The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-03-24

The English Pope.
| There IS not much TO be said about
| Nicholas Breakspeir-not enough, certain
| ly TO fiji out AN ample volume such as
that now before US. The few pages which
| Bishop Creighton Gives TO him IN the DC
| tionary Of National Biography suffice 10
contain all that IS really known about
| him. On the other hand, Nicholas Brak-
| spears times" supply material enough
for as big book as any reader would en-
| dure. Mr. Tarieton seems TO be some
J what embarrassed by these two facts. lie
! Is apt to be dllfuse when he writes about
the man; he can hardly help being sketchy
| when he writes about the times. on the
| whole. however, he deserves thanks from
the public for what he has done. lie has
| collected and carefully examined all the
| attainable evidence, and the Illustrations
which no has got together. especially the
| portraits, really deserve the name. y
better got-up volume We nave seldom
seen.
1t may me considered as well establish
cd that Nicholas Breakspear was native
| OF Abbots Langley. His name is stili
borne by house in the neighborho0d. IL
seems probable that his father, not farins
well In secular pursits, became an IN
mate Of st. Adams Abbey. Matthew
Paris says that he was a monk, and that
for more than ff'y years. Possibly he
was a lay brother. The son APPLIED Tor adj
mission and was refused. for want OF
qualification. according TO tho same an
thOrity. The monastery was at this time
al the height OF lis reputation, and au-
mission 10 "a community SO famous and so
wealthy must have been eagerly sought
for. IL WAS, in fact, equivalent 10 a fcl-
lowship al a college OF the highest rams.
The son OF a lay brother II the elder
D. eakspear was such. would not have
coed start I'm the competition. :. Albans
ia not the only corporation which has
found deficiency of qualification I'm a
humble candidate and has afterwards
seen reason to repent its blindness.
The next period of Brcakspcar'a life Is
obscure That he went TO Paris, and re-
NAMED. IN some capacity unknown, az
the Abbey of So. Dcnys for about five
years, We know. His next place OF So
journ was the Abbey OF ST. Rufus 40
Ayignon, and here, when he was about
thirty years Of age. De assumed the mo-
nastic habit lie became Prior, and in
u3l Abbot. OF the monastery. The house
followed The Ausustinlan rule. but had
suffered its discipline 10 become some
what lax. Tho new chief was bent ON
reformation, and the usual consequence
Of domestic strife followed. The brethren
preferred q complaint against their
, Abbot TO Pope Eugenius III. He heard
the cause, anu recommended the cOmmuni-
~ TO submit The quarrel broke out
again, and the disputants again sought
the arbitration of the Pope. lie delivered
his judgment n these terms: Il know, my
brethren, whore the seat OF Satan lies.
1 know what has aroused this quarrel
among you. Depart: choose some supe-
riOr with whom YOU can, or rather with
whom You have the will TO be at peace;
this one shall not be a further burden TO
you. The monks went home; Nicholas
remained with the Pope who made him
Bishop of AlDanO and Cardinal. This
was at the close OF llf7; five years later
the same Pope sent him on a mission 10
settle the affairs Of the Churches Of
Scandinavia. lie was commissioned TO
preach the Gospel Of Life in that Pro
vince, and 10 use every endcayOr 10 gain
the souls OF the natives TO the honor of
the Almighty God" What he did I'm this
direction We do not know. The results OF
his mission, as far as they are recorded,
were In the direction Of organization. Die
settled, Tor instance, the borders of the
ArchiepiscOpal See Of Dr0ntheim, adding
10 10 the Shetlands and the Hebrides. and,
ono Is somewhat surprised TO see, the
Isle Of Man, which had before belonged
to York. When he returned to Rome I'm
1854. Eugcnus III. was dead. and Anas-
tasius ". was on the PapA throne
Anastasius died a few weeks later. and
Nicholas Breakspear was unanimously
elected his successor and took the name
OF Adrian ". We know nothing GER
tailly OF the causes which brought about
this choice. IL would not be inconsistent
with the experience of Papal Conclayes
that his four years absence was. 90 say
the least, not an adverse influence. For
so long anyhow. he had not been making
enemies or arousng jealousies. 1t may
be noticed that in the list Of Cardinals
taking part I'm the Conclaye. or az least
living at the time. a majority were the
creations OF Eugenius. Breakspears pa
tron and OF his successor.
The four years and eight months and
Extraordinarily days OF Adrian Tvs
pontihcate We're a stormy time. IL began
III enough with the cruel execution oil
Arnold Of Brescia. Both Adrian and Ar
mold were refOrmers In their different
ways, but no hatred is so fierce as that
which one reformer feels for another
Then came some very critical negotiations
with Frederic Barbarossa. who had been
for some time in Italy Frederic wanted
10 be crowned In Rome. and the Pope was
in a way. the master of the situation
Certainly he got tho better Of the En-
peror, who ultimately consented TO @neel
down and hold the stirrup for the Pope
TO dismount Not long after the En-
peror crossed the Alps IN his homeward
journey; but the Pope had his hands tul
with another Aonarch-not so powerful
indeed. but I'm q way more dangerous
William Of Sicily. The near ncighbors OF
the Papacy have always been IFS most
formidable enemies. and Adrian. though
he seems 10 have conducted the affair
as skilfully as possible had 10 submit 10
no small humiliations from William. Then
there came another difference with Fred
eric The Pope sent two Cardinals 10 eX-
plain his views; but the ambassadors
were less skilful. or anyhow. less success
iul, than their master. An unlucky use
of the word 'benehcia" reused the fury
or the German princes Spiritually. II
meant blessings; temporarily IL meant pro-
perry, and the Pope was understood 10
claim Tor himself the intOlerable posi-
ton or being the source from which all
the possessions OF Emperor and princes
were derived. The issue Of this conflict
was not determined. Frederic invaded
Italy and Adrian was about TO have re-
course 10 the weapon OF eXcommunica-
tlOn when he did al,rnst audIaniV The