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 4« HTSTOR y OF FRANCE. [chap. inviolablj, and on their advice Saisset was released ; but was banished from the kingdom. Philip held a coiirplenicre of all his clergy and nobles in 1302, in which his chan- cellor declared him independent of ecclesiastical power, and the bull Clericis laicos was burned. The pope called a council, and Philip forbade the attendance of his clergy, and, when threatened with excommunication, he collected his clergy, and commanded them to depose the Pope. There was really a flaw in Boniface's election, as his predecessor, Celestine V., a simple hermit, chosen in a fit of enthusiasm, had not died, but had resigned ; but Philip added to this a list of monstrous and impossible crimes, and indeed he and the pope railed at each other constantly in the most horrible language. At a synod at Anagni Boniface purged himself by oath from all those crimes, but the rage on either side only increased. Philip sent to Anagni a knight named William de Nogaret, who took with him Sciarra C"^/^««(7,of a family of Roman nobles whom l>oniface had banished out of hereditary enmity ; and they, breaking into the city, furiously bearded the pope, insisting that he should tear up the bull. He listened with firnmess and dignity, though Colonna even struck him on the cheek; and, while the people of Anagni were cowed with surprise and horror, Nogaret shut him up without food in his palace, expecting to break his will. The townspeople however rallied, rescued him, and took him to Rome ; but the old man, now eighty-five years ot age, was so overcome by what he had undergone, that strength and reason failed him, and a few mornings later he was found quite dead, the staff in his hand gnawed and covered with foam, and his white hair stained with blood, as if he had dasiied his head against the wall. 24. Removal of the Pope to Avignon. — A new pope, Benedict XL, was chosen, and died as soon as he had shown himself proof against Philip's threats. The conclave was divided between cardinals in Philip's interest and opposed to him, and after long strife it was determined that the Italian party should name three persons, and the French party choose one of them. The three names were sent to Philip, upon which he caused one of those mentioned, a Gascon, named licrtratid dn Got, archbishofi of Bourdfaux to be waylaid and secretly brought to him. It was to assure him of the papacy if he would swear to si. conditions : — I. To reconcile Philip to the Church ; 2. To absolve Nogaret and, Colonna ; 3. To grant the king a tenth of