The-papacy-its-history-dogmas-genius-and-prospects-wylie

76 PROGRESS OF ECCLESIASTICAL SUPREMACY.sees. These possessions, which had originated mostly inroyal gifts, were viewed somewhat in the light of fiefs, forwhich it was but reasonable that the tenant should dohomage to the lord paramount. Hence the ceremony introducedby Charlemagne of putting the ring and crosierinto the hands of the newly consecrated bishop. Thebishops of Rome, like their brethren, were at first chosenby popular election. In process of time, the consent of theemperor was used to ratify the choice of the people. Thisprerogative came intothe possession of Charlemagne alongwith the imperial crown, and was exercised by his posterity,—if we except the last of his descendants, during whose feeblereigns the prerogative which the imperial hands had letfall was caught up by the Roman populace. This rightcame next into the possession of the Saxon emperors, andwas exercised by some of therace of Otho in a more absolutemanner than it had ever been by either Greek or Carlovingianmonarch. Henry IH., impatient to put down thescandal of three rival popes, assembled a council at Sutri,which deposed all three, placed Henry's friend, theBishopof Bamberg (Clement H.), in Peter's chair, and added thissubstantial boon, that henceforward the imperial throneshould possess the entire nomination of the popes, withoutthe intervention of clergy or laity.*But what the magnanimityof Henry HI. had gained came to be lost by thetender age and irresolute spirit of his son Henry IV.Nicolas II., in 1059, wrested the prerogative from the emperors,to place it, not in the people, but in a new body, whichpresents us with the origin of the conclave of cardinals.According to the pontifical decree, the seven cardinalbishops holding sees in the neighbourhood of Rome werehenceforward to choose the pope.f A vague recognition* Dunham's Europe during the Middle Ages, vol. i. p. 147, 148 : DuPin, Eccles. Hist. vol. ii. p. 206.t Machiavelli's History of Florence, book i. : Hallam's Middle Ages,vol. i. p. 539.