mafters of theological fcience ". Prudently waving all invidious enquiry into the origin and merits of the difpute, they propofed, as an healing measure, that the two pretenders of Rome and Avignon fhould abdicate at the fame time, after qualifying the cardinals of the adverfe factions to join in a legitimate election; and that the nations fhould fubftract" their obedience, if either of the competitors preferred his own intereft to that of the public. At each vacancy, thefe phyficians of the church deprecated the mischiefs of an hafty choice; but the policy of the conclave and the ambition of its members were deaf to reafon and entreaties; and whatfoever promifes were made, the pope could never be bound by the oaths of the cardinal. During fifteen years, the pacific designs of the university were eluded by the arts of the rival pontiffs, the scruples or paffions of their adherents, and the viciffitudes of French factions, that ruled the infanity of Charles the fixth. At length a vigorous refolution was embraced; and a folemn embassy, of the titular patriarch of Alexandria, two arch 72 The leading and decifive part which France affumed in the fchifm, is ftated by Peter du Puis in a separate History, extracted from authentic records, and inferted in the viith volume of the laft and best edition of his friend Thuanus (P. xi. p. 110-184.). 73 Of this measure, John Gerfon, a tout doctor, was the author or the champion. The proceedings of the university of Paris and the Gallican church were often prompted by his advice, and are copiously displayed in his theological writings, of which Le Clerc (Bibliotheque Choifie, tom. x. p. 1-78.) has given a valuable extract. John Gerfon acted an important part in the councils of Pifa and Conftance. CHA P. LXX. LXX. CHAP. bifhops, five bishops, five abbots, three knights, and twenty doctors, was fent to the courts of Avignon and Rome, to require, in the name of the church and king, the abdication of the two pretenders, of Peter de Luna, who ftyled himfelf Benedict the thirteenth, and of Angelo Corrario, who affumed the name of Gregory the twelfth. For the ancient honour of Rome, and the fuccefs of their commiffion, the ambassadors folicited a conference with the magiftrates of the city, whom they gratified by a pofitive declaration, that the moft Chriftian king did not entertain a wish of transporting the holy fee from the Vatican, which he confidered as the genuine and proper feat of the fucceffor of St. Peter. In the name of the fenate and people, an eloquent Roman afferted their defire to co-operate in the union of the church, deplored the temporal and fpiritual calamities of the long fchifm, and requested. the protection of France against the arms of the king of Naples. The anfwers of Benedict and Gregory were alike edifying and alike deceitful; and, in evading the demand of their abdication, the two rivals were animated by a common fpirit, They agreed on the neceffity of a previous interview, but the time, the place, and the manner, could never be ascertained by mutual confent. "If "the one advances," fays a fervant of Gregory, "the other retreats; the one appears an animal "fearful of the land, the other a creature ap"prehenfive of the water. And thus, for a short "remnant of life and power, will these aged 66 “ priests "priefts endanger the peace and falvation of the CHAP. "Chriftian world "4." 74 LXX. Council of Pifa, 1409. The Chriftian world was at length provoked by their obftinacy and fraud: they were deferted by their cardinals, who embraced each other as friends and colleagues; and their revolt was fupported by a numerous affembly of prelates and ambaffadors. With equal juftice, the council of Pifa depofed the popes of Rome and Avignon; the conclave was unanimous in the choice of Alexander the fifth, and his vacant feat was foon filled by a fimilar election of John the twentythird, the most profligate of mankind. But instead of extinguishing the fchifm, the rashness of the French and Italians had given a third pretender to the chair of St. Peter. Such new claims of the fynod and conclave were difputed: three kings, of Germany, Hungary, and Naples, adhered to the cause of Gregory the twelfth; and Benedict the thirteenth, himself a Spaniard, was acknowledged by the devotion and patriotism of that powerful nation. The rafh proceedings of Council Pifa were corrected by the council of Conftance; tance, the emperor Sigifmond acted a confpicuous part as the advocate or protector of the Catholic church; and the number and weight of civil and ecclefiaftical members might feem to constitute the states general of Europe. Of the three popes, John the twenty-third was the first victim: he 74 Leonardus Brunus Aretinus, one of the revivers of claffic learning in Italy, who, after serving many years as fecretary in the Roman court, retired to the honourable, office of chancellor of the republic of Florence (Fabric. Bibliot. medii Ævi, tom. i. p. 290.). Lenfant has given the version of this curious epiftle (Concile de Pife, tom. i. p. 192-195.). Bb 4 fled of Con A. D. 14141418. LXX. CHA P. fled and was brought back a prisoner: the most fcandalous charges were fuppreffed; the vicar of Christ was only accufed of piracy, murder, rape, fodomy, and inceft; and after fubfcribing his own condemnation, he expiated in prison the imprudence of trufting his perfon to a free city beyond the Alps. Gregory the twelfth, whofe obedience was reduced to the narrow precincts of Rimini, defcended with more honour from the throne, and his ambaffador convened the feffion, in which he renounced the title and authority of lawful pope. To vanquish the obstinacy of Benedict the thirteenth or his adherents, the emperor in perfon undertook a journey from Conftance to Perpignan. The kings of Caftille, Arragon, Navarre, and Scotland, obtained an equal and honourable treaty: with the concurrence of the Spaniards, Benedict was depofed by the council; but the harmless old man was left in a folitary castle to excommunicate twice each day the rebel kingdoms which had deferted his caufe. After thus eradicating the remains of the fchifm, the fynod of Conftance proceeded with flow and cautious steps, to elect the fovereign of Rome and the head of the church. On this momentous occafion, the college of twenty-three cardinals was fortified with thirty deputies; fix of whom were chofen in each of the five great nations of Chriftendom, the Italian, the German, the French, the Spanish, and the English": the interference of strangers 75 was 75 I cannot overlook this great national caufe, which was vigorously maintained by the English ambaffadors against those of France. The latter contended, that Chriftendom was effentially diftributed LXX. of Mar was foftened by their generous preference of an CHAP. Italian and a Roman; and the hereditary, as well as perfonal, merit of Otho Colonna recom- Election mended him to the conclave. Rome accepted tin V. with joy and obedience the nobleft of her fons, the ecclefiaftical ftate was defended by his powerful family, and the elevation of Martin the fifth is the æra of the restoration and establishment of the popes in the Vatican ". 7. The distributed into the four great nations and votes, of Italy, Germany, France, and Spain; and that the leffer kingdoms (fuch as England, Denmark, Portugal, &c.) were comprehended under one or other of these great divifions. The English afferted, that the British Islands, of which they were the head, fhould be confidered as a fifth and co-ordinate nation, with an equal vote; and every argument of truth or fable was introduced to exalt the dignity of their country. Including England, Scotland, Wales, the four kingdoms of Ireland, and the Orknies, the British Islands are decorated with eight royal crowns, and difcriminated by four or five languages, English, Welsh, Cornish, Scotch, Irish, &c. The greater island from north to south measures 800 miles, or 40 days journey; and England alone contains 32 counties, and 52,000 parish churches, (a bold account!) betides cathedrals, colleges, priories, and hofpitals. They celebrate the miffion of St. Joseph of Arimathea, the birth of Conftantine, and the legantine powers of the two primates, without forgetting the teftimony of Bartholemy de Glanville (A. D. 1360), who reckons only four Christian kingdoms, 1. of Rome, 2. of Constantinople, 3. of Ireland, which had been transferred to the English monarchs, and, 4. of Spain. Our countrymen prevailed in the council, but the victories of Henry V. added much weight to their arguments. The adverfe pleadings were found at Conftance by Sir Robert Wingfield, ambaffador from Henry VIII. to the emperor Maximilian I. and by him printed in 1517 at Louvain. From a Leipfic MS. they are more correctly published in the Collection of Von der Hardt, tom. v. ; but I have only seen Lenfant's abstract of these acts (Concile de Conftance, tom. ii. P. 447.453, &c.). 76 The hiftories of the three fucceffive councils, Pifa, Conftance, and Bafil, have been written with a tolerable degree of candor, industry, |