his cause was lost, departed in haste and in wrath.

It was hardly to be expected, when prelates and monks did not scruple to sell benefices to the highest bidder, that a licentious and reckless young prince should hesitate to employ similar means for replenishing his frequently exhausted exchequer. And Henry made little scruple at conferring the most dignified offices in the church, and the choicest monastic estates, on those who were liberal in supplying his pecuniary wants. The sums given in this way by churchmen were so vast as to be called by the chroniclers of the times, "mountains of gold” and "rivers of money." The riches of Cræsus and Tantalus were said to have reverted to men who had taken on themselves the vows of poverty and the scandal of the cross.

Amongst the rapacious churchmen who sought to benefit by Henry's prodigality, was the archbishop Hanno, the emperor's first guardian, and the pretended reformer of ecclesiastical abuses. With Henry's permission, he had seized on the monastery of Malmedy, in the neighbourhood of Liège, and deaf to the remonstrances of the legal possessor, the abbot of Stablo, he vowed that he would not relinquish the prize, even though St. Remaclus himself, the founder of the abbey, should rise from the tomb to demand it.

Hanno forgot, in the utterance of such words, that he lived in an age when miracles were multiplied at will. In the following spring, the

city of Liège was honoured with an imperial visit, and great were the banqueting and carousal. The nobles assembled in great numbers, and amongst them at the royal table Hanno occupied the place at Henry's right hand. In the height of their festivity, the doors suddenly flew open, and a procession of monks entered, solemnly bearing a coffin. At their head was the abbot of Stablo, who, bidding his

followers to pause before the emperor, and place their precious burden on the table, exclaimed, "Behold! Saint Remaclus has arisen from the tomb, to demand restitution of his rights?"

The guests were all thrown into confusion, the queen burst into a passion of tears, and the emperor and archbishop hastily escaped from the scene. But the rumour swiftly spread that St. Remaclus had arisen from his tomb, and the banqueting room was soon thronged by a crowd of superstitious devotees. Miracles were rapidly worked. The sick touched the coffin, and their disorders instantly ceased. The blind received sight, and the lame began to walk. The popular enthusiasm rose so high, that Henry and the archbishop no longer dared to resist the claim of the abbot, who triumphantly bore back to their resting-place the potent relics with which he had won the field, chanting at the head of his monks the pean of victory and the praises of St. Remaclus.

The scandal of this ridiculous mummery and priestly imposture was by no means so great in the eyes of either the people or the pope as that

of the violence of archbishop Hanno; and as Henry's share in such transactions was often repeated, by personal interference with ecclesiastical affairs, and by the countenance which he gave to simoniacal practices on the part of the clergy, the time seemed at length fully ripe for papal interposition, the more so as such interposition might now be safely ventured. The general disaffection of Henry's subjects, and the popular feeling in favour of the reforming movement, had greatly diminished, both in Germany and in Italy, the hazard of affronting the imperial power.

A council was therefore held at Rome, in 1073, at which sentence of excommunication was passed upon several of Henry's companions, and a letter was despatched, which summoned the emperor himself to appear before the pontiff, and answer to the charges of simony and other offences which had been alleged against him. This was the last public act of pope Alexander's life, for in the following month he died, and the summons thus daringly issued consequently fell to the ground. But the lips that had dictated the summons still breathed; the genius that had planned the entire conflict, which was to secure the independence of the priesthood, was as vigorous as ever. Five popes had died since this fictitious reformation, this real usurpation, had commenced; but Hildebrand, the pope-maker, still lived, and displayed in a green old age all the energy and boldness of his youth.

CHAPTER IV.

GREGORY VII: HIS MEASURES TO ESTABLISH THE
INDEPENDENCE OF THE PAPACY.
A.D. 1073-1075.

THREE days were appointed to be solemnly devoted to fasting and prayer before the election of a new pontiff. But the very next day to that of Alexander's death, events took place which decided the choice of his successor. Hildebrand's tactics were as politic on this as on former momentous occasions, and the promptitude and secrecy with which his plans were carried into effect, demonstrate the paramount influence he had acquired.

In the church of the Lateran there was a numerous gathering of both clergy and laity, to assist at the funeral obsequies of the deceased pontiff. The subdued cadences of the priests who chanted the service were the only sounds that broke the solemn stillness of the place, when suddenly, from every part of the assembly, a cry rang through the edifice, and echoed from the vaulted roof, that HILDEBRAND was the pope of the people's choice. Hildebrand flew to the pulpit, and by his vehement gesticulations seemed to implore that a restraint might be put upon these passionate and disorderly emotions. But his entreaties were in vain. The people would not be pacified until the cardinals announced that Hildebrand was the choice of

the conclave as well as of the people. Then, arrayed in the scarlet robe, and crowned with the tiara, Hildebrand was presented to the crowd, who renewed their shouts and acclamations, as pope GREGORY VII. arose to pronounce over their bended heads his paternal benediction. When the news of this election reached the German court, the emperor despatched an envoy to learn the reason of such an unusual proceeding. It was by no means the new pontiff's desire to provoke the hostility of Henry, over whom he rather hoped to acquire that influence which had been invariably yielded him by others. He therefore received the messenger with great respect, assured him that the election was altogether contrary to his personal wishes, and declared that he still awaited the confirmation of the sovereign. With this feigned submission the thoughtless Henry, who knew little of Gregory's real character, was very well content, and the gorgeous ceremonies of the consecration were soon afterwards celebrated in due form.

And now Gregory was at full liberty to pursue the ambitious career he had so long ago marked out, and had hitherto pursued with so much caution and self-restraint. Resolved to strengthen the church, by which he understood the priesthood, reformation and independence of secular control were the two objects he kept steadily in view-the first as preparatory to the second. The great truth that religion ought not to be in bondage, ought not to be either