148 THE FRATICELLI. refugees, was sent to Aigues-mortes. Thither he fled, May 26, ac- companied by Ockhani and Bonagrazia. The Bishop of Porto, sent by John in hot haste after him, had an interview with him on the deck of his galley, but failed to induce him to return. He reached Pisa on June 9, and there ensued a war of manifestoes of unconscionable length, in which Michele was pronounced excom- municate and deposed, and John was proved to be a heretic who had rightfully forfeited the papacy. Michele could only carry on a worclv conflict, while John could act. Bertrand de la Tour, Cardinal of San Yitale, was appointed Vicar-general of the Order, another general chapter was ordered to assemble in Paris, June, 1329, and preparations were made for it by removing all pro- vincials favorable to Michele. and appointing in their places men who could be relied on. Out of thirty-four who had met in Bologna only fourteen were seen in Paris ; Michele was deposed and Gerard Odo was elected in his place ; but even under this pressure no declaration condemning the poverty of Christ could be obtained from the chapter. The mass of the Order, reduced to silence, remained faithful to the principles represented by its deposed general, until forced to acquiescence by the arbitrary measures so freely employed by the pope and the examples made of those who dared to express opposition. Still John Avas not dis- posed to relax the Franciscan discipline, and when, in 1332, Gerard Odo, in the hope of gaining a cardinal's hat, persuaded fourteen provincial ministers to join him in submitting a gloss which would have virtually annulled the obligation of poverty, his only reward was the ridicule of the pope and sacred college.*
- Xicholaus Minonta (Baluz. et Mansi III. 243-349).— Jac. de Marchia Dial.
(Ibid. II. 598).— Chron. Sanens. (Muratori S. R. I. XV. 81).— Vitodurani Chron. (Eccard. Corp. Hist. I. 1799-1800).— Marteue Tbesaur. II. 757-60.— Alvar. Pelag. De Planctu Eccles. Lib. n. art. 67. The career of Cardinal Bertrand de la Tour illustrates the pliability of con- science requisite to those who served John XXII. He was a Franciscan of high standing. As Provincial of Aquitaine he had persecuted the Spirituals. Elevated to the cardinalate, when John called for opinions on the question of the poverty of Christ he had argued in the affirmative. In conjunction with Vitale du Four, Cardinal of Albano, lie had secretly drawn up the declaration of the Chapter of Perugia which so angered the pope, but when the latter made up his mind that Christ had owned property, the cardinal promptly changed his
