Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1855-04-20
]tisrrllullrnllg.
P Pc ACE
PHILIP + HE F AIR.
Prom the History of La Chatelet.
Translated from French for the .Amcricen Bee.
By W, r. HALEY.

Few axioms are more hacknied IN the
way oi quotations than that which calls
History PHILOSOPHY teaching by exam-
| ple;" yet nieteen.:went,eths OF modern
dispuianis are IN the coustan, habit of
treating that equally ,erse and profound
principle as though i, were the mercs,
and shaIlowest of Idle iismcnts Oblec,
to the growth Of the Romish power, and
the perpc.ua,,on Of Romish policy, as
being Inimlcal alike TO material progress
and To mental freedom, and you will be
pretty sure TO be met by sneer a. your
narrow views, or by ia, denial, no, on
ly Of the ex,stence. but of the past ambi-
ton and encroaching audacity OF the
Papai Court. And, strange to say no, a
few Of the apparently aud proessedly y
Jealous aud sincere opponents of tradl-
Iona arrogance and insolent oreign dtc-
ta,lon. suffer the sncer and the denial 10
pass unsca,hed by that which must on
The instan, be fatal 10 both Historical
Fact
We presume that neither the advocate
,entions oil. temporarily, the very palttl-
est power IN Europe, will deny that I'M.
mutabiltv is one oi the characteristics
which Rome mos, empha,ically and loud.
| Is claims, aud Is the characteristic upon
which she bases her night to that power
which her enssaries are everywhere,
and by ali means, eudeavuring to obtain,
increase, aud consolidate. She CLAIMS
10 be to-day what she has ever been.
Let Us, then. answer, definitely and IT.
reiragabl,, the assertion lha. she is no,
now ntolerant, arrogant and easping,
by briefly showing what she was IN the
reign oi Philip the Fair. of France
that Is 10 say, al the commencement OF
the fourteenth century.
A, the period to which we have refer
red. the sovereign Pontif, surrounded by
all the prestige Of religious majesty
strong in the tmnidi,y and the fanaticism
OF the ignorant people, and surrounded
and aided by the mos, learned and astule
men Of their time, had all possible ad-
vantage in his disputes with the merely
temporal monarchs. And vet, even then
the chief advantage was gwen to X ONE
by those who most hated Rome, and
whom Rome most immeda,ely aud most
galIingly oppressed Few kings acted
upon the truth that, if you resist the
devil he shall foe from you;' but, When
kings were bold enough 10 do so, the
event usually proved that the power OF
Rome. boldly resisted. was as unreal as
her pretentions, strictly and sternly ex,
amined, were false and unienable. A
proof Of these facts may be- as i, seems
TO US, of no slight service just now; and
such proof we furnish in a brief and
indispuiable account Of that struggle be
tween Pope Boniface and Philip the Fair
to which the opponents OF the modern
encroachlnents of Rome have unaccount.
ably, no, to say cuIpab!y, omitted to re
fer.
Boniface, the unscrupulous lnheritor o
the ambitious projects OF Gregory VII
looked upon those kings who endeavorec
to shake off the yoke Of Rome as just 81
many rebellious vassals. Upon tins poln
we ceurt enquiry, and defy disprooi; We
have both the words and the deeds o
that arrogant grasping Pope in proof o
what we assert.
Philip the Fair, of temper proud and
ambitious as that Of the Pope h'mself
was the first object of the Pope's attacks
and Bernard de Sa,se,, Bishop OF Pa
mers, was sent on special mission int
France. to proclaim that kingdom the
vassel Of Rome, and to demand submls
sion and acknowledgements Of that vas
saIase, on pain of iu,erdic, and excom
munic alton. Philip, fully alive to boil
the insul, and the danger. arrested tn
Bishop; and Boulface forthwith vindicas
ed his envoy, BY launching aga'ns
France a series Of the most insulting
and threatening bulls. In :he first on
OF these bulls. BoniIace ordered Phll'I
to set the Bishop at liberty, declaring