OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE.

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hour of worship he shewed himself to the re-turning crowds in a majestic attitude, with arobe of purple, his sword, and gilt spurs; butthe holy rites were soon interrupted by his levityand insolence. Rising from his throne, and ad-vancing towards the congregation, he proclaim-ed in a loud voice: “We summon to our tribu-“ nal pope Clement ; and command him to re-“ side in his diocese of Rome : we also summon“ the sacred college of cardinals. 9 We again“ summon the two pretenders, Charles of Bohe-“ mia and Lewis of Bavaria , who style them-“ selves emperors : we likewise summon all the“ electors of Germany , to inform us on what“ pretence they have usurped the inalienable“ right of the Roman people, the ancient and“ lawful sovereigns of the empire.” q Unsheath-ing his maiden sword, he thrice brandished it tothe three parts of the world, and thrice repeatedthe extravagant declaration, “ And this too is“ mine!” The pope’s vicar, the bishop of Orvie-to, attempted to check this career of folly; buthis feeble protest was silenced by martial mu-sic; and instead of withdrawing from the assem-bly, he consented to dine with his brother tri-bune, at a table which had hitherto been reserv-ed for the supreme pontiff. A banquet such as

p This verbal summons of pope Clement VI , which rests on the au-thority of the Roman historian and a Vatican MS is disputed by thebiographer of Petrarch (tom. ii, not. p 70-76), with arguments ratherof decency than of weight. The court of Avignon might not chuse toagitate tills de licate question.

t The summons of the two rival emperors, a monument of freedomand folly, is extant in Hocsemius (Ccrgeau, p. 103-16G).

CHAP

LXX.