PART II. CENT. gory; and afterwards undertook a journey into XI. France, where he held the famous council of Clermont, and had the pleasure of kindling a new war against the infidel possessors of the holy land. In this council, instead of endeavouring to terminate the tumults and desolations that the dispute concerning investitures had already produced, this unworthy pontiff added fuel to the flame, and so exasperated matters by his imprudent and arrogant proceedings, as to render an accommodation between the contending parties more difficult than ever. Gregory, notwithstanding his insolence and ambition, had never carried matters so far as to forbid the bishops and the rest of the clergy to take the oath of allegiance to their respective sovereigns. This rebellious prohibition was reserved for the audacious arrogance of Urban, who published it as a law in the council of Clermont [q]. After this noble expedition, the restless pontiff returned into Italy, where he made himself master of the castle of St. Angelo, and soon after ended his days in the year 1099; he was not long survived by his antagonist Clement III. who died the following year, and thus left Raynier, a Benedictine monk, who was chosen successor to Urban, and assumed the name of Pascal II. sole possessor of the papal chair at the conclusion of this century. The state of the mon XXI. Among the eastern monks in this cenastic orders. tury, there happened nothing worthy of being consigned to the records of history, while those of the [q] To the fifteenth canon of this council the following words were added: "Ne episcopus vel sacerdos regi vel alicui laico in manibus ligiam fidelitatem faciant," i. e. " It is enacted, that no bishop or priest shall promise upon oath liege obedience to any king or any laymen." They are entirely mistaken, who affirm that Gregory prohibited the bishops from taking oaths of allegiance to their respective sovereigns, as Cardinal Noris has sufficiently demonstrated in his Istoria delle Investiture, chap. x. p. 279. XI. PART II. the west were concerned immediately in transac- CENT. tions of great consequence, and which deserve the attention of the curious reader. The western monks were remarkable for their attachment to the Roman pontiffs; this connection had been long formed, and it was originally owing to the avarice and violence of both bishops and princes, who, under various pretexts, were constantly encroaching upon the possession of the monks, and thus obliged them to seek for security against these invasions of their property in the protection of the popes. This protection was readily granted by the pontiffs, who seized, with avidity, every occasion of enlarging their authority; and the monks, in return, engaged themselves to pay an annual tribute to their ghostly patrons. But in this century things were carried still farther; and the pontiffs, more especially Gregory VII. who was eagerly bent upon humbling the bishops, and transferring their privileges to the Roman see, enlarged their jurisdiction over the monks at the expence of the episcopal order. They advised and exhorted the monks to withdraw themselves and their possessions from the jurisdiction of the bishops, and to place both under the inspection and dominion of St. Peter [r]. Hence it happened that, from the time of Gregory, the number of monasteries that had received immunities, both from the temporal authority of the sovereign and the spiritual jurisdiction of the bishops, were multiplied beyond measure throughout all Europe, and the rights of princes, together [r] A specimen of this may be seen in the seventh Epistle of Gregory, in which he reduces the monks of Redon under the jurisdiction of the Roman see, by a mandate conceived in terms that had never been used before his time; see Martene Thesaur. Anecdot. tom. i. p. 204. We may add to this, several like mandates of Urban II. and the succeeding pontiffs, which are to be found in the collection now cited, and in others of that kind. XI. CENT. ther with the interests and privileges of the episcopal order, were violated and trampled upon, or rather ingrossed, to swell the growing despotism of the all-grasping pontiffs [s]. PART II. Their cor ruption. XXII. All the writers of this age complain of the ignorance, licentiousness, frauds, debaucheries, dissensions, and enormities, that dishonoured by far the greatest part of the monastic orders, not to mention the numerous marks of their dissolution and impiety that have been handed down to our times [t]. However astonished we may be at such horrid irregularities among a set of men whose destination was so sacred, and whose profession was so austere, we shall still be more surprised to learn that this degenerate order, so far from losing aught of their influence and credit on account of their licentiousness, were promoted, on the contrary, to the highest ecclesiastical dignities, and beheld their opulence and authority increasing from day to day. Our surprise, indeed, will be diminished, when we consider the gross ignorance and superstition, and the unbounded licentiousness and corruption of manners, that reigned in this century among all ranks and orders of men [u]. Ignorance and corruption pervert [s] There is not, perhaps, in Germany, one single instance of this pernicious immunity before the time of Gregory VII. [] See Jo. Launoy, Assert. in privileg. S. Medardi, cap. xxvi. sect. vi. opp. tom. iii. part II. p. 499. and Simon, Biblioth. Critique, tom. iii. cap. xxxii. p. 331. [u] For an account of the astonishing corruption of this age, see Blondel, De Formula regnante Christo, p. 14.—Boulainvilliers, De l'Origine et des Droits de la Noblesse in Molet's Memoires de Litterature et d'Histoire, tom. ix. part I. p. 63. The corruption and violence that reigned with impunity in this horrid age, gave occasion to the institutions of chivalry or knighthood, in consequence of which a certain set of equestrian heroes undertook the defence of the poor and feeble, and particularly of the fair sex, against the insults of powerful oppressors and ravishers. This order of knights-errant was XI. PART II. pervert the taste and judgment of even those who CENT. are not void of natural sagacity, and often prevent their being shocked at the greatest inconsistencies. Amidst this general depravation of sentiments and conduct, amidst the flagitious crimes that were daily perpetrated, not only by the laity, but also by the various orders of the clergy, both secular and regular, all such as respected the common rules of decency, or preserved in their external demeanor the least appearance of piety and virtue, were looked upon as saints of the highest rank, and considered as the peculiar favourites of heaven. This circumstance was, no doubt, favourable to many of the monks who were less profligate than the rest of their order, and might contribute more or less to support the credit of the whole body. Besides, it often happened, that princes, dukes, knights and generals, whose days had been consumed in debauchery and crimes, and distinguished by nothing but the violent exploits of unbridled lust, cruelty, and avarice, felt at the approach of old age, or death, the inexpressible anguish of a wounded conscience, and the gloomy apprehensions and terrors it excites. In this dreadful condition, what was their resource? What were the means by which they hoped disarm the uplifted hand of divine justice, and render the governor of the world propitious? They purchased at an enormous price the prayers of the monks to screen them from judgment, and devoted to God and to the saints a large portion of the fruits of their rapine, or entered themselves into the monastic order, and bequeathed their possessions to their new brethren. And thus it to was was certainly of great use in these miserable times, when the majesty of laws and government was fallen into contempt, and they who bore the title of sovereigns and magistrates, had neither resolution nor power to maintain their authority, or to perform the duties of their stations. XI. CENT. ther with the interests and privileges of the episcopal order, were violated and trampled upon, or rather ingrossed, to swell the growing despotism of the all-grasping pontiffs [s]. PART II. Their cor ruption. XXII. All the writers of this age complain of the ignorance, licentiousness, frauds, debaucheries, dissensions, and enormities, that dishonoured by far the greatest part of the monastic orders, not to mention the numerous marks of their dissolution and impiety that have been handed down to our times [t]. However astonished we may be at such horrid irregularities among a set of men whose destination was so sacred, and whose profession was so austere, we shall still be more surprised to learn that this degenerate order, so far from losing aught of their influence and credit on account of their licentiousness, were promoted, on the contrary, to the highest ecclesiastical dignities, and beheld their opulence and authority increasing from day to day. Our surprise, indeed, will be diminished, when we consider the gross ignorance and superstition, and the unbounded licentiousness and corruption of manners, that reigned in this century among all ranks and orders of men [u]. Ignorance and corruption pervert [s] There is not, perhaps, in Germany, one single instance of this pernicious immunity before the time of Gregory VII. [] See Jo. Launoy, Assert. in privileg. S. Medardi, cap. xxvi. sect. vi. opp. tom. iii. part II. p. 499. and Simon, Bib lioth. Critique, tom. iii. cap. xxxii. p. 331. [u] For an account of the astonishing corruption of this age, see Blondel, De Formula regnante Christo, p. 14.—Boulainvilliers, De l'Origine et des Droits de la Noblesse in Molet's Memoires de Litterature et d'Histoire, tom. ix. part I. p. 63. The corruption and violence that reigned with impunity in this horrid age, gave occasion to the institutions of chivalry or knighthood, in consequence of which a certain set of equestrian heroes undertook the defence of the poor and feeble, and particularly of the fair sex, against the insults of powerful oppressors and ravishers. This order of knights-errant Was |