The Pageant of Popes, Book 5 · Part 31 – Part 35
III. Alexander the thirde.
ALexander the third was borne in Hetruria called first Rolland Chancelour. After Hadrian ye fourth had his breath stopped, and was choaked with a flye, this man succeded him beinge farre worse then the other. But because that all partyes coulde not agree to elect him, nine of the Cardinals that held on the Emperours part, did choose another Pope called Octauianus a citizen of Rome, being a priest and Cardinall of S. Clements, whom they called Victor the fourth. And after the death of this Victor the sciesme and discention beinge continued, three Popes succeeded in order, Paschalis, Calixtus, and Innocentius, all which withstoode this Pope Alexander and made greate turmoyles in the Church of Rome, and al perished, he yet lyuinge. But when the Emperour sommoned a councell at Papia wherby the strife might be ended, and the matter debated, that he might be confirmed Pope that had ye better right: this Alexander defyinge the Emperours Embassadours, aunswered proudlye that the Pope (as he toke himselfe to be) is to be iudged by no man, and thus sent awaye the Embassadours with great contempte: and sendinge his letters throughe all Christendome, he plagued both the Emperour and this Victor with excommunications. And because he might assure Rome to himselfe, hee sente letters forthwith to Iohn Cardinall of sainct Peters Church, who supplyed his roume there, who by briberye and flatterye so curried fauor with the people, that he allured the most parte of the Citye to fauour Alexander, and to make those Consuls that did most leane to his part. In the meane time Alexander comminge out of Fraunce into Italy returned forth with to Rome, and was curteously receyued: and ye Cityes of Italy being emboldned by his comminge, to shake of their allegeance to the Emperour contrarye to their oath, did forthwith reuolte from him, king Philip of Fraunce fauouring their part. The Emperour knowing of these rebellions & conspiracies against him, did forthwith gather a newe armye and went into Italye: but when he came to Brixia, one Hartman ye bishop thereof beinge of the Emperours priuye councell, (but a false hipocrite) did disswade him from ye warre. And perswaded him (by the Popes secrete councell) to make warre rather against the …urkes ennemyes to Christian fayth, then against the holye father and Christian men, addinge withal yt now the Soldan oppressed & enioyed Hierusalem, and al ye holy land, which his vncle had whilom cōquered with greate power & charges. He prayed him to trye the force of his army vponupon the Agarens & Saracens, and to recouer these landes therewith: furthermore he promised the Emperour to perfourme this, that ye kinge of Fraūce likewise should leuye an army to ayde to conquer the Soldan kinge of Aegipt. At his supplication the Emperour ledde his armye against the Paganes, which he had prepared against the Pope & his rebels. He traueyled throughe Hungary to Constantinople, and sendinge ouer his army he wan manye townes from the Turke, as amonge other Philomenia and Ionicus, & passed into Armenia the lesse, conquering all: yea God so prospered his victoryes, that ye Soldan him selfe feared the losse of his kingdome. At the length he came to Hierusalem, where he suffred the Pagans to passe with life out of the Citye. At length hauinge gotten great victories in Iewry, he cōsidered how he might defende from the Turkes that which he had wonne, and repayre that which was wasted. But while he was thus busye here in the East, Pope Alexander was not yet quieted, but both he and his conspiratours stil feared him, if he should euer returne into Italye, and therefore Alexander still deuised how to hauehave him destroyed. He sent a cunning painter to go to the place where the Emperour was, who (the Emperour not knowing thereof) shoulde drawe his picture: this being perfectly done, he commaūded a secret messenger to conuey it to the Soldan, & wrote a letter wtall to the Soldan certefying him that it was the Emperours picture, and tellinge him that if he would liue quietlye, he must worke the feate to hauehave him destroyed by som traine. The Soldan hauīg receyued these letters & ye Emperours liuely picture, deuised howe to gratifye the Pope, and to slay his ennemye: but he could neuer get oportunitye, neither in battell nor in his tentes to hauehave him slaine. But when the Emperour hauinge wonne Hierusalem retired wyth his army homeward, he hauing no feare of himselfe did deuide his armye into diuers partes, whereby they might returne the more conuenientlye for vittaile and lodginge one after another. But in Armenia being on a time in a great heate and sweatinge, partly with trauell, partly with the heate of the Sunne, mistrusting no daunger in ye saluage country full of woddes, he taking a fewe horsemē with him & his chaplein, did step frō his armye. Beinge a litle gone a side he alighted from his horse, and was about to put of his apparell at a riuers side, where cōmaunding his horsemen to depart he purposed by himselfe & his chaplen alone to baath himselfe, because he was exceeding hot: where it so hapned that the Soldanes which had lyen in wayte for him as he trauelled negligentlye, came and toke him, and ledde the noble Emperour prisoner through the woods to the Soldan: his horsemen not knowinge thereof attending for him in vaine, at length came and sought diligentlye for him till the nexte daye. The rumour was broughte to the armye that he was drowned, whereuppon all the hoast lamented, wepte, and mourned heauilye, and sought him alonge the floude almost the space of an whole month: but when they could not finde him they chose them newe Captaynes, and so marched homeward.
The Emperour being brought to the Soldan did dissemble that he was one of ye Emperours chamberlaynes, but the Soldan perceyuinge by the picture which he had from the Pope, resembling his face that he was the Emperour, commaunded the picture to be broughte forth, and the le… ters to be read before him. The Emperour beinge astonished at this treason, sawe that it auayled not to denye himselfe, he confessed the truth, and besought the Soldan humblye to hauehave compassion on him. After the Soldan had talked much with him, and saw both by his wordes & deedes, that he was a worthie and noble gentlemā, in whom there was no vertue meete for so princely a parsonage wanting, and hauinge him in great estimation for his wisedome, his good demeanour, his faythfulnes and vprighte dealinge, thoughte he should purchase himselfe great glorye and renowne to deliuer him. Therefore afterward he called the Emperour vntounto him, offered him liberty vppon conditiōs, and curteouslye profered him that he should laye in hostages for his raunsome paying. And on this condition he let him go, that he shoulde make a perpetuall league of peace with him, and should paye an hundred thousand ducates, & should leaue his chaplen that was takē prisoner with him, to lye in pledge till it were payd: so writings were drawne of the conditions, and the Emperour prepared his iorney, and bad his chaplen be of good courage, promisinge him yt he would not take his rest in Germany, vntil the moneye were sent and that he saw him returned thether. Then the Soldā bestowed giftes on the Emperour, prouided for his voyage, and with xxxiiii. horses & certaine souldiours conducted him to Brixia, and stayed there. The Princes vnderstandinge of the Emperours returne, for ioye resorted fast vntounto him. The Emperour loadinge the Soldanes men wyth diuers rewardes sent them backe againe, and other with them to conduct them to the coast of the Empire. Afterward he held a Parliament at Norimberg, callinge together all the Princes of the Empyre, to whō he detected the treason of Pope Alexāder, and read the traytours Epistle which he sent to the Soldan, and tolde them by what meanes he escaped. The Princes promised to assist him to performe his promise to the Soldan, and in great disdaine against Pope Alexander traitour to the Empyre, they offred to ayde him. The armye was gathered, hee came to Rome, and not a man through out Italye withstoode him: and sending his Embassadours into the Citye, he demaū ded of the Romaynes (concealing his owne iniurye) that the Church might be brought to quietnes by hearing both the Popes causes heard: and that the right bishop mighte hauehave his place, whereby the Church might be gouerned by one. If they would do this, he promised that he woulde graunte them not onelyonly peace, but would restore them all their righte. Pope Alexander perceyuinge that by this meanes the Emperour mighte obtayne his purpose to be reuenged on him, fled by night to Caieta, afterward to Beneuent: last of all in the 17 yeare of his Popeship, he came to Venice disguised in the apparell of one that was his cooke, where lurking in an abbey he became a Gardener. A while after he was bewrayed and knowne, and there vponupon calling a councell by the commaundement of duke Sebastian, he was receyued with great honour, and brought into S. Maryes Church wt pontificall pompe. The Emperour hearing that the Pope was at Venice, desyred the Venetians to yeld to him his ennemye, being likewyse the ennemye of the common wealth. The Venetians denyed to do it: therefore ye Emperour sente his sonne Otho with a nauye of souldiours to demaund Alexander of them, but he charged him withall that he should attempt nothing in any case, till he himselfe were come vntounto him. But Otho being a lustye yonge Prince ful of courage and desirous of renowne, neglecting his fathers commaundement, would needes encounter the Venetians, whereby hee was ouercome, taken prisoner, bounde & brought to Venice. Herevpon Alexander began to set vp his crest and put out his hornes, and woulde not take peace with the Emperour in anye case, vnlesse the Emperour would come to Venice, & take suche conditions of peace, as hee woulde offer him. Whereuppon the good and carefull father to prouide for the infortunate miserye of his sonne, promised hee woulde come at the time appointed: and so came where they commoned vppon conditions of peace. But the Pope woulde not absolue the Emperour of excōmunication, till he came to S. Markes Church, where before all the people, Pope Alexander commaunded the Emperour to prostrate himselfe on the ground, and to craue pardon. The Emperour did as hee commaunded him: then the Pope trode on the Emperours necke with his foote, sayinge it is written: Thou shalt walke vppon the serpent and adder, and shalt treade downe vnderunder rhy feete the Lion and dragon. The Emperour disdayninge this reproche aunswered: It was not sayd to thee but to Peter. The Pope then treadinge downe his necke againe sayde: Both to mee and to Peter. The Emperour then fearing some daunger, durst saye no more, & so the peace was concluded. The conditions wherof are these, that the Emperour should vphold Alexander to be true Pope, that he should restore all that did belonge to the Church of Rome, which had beene taken away in ye warres: Thus the Emperour departed with his sonne. The Pope to shew himselfe thankfull to Venice, bestowed of his liberality giftes vppon duke Sebastian & ye Senate. First he gaue them a white Taper which onelyonly the Popes vsed to Beare. Secondlye he lycensed them to seale theyr letters with leade: and he graunted theyr Duke the third seate in the Popes Theatre. Fourthly he graunted that on Ascention daye, they should hauehave whole and perfit pardōs for euer at S. Markes Church. Fiftly he gaue the Duke viii. banners of silke, and an attier for the head like an hat. Afterward Alexander depriued the bishop of Papia of his Pall, & exempted him of the dignitye of caryinge ye Crosse, because he toke the Emperours part. He made many Canons in a councel at Lateran, as that an archbishop should not receyue his Pall, vnlesse he had sworne first to be true and obedient to the Pope. And that a man should not marrye his brothers wyfe beinge wydowe, that they that toke orders should vowe chastetye, that a bastarde should not be made a bishop, that the canonizinge of Saincts belonged onlye to the Pope, & that such sainctes should hauehave deuine honour. Amonge other he made Thomas Becket archbishop of Canterbury, & a rancke traytour to his prince (but stoutlye vpheld therein by the Pope) a sainct. He bounde kinge Henry the seconde, of Englande (excusing himselfe of the death of Thomas) yt his subiectes should franklye & freely appeale frō him to the Court of Rome, & that afterward none should be king of England, vnlesse he were first called king by the Pope. This arose vppon the quarel betwene the king and Thomas Becket, who so vexed and disquieted his soueraigne prince, with all the nobles and prelates of this Realme, with cursinges, excommunications, interditinges, threatninges, mouing both French kinge & Pope to moleste the kinge in his behalfe: and finallye as then Pope Alexander played the incarnate deuill against the Emperour, so did Becket rage like a subdeuill against the kinge in England, till certaine not able to endure his arrogante, seditious and trayterous doinges, in great despite therof slue him at Canterbury. He decreed that a mā shoulde not be deuorced frō his wyfe, though she had ye Leprosye. Also that those yt could be proued vsurers, shoulde neyther be admitted to the Communion, nor buryed in the Church: after these & other like deedes he dyed Anno 1181. Robert Montēsis Chronicle hath, yt Lewes king of Fraūce and Henry kinge of Englande, wayted on Pope Alexander as his gentlemē vsshers and footemen, the one leading his horse by the bridle on the right syde, and the other on ye left, throughe the whole City Taciacū to Legeris. In this Popes time the Sunne was Eclipsed, and earthquakes were eueryevery where. Also there were certaine called VValdenses who defended manye articles against the Pope and his doctrine, as transubstantiation, Purgatorye &c.
112. Lucius the thirde.
LVcius the thirde borne in Thuscia of an honourable stocke, succeded by consente of all the Cardinals. But the Romaynes so vexed him that hee was driuen oute of the Citye, and manye of his frendes and companye taken by the Romaynes, some were set vppon Asses with their faces towardes the tayle, and Miters on their heades, and so ledde throughe the Citye in mockadge, some vsed despitefullye otherwyse: Some had their eyes put oute by the Romaynes in a madnes, othersome murthered: & for this cause onelye, that he wente about to take away the name of Consuls in the Citye. The Pope sufferinge this great shame wente to Verona, where in a councell he condemned the Romaynes doinges, and euen then when the Christians were persecuted in Asia (which pretence of holines wrought the perill of many) that they might be succoured, because the ennemyes were emboldned to wast the bolye lande vnderunder their Captaine Saladinus, presuminge for that our Princes were at discētion. This Pope being mindfull of his coūtrye Thuscia bestowed large giftes vppon it, and obtayned of the Emperour that the Hetruriās should hauehave the selfe same coyne that the Lucēsians amōg them had, euen as the Lombards had onelye the money of Papia with the Emperours coyne. Valerius Anselmus wryteth that this Pope contrarye to other, allowed the Sacraments that were done by whoremaister chapleins, he dyed in Verona Anno 1185. In his time were greate earthquakes which did destroye diuers notable Cityes, & in Sicil were destroyed thereby fiue and twentye thousand parsons. The Armenians being at this time at greate debate with the Greeke Church, did for hatred thereof become subiect to the Church of Rome.
113. Vrbanus the thirde.
VRbanus who because of his troublesome dealings was nicknamed Turbanus, was borne in Millen. He as sone as he was made Pope, was carefull at the first to set the Christian Princes at concord, least while they were deuided the Pagās should destroy them: but lo how it fel out, for sayth Crantzius because the Emperour woulde not in all pointes followe his minde, hee purposed forthwith to drawe out his blade of excommunication against the Emperour, wherby he made the matter worse, but death toke him away in time and preuented him. As some thincke he dyed for griefe, because he heard dailye encrease of the miserye amonge the Christians, & how Saladinus triumphed in victorye against them, with their great slaughters, Hierusalem beinge taken againe, and kinge Guido also, as he was going to Venice to repayre his armye. In this Popes time on Midsōmer daye at vi. of the clocke in the morninge was an Eclipse of the Sunne, after which ensued a greate pestilence in Polonia, Russia, and other countryes. By the bolstring vp of this Pope the monkes of Canterbury did in matter of cōtrouersye out swaye both the archbishop and king theyr Prince Henry the second, who were glad to yeld to the monks their desire for feare of the Popes threatning.
114 Gregorie the eight.
GRegorie the viii. borne in Apulia succeded Vrban. At this time the Popes seemed very carefull for the recouery of the holy land, Iudea and Hierusalem, beinge but a vaine and false colour of them to weaken the Princes of Christēdome, wherby they might the better maister them one by one: and by this meanes also being so holy a shewe, they so occupied the mindes of Christian Princes, yt they coulde entende to hauehave no regarde to the Popes doinges, whoe in the meane time while they had no eye vntounto him, wrought his feates to the great enriching & aduauncinge of his owne dignitye. For so this Pope Gregorie, euen at his first entraunce did send letters to the Princes of Christendome, to rayse their armyes to go to recouer Hierusalem, and to spend their bloude in a vaine quarel: but as he was going to stir vp the Pisans & Genuans in this matter, he was poysoned, and so dyed before hee had raigned two monthes.
115. Clemens the third.
CLemens the third a Romaine sonne of one Iohn Scholar. He at his first entraunce sent out commaundement to make warre vppō the Sarracens: wheruppon the Princes raysed theyr armyes, the chiefe wherof are these, Frederick the Emperour, Philip king of Fraunce, Richarde king of Englande, and Otho duke of Burgundye, and diuers bishops and archbishops, with sondry people of Denmarke, Fryzeland and Flaunders, but yet they did almost nothing at all. King Richard of England comming nigh to Rome in his iourneye, met with one Octamanus bishop of Hostia, to whom he complayned much of the vnsaciable and shamefull simony vsed by the Pope and his courte, for taking vii. hūdred markes for consecrating the bishop Cenomanensis, also fifteene hundred markes of VVilliam byshop of Elye for his office of Legatship, beside an houge somme of money of the bishop of Burdeaux for absoluinge him, whē he should hauehave bene deposed for a crime vrged against him by his clergye. Anno 1188. VVilliam king of Sicil dyed, and left no heyre, and therefore the Pope by and by would needes claime it to be tributarye to the Church of Rome, and belonginge to it. But the peeres of the Isle chose Tancred bastard to king VVilliā. The Pope therefore determined to chalenge and try his right by the dinte of the sword, whereby he filled the world full of …poylings, and slaughter, and yet he obtayned not his purpose, and so left of. He made diuers Canons and amōg other this one, that none but the Pope might remoue a bishop from one sea to another, or to an hyer dignitye. Also he decreed that bishops should be preferred in dignitye aboue Princes. He commaunded to celebrate the Masse with vnleuened bread and wyne mingled with water, with many other ceremonyes. He sent a Cardinal into Poland to reforme ye clergy, who among other matters in a Synode there held, forbad them to hauehave wyues, and because the Danes decreed mariage lawful to their clergye, they were excomunicated by ye Pope, who dyed Anno 1191.