Page:Readings in European History Vol 1.djvu/542

 506 Readings in European History Of the orgu lous words that the Romans said at the elec- tion of a new pope. [When the cardinals had entered the conclave] the Romans assembled themselves before the conclave and made semblance to break it up and slay them all if they did not choose a pope according to their minds, and cried to the cardinals and said, " Sirs, advise you well. If ye deliver us a Roman pope, we be content; else we will make your heads redder than your hats be." Such words and menaces greatly abashed the cardinals, for they would rather a died con- fessors than martyrs. Then to bring themselves out of that danger and peril they made a pope. But he was none of the college of cardinals : he was the archbishop of Bari, a great clerk, who greatly had travailed for the wealth of holy Church. With this promotion to the papality the Romans were appeased, for the cardinal of Genoa put out his head at a window of the conclave and said on high to the people of Rome, " Sirs, appease you, for you have a Roman pope, and that is Bartholomew des Aigles, archbishop of Bari." The people answered all with one voice, " Then we be content." The same archbishop was not then at Rome ; I think he was in Naples. Then he was incontinent sent for, of the which tidings he was right glad ; and so came to Rome. And at his coming there was a great feast made to him, and so he had all the rights that pertained to the papality and was called Urban, the sixth of that name. The Romans had great joy. His creation was signified to all the churches of Christendom, and also to emperors, kings, dukes, and earls, and the cardinals sent word to all their friends that he was chosen by a good and true election. Howbeit some of them repented them after that they had spoken so largely of the matter. 1 . . . however, essentially correct, except that, with a view to justifying the desertion of Urban by the cardinals, he exaggerates the disorder which attended his election and which formed the only possible excuse for a new election. 1 There appears to be no doubt that Urban was 'admitted by all at the time to have been regularly elected, and that the plea that the cardi- nals had been intimidated by the Roman populace was trumped up later, when Urban had made himself hated by his rudeness and austerity,