G R E G O R Y. 



themfclvcs, and oppofcd the clcf^Icm of any oilier. At 

 !cn<;t!i t!ic mat^iilrutcs, tired out with t!ie delay, ordered them 

 to be clolelv ^confined in the billiop's palace, where they 

 were fuhjcfted to many inconvenienecs, and they began 

 daily to leffen their allowance of provilions. At length 

 they chofe Ti)eobalil, wh.o was at that time with the crii- 

 fade-.s in the Eail. Friars were difpatclied to announce to 

 him the important news ; they found him at Ptolem;!is, now 

 tailed Acre, wailing for a favourable opportnnity of pafimg 

 to Jeriifalem, but upon receiving the decree of his election, 

 herefolvcdto en>bark for Italy. Before his departure he 

 preached a fermon to the Cliriftians at Ptolemais from 

 thefe words, " If I forget thee, O Jerufalem, let my right 

 hand forget her cunning, &c." And in his fermon he gave 

 them very folema afliirances that he would render them 

 every afTitlance in his power. He never forgot his promiles, 

 Vnit both before and after his confecratlon, the fuccels of the 

 ciufades wai an objecl the nearelt his heart. With this view 

 he figniUed his intention of convening a general council at 

 I^yons in [1274, and invited Michael Palxologus to meet 

 it, in order to con\plete a work fo neceffary for the harmony 

 and fecurity of Chritlendom. In 1273, while Gregory 

 (a name which he alTnmed at his confecratlon ) was at Orvie- 

 to, Edward, who was now king of England, arrived at the 

 city on his return from ihe Holy Land, and was received 

 by the pope with every mark of elleem and affeftion. On 

 live king's complaining of the cruel murder of his coulin 

 Henry, Ion of the duke of Cornwall by Guido, the pope 

 iuilaiitly fumnioned Guido to appear before him within a 

 limited time. Upon his paying no regard to this iummons, 

 he was not only excommunicated, but declared infamous, \\ ith 

 ail his defeenJants to the fourth generation, and all were 

 anathematlfed, as eipially guilty, who (lioidd receive, favour, 

 or admit him into their hunfes. Finding himfelf driven from 

 fociety like a wild bealt, he embraced the opportunity of 

 the pope's travelling from Orvieto to Florence, unexpetled- 

 ly to make his appearance before him, ilrlpped of his gar- 

 ments to bis (hlrt, with a rope about his neck, begging for 

 mercy, and fnbmitting entlrelv to the clemency of his holi- 

 nefs. Gregory gave him his life, but delivered him up to the 

 Icing of Sicily to he kept in clofe confinement till his death. 

 Omitting the mere political events, which happened during 

 the pontificate, we obferve that in 1274 ^''^ general council 

 . vliicli Gregory had fummoned met alLyons, and was by far 

 the moft numerous of any that had ever been held. The 

 principal points which occupied its attention, were the pro- 

 curing relief for the Clu-iitians in the Eall, the union of the 

 Greek and Latin churches, and the reftoration of ecclefiafti- 

 cal difcipline. To the firil^objecl, Gregory perfuaded tl>e 

 dignified ecclefiaftics to devote a tenth of their income for 

 the fpace of fix years. While the council was deliberating, 

 Gregorv depofcd the bifiiop of Liege, en account of his 

 irregularities and profligacy. This council introduced the 

 famous conilitut'.on which provides that the cardinals fhallbc 

 Ihut up in the conclave during tiie vscancy of the pontilicate. 

 Gregory died foon after the termination of the council, 

 having held tlie Roman fee four years and four months. 

 Several of his " Letters" are extant 'in the clevenlli volume of 

 the *' Coll -ft Coucil.'" He is mentioned by hiftorinns on 

 account of his extraordinary fanftity, and ihere ferms 

 fuffieient reafon to believe that he was influenced by a milder 

 fpirit than many of his predeceffors. In none of them, 

 however, is it poffible to obferve any conduft at all corre- 

 fpon Amg to the benevolent fpirit of ChrKlianity : in none af 

 them do \ye behoM any attempt, however diftant, to imitate 

 the example of Chrilt, wiiofe difciples, in a fuperior degree, 

 they profeficd thenvftlves. Moreri. Bower, 



GuKGORY XL pope, fon of the cotmt de Beau* 

 fort, and nephew of pope Clement VI. was created cardi- 

 nal before he had completed his feventeenth year, 

 and even then had accumulated upon him a number 

 of rich benefices for the fupport of his new dignity. 

 He was honoured alfo with other high offices in the church, 

 while he was thus voung. At this time he coidd have made 

 no great progrefs in literary- acquirements, but it is much 

 to his credit that he afterwards applied himfelf fo clofely to 

 ftudv, under the inilrutlions of the learned Baldi and otlier 

 eminent tutors, as to become one of the ablell civilians, 

 canonirts, and divines of his time. Upon the death of pope 

 Urban V. he was chofen his fucceflbr, and was confecrated 

 at Avignon, which was then the feat of the papal rcfidence, 

 in the beginning of the year 1 37 1, when he was about forty 

 vears old. Almoft as foon as he was confecrated, lie fent 

 legates to mediate a peace between the kings of France ard 

 F^ugland, and wrote to thofe princes, pathetically exhorting 

 them to fpare the blood of their fubjeC^s, and to compofe 

 their differences in a Chrillian and amicable manner ; but un- 

 fortunately without fuccefs. In the fame year he created 

 twelve cardinals at once, and upon the cefTion of Siellv to 

 Frederic of AiTagon, Gregory erected that illand into a 

 kingdom, on condition that the kings fliould do him and his 

 fuccedors homage. In 1374, the Florentines, having en- 

 tered into an alliance with the Vilconti of Milan, invaded the 

 territories of the church, making themfelves mailers of 

 feveral cities, and encouraging the people to throw off the 

 papal yoke, and refume their liberty. Gregory's remon- 

 llrances on this occafion being frultlefs, he iffued out a bull of 

 excommunication againll the Florentines, which prohibited 

 all people and nations from any communication or commerce 

 with them ; declared their eihites forfeited, and the lawful 

 property of thofe who Ihould ieize them. To his bull 

 Gregory added other and ftill more foixible arguments to 

 convince the Florentines of their error. He raifed an army 

 of ten thouf^ind men which he fent under the command of the 

 cardinal of the twelve apoftles ; and which was fuccefsful in 

 Hopping the ravages of the enemy. The Florentines, whofe 

 exiitence almoll depended on their commerce, finding their 

 traffic entirely flopped by the pope's bull, thought it prn- 

 dent to make an attempt at reconciliation with the apoftolic 

 fee, but the term.s to effeft this could not be agreed on by 

 both fides, and hollilltles were carried on with ardour, and 

 chiefly in favour of the invaders. Gregory had hitherto 

 rcfided at Avignon, though he had frequently been invited 

 to Rome. In 1377, he arrived in that city, where he was 

 received with great marks of joy by perfons of all ranks, 

 but the magiftrates, though anxious for his prefence among 

 them, refufed to give up any part of their power. Gregory 

 having no means of eilablifhing his authority, thought it 

 prudent, and becoming his dignity, to withdraw to An;igni ; 

 but before he left Rome, he \\ rote feveral letters to England, 

 againfl Wickliff and his doftrlnes, commanding the impri- 

 fonmcnt of that wortiiy reformer and the fupprelHon of his 

 opinions. AVickliff, h.owever, was fo much refpefted and 

 beloved by the Engliih nobility, and people at large, that 

 the blfhops, to whom the pope's letters were addrelfed, did 

 not dare to attempt his arreft. Towards the clofe of the 

 year, Gregory, having come to fome terms with the citi- 

 zens of Rome, returned to that city, where he continued to 

 receive many mortifications, which led him to the refolution 

 of removing the papal feat to Avignon. Eut before he 

 could execute his rviolution he was taken off by death in 

 1378, after a pontificate of little more than feven years. 

 Fie left bctiind him n any letters, of which the gi'eater part 

 have been publifhed by Waddingus, He ie praifed by his 



biographer* 



