All this was humiliating enough. Undoubtedly English manliness, that spurned the perjury of Sigismund in giving up Huss to the flames, had something to do with the threatened violence. But there was still another dreg in his bitter cup. To defray the expenses of his journey he had sold the whole of Brandenburg, together with the electorate, to Frederic of Zollern for 300,000 ducats,1 and for a smaller sum created the Truchsesses of Waldburg governors of Swabia. Thus he had alienated instead of adding to his dominions, and in some respects his journey was a marked failure. He had indeed induced Spain to withdraw from Benedict, but the obstinate old pope was not to be cajoled or terrified even by an emperor. He still maintained his state, and fulminated his terrors in all the pride of his prerogative. It was now time for the council to try their hand at a task which the emperor had left incompletethe removal of Benedict as the lingering obstacle which obstructed the union of the church. At the twenty-third session, Nov. 5, 1416, a commission was appointed to draw up charges and hear testimony against the "schismatic, heretical, and tyrant" pontiff. This commission proceeded to business, and were ready to report at the next session, (Nov. 28,) when the citation of Benedict was decreed.2 He was summoned to appear at Constance within one hundred days from the present session, or within seventy days from the issuing of the citation. The citation was decreed by edict, through apprehension that the criminal could not be personally reached. But two 1 Schmidt's Gesch. der Deutsch, iv. 101. 2 L'Enfant, 428. CH. IX.] THE MONKS CITE BENEDICT. 275 monks were found bold enough to bear the summons to Peniscola, and into the presence of Benedict himself. These monks belonged to the Benedictine order, and their names were Lambert Stipiltz and Bernard Plancha.1 The recital which they gave of their mission, showed that the idea of its danger was scarcely exaggerated. As they drew near to Peniscola, accompanied by two nobles and several notaries, they were met by a doctor despatched by Benedict to request them to defer their entrance till the next day, under the pretext that they might be greeted then by a more honorable reception. With this request they refused to comply. "These devils," said they, "imagine they have gained everything if they can postpone the union a single hour." As they entered the town, a nephew of Benedict, escorted by two hundred wellarmed soldiers, came to meet them. Their reception had every appearance of a welcome, the value of which, however, they could well appreciate. They amused themselves at the fright which the presence of two unarmed monks had created in Benedict. The next day they were admitted to an audience. Benedict had with him three cardinals, several bishops and other ecclesiastics, and about three hundred laymen. These monks then read the decree of citation, which Benedict heard with extreme impatience. When they came the passage which spoke of him as schismatic and heretical, he could contain himself no longer. "It is not true," he cried out at one time; and again, "They slander me." At length, 1 L'Enfant, 449. in a more formal reply, he declared that the matter was one of great importance, and his answer should be given the next day, after deliberation with his cardinals. He improved the occasion, however, to go into a lengthened defence of his own course, more, probably, for the ears of his auditors, than the satisfaction or conviction of the monks. "The church," said he, "is not at Constance, but at Peniscola. Here," he exclaimed, striking his hand upon the chair he occupied," Here is the Noah's ark, the true church. These people of Constance call me schismatic and heretic, because I will not put the church into their hands; a thing I will take good care not to do. Already there would have been peace for six months but for them. On their heads rests the guilt of heresy and schism." The monks thought such an answer enough. They demanded a copy of it, which the pope was reluctant to grant. But leaving behind them a notary of the king to take charge of the document after it should be drawn up, they withdrew to Tortosa. Serious as the business was, it is connected with some amusing incidents. It is said that as the monks approached, dressed in black, according to the statutes of their order, in order to cite Benedict, the latter said to those around him, "Let us hear the ravens of the council." But monkish repartee was equal to pontifical wit. "There is nothing surprising," said one of the monks boldly, "that ravens should come near a dead body!" One historian ludicrously represents the monks as dressed in black, the devil's color, entering into hell to cite Beelzebub, the great CH. IX.] RETURN OF SIGISMUND. 277 devil, to come to judgment. Undoubtedly the sincerity was about equal on both sides. The monks themselves considered the whole affair, notwithstanding their indignation against Benedict, as a good joke. The letter, in which they gave to the council an account of their expedition, is dated Tortosa, Jan. 22, 1417. Five days later, on the 27th of the month, Sigismund returned to Constance. The announcement of his approach was enthusiastically received.1 He was met several miles distant from Constance by an imposing procession of princes, nobles, and ecclesiastical dignitaries. He entered the city amid the discharge of cannon, the ringing of bells, and applauding shouts of welcome. The English saw with exultation that he proudly wore the decoration of the Order of the Garter, which he had received from the hands of Henry V. They were themselves treated with distinguished honor. The Bishop of Sarum greeted the emperor in the name of the council. Sacred comedies, previously acted. in the presence of the authorities of the city, were repeated by the English in the presence of Sigismund, and to his great delight and satisfaction. A sermon was preached before him in the highest strain of eulogy. If anything could compensate the emperor for the hardships of his journey, it was the welcome he received, as well as the presence of the Spanish nation joining in the deliberations of the council. 1 Van der Hardt, iv. 1089, 1091. CHAPTER X. BENEDICT DEPOSED. PROGRESS OF REFORM. MARTIN V. ELECTED. AGGRIEVED. AFFAIRS OF BENEDICT. BISHOP OF CUENZA. THE ENGLISH NATION. — DISPUTE SKETCH OF GERSON'S QUESTION OF JAN. 27, 1417-Nov. 21, 1418. THE presence of the emperor infused new life and energy into the proceedings of the council. The more arduous matters, which in his absence had been deferred, almost of necessity, might now be disposed of. The first in order of these, if not the most important, was that which concerned the depo |