Help us create a biggest collection of medieval chronicles and manuscripts on line.
#   A   B   C   D   E   F   G   H   I   J   K   L   M   N   O   P   Q   R   S   T   U   V   W   X   Y   Z 
Medieval chronicles, historical sources, history of middle ages, texts and studies

MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER
The flowers of history, especially such as relate to the affairs of Britain. Vol. II. A.D. 1066 to A.D. I307.

DOWNLOAD THE ONLY FULL EDITIONS of

Sir John Froissart's Chronicles of England, France, Spain and the Ajoining Countries from the latter part of the reign of Edward II to the coronation of Henry IV in 12 volumes 

Chronicles of Enguerrand De Monstrelet (Sir John Froissart's Chronicles continuation) in 13 volumes 

 
 
 
  Previousall pages

Next  

MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER
The flowers of history, especially such as relate to the affairs of Britain. Vol. II. A.D. 1066 to A.D. I307.
page 251



But the abbot of Cluny, having obtained license and authority to strip his coffers for the purpose of enriching the pope, bestowed many presents and many gifts in valuable horses, furnished with costly trappings, on the pope, some of whom were even laden with money. And in like manner the abbot of Citeaux acted, so that it seemed to be the case» and waspoeitively asserted by some people, that the pope had gone rather for the purpose of those who were bringing him presents, than of fleeing from the face of the emperor Frederic. But when Peter, archbishop of Rouen, and the abbot of Saint Denis, who was an Englishman by birth, had heard of these circumstances, wishing to surpass the previous givers, they added such a sum of coined money, which they paid into the treasury, that its amount caused a very natural amazement in those who looked upon it. In reward for which conduct, the archbishop, who had left his own church irrecoverably stripped of its riches, was deservedly promoted to the office of cardinal, and held in especial favour by the lord the pope. And the abbot of Saint Denis was in like manner raised, with great pomp, to the archbishopric of Rouen ; and the abbot of Cluny was enthroned in the episcopal chair of Langres, which he had been very anxious for, in order to become one of the peers of France. But the archbishop of Lyons, being by no means willing to destroy his own church to fatten up the pope, and, indeed, rather grieving that the pope had come to his city, to throw all Christendom and the universal church into confusion, and had burdened his archbishopric with his presence, at the council of all the prelates, when they were assembled, voluntarily resigned his office into the hands of the pope ; and by the management of the pope, there was elected in his stead a man of warlike character, and better suited to secular, than to spiritual business, namely, Peter of Savoy, a brother of Boniface, archbishop of Canterbury ; the pope prudently endeavouring by these means to strengthen his party by the accession of men of such power and noble birth, and to unite their families in the interest of the Roman court, disregarding the interests of the souls committed to their care, which deservedly exposed him to obloquy from many worthy men. Accordingly, the archbishop elect of Lyons, the aforesaid Philip, being soil Ucensed by the papal indulgence to retain the ample revenues which he possessed in England and many other places, in order that he might


  Previous First Next