V.

CHAP. ment of this indignity and outrage, that within few days the ambassadors were set at liberty, and returned again to Avignon. Having thus provided for the liberty and security of the ambassadors, he prosecuted as vigorously and as passionately the vindication of his own honour; and caused all those of his own family, or of dependance upon him, of what quality soever, and against all the importunity that could be used, to be condemned and executed. Some were hanged before the gate of the house from whence the ambassadors had by force been taken out, and others in other places of the city; and because his Mareschal, (who had been much in his favour,) when he found that the Pope could not be prevailed with on his behalf, to prevent the public disgrace, had killed himself, sentence was pronounced against him after he was dead, and his body deprived of Christian burial, and hanged up in the fields in the public place of execution, "inclusum in una theca lignea, inter duas

Interdict of certain

towns in

66

bigas appensâ ad terrorem aliorum." By this exemplary justice (which made a good noise in the world) Benedict XII. freed himself from all suspicion of partiality; and though Philip (it may be) would have been better pleased if he had been so, yet he was thought to have much the more reverence for him.

When Edward the Third assumed the title of King of France, and called Philip only Count de Flanders. Valois, and by that name sent him a challenge to fight singly with him, or each to bring two hundred knights, some towns of Flanders, (as Lisle, Douay, and Orchiers,) partly out of displeasure to their own Earl, and partly out of their inclination to Edward, (to whom the Flemings were generally well affected,) opened

V.

opened their gates and proclaimed Edward for their CHAP. King, and took an oath of fidelity to him; with which Philip was highly offended, and complained to the Pope, and desired assistance from his spiritual sword. He said that they were not reduced by the chance or force of war; for England had brought no army before those places, nor had put any garrisons into them; but the people, by a mere act of treason and rebellion, had taken upon them to reject and renounce their true and lawful King, and to choose another for themselves, who had no title but the voluntary oath of fidelity that they had made to him. Hereupon Pope Benedict laid all those places under an interdict, which all the priests in the several places obeyed exactly; whereby all the people at first were under great consternation. But the English presently sent them ecclesiastics of their country, who Edward III. were not so scrupulous, and who presently opened sets it at detheir churches, celebrated the mass, and performed fiance. all other offices of their functions, with the same confidence it had been formerly done; and in a short time the people became generally as well satisfied as they had been before. As that ecclesiastieal artillery was still called for, and desired by those who believed it would do them good, so it never did any execution where it was not feared; and Edward well enough knew the ingredients of which it was compounded; and the Pope knew that King too well, to renew and prosecute those censures against his own immediate subjects, who were not Flemings, but were only executing their master's commands.

of England

of Benedict

This Pope was too good to live long; for he in- Character tended only what was good for the public, without XII. any private thoughts. He had always hoped to have

V.

CHAP. seen Christendom in such a posture of peace and amity, that the princes thereof might have been engaged in a war against the Infidels; and to that purpose he had, with much husbandry, collected a great treasure, which he left entirely to his successor, without having ever given any of it to any of his kindred in which kind of bounty he was so restrained and severe, that he never preferred to any prelature more than one ecclesiastical person who was allied to him; and that was upon the importunity of the Cardinals, in conferring the bishopric of Arles upon a person so worthy, that if he had not been his cousin, he would have been by him thought worthy of a greater preferment; and if any body else had been Pope, he could not have failed of a better of his lay kindred, though he reigned eight years, he never preferred one; and he had only one niece, whom several of the greatest nobility desired to marry, but he would not hearken to any proposition, and married her to a plain citizen of Thoulouse, a merchant, and gave her such a portion as the merchant's estate did well deserve.

Clement

VI. elected.

After Benedict, succeeded the Archbishop of RouMakes the en, who was called Clement the Sixth. He pursued cities which the former sentences against the Emperor with the ed to Lodo- same spirit as his predecessors had done, sending his

had adher

vico swear,

as matter of bull to the electors, requiring them to proceed to a

Catholic

faith, that new election, and deposed the Elector of Mentz be

the Pope

peror.

was above cause he adhered to the Emperor; with which prothe Em- ceedings some of the rest were so frighted, that they made choice of Charles the Fourth to be Emperor ; which probably would have come to little if Lodovico had not suddenly died of an apoplexy. The cities which had adhered to Lodovico were freed by

the

V.

the Pope from their censures, after they had sworn, CHAP. as matter of Catholic faith, that the Pope was above the Emperor, an oath which he durst not make a part of the religion of France.

makes it

present or

person

collation

Rome.

It was in this Pope's time that our Edward the Edward III. Third so much restrained the jurisdiction of the death for Pope, by the laws that were then made, that none of any man to his subjects should commence any suit in the court admit any of Rome, and that it should be death for any man to upon any present or admit any person upon any collation from from Rome; for the reason and ground of which, though we find no other cause in our records than the wisdom of that Catholic King, and the policy of the government in those Catholic times, yet a very good pontifical history tells us, that that displeasure in the King of England proceeded from the Pope's having denied to create a person a Cardinal who was recommended by his Majesty. And if this be true, it seems the most Catholic princes did resent disrespects from the Pope, with another kind of severity than they could have done if they had believed that his jurisdiction over them and their subjects had been of divine right. But whatever the reason was, this great King did, during his whole reign of fifty years, keep his authority from being invaded by the Pope; and though he had very much to do in France, where the Pope was powerful, (his residence being at Avignon, even to the year that King died,) he did from first to last, by the advice and full consent of his whole kingdom, enact as severe laws, and in almost as sharp terms, against the Papal power, as ever was done in after times by Harry the Eighth, whose memory they charge with

CHAP. seen Christendom in such a posture of peace and

V.

Clement

VI. elected.

amity, that the princes thereof might have been engaged in a war against the Infidels; and to that purpose he had, with much husbandry, collected a great treasure, which he left entirely to his successor, without having ever given any of it to any of his kindred in which kind of bounty he was so restrained and severe, that he never preferred to any prelature more than one ecclesiastical person who was allied to him; and that was upon the importunity of the Cardinals, in conferring the bishopric of Arles upon a person so worthy, that if he had not been his cousin, he would have been by him thought worthy of a greater preferment; and if any body else had been Pope, he could not have failed of a better of his lay kindred, though he reigned eight years, he never preferred one; and he had only one niece, whom several of the greatest nobility desired to marry, but he would not hearken to any proposition, and married her to a plain citizen of Thoulouse, a merchant, and gave her such a portion as the merchant's estate did well deserve.

After Benedict, succeeded the Archbishop of RouMakes the en, who was called Clement the Sixth. He pursued cities which the former sentences against the Emperor with the ed to Lodo- same spirit as his predecessors had done, sending his

had adher

vico swear,

Catholic

the Pope

as matter of bull to the electors, requiring them to proceed to a faith, that new election, and deposed the Elector of Mentz bewas above cause he adhered to the Emperor; with which prothe Em- ceedings some of the rest were so frighted, that they made choice of Charles the Fourth to be Emperor ; which probably would have come to little if Lodovico had not suddenly died of an apoplexy. The cities which had adhered to Lodovico were freed by

peror.

the