Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 20.djvu/827

Rh 1357-1400.] K O M E 803 Home three legates, who, on the 21st of the month, concluded an agreement with the parliament. The people gave up the gates, the fortresses, and the Trastevere, and promised that if the pope returned to Rome he should have the same powers which had been granted to Urban V. But, on his side, he must pledge himself to maintain the executores, their council, the Three of War, and allow the Romans the right of reforming the banderesi, who would then swear fealty to him. The terms of this peace and the pope's epistles clearly prove that the two councils still exercised their functions, that the banderesi were still the virtual heads of the Government, and that their sup- pression was not contemplated. In fact, when the pope made his entry on the 17th January 1377 accompanied by two thousand armed men, he perceived that there was much public agitation, that the Romans did not intend to fulfil their agreement, and that the Government of the banderesi went on as before. Accordingly, after naming Gomez Albornoz, a nephew of the deceased cardinal, to the office of senator, he retired to Anagni, and remained there until November 1377. The Romans presently waited on him with conciliating offers, and begged him to negotiate a peace for them with the prefect of Vico. In fact the treaty was concluded at Anagni in October, and on the 10th November confirmed in Rome by the general council. The meeting was held in the great hall of the Capitol, " ubi consilia generalia urbis fieri solent," in the presence of all the members of the republican Government. But the pope was enraged by the survival of this Government, and, being worn out by the persistent hostility of the Florentines, which reduced his power to a low ebb, had determined to make peace, when surprised by death on the 27th March 1378. The next pope, Urban VI. (1378-89), a Neapolitan, was the spirit of discord incarnate. His election was not altogether regular : the French party among the cardinals was against him ; and the people were ripe for insurrec- tion. But, regardless of all this, Urban threatened the cardinals in his first consistory, saying that church reform must begin with them ; and he used the same tone with the people, reproving them for failing to suppress the banderesi. In consequence of this the cardinals of the French party, assembling at Fondi, elected the antipope Clement VII. (1378-94) and started a long and painful schism in the church. Clement resided in Avignon, while Urban in Rome was engaged in opposing Queen Joanna I. of Naples and favouring Charles of Durazzo, who, on conquering the Neapolitan kingdom, was made gonfalonier of the church and senator of Rome, where he left a vicar as his deputy. Shortly afterwards the pope went to Naples, and made fierce war on the king. Then, after many adventures, during which he tortured and put to death several cardinals whom he suspected of hostile intentions, he returned to Rome, where the utmost disorder pre- vailed. The conservators and the banderesi were still at the head of the Government, and, the pope speedily falling ou * w ^ them, a riot ensued, after which he excommuni- cated the banderesi. These at last made submission to him, and Urban VI. became master of Rome before his death in 1389. He was succeeded by Boniface IX. (1389-1404), another Neapolitan, but a man of greater shrewdness and capacity. His first act was to crown Ladislaus king of Naples, and secure the friendship and protection of this ambitious and powerful prince. In all the principal cities of the state he chose the reigning lords for his vicars. But he allowed Fermo, Ascoli, and Bologna the privilege of assuming their own vicariate for twenty- five years. And, as these different potentates and Govern- ments had only to pay him an annual tribute, all parties were satisfied, and the pope was able to bestow at least an appearance of order and unity on his state. But fresh tumults soon arose, partly because the conservators and banderesi sought to govern on their own account, and especially because the pope seems for a time to have omitted naming the senator. Boniface was a prudent man; he saw that events were turning in his favour, now that throughout Italy liberty was tottering to its fall, and bided his time. He was satisfied for the moment by obtaining a recognition of the immunities of the clergy, rendering them solely amenable to ecclesiastical tribunals, and thus distinguishing the powers of the church from those of the state in Rome. The republic also pledged itself neither to molest the prelates nor to levy fresh contributions on them towards repairing the walls, to aid in recovering the estates of the church in Tuscia, and to try to con- ciliate the baronage. This concordat, concluded with the conservators and banderesi on the llth September 1391, was also confirmed on the 5th March 1392 by the heads of the regions, together with a fresh treaty binding both parties to furnish a certain number of armed men to com- bat the prefect of Vico and the adherents of the antipope at Viterbo. With the exception of this city, Orchi, and Civita Vecchia, all other conquered territory was to belong to the republic. But the Romans soon discovered that they were playing into the hands of the pope, who kept everything for himself, without even paying the troops. Upon this a riot broke out ; Boniface fled to Perugia in October 1392, and resolved to exact better terms when next recalled to Rome. Meanwhile the Romans subdued the prefect, captured Viterbo, and, being already repentant, handed it over to the pope and implored his return. He then proposed his own terms, which were approved, not Bonifai only by the conservators, banderesi, and four councillors, IX. coi but also by the special council and by the unanimous vote ^ mi j^ of a general assembly composed of the above-mentioned tion O f authorities, heads of regions, other officials, and a hundred the re- citizens (8th August 1393). These terms prescribed that public, the pope was to elect the senator, and that, on his failing so to do, the conservators would carry on the government after swearing fealty to him. The senatorial function was to be neither controlled nor hampered by the banderesi. The immunities of the clergy were to be preserved, and all church property was to be respected by the magistrates. The expenses of the pope's journey were to be paid, and he was to be escorted to Rome in state. Boniface tried to complete his work by abolishing the banderesi, the last bulwarks of freedom ; but the people, although weakened and weary, made efforts to preserve them, and, although their fall was inevitable, the struggle went on for some time. During the spring of 1394 the banderesi provoked an insurrection in which the pope's life was endangered ; it was only saved by the arrival of King Ladislaus, who came from Naples with a large force in the early autumn. But for the Neapolitan soldiery Boniface could not have withstood the long series of revolts that continually exposed him to fresh perils and the anxiety caused by the persistent schism pf the church. The death of Clement VII. in 1394 was followed by the election of another antipope, Benedict XIII. But a new jubilee was in prospect for the year 1400, and this was always an effica- cious means of bending the will of the Romans. Depend- Fall of ing upon this and the assistance of Ladislaus, Boniface the bar not only demanded full powers to nominate senators (none having been recently elected), but insisted on the suppression of the banderesi. Both requests were gran ted; but, directly Angelo Alaleoni was made senator, a con- spiracy was hatched for the re-establishment of the banderesi. However, the pope felt sure of his strength ; the plot was discovered and the conspirators were beheaded