calixtus caught him, and to make him a laughing game euen to the Emperours reproche, he caused Gregorie to be set vppon a Camel with his face toward the Camels tayle, & so to be brought to Rome: afterward he caused his heade to be shauen, & so sente him into a Monasterye. Amonge manye Canons that Calixtus made, one was, that it should be adulterye if a man in his life time shoulde forsake his bishopricke or Church, wresting this place of Paule vntounto it: The wyfe is bound to the lawe of her husbande, while he liueth &c.. He appointed to fast foure times in the yeare, whereas before it was but thrise, and said it was not lawfull to fast anye otherwise then accordinge as the Church of Rome did, addinge this reason: For (sayth hee) as the sonne came to do the will of his father, so muste Christians do the will of their mother the Church of Rome. He dyed of a feuer which he toke by the trauell of a greate iorneye, Anno 1125. One Simeon an Englishman borne in Duresme in the 2. booke of his historye of the Kinges of Englande wryteth, that this Calixtus held a generall councell in Fraunce, wherin he forbad priestes, deacons, or subdeacons to hauehave wyues: and first to leese their benefices, secondlye the Communion if they woulde not yeilde herein. Wherevppon one in Englande wrote a sharpe Epigram against him, thus in effect.
O bone Calixte nunc omnis clerus odit te,
Quondam presbyteri poterant vxoribus vti:
Hoc destruxisti, postquam tu Papa fuisti,
Ergo tuùm meritò nomen habent odiò.
O good Calixtus now the clergye doth the hate,
In former tyme the Churchmen might enioy their spousal mate:
But thou bast takē this away to Popeship since thou came,
Therefore as thou deserued hast they do detest thy name.
104. Honorius the seconde.
HOnorius the second before called Lambert being but of base byrth, was first made bishop of Hostia for his learninge, and so came to be Pope. But (sayth Platina) his entraunce into Peters place is not to be commēded, because he came in rather by the ambition of a few, then the cōsent of good men: for he was made Pope with great debate by the pollicy of one Leo Frangepain ye chiefest Citizen, who perswaded that they should not chose ye Pope, before they knewe all the Canons concerning the electiō. While they stayed about this, Leo practised to serue this Popes turne by such fetches as he could deuise: but the Cardinals perceyuinge his policye did create one Theobaldus (a Cardinall) Pope, callinge him Celestine, but the people stoode earnestlye vrginge for another Cardinall that was a Saxō, which Leo seemed to like of, onelye to defeate the election of the Cardinals: and when by this meanes he had ye people somwhat indifferent to be ruled by him, he brought to passe by them to make Lambert Pope, and called him Honorius. This Honorius (sayth Mattheus Parisiensis) sent out a Legat one Iohn Cremensis a riotous Cardinal, to fil the Popes bagges: He cōming into England Anno 1125. wyth the kinges fauour passed from one Religious house to another, still fillinge his pouches with moneye and hys panche with delicate cheare. And when he had euen loaden himselfe meetely wel, he held a Synode in London, where he cōdemned all the clergye of adultery which had wyues, and euen the selfe same daye at night my Lord Legat himselfe euen his owne parson was taken in adultery. And yet Pope Honorius wrote in his behalfe to ye clergye of Englande thus: Wee desire you, charge you, and commaunde you, that ye receyue this Iohn as the Uicar of S. Peter wt reuerence, heare him with humilitye and at his commaū dement be assistant at his Synodes &c. The like for him wrote Honorius to Dauid kinge of Scottes. There is a certaine statute made by the same Iohn, in ye said Synode helde at London to this effecte: Wee by our Apostolicall auctoritye commaunde that priestes, deacons, subdeacons, and canonists, shall not come in companye wyth theyr wyues, concubines, yea or any other women, except theyr mother, sister or aunte, or such womē as may altogether giuegive no suspition, and who so shall breake this, shall forfaite his orders. Wee commaunde that no mariage shalbe made betweene kindred, or affinitye to the seuenth degree. Honorius dyed Anno 1130. Platina sayth that in the time of this Honorius, one Arnulphus an Englishmā and a noble preacher of ye Christen Religion, was murthered at Rome by the treacherye of the clergye, because he did sharpelye reproue theyr royat and wantonnesse, and rebuked theyr pompe, and greedinesse in gatheringe riches. Manye of the nobles of Rome did followe this man as a true disciple & Prophete of Christe, and onelye preacher of the truth.
105. Innocentius the second.
INnocentius the second after he was made Pope, coulde deuise no more charitable deede then to suppresse Roger Duke of Sicilia, for sayinge that he was kinge of Italye. The Pope broughte oute his armye, and marched forward stoutlye and manfullye ouerthrew his ennemye: but the dukes sonne comminge vppon his backe with an army toke the Pope, and his Cardinals, and so Roger obtayned all besyde the title of Sicilia. In the meane time the Romaynes created one Peter Leo his sonne Pope, and called him Anacletus, which being heard Innocentius desired to be set at libertye and obtayned it, and purposed to returne to Rome: but because he saw al was in an vprore at Rome, he turned frō thence, trauayling till he came into Fraūce. In the meane time Anacletus sought wyth spendinge and brybinge, to winne and confirme all mens good wills towarde him, that anye way seemed to fauour him: He made Roger kinge of both Sicils to be his freinde. Innocentius was busye on the other syde, to recouer the Popedome, & therefore held a councell in Fraunce and condemned Anacletus for an ennemye of the Church. Afterward he went to Philip kinge of Fraunce, and crowned his sonne Lewes, then he wente to Carnotus, where he met with Henry the first, kinge of Englande, perswading with him to send an armye against the Sarracens that kept the holye lande, but his purpose was to hauehave vsed that army for the recouering of his Popedome. From him he went to Lotharius kinge of Germanye desyringe him to see him restored: Lotharius gyuinge his oath to the Pope, prepared an armye to conducte Innocent safe to Rome. So Lotharius entred into Italye wyth a puissante armye to restore Innocent to hys place, and comminge to Rome deuided his hoast, and entred into the Citye, ouerthrewe Anacletus with duke Roger, and set Innocētius safe in Lateran. Innocentius therefore to shew himselfe thanckfull, crowned Lotharius Emperour, and gaue to Reginold his chiefest Captayne the Dukedome of Apulia, yt was none of his owne to bestow, and all that Roger possessed in Italy▪ But Reginold dyed soone after, and then Roger claymed his right againe, and because ye Pope withstoode him, he toke him againe, & his Cardinals sodenly ere yt they wist, & would neuer let them depart vntill they had graunted him his whole desire: yea to make him kinge of both Sicils, and so since that time the kingdome of Sicill is called S. Peters patrimonye. But (sayth Nauclerus) much mischiefe arose vp hereof, because the Pope woulde thus take vppon him the bestowinge of Princelye titles, robbinge the Emperours of that righte, which they had gotten by the sworde. Innocentius made a lawe, that whosoeuer should strike an annointed priest or shauen clarke, shoulde be excommunicated, to be absolued onelye by the Pope: after this hee dyed Anno 1143. In this Popes time Steuen Kinge of Englande Anno 1136. kept to himselfe and vsed in his owne power the inuesture of prelates. And Lotharius the Emperour would hauehave reclaymed that to himselfe, which the Pope toke from Henry the Emperour, but that S. Bernard being then of great credite disswaded him About this time was VVilliam bishop of Yorke called S. VVilliam of Yorke, who was poysoned in his challice by his Chapleynes.
106. Celestine the second.
CElestine the second a Thuscan succeded Innocent by ye commaundement of Conradus: his life was so shorte that he could not play the Pope like other. At this tyme was a great contagious plague through out al Italy. Celestine dyed in the sixt month of his Popeship. In his time the bishop of VVinchester in Englande helde a councell, where was concluded yt if any man abused eyther Church or Churchyard or layde hand on an Ecclesiasticall person, he shoulde be excommunicate, to be absolued onelye by the Pope.
107. Lucius the second.
LVcius the second borne in Bononia succeded Celestine. He was the cause & auctor of much discension in Rome, for deposing and disanullinge a kinde of office called Patricianship, which the Romaynes being weary of the Popes yoke had made in the time of Innocentius, because the Popes toke vppon them all swaye within the Citye & abroade likewise. But this Pope Lucius because he was not able to depose the Patrician alone, craued ayde of ye Emperour Conradus, whoe beinge otherwise busied coulde not assiste him. Lucius therefore soughte to attaine his purpose another waye: for when the Patrician & the Senatours were all gathered together close in the Capitol, Lucius toke his oportunitye and came thither with a bande of souldiours in armour, meaninge either to destroye the Capitoll, or to driue them out. The Cityzēs hearing hereof armed them selues forthwith, and ranne to succour theyr officer, whervppon roose a very bloudye fraye: Pope Lucius beinge in the middest of the broyle was so pelted with stones and other lumpes, that sone after he dyed therof Anno 1145 ere he had raigned a yeare.
108. Eugenius the third.
EVgenius ye thirde sometime an abbot, was made Pope by this meanes wt the consente of the Cardinals. This Eugenius was scholer to S. Barnard, who for his learning was then in great reuerence, and cōsidering the time how the Romaynes wrangled to hauehave auctoritye in the electiō of the Pope, they thoughte it safest and surest for the maintenaunce of the Popes auctoritye, to chose none of the Colledge of Cardinals but this Eugenius, that it mighte be a cause why his scholemaister Barnarde shoulde aduaunce ye Sea of Rome in his wrytinges: and so it fell out as it appeareth in his 2. booke of Considerations. Eugenius at his first creation perceyued the Romaynes woulde be importunate, to hauehave the election of theyr Senatours ratifyed, and therefore hee fled wyth his Cardinals from Rome by night to Viterbium, where he excommunicated all the Romaynes, which caused ye Citizens to obeye Iordan chosen Patrician: then he ioyned his armye with the hoast of the Tiburtines, olde ennemyes to Rome, & so compelled ye Romaynes to sue for peace: which he graunted at length vppon condition that they should fullye abolish the principalitye of the Patrician, and shoulde restore his deputye to his former place, and for hereafter shoulde be contente to take suche Senatours, as hee by his Papall auctoritye would assigne them. Peace beinge thus concluded he returned into Rome, but perceyuing afterwarde that falsehoode was mente towarde him, he slipt againe to Tiburie: the Romaynes pursued him forthwith, with bowes and bils, and draue him from Tiburie into Fraunce. And at length he returned to Rome and there dyed Anno 1152.
109. Anastasius the fourth.
ANastasius of a Cardinall became Pope, wherein hee did nothinge worthye memorye, but that hee bestowed vppon Lateran a riche and massye Chalice, and bestowed cost in repayringe S. Maries Churche, and so dyed the seconde yeare of his Popeship Anno 1154. This Anastasius after the death of one Henry Mordachus a proud mōke whom Pope Eugenius intruded. restored S. Williā archbishop of Yorke, which William was afterward poysoned in the Challice comminge to receiue the Communion, as Mattheus Parisius sayth. In this Popes time y• Thames at London was so frozen, ye cartes and waynes passed ouer the ise, and a litle before were two Eclipses, one of the Sunne, and the other of the Moone, after which followed terrible tempestes, stormes, thonder, lightninges, raine and winde.