The Pageant of Popes, Book 6 · Part 2
124 Alexander the fourth.
ALexander the fourth borne in Campania, being Cardinall of Hostia succeded Innocent. He persecuted Ecelinus of Runcan, and Manfred king of Sicill, because they had beene ennemyes to the former Popes: thus he began his raigne. And first he craftelye admonished them not to stande against the dignitye of the Church in anye point, & before he gaue them this charge, he had prouided his army in a readinesse meaning to course them if they should seeke to preuent him and his Cardinals of the kingdome of Sicill: yet these Princes very couragiouslye with an oast of Saracens and other, fearinge not the Popes threates, did set vppon his army at vnawares euen in a trench ere they wist, and partly slue them, partly toke them prisoners. In the meane while Pope Alexander goinge to Anagnia excommunicated Manfred, and sent a Cardinal called Octauian to Naples, to make the Neapolitans to stand faithful to him against Manfred, promysing speedely to bring ayde to all Campania and to the Neapolitans: but Manfred not pacifyed with troubling Naples did also moue factions in Hetruria, but chiefely in Florence, where he brought in the Guelphis againe, who euer were at deadly foode with the Gibelines. Thus was al Italy in a myserable vprore, torne in sonder with cruell and saluage warre. But Manfred hauing poysoned Conrad king of Sicill, was proclaymed kinge at Panorme, and with an armye of hyred souldiours, he ouerthrew the Popes Legat with great slaughter. This Pope sent one Rustand Legate into Englande Anno 1255. to gather vp the tenthes in Englande, Scotland, & Irelād, to warre against Manfred. And saith Mattheus Parisius) manye mischiefes detestable, issued from ye burning fountayne of Rome in those dayes, to the destruction of manye: for after the begginge fryers had preached the power of ye Crosse, he required infinite sommes of moneye, the exaction of the Pope was such (sayth he) that the like hath not bene heard. Whereupon Fulck bishop of Lō don sayd with great griefe: Ere I giuegive my consent to oppresse the Church vvith such iniurye, seruitude and bondage, surely I will first loose my head: for although that Courte hath often in times past pinched euen to the bone the faithfull flocke of Christ, yet it neuer woūded in such deadlye sort all, and eueryevery one of Christes seruaunts, as it did this yeare and the yeare following &c. The money ye was gathered for the holy land was transposed into Apulia against Christians, and (sayth Mattheus) vnmeete mē are made gouernours of noble Churches, the prelates are sould as oxen and asses, this is the extreame point of seruitude &c. About this time the said Rustand the Popes Legate being Prebēdary of Paules Church in Lōdon dyed beyond the sea, king Henry the third hearing therof gaue the same prebend to one Iohn Crakehale his chaplein, but after the sayde Crakehale had full possession thereof, came one Iohn Grasse from Rome, wyth the Popes embulled letter to chalenge the sayde lyuing: Hereupon the matter being in controuersye, it was brought before Boniface bishop of Canterbury, who finding that the Popes gift was dated before the kinges, dispossessed the Englishman and inuested the Popes man, which was taken so in despite by certaine repyning to see the Pope and his Italian priestes in this and all such cases to beare more sway then ye king, and to reape all commodyties from the kinge and his subiects, that the said Italiā and a cōpanion of his were murthered in a thronge, by whom no man knewe.
Rustand in a conuocation at London, alleaged that all Churches were ye Popes, to whom one Leonard an Englishman answeared modestly: yea sir in tuition, not in fruition, to defend not to expende. Seuell bishop of Yorke by ye example of the former bishop of Lincolne, did likewyse wt stande this Pope Alexander, and desyred him by letter to leaue of his wonted polling, & according to Peters example to feede the sheepe, not to flece them, not to flea them, not vnbowel them, neither as a wolfe deuoure them. Further it followeth in the sayd Mattheus, that the Pope sente yet other Legates into England, namelye Arlot & Mansuet minorite fryers, who had power to pardon for money eyther lyers, forswearerers, vowbreakers, adulterers, and Sodomits, traytors, poysoners, murtherers, and all suche: Whereuppon a certaine woman an anchoresse in S. Albons abbey had this terrible visiion, she heard an old man of graue countenaunce crye thre times VVo, wo, to all that dwel on the earth, and then faded away againe.
Anno 1258. Richard Earle of Cornewall sonne to king Iohn of Englād was chosē king of Almany for his great treasure, and the Pope procured that he was chosen Emperour, but he did that closely, because he had likewyse for the same matter, taken a bribe of Alphonsus kinge of Spaine: Whereupon a certaine Poet made this Verse.
Nummus ait pro me, nubet Comubia Rome,
Thus money sayth for louelove of me,
Cornewal with Rome shal lincked be.
Beside these shiftes made for money, this Pope Alexā der vsed another notorious knacke, he abusing & deluding the simplicitye of the king of England, made him beleeue that he would make his sonne Edmond king of Apulia, if hee woulde sustaine the charges thereof to maintaine the warres appertayning to it: wherupon the king caused his sonne forthwith to be proclaymed king of Apulia, and sent to the Pope all the treasure and riches that he could make in his Realme. And thus was the king and his sonne deluded, and the Realme wonderfullye impouerished by the Popes craft. It were to long to discouer all the superstitious & wicked deuises of this Pope, who at length going to Viterbium Anno 1262. to make peace betweene the Genewaies & Venetians according to his owne fansye, and because he coulde not hauehave his will therein, he dyed there for anger.