DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.55699#0176
140
THE LANDSCAPE ANNUAL.
of power being accompanied with considerable talents,
and with an utter fearlessness of laws, human or divine,
he raised the authority of the popes to an almost absolute
power over the world. His first great endeavour was to
prevent the marriage of the clergy; by doing which he
converted the Roman church into a garrison of ecclesia-
stical warriors, not prepared by their separation from
the world to war against its vices, but to descend, when-
ever they chose, into the retreats of domestic virtue, and
spoil them of their most hallowed treasures. He next
resolved to make the power of the emperors and all
secular princes bow to that of the church ; and Henry
of Germany was speedily made the victim of his machina-
tions. But while the contest was yet undecided, he is
reported to have suffered the greatest anxiety respecting
the issue, and one day determined to try if the sacra-
mental elements would not serve the same purpose as the
idols of the heathen. Inquiring, therefore, at the altar,
whether he should succeed in his war with the temporal
power, but receiving no answer, he took the emblems,
in the presence of his astonished and terrified cardinals,
and flung them into the fire, exclaiming, at the same
time, “ Could the idol gods of the heathen give them
answer of their success, and cannot thou tell me ?” Nor
did he content himself with exercising his authority only
on the great, whom it might gratify his pride to see
humbled at his feet: his cruelty extended to the lowest
of his subjects, and he seemed to rejoice in multiplying
the victims of his rage. Among the anecdotes related
in illustration of this fiend-like quality of his character
is the following :—A poor widow, distinguished for her
THE LANDSCAPE ANNUAL.
of power being accompanied with considerable talents,
and with an utter fearlessness of laws, human or divine,
he raised the authority of the popes to an almost absolute
power over the world. His first great endeavour was to
prevent the marriage of the clergy; by doing which he
converted the Roman church into a garrison of ecclesia-
stical warriors, not prepared by their separation from
the world to war against its vices, but to descend, when-
ever they chose, into the retreats of domestic virtue, and
spoil them of their most hallowed treasures. He next
resolved to make the power of the emperors and all
secular princes bow to that of the church ; and Henry
of Germany was speedily made the victim of his machina-
tions. But while the contest was yet undecided, he is
reported to have suffered the greatest anxiety respecting
the issue, and one day determined to try if the sacra-
mental elements would not serve the same purpose as the
idols of the heathen. Inquiring, therefore, at the altar,
whether he should succeed in his war with the temporal
power, but receiving no answer, he took the emblems,
in the presence of his astonished and terrified cardinals,
and flung them into the fire, exclaiming, at the same
time, “ Could the idol gods of the heathen give them
answer of their success, and cannot thou tell me ?” Nor
did he content himself with exercising his authority only
on the great, whom it might gratify his pride to see
humbled at his feet: his cruelty extended to the lowest
of his subjects, and he seemed to rejoice in multiplying
the victims of his rage. Among the anecdotes related
in illustration of this fiend-like quality of his character
is the following :—A poor widow, distinguished for her