CRUSADE AGAINST NAPLES. 231 impediments to their functions. It seemed only a question of time, however, when the districts yet open should be closed to them.'^ There have been few revolutions more pregnant with results than that which occurred when the popes, renouncing the hope of acquiring for themselves the kingdom of Sicily, and vainly tempt- ing Edmond, son of Henry III. of England, succeeded in arousing the ambition of Charles of Anjou, and caused a crusade to be preached everywhere in his behalf. The papacy fuUy recognized the supreme importance of the issue, and staked everything upon it. The treasures of salvation were poured forth with unstinted hand, and plenary indulgences were given to all who would con- tribute a fourth of their income or a tenth of their property. The temporal treasury of the Church was drawn upon with equal lib- erahty. Three years' tithe of aU ecclesiastical revenues in France and Flanders were granted to Charles, and when all this proved insufficient, Clement TV. sacrificed the property of the Roman churches without hesitation. An elf ort to raise one hundred thou- sand livres by pledging it brought in only thirty thousand, and then he pawned for fifty thousand more the plate and jewels of the Holy See. He could truly answer Charles's increasing demands for money to support his naked and starving crusaders by declaring that he had done all he could, and that he was completely ex- hausted—he had no mountains and rivers of gold, and could not turn earth and stones into coin. So utter was his penury that the cardinals were reduced to living at the expense of the monasteries ; and when the Abbot of Casa Dei complained of the number quar- tered on him, he was told that he would be relieved of the Cardinal of Ostia, but that he must support the rest. More permanent rehef, however, was found at the expense of the foreigner by assigning to
- Pottbast No. 17984-5.— Arch, de Flnquis. de Care. (Doat, XXXI. 216).—
Ripoll L 402, 460, 462, 466, 469, 478.-Raynald. anu. 1260, No. 12.— Mao- Bull Rom. I. 119. "" The bull threatening the people of Bergamo with interdict for their legisla- tion is by Urban IV. and dated in 1264, as found in the archives of the Inquisi- tion of Carcassonne (Doat, XXX. 288), while Ripoll (I. 499) gives it as by Clement IV. in 1265, showing that the Bergamese were obstinate. Bergamo had been under interdict for adhering to Frederic and Conrad, and had only been recon- ciled after the death of the latter in 1255 (Ripoll I. 268).
