The Pageant of Popes, Book 6 · Part 26
146. Benedict the xiij.
BEnedict the xiii was a Catalan borne and called Peter of the Moone: this mā euen in the time of the sciesme duringe was chosen Pope to succede Clement by those Cardinals which continued at Auenio. This fellow while he was but Peter of ye Moone & not Benedict Pope of Rome, did dispute against the auctoritye of the Pope and of his clergye, and said that it was not to be feared: and for this his true saying notwithstāding he became Pope, yet afterward he was and is still condemned by his successours for an hereticke. While he was but Cardinall being sente by Pope Clement Embassadour to Paris and other places, he vsed often to boast that if he might be chosen to succede Clement, he would spare no meanes to procure that this longe sciesme mighte cease. And therefore the Cardinals abused with his great protestations, did chose him in deede to succeede the other, but before the election they sware all and he among them, yt whosoeuer shoulde be chosen Pope should be cōtent at any time to resigne & giuegive it vp againe, if the Cardinals thinkinge it meete would require it. But afterward whē it came to tryal, he defying his oath would not yeld one iote, no though ye Cardinals & diuers Princes did exhorte him to it, and chargde him with his oath: and councels conclude against him that he was no Pope. But certaine estates of Fraunce moued with his troublesome obstinacy, did set vponupon him by force of armes: toke him priner and kepte him so three yeares, and yet could not make him giuegive ouer, but that he would first dye ere he would deminishe his dignitye: so that they being wearye of him, deliuered him againe at the end of the three yeares.
By his lawes it appeareth that being Pope he woulde that euen the wronge sentence of condemnation vttered by him and his sonnes shoulde be feared. Hee abode in his place (sayth Crantzius) till the time of the councell of Constance, and he swarued much in the auctorizinge of it: finally he began to be hardned being cast of in that coū cell. He continued in his obstinacye with his Cardinals, who also after his death endeuoured to continue and maintaine this strife by putting vp another to be Pope, but they were forbidden. Amonge other thinges this Pope gaue to the kinge of Fraunce (Charles the vi.) the tenthes of ye Church, partly to hyre the kinge to maintaine him in his quarel, partly that he might take part of this great lucre, and (sayth Theodoricus) he sawe it stoode him vponupon. He at length followed Boniface his practise in bestowing benefices, geuing dispensatiōs, tolleratiōs, exemptiōs, totquots, pardōs and such like enormityes, according to the saying: If thou sawest a theefe run thou did dest run vvith him. This he did to allure men from the obedience of Boniface to himselfe, ye better to maintaine his quarrel against him. Whē this Pope Benedict abode & plāted himselfe stronglye in his countrye, and auouched that he himselfe was ye true vicar of Christe, he was shamefullye reproued by the auctoritye of the said general councell. And yet he sommoned and helde a Synode in Perpinian, and created manye Cardinals. At the length he dyinge at Paeniscula Anno 1424. commaunded these his Cardinals to choose another in his steede forthwith: and they forthwith choose Giles Munyos canon of Barchynony, calling him Clement the eight, who out of hand at the motion of kinge Olphonsus did both create newe Cardinals, and toke vppon him to do those thinges that appertayned to the Pope. But when Pope Martin the fift came in fauoure with kinge Olphō sus, this Giles at his commaundement yelded vppe all the righte and estate of the Popedome being appointed bishop of Maiory: and in like maner they whom hee had made Cardinals, did likewyse giuegive ouer their Cardinalship.