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]; p. 266.
The Lives of the Popes,
BY
B. Platina
Volume I.
JOHN XVIII.
A.D. 1003-1009.
JOHN the Eighteenth, a Roman, of the ward of Port-Metropolitan, being made Pope, indulged himself in an easy way of living, and did nothing worth mentioning. But Robert, King of France, deserved the highest commendations, who at this time led a life as devout as kingly, excelling all the contemporary Christian kings in knowledge and religious living, and being himself excelled by no man in controversial learning; he, not owning that opinion which the princes of our times have embraced, that it is not worth a potentate’s while to be learned; but that it behoves them that are to rule the nations, to take their rules of government from the precepts of others, which yet cannot be done without reading and study. What else, indeed, is an illiterate prince, but the image of a lion commanding the other beasts. It is necessary they should be able to moderate their own passions as well as the people’s, who would be thought to govern others. With great reason, therefore, it is that we speak well of Robert, whose devotion was such, that as oft as he had leisure from his warlike employments, he would sing the canonical hours with the priests; and so great were his merits in this way, that once when he had beleaguered a town of his enemy’s, and neglected the siege to attend the canonical hours, the walls miraculously fell down, and his men immediately rushing in, took the place. But John (according to some authors) having sat in the chair six years and four months, died, and was buried in St Peter’s Church. The see was then vacant nineteen days.
Previous Pope: 147. John XVII. 148. John XVIII. Next Pope: 149. Sergius IV.