guished himself by his noble opposition to these papal encroachments. In 1268, before he set out for the Holy Land, he secured the rights of the Gallican church against the insidious attempts of the popes, by that famous edict, known in France by the name of the pragmatic sanction.* This resolute and prudent measure rendered the pontiffs more cautious and slow in their proceedings, but did not deter them from the prosecution of their purpose. For Boniface VIII. maintained, in the most express and impudent terms, that the universal church was under the dominion of the pontiffs, and that princes and lay patrons, councils and chapters, had no more power in spiritual things, than what they derived from Christ's vicar upon earth.

consequence of this arrogant pretension, that || now the tutelar saint of that nation, distinthey not only claimed the right of disposing of ecclesiastical benefices, as they are commonly called, but also of conferring civil dominion, and of dethroning kings and emperors, according to their good pleasure. It is true, this maxim was far from being universally adopted; many placed the authority of councils above that of the pontiffs, and such of the European kings and princes as were not ingloriously blinded and enslaved by the superstition of the times, asserted their rights with dignity and success, excluded the pontiffs from all concern in their civil transactions, and even reserved to themselves the supremacy over the churches that were established in their dominions.* In thus opposing the haughty pretensions of the lordly pontiffs, it was, indeed, necessary to proceed with mildness, caution, and prudence, on account of the influence which those spiritual tyrants had usurped over the minds of the people, and the power they had of alarming princes, by exciting their subjects to rebellion.

IV. The legates, whom the pontiffs sent into the provinces, to represent their persons, and execute their orders, imitated perfectly the avarice and insolence of their masters. They violated the privileges of the chapters; disposed of the smaller, and sometimes of the more important ecclesiastical benefices, in favour of such as had gained them by bribes, or the like considerations; extorted money from the people, by the vilest and most iniquitous means; seduced the unwary by forged letters and other stratagems of that nature; ex

themselves, the ringleaders of the most furious and rebellious factions; carried on, in the most scandalous manner, the impious traffic of relics and indulgences, and distinguished themselves by several acts of profligacy still more heinous than the practices now mentioned. Hence we find the writers of this age complaining unanimously of the flagitious conduct and the enormous crimes of the pope's legates. We even see pope Alexander IV. enacting, in 1256, a severe law against the avarice and frauds of these corrupt ministers,§ which, however, they easily evaded, by their friends and their credit at the court of Rome.

III. In order to establish their authority, both in civil and ecclesiastical matters, upon the firmest foundations, the Roman pontiffs assumed to themselves the power of disposing of the various offices of the church, whether of a higher or more subordinate nature, and of creating bishops, abbots, and canons, accord-cited tumults among the multitude, and were, ing to their fancy. Thus we see the heads of the church, who formerly disputed with such ardour against the emperors in favour of the free election of bishops and abbots, overturning now all the laws that related to the election of these spiritual rulers, reserving for themselves the revenues of the richest benefices, conferring vacant places upon their clients and their creatures, and often deposing bishops who had been duly and lawfully elected, and substituting others for them with a high hand.†|| The hypocritical pretexts for all these arbitrary proceedings were an ardent zeal for the welfare of the church, and an anxious concern, lest devouring heretics should get a footing V. From the ninth century to this period, among the flock of Christ. The first pontiff the wealth and revenues of the pontiffs had who usurped such an extravagant extent of not received any considerable augmentation; authority, was Innocent III., whose example but at this time they were vastly increased was followed by Honorius III., Gregory IX., under Innocent III., and Nicolas III., partly and several of their successors. But it was by the events of war, and partly by the munikeenly opposed by the bishops, who had hith-ficence of kings and emperors. Innocent, as erto enjoyed the privilege of nominating to the smaller benefices, and still more effectually by the kings of England and France, who employed the force of warm remonstrances and vigorous edicts to stop the progress of this new jurisprudence.§ Louis IX. king of France, As a specimen of this, the reader may peruse the letters of Innocent III. and the emperor Otho IV., which have been collected by the learned George Christ. Gebauer, in his history of the emperor Richard, written in German. Other princes, and more especially the kings of England and France, displayed, in the defence of their rights and privileges, the same zeal that animated Otho.

soon as he was seated in the papal chair, reduced under his jurisdiction the præfect of Rome, who had hitherto been considered as subject to the emperor, to whom he had taken an oath of allegiance in entering upon his office. He also seized the territories of Ancona, Spoleto, and Assisi, the town of Montebello, and various cities and fortresses which had, according to him, been unjustly alienated from

* Boulay, tom. iii.

See Baluzii Miscellanea, tom. vii.

See that judicious and excellent writer Matth. Many examples of this may be taken from the Paris, in his Historia Major, p. 313, 316, 549, and history of this century. See Steph. Baluzii Miscellan. particularly p. 637, where we find the following retom. vii.-Gallia Christiana tom. i. Append.-Wad-markable words: "Semper solent legati, et omnes ding, Annal. Minor. in Diplomat.-Wood, Antiquit. Oxon. tom. i.

See the Epistle of Innocent IV. in Baluz. Mis cellan. tom. vii.

Boulay, Histor. Acad. Paris. tom. iii. iv.

nuncii papales, regna quæ ingrediuntur depauperare vel aliquo modo perturbare." See also Boulay, Hist Acad. Paris. tom. iii. p. 659.

§ This edict is published by Lami, in his Delicia Eruditorum, tom. ii. page 300.

eternal reproach, with the ignominious silence of a passive obedience.

the patrimony of St. Peter.* On the other had rendered his dominions subject and trihand, Frederic II., who was extremely desirous butary to the church, and saluted him publicly that the pope should espouse his quarrel with at Rome, with the title of king.* We omit Otho IV., loaded the Roman see with the many other examples of this phrenetic pretenrichest marks of his munificence and libe- sion to universal empire, which might be prorality, and not only made a noble present induced from the letters of this arrogant pontiff, valuable lands to the pope's brother, but also and many other acts of despotism, which Eupermitted Richard, count of Fundi, to be- || rope beheld with astonishment, but also, to its queath all his possessions to the Roman see, and confirmed the immense donation that had formerly been made to it by the opulent Matilda. Such was the progress that Innocent III. made, during his pontificate, in augmenting the splendour and wealth of the church. Nicolas III. followed his example with the warmest emulation, and, in 1278, gave a remarkable proof of his arrogance and obstinacy, in refusing to crown the emperor Rodolphus I. before he had acknowledged and confirmed, by a solemn treaty, all the pretensions of the Roman see, of which, if some were plausible, many were altogether groundless, or, at least, || extremely dubious. This agreement, to which all the Italian princes subject to the emperor were obliged to accede, was no sooner concluded, than Nicolas reduced under his temporal dominion several territories in Italy, that had formerly been annexed to the imperial crown, particularly Romania and Bologna. It was therefore under these two pontiffs that the see of Rome arrived, partly by force, and partly by artifice, at that high degree of grandeur and opulence, which it yet maintains in our times.§

VII. The ambition of this pope was not satisfied with the distribution and government of these petty kingdoms. He extended his views farther, and resolved to render the power and majesty of the Roman see formidable to the greatest European kings, and even to the haughty emperors themselves. When the empire of Germany was disputed, about the commencement of this century, between Philip, duke of Suabia, and Otho IV. third son of Henry the Lion, he espoused at first the cause of Otho, thundered out his excommunications against Philip, and on the death of the latter (which happened in 1209,) placed the imperial diadem upon the head of his adversary. But, as Otho was by no means disposed to submit to this pontiff's nod, or to satisfy to the full his ambitious desires, he incurred his lordly indignation; and Innocent, declaring him, by a solemn excommunication, unworthy of the empire, raised in his place Frederic II. his pupil, the son of Henry VI. and king of the two Si cilies, to the imperial throne, in 1212. same pontiff excommunicated Philip Augustus, king of France, for having dissolved his marriage with Ingelburga, a princess of Denmark, and espoused another in her place; nor did he cease to pursue this monarch with his anathemas, until he engaged him to receive the divorced queen, and to restore her to her lost dignity.

The

VI. Innocent III., who remained at the head of the church until the year 1216, followed the steps of Gregory VII., and not only usurped the despotic government of the church, but also claimed the empire of the world, and entertained the extravagant idea of subjecting all the kings and princes of the earth to his lordly sceptre. He was a man of learning and VIII. But of all the European princes, none application; but his cruelty, avarice, and arro- felt, in so dishonourable and severe a manner, gance, clouded the lustre of any good quali- the despotic fury of this insolent pontiff, as ties which his panegyrists have thought pro- John, surnamed Sans-Terre, or Lackland, king per to attribute to him. In Asia and Europe, of England. This prince vigorously opposed he disposed of crowns and sceptres with the the measures of Innocent, who had ordered most wanton ambition. In Asia, he gave a the monks of Canterbury to choose Stephen king to the Armenians: in Europe, he usurped Langton (a Roman cardinal of English dethe same exorbitant privilege in 1204, and con- scent) archbishop of that see, notwithstanding ferred the regal dignity upon Primislaus, duke the election of John de Grey to that high digof Bohemia. The same year, he sent to Jo-nity, which had been regularly made by the hannicius, duke of Bulgaria and Wallachia an extraordinary legate, who, in the name of the pontiff, invested that prince with the ensigns and honours of royalty, while, with his own hand, he crowned Peter II., of Arragon, who

convent, and had been confirmed by royal authority.§ The pope after having consecrated Langton at Viterbo, wrote a soothing letter in his favour to the king, accompanied w th four

*Murat, Ant. Ital. medii Ævi, t. vi. J. de Ferreras, Hist. d'Espagne, t. iv.

All this is amply illustrated in the Orig. Guel

* See Franc. Pagi, Breviar. Romanor. Pontif. tom. iii. p. 161.-Muratori, Antiq. Ital. tom. i. p. 328. †This brother of the pontiff was called Richard.phicæ, tom. iii. lib. vii. See, for an account of this transaction, Muratori's fifth volume, p. 652.

Odor. Raynaldus, Continuat. Annal. Baronii, ad annum 1212.

§ Raynaldus ad annum 1278. The papal grandeur and opulence, however, were seriously impaired by the fury of the French revolution, and, although the success of the allied powers replaced the pontiff on his throne, his power is now at a low ebb.-EDIT. See Matth. Paris. Hist. Maj.

Other historians affirm, that the emperor Philip was the potentate who conferred the royal dignity upon Primislaus, in order to strengthen his party against Otho.

VOL. I.-44

Boulay, Histor. Acad. Paris. tom. iii.-Daniel, Histoire de la France, tom. iii.-Gerard du Bois, Histor. Eccles. Paris. tom. ii.

Dr. Mosheim passes lightly over this rupture between king John and Innocent III. mentioning in a few lines the interdict under which England was laid by that pontiff, the excommunication of the king's person, and the impious act by which the English were declared to be absolved from their allegiance. The translator, however, thought this event of too great importance to be treated with such brevity, and has, therefore, taken the liberty to enlarge considerably this eighth section, which contains only twelve lines in the original.

1

rings, and a mystical comment upon the pre- || prevent the approaching rupture, and to avert cious stones with which they were enriched. the storm. This artful legate terrified the But this present was not sufficient to avert the king, who met him at that town, with an exjust indignation of the offended monarch, and || aggerated account of the armament of Philip he sent troops to drive out of the kingdom the on the one hand, and of the disaffection of the monks of Canterbury, who had been engaged English on the other; and persuaded him that by the pope's menaces to receive Langton as there was no possible way left of saving his their archbishop. He also declared to the pon- dominions from the formidable arms of the tiff, that, if he persisted in imposing a prelate French king, but that of putting them under upon the see of Canterbury, in opposition to the protection of the Roman see. John, finda regular election already made, the conse- ing himself in such a perplexing situation, and quences of such presumptuous obstinacy would, full of diffidence both in the nobles of his court in the issue, prove fatal to the papal authority and in the officers of his army, complied with in England. Innocent was so far from being this dishonourable proposal, did homage to Interrified by this menacing remonstrance, that, nocent, resigned his crown to the legate, and in 1208, he sent orders to the bishops of Lon- then received it as a present from the see of don, Worcester, and Ely, to lay the kingdom Rome, to which he rendered his kingdoms triunder an interdict, in case of the monarch's butary, and swore fealty as a vassal and feudarefusal to yield, and to receive Langton. John, tory. In the act by which he resigned, thus alarmed at this terrible menace, and unwilling scandalously, his kingdoms to the papal juristo break entirely with the pope, declared his diction, he declared that he had neither been readiness to confirm the election made at compelled to this measure by fear nor by force; Rome; but in the act that was drawn up for but that it was his own voluntary deed, perthis purpose, he wisely inserted a clause to formed by the advice, and with the consent, prevent any interpretation of this compliance, of the barons of his kingdom. He obliged himthat might be prejudicial to his rights, dignity, self and his heirs to pay an annual sum of seand prerogative. This exception was rejected, ven hundred marks for England, and three hunand the interdict was proclaimed. A stop was dred for Ireland, in acknowledgment of the immediately put to divine service; the churches || pope's supremacy and jurisdiction; and conwere shut in every parish; all the sacraments sented that he or such of his successors as were suspended except that of baptism; the should refuse to pay the submission now st.pudead were buried in the highways without the lated, to the see of Rome, should forfeit all usual rites or any funeral solemnity. But, right to the British crown. "This shameful notwithstanding this interdict, the Cistertian ceremony was performed (says a modern hisorder continued to perform divine service; and toriant) on Ascension-day, in the house of the several learned and respectable divines, among Templars at Dover, in the midst of a great whom were the bishops of Winchester and concourse of people, who beheld it with confuNorwich, protested against the injustice of the sion and indignation. John, in doing homage pope's proceedings. to the pope, presented a sum of money to his representative, which the proud legate trampled under his feet, as a mark of the king's dependance. Every spectator glowed with resentment, and the archbishop of Dublin exclaimed aloud against such intolerable insolence. Pandulf, not satisfied with this mortifying act of superiority, kept the crown and sceptre five whole days, and then restored them as a special favour of the Roman see. John was despised before this extraordinary resignation; but now he was looked upon as a contemptible wretch, unworthy to sit upon a throne, while he himself seemed altogether insensible of his disgrace."

The interdict not producing the effects that were expected from it, the pontiff proceeded to a still farther degree of severity and presumption, and denounced a sentence of excommunication against the person of the English monarch. This sentence, which was issued in 1209, was followed about two years after by a bull, absolving all his subjects from their oath of allegiance, and ordering all persons to avoid him, on pain of excommunication. But it was in 1212, that Innocent carried his impious tyranny to the most enormous length, when, assembling a council of cardinals and prelates, he deposed John, declared the throne of England vacant, and authorized Philip Augustus, king of France, to execute this sentence, undertake the conquest of England, and unite that kingdom to his dominions for ever. He, at the same time, published another bull, exhorting all Christian princes to contribute whatever was in their power to the success of this expedition, and promising, to such as would assist Philip in this grand enterprise, the same indulgences that were granted to those who carried arms against the infidels in Palestine. The French monarch entered into the views of the pontiff, and made immense preparations for the invasion of England. John, on the other hand, assembled his forces, and was putting himself in a posture of defence, when Pandulf, the pope's legate, arrived at Dover, and proposed a conference in order to

IX. Innocent III. was succeeded in the pontificate by Cencio Savelli, who, assuming the title of Honorius III., ruled the church above ten years, and whose government, though not signalized by such audacious exploits as those of his predecessor, disclosed an ardent zeal for maintaining the pretensions, and supporting the despotism, of the Roman see. It was in consequence of this zeal that the new pontiff opposed the measures, and drew upon himself the indignation of Frederic II. that magnani

*For a full account of this shameful ceremony, see Matthew Paris, Historia Major; Boulay's Hist.

Acad. Paris, tom. iii. and Rapia's Histoire d'Angleterre, tom. ii.

the Charter of resignation, which may be seen at Cadet a jure regni, is the expression used in length in the Historia Major of Matthew Paris.

Dr. Smollet.

mous prince, on whose head he himself had || were equally provoking to the pope's avarice placed, in 1220, the imperial crown. This and ambition, drew the thunder of the Vatican spirited prince, following the steps of his illus- anew upon the emperor's head. Frederic was trious grandfather, had formed the resolution publicly excommunicated in 1239, with all the of confirming the authority, and extending the circumstances of severity that vindictive rage jurisdiction of the emperors in Italy, of de- could invent, and was charged with the most pressing the small states of Lombardy, and re- flagitious crimes, and the most impious blasducing to narrower limits the immense credit phemies, by the exasperated pontiff, who sent and opulence of the pontiffs and bishops; and a copy of this terrible accusation to all the it was with a view to the execution of these courts of Europe. The emperor, on the other grand projects, that he deferred the execution hand, defended his injured reputation by soof the solemn vow, by which he had engaged lemn declarations in writing, while, by his vichimself to lead a formidable army against the torious arms, he avenged himself of his adverinfidels of Palestine. The pontiff, on the other saries, maintained his ground, and reduced the kand, urged with importunity the emperor's pontiff to the greatest difficulties. To extrideparture; encouraged, animated, and strength- cate himself from these perplexities, the latter ened, by secret succours, the Italian states that convened, in 1240, a general council at Rome, opposed his pretensions; and resisted the pro- with a view of deposing Frederic by the unagress of his power by all the obstacles which nimous suffrages of the cardinals and prelates the most fertile invention could suggest. These who were to compose that assembly. But the contests, however, had not yet brought on an emperor disconcerted that audacious project open rupture. by defeating, in 1241, a Genoese fleet, on board of which the greatest part of these prelates were embarked, and by seizing, with all their treasures, the reverend fathers, who were all committed to close confinement. This disappointment, attended with others which gave an unhappy turn to his affairs, and blasted his most promising expectations, dejected and consumed the despairing pontiff, and apparently contributed to the conclusion of his days, which happened soon after this remarkable event.*

X. In 1227, Hugolin, bishop of Ostia, whose advanced age had not extinguished the fire of his ambition, or diminished the firmness and obstinacy of his spirit, was raised to the pontificate, assumed the title of Gregory IX., and kindled the feuds and dissensions, that had already secretly subsisted between the church and the empire, into an open and violent flame. No sooner was he placed in the papal chair, than, in defiance of justice and order, he excommunicated the emperor for delaying his expedition against the Saracens to another year, though the postponement manifestly arose from a fit of sickness, which seized that prince when he was ready to embark for Palestine. In 1228, Frederic at last set out, and arrived in the Holy Land; but, instead of carrying on the war with vigour, as we have already had occasion to observe, he entered into a truce with Saladin, and contented himself with the recovery of Jerusalem. The pretended vicar of Christ, forgetting (or rather unwilling to persuade himself) that his master's 'kingdom was not of this world," made war upon the emperor in Apulia during his absence, and used his utmost efforts to arm against him all the European powers. Frederic, having received information of these perfidious and violent proceedings, returned into Europe, in 1229, defeated the papal army, retook the places he had lost in Sicily and in Italy, and, in the succeeding year, made his peace with the pontiff, from whom he received a public and solemn absolution. This peace, however, was not of long duration; for the emperor could not tamely bear the insolent proceedings and the imperious temper of Gregory. He therefore broke all measures with that headstrong pontiff, distressed the states of Lombardy that were in alliance with the see of Rome, seized the island of Sardinia, (which Gregory regarded as a part of his spiritual patrimony,) and erected it into a kingdom for his son Entius. These, with other steps that

Under the feeble reign of Henry III. the pope drew immense sums out of England for the support of this impious war, and carried his audacious avarice so far, as to demand a fifth part of the ecclesiastical revenues of the whole kingdom.

XI. Geoffry, bishop of Milan, who succeeded Gregory IX., under the title of Celestine IV., died before his consecration, and after a vacancy of twenty months, the apostolic chair was filled by Sinibald, one of the counts of Fieschi, who was raised to the pontificate in 1243, assumed the denomination of Innocent IV., and yielded to none of his predecessors in arrogance and fury. His elevation, however, offered at first a prospect of peace, as he had formerly been attached to the interests of the emperor; and accordingly the conferences were opened, and a reconciliation was proposed; but the terms offered by the new pope were too imperious and extravagant, not to be rejected with indignation. Hence it was that Innocent, not thinking himself safe in any part of Italy, set out from Genoa, the place of his birth, for Lyons, in 1244, and assembling there a council in the following year, deposed Frederic, in presence of its members, though not with their approbation, and declared the impe

*Beside the original and authentic writers col· lected by Muratori, in his Scriptores rerum Italica rum, and the German and Italian historians, few or their accounts of these unhappy contests between none of whom are absolutely free from partiality in the empire and the papacy, see Petrus de Vineis, Epistol. lib. i. and Matthew Paris, in his Historia Major. Add to these Raynaldi Annal.-Muratori, Evi, tom. iv. p. 325, 517. Annal. Italiæ, tom. vii. et Antiquit. Italic. medii It must, however, be observed, that this branch of history stands yet in need of farther illustration.

† See the Hist. Maj. of Matthew Paris, ad annum 1254.

These preliminary conditions were, 1st, That the emperor should give up entirely to the church the inheritance which was left to it by Matilda; and, 2dly, That he would oblige himself to submit to whatever terms the pope should think fit to propose, as conditions of peace.

rial throne vacant.* This unjust and insolent || yet certainly with the consent, of the Roman decree was regarded with such veneration, and pontiff,) are well known to such as have the looked upon as so weighty by the German smallest acquaintance with the history of these princes, seduced and blinded by the supersti- unhappy times. tion of the times, that they proceeded instantly XIII. Upon the death of Clement IV.,* to a new election, and raised first, Henry, land- there arose warm and vehement contests among grave of Thuringia, and, after his death, Wil- the cardinals concerning the election of a new liam, count of Holland, to the head of the em- pontiff. These debates, which kept the Ro pire. Frederic, whose firm and heroic spirit man see vacant during the space of almost supported without dejection these cruel vicis- three years, were at length terminated in fa situdes, continued to carry on the war in Italy, vour of Theobald, a native of Placentia, and until a violent dysentery put an end to his life, archbishop of Liege, who was raised to the on the 13th of December, 1250. On the death pontificate in 1271, and assumed the title of of his formidable and magnanimous adversary, Gregory X. This devout ecclesiastic was in the Innocent returned into Italy, hoping now to || Holy Land when he received the news of his enjoy with security the fruits of his ambition. election; and, as he had been an eye-witness It was principally from this period, that the of the miserable condition of the Christians in two famous factions, called Guelphs and Gui- that country, he had nothing so much at heart, bellines, of which the latter espoused the cause as the desire of contributing to their relief. of the emperors, and the former that of the Hence it was, that, immediately after his conpontiffs, involved all the Italian states in the || secration, he summoned a council at Lyons, in most calamitous dissensions, though their ori- 1274, in which the relief and maintenance of gin is much earlier than this century. the Christians in Palestine, and the re-union of the Greek and Latin churches, were the two points that were to come principally under deliberation. This assembly is acknowledged as the fourteenth general council, and is rendered particularly remarkable by the new regulations that were introduced into the manner of electing the Roman pontiff, and more especially by the famous law, which is still in force, and by which it was enacted, that the cardinal electors should be shut up in the conclave during the vacancy of the pontificate. With respect to the character and sentiments of the new pope we shall only observe, that, though he seemed to be actuated by a milder spirit than many of his predecessors, he inculcated, without the least hesitation, the odious maxim of Gregory VII., which declared the bishop of Rome lord of the world, and, in a more particular manner, of the Roman empire. It was in consequence of this presumptuous system, that, in 1271, he wrote an impeperious and threatening letter to the German princes; in which, deaf to the pretensions and remonstrances of Alphonso, king of Castile,‡ he ordered them to elect an emperor without delay, assuring them, that, if they did not do it immediately, he would do it for them. This letter produced the intended effect; an electoral diet was assembled at Franckfort, and Rodolphus, count of Hapsburg, was raised to the imperial throne.

XII. Raynald, count of Segni and bishop of Ostia, was raised to the pontificate after the death of Innocent, in the year 1254, and is distinguished in the list of the popes by the name of Alexander IV. During the six years and five months that he governed the see of Rome, his time was less employed in civil affairs, than in regulating the internal state of the church, if we except the measures he took for the destruction of Conradin, grandson of Frederic II. and for composing the tumults that had so long prevailed in Italy. The mendicant friars, in particular, and among them the Dominicans and Franciscans, were much favoured by this pontiff, and received several marks of his peculiar bounty.

He was succeeded in the Roman see, A. D.|| 1261, by Urban IV. a native of Troyes, of ob- || scure birth, who, before his elevation to the pontificate, was patriarch of Jerusalem, and after that period was more distinguished by his institution of the Festival of the Body of Christ, than by any other circumstance in the course of his reign. He had, indeed, formed several important projects; but their execution was prevented by his death, which happened in 1264, after a short reign of three years. His successor, Guy Fulcodi, or Clement IV. a native of France, and bishop of Sabino who was raised to the see of Rome in 1265, did not enjoy much longer that high dignity. His name, however, makes a greater figure in history, and was rendered famous in many respects, and more especially by his conferring of the kingdom of Naples upon Charles of Anjou, brother to Louis IX. king of France. The consequences of this donation, and the melancholy fate of Conradin, the last descendant of Frederic II., (who, after an unfortunate battle fought against Charles, was publicly beheaded by the barbarous victor, if not by the counsel, *This assembly is placed in the list of ecumenical or general councils; but it is not acknowledged as such by the Gallican church.

† Beside the writers already mentioned, see Nicol. de Curbio, Vit. Innocentii IV. in Baluzii Miscellan. tom. vii.

See Murat. Diss. de Guelph. et Guibel. in his Ant. Ital. med. Æv. t. iv.

XIV. Gregory X. was succeeded, in 1276, by Peter of Tarentaise, of the Dominican order, and bishop of Ostia, who assumed the name of Innocent V., and died about four months after his election. Ottoboni, a native of Genoa, and cardinal of St. Adrian, was chosen in his place, took the title of Adrian

* Which happened in November, 1268. † For records of this election, see Wadding, Annal. Minor. t. iv. p. 330.

Alphonso, king of Castile, had been elected emperor in 1256, by the archbishop of Treves, the duke of Saxony, the margrave of Brandenburg, and the king of Bohemia, in opposition to Richard, earl of Cornwall, who was at the same time raised to the same dignity by the archbishops of Mentz and Cologne, the count Palatine of the Rhine, and the duke of Bavaria.