Page:A history of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages, volume 3.djvu/173

 SPIRIT OF THE EMPIRE. 157 ber, 1347, Louis, while indulging in his favorite pastime of hunting, was struck with apoplexy and fell dead from his horse. The hand of God might well be traced in the removal of all the enemies of the Holy See, and Charles had no further organized opposition to dread.* Desirous of obtaining the fullest advantage from this unlooked- for good-fortune, Clement YI. commissioned the Archbishop of Prague and the Bishop of Bamberg to reconcile all communities and individuals who had incurred excommunication by supporting the Bavarian, with a formula of absolution by which they were obliged to swear that they held.it heresy for an emperor to depose a pope, and that they would never obey an emperor until he had been ap- proved by the pope. This excited intense disgust, and in many places it could not be enforced. The teachings of Marsiglio and Ockham had at least borne fruit in so far that the papal preten- sions to virtually controlling the empire were disdainfully rejected. The German spirit thus aroused is well exemplified by what oc- curred at Basle, a city which had observed the interdict and was eager for its removal. When Charles and the Bishop of Bamberg appeared before the gates they were received by the magistrates and a great crowd of citizens. Conrad of Barenfels, the burgo- master, addressed the bishop : " My Lord of Bamberg, you must know that we do not believe, nor will we confess, that our late lord, the Emperor Louis, ever was a heretic. Whomsoever the electors or a majority of them shall choose as King of the Romans we will hold as such, whether he applies to the pope or not, nor will we do anything else that is contrary to the rights of the em- pire. But if you have power from the pope and are willing to re- mit all our sins, so be it." Then, turning to the people, he called out, " Do you give to me and to Conrad Miinch power to ask for the absolution of your sins ?" The crowd shouted assent ; the two Conrads took an oath in accordance with this ; divine services were resumed, and the king and bishop entered the town.f Annal. ann. 1346-7 (Freher et Stniv. I. 626-8). f Henr. Rebdorff. Annal. ann. 1347 (Freher et Struv. I. 628).— Matthias Neu- burg. (Albert. Argentinens.) Chron. ann. 1348 (Urstisii II. 142-3). — Preger, Der Kirch enpolitische Karnpf, pp. 56-60.
 * Schmidt, Pabstliche Urkunden und Regesten, p. 362. — Henr. Rebdorff.