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From The Lives of the Popes from the Time of our Saviour Jesus Christ to the Accession of Gregory VII. Written Originally in Latin by B. Platina, Native of Cremona, and translated into English (from an anonymous translation, first printed in 1685 by Sir Paul Rycaut), Edited by William Benham, Volume I, London: Griffith, Farran, Okeden & Welsh, [1888, undated in text]; pp. 214-218.

The Lives of the Popes,
BY
B. Platina

Volume I.


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[214]

GREGORY  IV.

A.D. 827-844.

GREGORY the Fourth, a Roman, son of John, and Cardinal of St Mark, entered upon the pontificate at the time when the Saracens possessed of Asia shut up the passage to the Holy Land from the Christians, and the Moors passing with their fleet into Sicily, wasted a great part of that island, having, as is already said, made themselves masters of Palermo. Nor could the Venetians — though at the desire of Michael, Emperor of Constantinople, they sailed thither — check their proceedings, the Moors having more ships and more men than they. The state of Venice was now in its increase, having had its original from the Veneti, at the time when Attila, with his Huns, took and destroyed Aquileia, Concordia, Altino, with other cities of the 215 province anciently called Venetia; that people having no other defence against the cruelty of the barbarians but only the fens and marshes. Justinian Patricius was now Duke of Venice, whose name I therefore choose to mention, because in his time the body of St Mark was by some Venetian merchants brought from Alexandria to Venice, where that saint is now had in great veneration, a most magnificent church being, in the principal part of the city, built and dedicated to him, and adorned and enriched with very great donations. And from hence it was that the Venetians first bore upon their standards and banners the picture of St Mark as the patron of their city. But Gregory, understanding that the Venetians were not able to expel these barbarians out of the island, sends to Louis and Lotharius, desiring them to send aid to the Sicilians at the first opportunity. They were very shy of the business, alleging that that war belonged to Michael, Emperor of Constantinople, but yet declared themselves ready to contribute their share of men and money for the undertaking of it. But in the meantime, while ambassadors were sent from one to the other about that affair, Boniface, Earl of Corsica, with his brother Bertarius, and the assistance of some of the people of Tuscany, sailing into Africa, engaged four times with the enemy between Utica and Carthage, where he made so great a slaughter that the Moors were forced, as formerly in Scipio’s time, to recall their forces from Sicily to the succour of their own country in distress; and by this means Sicily was delivered from them. Boniface then returns with his victorious fleet, laden with vast spoils, from Africa into Corsica. Some there are that write that during this peace in Italy, the Emperor Lotharius, envying the preference that his father Louis did in all matters give to his youngest brother Charles, afterwards surnamed the Bald, he put him in prison, but soon after set him free; and that the barbarians, taking hold of the opportunity, embarked in a great fleet from Africa for Italy, and arrived at Centum Cellæ, which city (since called Civita Vecchia) some will have to be demolished by them; and that from thence marching to Rome, they took that city; but this is not probable. What is said concerning Centum Cellæ I shall not deny, and I doubt not but that they attempted the taking of Rome itself; but Guy, Marquis of Lombardy, defended it so stoutly that, having burnt the 216 suburbs and the churches of St Peter and St Paul in the Via Latina, they withdrew to Monte Cassino, where they destroyed the town of St German and the monastery of St Benet, which stood on the hill; and going down to the seaside near the river Garigliano, whither their fleet was brought from Ostia, they invaded Tarentum and Sicily; and, as I said before, were recalled home by their own countrymen, at that time broken in war by the valour of Boniface. I take it to be about this time that the body of the apostle St Bartholomew was translated from Lipari in Sicily to Beneventum by Sicardus, prince of that place (who was personally present in this great war), lest the body of the holy apostle should fall into the hands of the enemies of the name of Christ. But to return to Gregory. He was a person of so much modesty that, though he were chosen as well by the clergy as people of Rome, yet he would not take upon him the office of Pope till he was confirmed by those ambassadors of the Emperor Louis, who had been despatched by him to Rome, that they might oversee an election of so great moment. This was not done by Louis out of pride, but with respect to the preservation of the imperial prerogative, he being naturally very kind and gracious, and one that always took care of the dignity and privileges of the Church. For he ordained that they who should take upon them a religious life should be exempt from all secular services, and that every church should be endowed with such a certain income, as that the priests might live without being forced for want of necessaries to forsake the Divine service or to take up any trade. Beside, in the year 830, he held a synod of a great many bishops, designed for the honour of God and the advantage of the Church, wherein it was ordained that neither bishops nor clergy of what degree soever should be clad in sumptuous and gaudy apparel, whether silk, scarlet, or embroidered; nor that they should wear on their fingers any precious stones (except prelates at Mass), nor that gold or silver should be used on their girdles, shoes, or pantofles, which certainly is far from all religion and a manifest sign of great incontinence and vanity. Would to God, Louis, thou mightest live in our times. Thy holy institutions, thy censures are wanting in the Church at this present, when the clergy let themselves loose to all manner of luxury and pleasure. You may see now not only the men in scarlet and purple, which 217 perhaps, would be no great matter, but even their horses and beasts of carriage; and when they march in state a number of footmen must go before them, and they must be followed by another retinue of priests, not riding upon asses, as Christ did (Who was the author of our religion, and the only pattern of well-living on earth), but upon steeds pampered and betrapped as if they came in triumph from a vanquished enemy. It would be to no purpose to speak of their silver vessels, their choice household stuff and dishes of meat, when in comparison of them the dainties of Sicily, the most magnificent apparel and the plate of Corinth would be thought of no value. What will be the effect of this exorbitance I shall not determine here, lest I should seem to pry into the decrees of heaven. I return to Louis, who by these means taking care as well for religion as the public weal, died in the thirty-sixth year of his empire, and lies buried in the church of St Arnulphus. He was not long after followed by our Pope Gregory, remarkable for his birth, famous for his sanctity, notable for learning and eloquence, and worthy of admiration for his care and diligence in both spiritual and civil affairs: for he did after an extraordinary manner consult the good of the people, by containing the wealthy in their duty, by feeding the poor, comforting the hopeless, and reducing those that went astray into the right way by wholesome admonitions; he also restored many churches which time had ruined. Those that were admitted to holy orders he kept to their duty as long as he lived by his advice and example. This holy Pope translated the body of St Gregory, and very much adorning it he placed it where now it lies, where many people in those times, either out of devotion or for the sake of some vow, were wont to keep watch. It is said that the bodies of St Sebastian and Tiburtius were also translated by him from the cemeteries in which they lay before, to the church of St Peter. Some authors say that Gregory, at the request of Louis, instituted the feast of All-Saints on the first day of November, which act of his was much commended both in prose and verse by Rabanus, a monk, a famous divine; for in both those ways of writing that learned man was excellent, especially considering the age he lived in. The same Rabanus also wrote “Commentaries on the books of Chronicles and Maccabees.” He made eloquent sermons to the people, but that of his is chiefly celebrated which he made 218 upon All-Saint’s Day., Gregory died in the sixteenth year of his pontificate, and was buried in St Peter’s Church, after which the see was void fifteen days.

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Previous Pope: 102. Valentine I. 103. Gregory IV. Next Pope: 104. Sergius.

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