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period, too, the papal Government, owing in part to its very weakness, stood for municipal freedom, while the Hohenstaufen had in Sicily substituted for the aristocratic hierarchy of feudalism a bureaucratic despotism supported by the arms of their devoted Saracens.

Two other points in Urban's policy must be noted: his dealings with the Byzantine Empire and with Eng- land. Manfred's designs on the territories of Palaeolo- gus, together with the e.xiled Baldwin's secret attempt to reconcile Manfred with St. Louis, made the Greek emperor, politically, at least, the natural ally for a pope fearful of an increase in the power of the Sicilian king. Urban sought an understanding with Michael Pateologus, and here too gave a lasting direction to papal pohcy, setting it on the path which led to the union (inoperative though it was) of Lyons in 1274. In England Urban's collectors of money were ex- ceedingly busy; like St. Louis, he supported Henry III against the barons. He absolved the king from his promise to observe the Provisions of Oxford, declared oaths taken again.st him to be unlawful, and condemned the rising of the barons. He was buried in the cathedral at Perugia. The Feast of Corpus Christi (q. v.) was instituted by Urban IV.

MuRATORI, Remm italicarum Scriplores, III. i, 593; III, ii. 404; DoRBZ AND GuiRAND, Re^islres d' Urhaiti IV (2 vols.. Paria, 1901-04) ; RoDENBERG, Epis'olcB selectcE in Afon. Germ, Hist., Ill (Berlin, 1S94), 474-626; Potthast, Regesla, II (Berlin, 1875), 1474-2541; MARTtNE and Durand, Thesaurus nanus Anecdo- toTum, II (Paris, 1717). 1-95; Jordan, Origines de la domination Arignine en Italie (Paris, 1909); H.tMPE. Urban IV. und Manfred (Heidelberg, 1905); Sievert. Vorleben des Papstes Urban IV in Rdmische Quartalschrift (1896 and 1898); Baudrillart, Des idees qu'on se faisaii au XIV' siecte sur le droit d' intervention du Souverain Pontife en matiire politique in Revue d'histoire et de litt^ature religieuses. III (Paris. 1898); Jordan. Promotions de cardinaux sous Urbain IV in ibid., V (1900); Gregobovius. tr. Hamilton, History of the City of Rome, V (London, 1897); MiLMAN, History of Latin Christianity, VI (London, 1872); NoRDEN, Papstthum und Byzanz (Berlin, 1903) ; Gasqtjet. Henry III and the Church (London, 1905).

Raymunb Webster.

Urban V, Pope, Blessed (Guillaume de Gri- MOARUI, b. at Grisac in Languedoc, 1.310; d. at Avignon, 19 Dec, 1370. Born of a knightly family, he was educated at Montpellier and Toulouse, and became a Benedictine monk at the little priory of Chirac near his home. A Bull of 1363 informs us that he was pro- fessed at the great Abbey of St- Victor at Marseilles, where he im- bibed his characteristic love for the Order of St. Benedict; even as pope he wore its haliit. He was ordained at Chirac, and after a further course of theology and canon law at the uni- versities of Toulouse, Montpellier, . y Paris, and Avignon, he received the doctorate in 1342. Hewasoneof the greatest canonists of his day; was professor of canon law at MontpelUer, and also taught at Toulouse, Paris, and Avignon; he acted successively as vicar- general of the Dioceses of Clermont and Uzes, was at an unknown date (before 1342) affiliated to Cluny, became prior of Notre-Dame du Pre (a priory de- pendent on St. Germain d'Auxerre), and in 1352 was named abbot of that famous house by Clement VI. With this date begins his diplomatic career. His fir.st mission was to Giovanni Visconti, Archbishop and despot of Milan, and this he carried out success- fully; in 13.54 and 1.360 he w;is employed on the affairs of the Holy See in Italy; in 1361 he was appointed by Innocent VI to the Ablxicy of St-Victor at Marseilles, but in 1362 was once more despatched to Italy, this time on an embassy to .JoaniKi of Naples. It was while engaged on this businc-^H that the abbot heard of his election to the papacy. Innocent VI had died on 12 Sept. The choice of one who was not a car- dinal was due to jealousies within the Sacred College,


which made the election of any one of its members almost impossible. Guillaume de Grimoard was chosen for his virtue and learning, and for his skiU in practical affairs of government and diplomacy. He arrived at Marseilles on 28 Oct., entered Avignon three days later, and was consecrated on 6 Nov., taking the name of Urban because, as he said, "all the popes who had borne the name had been saints". The general satisfaction which this election aroused was voiced by Petrarch, who wTote to the pope, "It is God alone who has chosen you".

On 20 Nov. Iving John of France visited Avignon; his main purpose was to obtain the hand of Joanna of Naples, ward of the Holy See, for his son Phihp, Duke of Touraine. In a letter of 7 Nov. Urban had already approved her project of marriage with King James of Majorca, a king without a kingdom; by so doing the pope safeguarded his own independence at Avignon, which would have been gravely imperilled had the marriage of Joanna, who was also Countess of Provence, united to the Crown of France the coun- try surrounding the little papal principahty. The letter WTitten by LTrban to Joanna on 29 Nov., urging the marriage with Philip, was probably meant rather to appease the French king than to persuade the recipient. The betrothal of the Queen of Naples to James of Majorca was signed on 14 Dec. The enormous ransom of 3,000,000 gold crowns, due to Edward III of England from John of France by the treaty of Bretigny, was still in great part unpaid, and John now sought permission to levy a tithe on the revenues of the French clergy. L'rban refused this request as well as another for the nomination of four cardinals chosen by the king. John also desired to intervene between the pope and Barnabo 'S'isconti, tyrant of Milan. He was again refused, and when Barnabo failed to appear within the three months al- lowed by his citation, the pope excommunicated him (3 March, 1363). In April of the same year Visconti was defeated before Bologna. Peace was con- cluded in March, 1364; Barnabo restored the castles seized by him, while Urban withdrew the excom- munication and undertook to pay half a million gold florins.

The Benedictine pope was a lover of peace, and much of his diplomacy was directed to the pacification of Italy and France. Both countries were overrun by mercenary bands known as the "Free Companies", and the pope made many efforts to secure their dispersal or departure. His excommunication was disregarded, and the companies refused to join the distant King of Hungary in his battles with the Turks although the Emperor Charles IV, who came to .\vignon in May, 136.5, guaranteed the expenses of their journey and offered them the revenues of his king- dom of Bohemia for three years. War now broke out between Pedro the Cruel of Navarre and his brother Henry of Trastamare. Pedro was excommunicated for his cruelties and per.secutions of the clergy, and Bertrand Duguesclin, the victor of Cochi^rel, led the companies into Navarre; yet they visited .\vignon on their way and wrung blackmail from the ]>(>pe. The Spanish war was quickly ended, and Urban re- turned to his former plan of employing the com- panies against the Turk. The Count of S;i,voy was to have led them to the as.sistance of the King of Cyprus and the Eastern Empire, but this scheme too was a failure. Urban's efforts were equ;iily fruitless in Ital>', where the whole land was overrun with bands led l>y such f;unous comlottitri as the (!iTMi;in Count of Liuulau and the Englishman Sir John Ibiwkwood. In 136.5, after the failure of a scheme to unite Flor- ence, Pisa, and the Italian communes against them, the pope commissioned .Vlbornoz to persuade these companies to join the King of Hungary. In 1366 he .solemnly excomnninicated them, forbade their em- ployment, and called on the emperor and all the