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. 269-270.
The Lives of the Popes,
BY
B. Platina
Volume I.
JOHN XIX.
A.D. 1024-1033.
JOHN the Nineteenth, a Roman, son of Gregory, was, as some will have it, Bishop of Porto, though others say he never was in holy orders at all. He was made Pope at the same time that Conrad of Schwaben was by a just suffrage elected Emperor in the room of Henry, though he was not crowned for three years. In this interregnum, I suppose it was, that several cities of Italy revolted from the Empire, and stood up for their liberty: wherefore Conrad, who was a great soldier, and had been for many years in great command in the wars under Henry, raising an army, speedily enters Italy, and marching first against the Milanese, the chief authors of this defection, he sits down upon the town, burns the suburbs, and breathes forth nothing but utter ruin to the city; but quickly raises his siege by the persuasion of the Archbishop of Cologne, who assured him that as he was at Mass St. Ambrose appeared to him and threatened destruction to them all, except they departed from the city of which himself was patron. Conrad therefore holds on his journey to Rome, where at the hands of Pope John he received the imperial crown, and then marched against the Hungarians and Sclavonians, who had assisted the rebellious Italians, and soon subdued them. Rodolphus also, Duke of Burgundy, being vexed by the seditions of his subjects, put himself under the protection of Conrad, and therefore Burgundy has been ever since reckoned for a good part of it a province of the Empire. It is said of Conrad that he made several useful laws, among which one was, that it should be death for any prince of the Empire to disturb the peace of it; and upon that account was a fierce persecutor of Leopold, a German count, who was a ringleader of some disturbances in his country. He sent ambassadors to charge the Greeks and Normans, who were quarrelling about the kingdom of Apulia, to lay down their arms, and threatened 270 ruin to the Romans if they persisted, as they had begun, to tease their Pope with seditions. In his time religion was adorned in France by the strict life and holiness of several abbots, and Himericus, son of St Stephen, king of Hungary, had great reputation for his miracles. But John, who is very much to be praised for his life, died, after he had been Pope nine years and nine days. The see was then vacant eight days.
Previous Pope: 150. Benedict VIII. 151. John XIX. Next Pope: 152. Benedict IX.