Page:Outlines of European History.djvu/521

 Popes and Emperors 44 1 monasteries, so that a very considerable portion of the land in western Europe had come into the hands of churchmen. A king, or other landed proprietor, might grant fiefs to The church churchmen as well as to laymen. The bishops became the into^the^^" vassals of the king or of other feudal lords by doing homage ^^"^^^ for a fief and swearing fidelity, just as any other vassal would do. An abbot would sometimes secure for his monastery the protection of a neighboring lord by giving up his land and receiving it back again as a fief. One great difference, however, existed between the Church Fiefs held lands and the ordinary fiefs. According to the law of the i/ennot Church, the bishops and abbots could not marry and so could hereditary have no children to whom they might transmit their property. Consequently, when a landholding churchman died, some one had to be chosen in his place who should enjoy his property and perform his duties. The rule of the Church had been, from time immemorial, that the clergy of the di6cese should choose the bishop, their choice being ratified by the people. As for the abbots, they were, according to the Rule of St. Benedict, to be chosen by the members of the monastery. In spite of these rules, the bishops and abbots had come. Bishops in the tenth and eleventh centuries, to be selected, to all intents pracdcan? ■and purposes, by the various kings and feudal lords. It is true '^jl^^r^"?^} that the outward forms of a regular election were usually per- lords mitted ; but the feudal lord made it clear whom he wished chosen, and if the wrong person was elected, he simply refused to hand over to him the lands attached to the bishopric or abbey. The lord could in this way control the choice of the prelates, for in order to become a real bishop or abbot, one had not only to be elected, he had also to be solemnly " in- vested" with the appropriate powers of a bishop or abbot and with his lands. When a bishop or abbot had been duly chosen, the feudal investiture lord proceeded to the investiftire. The new bishop or abbot first became the " man " of the lord by doing him homage, and then