The Pageant of Popes, Book 6 · Part 16
136. Clement the fifte.
CLement the fifte was borne in Vasco, his father was one Bernard a noble knighte, he was first called Bertrad Goth, and was chosen Pope by the Cardinals after much strife at Peruse, he himselfe not beinge there. He agreeing to the election went from Burdigall to Lions, and sent for al the Cardinals, whither they came out of hand: where the Pope translatinge the court of Rome hether into Fraunce Anno 1305. continued still there threscore and ten yeares, to the great damage of the Romaynes. Philip king of Fraunce, and his brother Charles, & Iohn duke of Britaine, were at this Popes Coronation, where duke Iohn & xii. other mayned wt a wall that was ouerthrowne by the wonderfull prease of people, dyed out of hand. Also King Philip was somwhat wounded with the fall therof. And the Pope himselfe in so greate an hurly burly beinge thrust besyde his horse, lost a Carbunckle stone oute of his Miter, valued at sixe Thousande Florences. The pompe & triumphe beinge ended, hee made manye Cardinals of the Frenchmen, but none of the Italians, sauing that he restored to Iohn and Iames of Columna their Cardinalships. He sente three Cardinals with Senatours auctoritye to Rome, to gouerne it and Italy. He graunted to Frederick king of Sicill, the Isle Sardinia (inhabited of the Saracens) vponupon this condition, yt as sone as he coulde he should driue out the enemyes and recouer it, but to the vse of the Pope. To these wordes of Platina, Marius hath added this: Clement the fift (sayth he) because he desired not to serue other as Christe commaunded his Apostles, but to hauehave Emperours serue him, decreed by Canon, yt the Emperours appointed in Germany (although they bare ye name of ye king of Romaynes) should yet receiue of the Pope ye title, right, and name of Empire: and that the Emperour being dead, all the time the Empyre should be voide, the Pope should hauehave iurisdiction ouer those townes in Italye that are tributaryes to the Emperour. So much of Marius. Clement being an open whoremōger and maintayner of harlots, appointed the Popes Courte to be at Auenio for his owne pleasure. He rooted out ye Iewes called Templars, in a councell at Vienna Anno 1311. In the same councell be decreed that all religious orders exempted shoulde be subiect vnderunder the commō lawes as other were, but the Cistercian monks did purchase of him to be priuiledged, and gaue large bribes to him for it. Also the Franciscan friers offered him fortye Thousande Florences of golde beside other siluer, that they might against their rule hauehave a dispensation for landes and possessions: the Pope thereupon willed them to bring the money, & hauing taken assurance for it of certaine marchaunts which they brought, he both toke the money & tould ye fryers yt he would not nor could not breake S. Frauncis rule for any money, & thus he beguiled ye fryers. He aduaūced S. Iohns knights▪ called ye knights of the Roades, because they had won ye Roades frō the Saracens. He cōmaunded the master of the Tēplars to be burned wt one of his fellowes at Paris in presence of ye Cardinals, and made certaine decrees to bridle the disorder of the Iewes confiscating their goodes. He appointed punishmēt for such of the clergye as should busye themselues in secular affayres, or be costlye apparelled: and depriued monkes of hunting and hauking. He excommunicated the Venetians, the Florentines and Lucians, and cōfirmed Corpus Christi daye for an holye daye. He commaunded yt the reliques of Saincts should be reuerentlye honoured. He gouerned Italye by his deputyes two Cardinals: he made Celestine the fift a confessor Sainct: finally after diuers decrees of superstition, he dyed of the bloudye flixe, panged and pained somtime with a collicke, sometime payned in the guts, the sides and the stomacke, at Rocca Maura a tent vponupon Rodanus Anno 1314. His body was caryed to Carpentorate in Vascony: the seate was voyde 3. yeres. This same yeare also dyed Henry Lutsenburg the Emperour, poysoned by a monke called Bernad by the cōspiracy of the Guelphes, because he wēt about to take vpō him by force the kingdome of Sicill, beinge moued thereto by the Sicilians: for this cause the sayd monke (who had long dissembled frendship & good will to the Emperour) wrought his destruction in most sinfull and blasphemous manner: For against the good & godlye Emperour should come to receiue the Sacrament of the bodye of Christe, the cursed monke had prouided & tempered one hoaste wt such rancke poyson, yt the Emperour perceyued forthwith the horrible treason: and yet the godlye Prince as soone as he felt himselfe poysoned, gaue the trayterous monke warning to escape awaye with these woords: Sir, conuaye your selfe awaye, for if the Dutchmen perceiue this and oure godlye frendes, ye shall dye the death. The monke therefore goinge to Sene, receyued ye reward which was promised him, and yet he did not by this treason deliuer his fryerlye brethren, for many of them in Thuscia, Lombardy and other places, both men & houses perished with fyer and sworde. This Pope Clement toke displeasure with the Venetiās, and furiouslye yelded them as a pray and spoyle to all that would make hauocke of them and theirs. They therefore sent to him a noble man of Venice called Dandalus, to sue for fauoure and for the safety of their Citye: and to obtaine pardon this noble Frauncis Dandalus was fayne to yelde himselfe bounde in a chayne about the necke, and to couch at the Popes feete vnderunder his table, and there like a dogge to feede of the scrappes & bones that the Pope did cast vntounto him, ere he could asswage the Popes fury, as Sabelicus declareth Enned. 9. lib. 7.