France, and Charles, Count of Alençon; and that the latter had renewed his claim to the throne of Arragon; but that the Pope had now resolved to grant it to James, the son of King Peter; and did accordingly bestow it upon him.

About the same time the Pontiff commanded that James, King of Majorca, should be restored to his dominions by James of Arragon; and annulled all the laws and oaths of the king, barons, and people of Catalonia and Majorca uniting those states, forbidding them to adhere to their oaths and obligations.

Finding that Frederick, brother of King Peter of Arragon, was disposed to maintain the claim of his family to the throne of Sicily (then held by the Papal nominee Charles), the Pope endeavoured to bribe him into withdrawal of his claim, by promising to him the hand of Catherine, Empress of Constantinople, together with her dowry; and thereupon wrote to the Empress an admonitory letter requiring her to marry Frederick, and for that purpose to repair forthwith to the Papal presence.

Ascertaining that the people of Sicily were SO wickedly disposed as to refuse to accept the Papal nominee King Charles, and to pay obedience to him, Boniface thundered an excommunication against them; but learnt that these demons in human form, disregarding the excommunication, had actually accepted Frederick as their king, and crowned him at Palermo. The Vicar of Christ on this commanded James, King of Arragon, to

invade Sicily, and overthrow the dominion of Frederick. On the failure of the expedition, the Centre of Unity, no way daunted, compelled Charles, his nominee, to invade Sicily, together with William his son. The latter was unfortunately captured by the impious Sicilians. The Vicar of Christ returned to the charge, and obliged Robert, Duke of Calabria, to invade Sicily; but, sad to relate, this attempt also failed. The Centre of Unity would not tolerate any mention of peace; and most severely condemned King Charles his nominee, who, seeing the hopelessness of the attempt, was willing to make peace with Frederick. But the Vicar of Christ was determined to maintain his own authority, which was really at stake; and therefore he was infinitely more resolute and inveterate in his determination than anyone else concerned in the affair. At length, after a struggle of many years to impose a king upon Sicily, the Vicar of Christ was obliged to give remission of sins to a people who were found to be altogether beyond the influence of Christian motives.

Omitting any detailed notice of other cases, in which the Pope condemned kings in Germany and elsewhere for daring to take the regal title without his permission, we will pass to his dealings with France and England.

In 1296 the Pontiff, resolving to put an end to the war then existing between the kings of France and England, gave his Legate power to decide the question of their rights, and to annul all oaths and treaties which might stand in the way. These kings, however, as we have

seen, declared to the Pope that they acknowledged no master but God in their temporal affairs. Offended by this improper avowal, the Pope proceeded to act against King Philip. He, like other kings, had been obliged to call upon the clergy, with the rest of the nation, to contribute aids or feudal contributions towards the expense of the war. The Pontiff forthwith issued the Bull Clericis laicos, by which he excommunicated all prelates and clergy who should pay to laymen any aids or subsidies whatsoever, and all kings and magistrates who should levy or exact them. The king rejoined by an edict forbidding any exportation of the precious metals and other valuables from France, thereby preventing the Papal exchequer from being replenished. The Vicar of Christ fulminated another Bull, in which he thus admonished King Philip: If, which God forbid, it should be the intention of the maker (i.e. the king) to extend to us and our fathers, the prelates of churches, and to ours and their goods, not only in thy kingdom but everywhere else, it would be not merely unwise but insane to wish to extend rash hands to those things over which no power has been given to thee or to secular princes; yea, rather in thus rashly coming against ecclesiastical liberty, he would incur the sentence of excommunication, comprised in the published canon.'

Philip still continuing obdurate, the Vicar of Christ remarked, 'Is he not aware that I can turn him off like a groom?' Being threatened to his face with an Interdict

by the Papal Legate (one of his own subjects) Saisette, Bishop of Pamiers, King Philip banished the Legate from the kingdom. The Vicar of Christ instantly sent him back again. The king was desirous of proceeding against him for treason; but he could not touch any one who was in orders. He ventured on the hopeless expedient of trying to induce the Pope to degrade Saisette. The Vicar of Christ's reply was a Bull again forbidding the payment of Aids, Subsidies, &c.; and another entitled Ausculta Fili, in which he thus addressed the King: 'God has established us over kings and kingdoms; to pluck up, to destroy, to break, to scatter, to build, and to plant, in His name and by His doctrine. Do not let yourself be persuaded, therefore, that you have no superior; that you are not subject to the Head of the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy. He who thinks so is a madman; and whoever sustains such a notion is an infidel; and is separated from the flock of the Good Shepherd.' It was by this Bull that the Pontiff summoned the Council which drew up the Bull Unam Sanctam.

England also obtained a share in the Pontiff's attentions. It has been already seen that King Edward was commanded, under penalty of excommunication, to abstain from war against France. In 1298 the Pontiff interfered in the war between England and Scotland; and taking part with the Scots, forbad King Edward to make war upon them on the ground that the kingdom of Scotland belonged from ancient times to the Papacy; and not to England. He commanded the Archbishop of Canterbury accordingly to

admonish Edward I. A little later the Vicar of Christ demanded tribute from the King of England; to which the King and Parliament irreligiously replied, stating that this kingdom was not bound to pay tribute to the Apostolical See.

This slight sketch will furnish some notion of the position in which the Sovereigns of Europe were placed when Ultramontanism was in that ascendancy which it seeks to resume. It may enable us to understand the actual working of a system which the Papacy, and its agents, MM. Manning, Capel, Patterson, Veuillot, &c., are endeavouring to make once more predominant.

I am not about to dwell on the consequences which might be produced by attempts to re-establish the ascendancy of Ultramontanism. I am merely considering what effects it has produced; and that not so much for the purpose of pointing out their nature, as for that of explaining distinctly the principles of the system. These principles are expounded with the most admirable clearness in the Bull Unam Sanctam above referred to; as they have also been by the illustrious author of the Expostulation.' They are entirely homogeneous, harmonious, and consistent throughout; and Roman Catholic controversialists really need not be so much ashamed of them as they are, or struggle so hard to evade them. They comprise a clear and logical theory. It is only to be hoped that Dr. Manning may carry out his intention, and preach them without

reserve.

He is satisfied that his religion will benefit by so