The Pageant of Popes, Book 6 · Part 27
147. Innocent the seuenth.
INnocent the seuenth was borne at Sulmo & called Cosmarus of Peruse: he being Cardinal of the holy Crosse, while all Italye was in an vprore he was made Pope to succede Boniface ye ix. While this Innocēt was but Cardinal (as Plat. sayth) he purposed to reproue ye dastardlines & negligence of the former Popes, saying yt theyr s…oath was the cause yt the sciesme of xl. yeares in the Church of Rome and the destructiō of the common wealth was not redressed. But he hauing gotten the Popedome, and following the fashions of Boniface & Vrban in diuers things (which beinge but a Cardinall he had reproued) he did not onelye that which in other hee had so much condemned, but also would be highly offended if anye man should hauehave mentioned it vntounto him. He gouerned all thinges so disorderly, yt when the Romaynes requyred to hauehave the Capitoll, theyr libertye, kight bridge, and Adrian castel to be restorde vntounto them, and were verye earnest that he should take awaye this daungerous deuision in ye Church, pacify the warres, and qualify the seditions, whereunto the French king promised his ayde, & Peter Moone denyed not to take peace: then the Pope sente the Romaynes to Lewis his nephewe (dwelling in the hospital called the holy ghostes hospital) as to an hangmā for the purpose, who forthwith murthered xi. of the Citizens, which came to procure redresse for theyr countrye, which by the maliciousnes and negligence of the Pope was broughte almost to confusion. The saide Lewis first stripped them naked, then he murthered them, and last of all threw them gasping for breath out at a windowe sayinge: We cannot cast out sedition by anye other meanes then this, Where their bodies lay mangled in the streates till it was night. By the which crueltye the Romaynes being much enraged seeking assistance of Ladislaus king of Apulia, they range a larum bell and put themselues in armour, to reuenge the villany vponupon Lewis. But the Pope to shonne the furye of the people fledde in all post hast with his nephew the murtherer to Viterbium, in the extreame heate of the daye, so that he and some Cardinals that fled wyth him being sore heated were almost choaked and dead for wante of drincke, but xxx. of his companye perished out right. Also one of the pezantes killed the abbot of Peruse by the way hard beside the Pope, & another pezant killed one of the court for greedines of a pot of drincke before the Popes face: and all theyr bodies that dyed by yt waye were left vnburyed. Also after the Pope was come to Viterbium, many of his court dyed with drinkinge sodenlye cold wyne. Then the people for anger that they could not ease theyr stomackes vponupon the woorkers of this treacherye, turned their rage vppon the courtiers, whose goodes for the most part was spoyled and taken away, but some courtiers by report were saued in Cardinals houses. Afterwarde they hauinge taken the Capitoll and wonne Right bridge, attempting in vaine to assault Adriā castel. In this broyle Iohn Columna Earle of Troye, and other noble Captaynes of great bands, wyth Ladislaus his furtheraunce, ioyned wyth the Romaynes. And hereof arose a bloudy conflict ioyned wyth much villanye (sayth Theodoricus) betweene the Guelphes and Gibelines, these fightinge for the Citye, the other ioyned wyth the Vrsines for the Clergye lasted many dayes in the Citye wt murther, rauishing of womē, robbing & spoyling wtout cōtrolmēt. Many Cardinals were vsed vnreuerently, taken & led to ye Capitoll and there beaten wt coodgels, some prelates had their garments torne of their backes and lay long in cruel prison, the Popes treasury was robbed and pilfred, many of his bulls and pardons with other such wrytinges were rente and torne. And (sayth Theodoricus) who can tell all the vile touches vsed in the Citye. The pictures of Pope Innocent were in al places daubed with durt and greater despites doone against him. But in the ende all thinges being appeased, because it was thought that Innocentius much misliked this murther done by his nephew as he dissembled it, the Pope returned to Rome and choose more Cardinals, among whom were Angel Corrarius a Venetian, Peter Philargus borne in Candy, and Otho Columna a noble Romaine. He hauing thus fortifyed his Popeship, created his bloudye nephewe Lewis Marques of Picene, and also appointed him afterward Prince of Firma. He commaunding the halfe of Ecclesiastical liuinges both in Fraunce and England, toke the foyle in this matter for it was denyed him (sayth Gaguinus) after the which hee liued not longe but dyed Anno 1407. at Rome. Theoricus sheweth how yt whē these sturres were hot in Rome, on a nighte in Auguste such tempestes happened that two Nunnes standinge together, were slaine wyth a flashe of lightninge, and diuers houses, walles and towers were beaten downe. Also he reporteth yt this Innocentius refusing contrary to his oath at his election, to come to agreement with Peter Moone (the other Pope yt stoode against him) was straungelye touched by the hand of God ye same time: for hauing hyred his freindes to be a meanes that he shoulde neuer be more moued to giuegive vp his estate, he was sodeinly taken wyth a straunge Palsey in the face, all men saying it was Gods iudgement for his dissembling, But he was recouered of this ere he returned to Rome.