challenges and the causes of them, in the accustomed manner, he bade
them do their duty. Sir William, who was the appellant, issued first
out of his pavilion, and marched proudly toward his adversary, who was
advancing to meet him. They threw their lances without effect, and
then made use of their swords: but in this last combat the Englishman
was slightly wounded below his armour, when the king instantly put an
end to the fight. They were both very honourably led out of the lists,
and conducted to their lodgings.
The other combat was between the seneschal of Hainault and sir John
Cornwall, an english knight of great renown, and who had married a
sister to the king of England[24]. This combat was undertaken by the
two knights at the desire of the duke of Burgundy, when at Lille, to
show their prowess in running a few courses with the lance and giving
some strokes with the battle-axe: but when the duke had caused the
lists to be prepared, the two champions were ordered by the king to
repair to Paris, and to perform their deeds of arms in his presence.
According to these orders, and on the appointed day, sir John Cornwall
entered the lists first, very grandly equipped, and, galloping his
horse around, came before the king, whom he gallantly saluted. He was
followed by six little pages mounted on as many war-horses, the two
first of which were covered with furniture of ermines, and the other
four with cloth of gold. When he had made his obeisances, the pages
retired without the lists.
Shortly after, the seneschal arrived, attended by the duke of Brabant
and his brother, the count de Nevers, each holding a rein of his horse,
on his right and left. The count de Clermont bore his battle-axe, and
the count de Penthievre his lance. When he had made the circuit of the
lists, and had saluted the king, as sir John Cornwall had done, they
prepared to tilt with their lances; but as they were on the point of so
doing, the king caused it to be proclaimed that they should not proceed
in this matter, which was very displeasing to both of them, and forced
them to return to their hôtels.
It was again proclaimed, by the king’s orders, that this deed of arms
should not be carried further,--and that in future no one, under pain
of capital punishment, should, throughout his realm, challenge another
to a duel without a substantial cause.
When the king had magnificently feasted these two knights, and shown
them much honour at his court, they departed, as it was said, for
England, with the intention of completing their deed of arms.
During this time, the cardinal de Bar, son to the duke of Bar, and
Guye de Roye, archbishop of Rheims, in company with master Peter
d’Ailly, bishop of Cambray, and several other prelates and churchmen,
were journeying to the general council which was to be held at Pisa,
and took up their lodgings one night at a town called Voltri, on the
sea-coast, about four leagues from Genoa. At this place the blacksmith
of the archbishop had a quarrel with a blacksmith of the town, about
the price of shoeing a horse, which proceeded from words to blows, and
the archbishop’s blacksmith killed the other, and fled instantly for
safety to the lodgings of his master.
The townsmen immediately rose,--and a great number of them came to
revenge the death of their countryman. The archbishop, hearing of the
cause of this tumult, left his chamber, and kindly addressed them,
promising to have the injury immediately repaired, according to their
wishes; and, the more to appease them, he delivered up his blacksmith
into the hands of the magistrate of the place, who was a lieutenant of
Boucicaut marshal of France, then governor of Genoa.
But this was of no avail,--for as the archbishop was speaking to them,
without the door of his house, one of the mob thrust his javelin right
through his body to the heart, so that he dropped down dead without
uttering another word. It was a great pity, for he was a religious
prelate, and of a noble family.
This deed, however, did not satisfy them; for instantly after they
murdered the magistrate and the aforesaid blacksmith, and also
endeavoured to force their way into the house, whither the cardinal de
Bar and the greater part of the others had retired, in order to put
them likewise to death.
They were, however, at length appeased by the principal inhabitants,
and it was concluded that the cardinal should grant them his pardon for
what they had done against him,--to which, indeed, he was induced by
his attendants, from their fears of being all destroyed.
They never told him of the murder of the archbishop until he was gone
two leagues from the town: on the hearing of it, he was so troubled,
and sick at heart, that he was near falling off his mule. His
attendants, notwithstanding, made him hasten his pace as much as they
could; for they were alarmed for their lives, after the instances they
had seen, and from the numbers of people they perceived descending
the hills, and the accustomed signs they saw when a town is under any
apprehension of danger, and the ringing of bells in the manner usual on
these occasions.
These signals were sounded throughout the country, and the peasants
were seen running down the hills to overtake them; but when they were
arrived within a league of Genoa, the marshal Boucicaut[25] came out
with a handsome company to meet him. The cardinal made loud complaints
to him of the outrages that had been committed on his people at the
town of Voltri, and demanded that he would judicially inquire into it.
The marshal replied, that he would make so severe an example of that
town that all others should take warning from it.
The cardinal was then conducted into the city of Genoa, where he was
made welcome by the churchmen and other inhabitants; and this same
day the body of the archbishop of Rheims was brought thither, and
honourably interred,--and his obsequies were performed in the principal
church of Genoa.
Shortly after, the marshal Boucicaut punished most severely all whom
he could apprehend that had committed these outrages, with their
accomplices: they were put to death in various ways, and their houses
also were razed to the ground, that these executions might serve for
warnings to others never to commit such cruel murders.
The cardinal de Bar, with his companions, now set out from Genoa, and
travelled, by easy day’s journies, to Pisa, where were assembled a
prodigious number of cardinals, doctors in theology, and graduates in
civil law and other sciences, ambassadors and prelates, in obedience
to the two popes, from different kingdoms, and from all parts of
Christendom.
After many councils had been held on the schism in the church, they
came at last to this conclusion: they unanimously condemned the
two rival popes as heretics, schismatics, obstinate in evil, and
perturbators of the peace of our holy mother the church. This sentence
was passed in the presence of twenty-four cardinals, at the gates
of Pisa, before all the people, the 15th day of June, in the year
aforesaid.
The same cardinals, after invoking the grace and assistance of the
holy Spirit, entered into conclave, where they remained until the 16th
day of the same month, when they finished their election. They chose
Peter of Candia, so named from being a native of that island: he was
of the order of Friars Minors, created a doctor in theology at Paris,
archbishop of Milan and cardinal; and, when consecrated sovereign of
the true and holy catholic church, he took the name of Pope Alexander V.
O, most powerful God! how great was the joy thus caused, through thy
never-failing grace; for it is impossible to relate the shoutings and
acclamations that resounded for more than a league round the city of
Pisa. But what shall we say of the city of Paris? Why, when this joyful
news was brought thither, on the 8th of July, they incessantly shouted,
night and day, ‘Long live Alexander V. our pope!’ in all the squares
and streets, and entertained all passengers with meat and drink, from
their heartfelt happiness. When the ceremony of consecrating the pope
was over, letters were sent to different persons, the more fully to
explain the proceedings of the council. I shall insert the one written
by the abbot of Saint Maixence to the bishop of Poitiers, the tenor of
which was as follows.
‘Reverend father, and my redoubted lord, after my humble respects being
accepted, I know that your reverence would gladly be informed of the
proceedings of the council, which has been held in the city of Pisa,
and any intelligence concerning it; and it is for this reason I have
indited the following lines to your reverence.
‘First, then, on the 25th day of March all the cardinals, who had been
created by both popes, and all the prelates then in Pisa, assembled
in the church of St Martin, which is situated beyond the river, on the
road leading to Florence, and thence being dressed in their robes, with
mitres on their heads, they made a grand procession to the cathedral
church, which is as distant from that of Saint Martin as our church of
Nôtre Dame at Paris is from that of St Martin des Champs. There the
council always afterward assembled; and on this first day, mass was
celebrated with great solemnity: the sermon was preached by my lord
cardinal of Milan, of the order of Friars Minors, a great theologian.
When the service was over, the morrow was fixed on to open the council,
and the two popes were summoned to attend on that day at the gates of
the church by two cardinals; but neither of them appeared, nor any one
for them.
‘The council continued to sit till the latter end of March, when the
popes were again summoned to appear, but neither of them obeyed. The
council therefore having required the two rival popes to come before
them, on account of the schism that has reigned in the church, and
neither of them appearing, or sending any one to make satisfactory
answers for them, and the term allotted for their appearing being
elapsed, declared them both guilty of the schism that distresses the
church, and of contumacy, by their conduct, toward the council.
‘The council ordered prosecutions to be carried on against both of the
popes, on the Monday after Quasimodo-Sunday, the 15th of April, when
my lords cardinals celebrated together the service of the holy week.
On Good Friday, my lord cardinal d’Orsini celebrated divine service in
Saint Martin’s church; and a secular doctor of divinity, from Bologna
la Grassa, preached an excellent sermon.
‘My lords cardinals were all present at the ceremonies of Easter
Sunday. During the ensuing week they assembled in council, sometimes
alone, at others they called in the prelates, to deliberate on the
state of affairs, and what line of conduct should be pursued; and every
thing was carried on with mutual good will on all sides. This week the
ambassadors from the king of the Romans arrived at Pisa.
‘On the Sunday of Quasimodo, an italian bishop said mass before the
cardinals; and a cordelier from Languedoc, a doctor in divinity
preached the sermon, in which he greatly praised my lords cardinals
from France, and such as were seeking to restore peace to the
church,--but very harshly treated the two contending popes, calling
them schismatics, heretics, and traitorous enemies to God and to his
church. He chose for his text, ‘Jesus dixit, Pax vobis,’ which he
handled extraordinarily well.
‘The following Monday, the cardinals, prelates, ambassadors, and
procurators then present, made oath to obey the decisions of the
council. Mass was then chaunted, and succeeded by many prayers; then
the litany was sung, at which all the cardinals and prelates, dressed
in their robes and mitres, attended, and so continued as long as the
sittings of the council lasted, which made it a handsome sight to see.
‘This same day, the council gave audience to the ambassadors from
Robert king of the Romans; and the bishop of Verdun, on the part of
Robert, who favoured pope Gregory as much as he could, began his
harangue, taking for his theme, ‘Pax vobis.’ He made many mischievous
propositions, to divide and distract the council, in obedience to
his master, and to serve the false pope Gregory. There were with
this bishop an archbishop of a foreign order, and a numerous body of
attendants. When the bishop had made his propositions, the ambassadors
were required to deliver the same in writing, and to show their
procurations from their lord. A day was then fixed to hear the answer
of the council to their propositions; but before this day arrived, the
ambassadors went away without taking leave of their host.
‘This week of Quasimodo, the lord Malatesta came to Pisa in great
state: he had given to pope Gregory one of his castles called
Rimini[26], and made the following request to the cardinals assembled,
as well on the part of pope Gregory as on his own,--namely, that it
would please the members of the council to adjourn its sittings, and
change the place of its meeting; that if they would so do, pope Gregory
would attend personally, provided the situation were in a place of
safety, and that he might have security for his coming to and going
from it.
‘In consequence of this request, the cardinals summoned the prelates to
notify it to them; but they unanimously declared, they would neither
consent that the place of holding the council should be changed nor
that the meetings of it should be adjourned. This answer was very
agreeable to the cardinals. The lord Malatesta, therefore, returned
without having succeeded in his object; but his anger was appeased by
some of the cardinals, his friends and acquaintance.
‘From the 15th of April, the council continued sitting to the 23d
of the said month,--when, after the solemnity of the mass, the
advocate-fiscal demanded, that the council should declare, that the
conjunction of the two colleges of cardinals of the holy church of Rome
had been, and was, lawful and canonical at the time it was formed.
‘Item, that it should declare, that this holy council is duly
canonical, by the cardinals of both colleges assembling for so
excellent a purpose.
‘Item, that this holy council has been called together by the cardinals
of both colleges with a good intent.
‘Item, that it has been assembled at a convenient opportunity.
‘Item, that it should declare, that this holy council, as representing
the universal church of God, has a right to take cognizance of the
merits of the two competitors for the papacy.
‘Item, that a narrative should this day be read of the introduction and
commencement of the schism that took place from the time of the death
of pope Gregory X. until the convention of this holy general council.
‘In this narrative were displayed all the tricks and deceits that had
been made use of, either individually or conjunctively by the two rival
popes.
‘After it had been read, the advocate fiscal drew several conclusions
against the said rivals and their pretensions to the papacy, and ended
his harangue by demanding that they should be deposed and punished
corporally, and that the council should proceed to the election of a
true and holy pope.
‘The sittings were prolonged to Saturday the 27th day of the same
month, when the ambassadors from the king of England entered the
council with a most magnificent state.--The bishop of Salisbury[27],
in the diocese of Canterbury, made a handsome speech, urging the
necessity of peace and union in the church.
‘When he had finished, the advocate-fiscal made an interesting oration,
and concluded by demanding, through the procurator of the holy council,
that it would please to appoint a commission of certain wise, discreet,
and experienced persons to examine witnesses as to the notorious sins
charged on the two competitors for the papacy, and his request was
granted.
‘The second Sunday after Easter, mass was celebrated before the
cardinals, and the sermon was preached by the bishop of Digne in
Provence: he was of the order of Friars Minors, a learned doctor in
divinity, and had ever been a great friend to Pietro della Luna, and
was well acquainted with the tricks and cavils of both popes. This
bishop delivered a good sermon from his text of ‘Mercenarius fugit,’ in
which he discovered many deceptions of the two rivals, in descanting on
the words of his text.
‘The sittings were continued from this Sunday to the 2d day of May,
when mass was said before the cardinals; and the sermon was preached
by the cardinal Prenestin, more commonly called the cardinal of
Poitiers.--He delivered a good discourse, and chose for his text,
‘Libera Deus Israel ex omnibus tribulationibus suis.’ He urged in his
sermon eleven conclusive arguments against the two popes, for refusing
to give peace to the church, and ended by requiring the council, in
consideration of their obstinate contumacy, to proceed against them and
provide a pastor for the flock of God.
‘On the 2d day of May, there was a general meeting of the council,
when, after the usual solemnities, a very renowned doctor of Bologna
made a reply to the insidious propositions of the bishop of Verdun, on
the part of the emperor Robert. He condemned, by arguments drawn from
divine, canon, and civil law, all that had been advanced by the bishop;
and his reasoning was so just and clear that the council were much
satisfied and comforted.
‘The ensuing Sunday, mass was said before the cardinals, and the sermon
was preached by the general of the order of Augustins. He was a great
doctor in divinity, and a native of Italy. He chose for his text, ‘Cum
venerit ille arguet mundum de peccato, et de justitia, et de judicio.’
He discussed this subject very well, and with a good intent.
‘The sittings were prolonged from this 2d of May to the 10th.--The
patriarch of Alexandria celebrated mass before the cardinals on the
feast of the revelation of St Michael, the 8th of May; and he likewise
preached a sermon, taking for his text, ‘Congregata est ecclesia ex
filiis Israel et omnes qui fugiebant a malis additi sunt, et facti
sunt illis ad firmamentum.’ These words are written in the 2nd and 5th
chapters of the first book of Machabees. In the course of this sermon,
he pressed six arguments against the two rival popes.
‘On Friday, the 10th of May, the council, after the usual solemnities,
resumed its sittings, when the advocate-fiscal made the following
requisitions: that the holy council would be pleased to confirm and
approve the demands he had before made, namely, that it should declare
that the union of the two colleges of cardinals has been and is legal;
and that the council should pronounce definitively on the other demands
he had made. The procurator fiscal made a request to the council, that
eight days should be allowed for the production of witnesses; and the
council was adjourned to the 16th of May.
‘On the Sunday preceding that day, mass was said before the cardinals
by the bishop of Faenza; and the sermon preached by a native of
Arragon, a learned doctor in divinity, who had always been of the party
of Pietro della Luna. He chose his text from one of St Paul’s epistles,
‘Expurgate vetus fermentum ut sitis nova conspersio.’ He expatiated on
this with such ability that all the doctors wondered. Drawing from it
certain conclusions, he said that the two rivals were as much popes
as his old shoes, calling them worse than Annas and Caiaphas, and
comparing them to the devils in hell.
‘Such things passed in the council to the 23d day of this present
month, as I have briefly related, on which day the ambassadors from the
king of Spain were to come to Pisa. The number of prelates that were
present cannot be estimated, for they were daily increased by new ones,
who came from all parts of Christendom. I should suppose that at the
last sitting of the council there were present of cardinals, bishops,
archbishops, and abbots, wearing mitres, one hundred and forty, without
counting the non-mitred members.
‘There were also ambassadors from the kings of France, England,
Jerusalem, Sicily, Cyprus, and Poland; from the dukes of Brabant,
Austria, Stephen of Bavaria, William of Bavaria; from the counts of
Cleves and of Brandac[28]; from the marquis of Brandenbourg and de
Moraine[29]; from the archbishops of Cologne, Mentz and Saltzbourg, and
from the bishop of Maestricht; from the grand master of the Teutonic
order; from the patriarch of Aquileia, and from many princes in Italy.
Numbers of doctors in divinity, and in the canon and civil law, were
present, as well from France as from other countries, and very many
procurators from divers parts of the world, who, by the grace of God,
have held instructive and charitable conversations together from the
commencement of the council until this moment.
‘In the city of Pisa are abundance of all sorts of provisions, which
are sold at reasonable prices; but they would be much cheaper, were
it not for the gabelles and taxes that are levied in these countries.
In my mind, Pisa is one of the handsomest cities existing: it has a
navigable river, within a league distant, running into the sea,--and
which river brings large vessels, laden with different merchandise, to
the town. Around the city are vineyards of white grapes and many fine
meadows.
‘We are very well lodged, considering the great number of men at
arms quartered in it for its guard. The town has been conquered by
the Florentines, who have banished many of the Pisans to prevent any
treasons, and sent them to Florence, to the amount of two thousand; and
they are obliged to show themselves twice every day to the governor at
an appointed place, under pain of death.
‘Four or five thousand of the Pisans went to ask succour from king
Lancelot[30], who, in compliance with their request, advanced within
five leagues of Pisa, with a force of twenty-three thousand combatants,
as well horse as foot; but the Florentines, through the grace of God,
are well able to resist all his power, and guard us. True it is, that
this king Lancelot ran a risk of losing his kingdom by the union of
the holy church, for he had tyrannically seized on a large part of the
patrimony of St Peter.
‘It was said that there were certain ambassadors from Pietro della Luna
at the council, not with the intent of forwarding the union, but of
throwing every obstacle in its way.
‘There were nineteen cardinals of both colleges, at this council
at Pisa, including the cardinal de Challan, whose attendants were
arrived,--and the cardinal was to follow with the ambassadors from
Savoy.
‘My lords the cardinals are much displeased with those bishops,
abbots, and chapters of cathedral churches, who have neglected to send
procurators to this general council. I have nothing more to send to
you at present.--Written at Pisa the 15th day of May, by your humble
monk and servant, the abbot of St Maxence.’
The direction was, ‘To the reverend father in JESUS CHRIST, and by the
grace of God, lord bishop of Poitiers, and chancellor to my lord the
duke of Berry.’
CHAP. IX.
THE AMBASSADORS TO THE COUNCIL FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF PARIS
WRITE LETTERS, TO INFORM THOSE WHO HAD SENT THEM OF WHAT
HAD PASSED AT THIS COUNCIL.--PIETRO DELLA LUNA AND GREGORY
ARE DEPRIVED OF THE PAPACY, AND ALL PERSONS FORBIDDEN BY
THE HOLY COUNCIL FROM OBEYING EITHER IN ANY MANNER.--PETER
OF CANDIA, A CORDELIER, IS ELECTED BISHOP OF ROME BY THE
CARDINALS.--REGULATIONS FOR THE APPROBATION OF THE GENERAL
COUNCIL.
I shall now transcribe the letters written by the ambassadors from the
university of Paris to the council at Pisa, the contents of which are
as follows.
‘Reverend fathers, lords and masters, after offering you our humble
recommendation, may it please you to know, that we write to inform you
of the conclusions entered into by the council-general, which has held
thirteen sittings.
‘The two rival popes, having for some time been waited for in vain,
notwithstanding the summons sent them, have been declared contumacious
in respect to schism and the faith. Many decrees were passed against
them for their contumacy, and commissioners were appointed to examine
witnesses against them.