Stephanus Baluzius [Étienne Baluze], Vitae Paparum Avinionensium Volume 1 (Paris: apud Franciscum Muguet 1693) column 1050-1051:

[ Testimony of Pierre de Cros, Archbishop of Arles and Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church (S.R.E. Camerarius): ]

Item, quod tres Cardinales Italici accesserunt ad villam Fundorum super tractatu electionis, et quilibet ipsorum praesumebat quod eligeretur in Papam.

"Likewise, the three Italian Cardinals came to the town of Fundi to discuss the election, and each one of them expected that he would be elected Pope."

 

Stephanus Baluzius [Étienne Baluze], Vitae Paparum Avinionensium Volume 1 (Paris: apud Franciscum Muguet 1693) column 1049:

[ Testimony of Cardinal Bertrandus Atgerius ( or Latgerius, Bertrand Lagier), OFM, concerning events after the Cardinals were in Fundi. Cardinal Lagier would vote for Cardinal Corsini: ]

Item, quod audivit a Domino Cardinale Florentino, quando fuit in villa Anagnia vel Fundorum, quod ille Barensis non erat Papa. Imo ille Florentinus innuebat, loquendo tamen honeste, quod iste daret sibi vocem suam, etiam Dominus Cardinalis de Vernio qui erat ibidem, ut praedictus Dominus Florentinus eligeretur ad papatum. Cumque ipse Ostiensis responderet Florentino quod ipse et Dominus de Vernhio, qui erat ibi, libenter eligerent eum, dixit Dominus Florentinus Cardinali Ostiensi quod si volebat favere sibi, quod caveret ab aliis Dominis Cardinalibus Italicis, scilicet de Ursinis et Mediolanensi cum eo ibi praesentibus; licet omnes illi tres cardinales Italici asserebant firmiter quod ille Barensis non erat verus Papa nec electus canonice.

"Likewise, he heard from the Cardinal Corsini, when he was in the town of Anagni or Fundi, that Barensis was not Pope. Even more, the Cardinal of Florence intimated, but speaking honestly, that he would give him (Lagier) his vote; also Cardinal de Vergne, who was there too, that the Cardinal of Florence should be elected to the Papacy. And when Cardinal Lagier replied to Corsini that he himself and Cardinal de Vergne, who was present, would gladly elect him, Corsini said to Lagier that if he wished to favor him he should be careful about the other Italian cardinals, Orsini and Borsano, who were there with him, granted that the three Italian cardinals were asserting firmly that Barensis was not the true Pope and was not elected canonically."

 

Stephanus Baluzius [Étienne Baluze], Vitae Paparum Avinionensium Volume 1 (Paris: apud Franciscum Muguet 1693) column 1049:

[ From the Deposition of Cardinal Pierre de Vergne (Baluze wonders whether the two cardinals were serious in their offer): ]

Item, dixit quod quando Cardinales Italici venerunt ad villam Fundorum, quod Cardinalis Glandatensis dixerat isti Cardinali quod daret vocem suam Domino Cardinali Florentino, et iste dixit quod placebat sibi. Tunc accessit Dominus ille de Florentia ad istum Cardinalem dicens quod regraciabatur sibi usque ad oscula pedum et quod caveret sibi de aliis duobus Cardinalibus Italicis, quia quilibet illorum volebat pro se. Et adjecit quod ipse iret ad hospitium suum ad dandum sibi gratias quas posset. Et post venit frater illius Cardinalis ad domum istius Cardinalis de Vernhio, et dixit sibi quod peteret quicquid vellet, et ipse sibi offerebat unum Cardinalem et unum Archiepiscopum et plura quacunque vellet.

"Likewise, he said that when the Italian Cardinals came to Fundi, that Cardinal Lagier had said to Cardinal de Vergne that he would give his vote to Cardinal Corsini, and de Vergne said that that was pleasing to him. Then Corsini came to de Vergne, saying that he was so happy to see him as to kiss his feet, and that de Vergne should take care about the other two Italian Cardinals, because each of them was out for his own interests. And he added that he was going to go to his hotel to give him whatever thanks he could. And later, the Cardinal's brother came to Cardinal de Vergne's residence, and told him that he should ask for whatever he wished, and he offered him one Cardinal's hat, and one Archbishopric, and whatever more he wanted."

 

Stephanus Baluzius [Étienne Baluze], Vitae Paparum Avinionensium Volume 1 (Paris: apud Franciscum Muguet 1693) column 1050:

[ Testimony of Cardinal Nicolas de Brancaccio, Bishop of Cosenza (cf. Baluzius I, 1286), made a Cardinal by Pope Clement VII in December, 1378: ]

Item, scit quod Dominus Nicolaus de Napoli ivit ad Dominos Cardinales qui erant Fundis, et tractavit quod venirent ad eos alii Domini Cardinales Italici, et tractabat ad partem cum quolibet, taliter quod quilibet illorum trium habebat spem quod eligeretur in Papam. Et scribebat ad partem Domino Florentino et Domino Mediolanensi Dominus Pictavensis, et Domino Iacobo Dominus Sancti Eustachii taliter quod venirent omnes tres ad villam Fundorum. Et tractabant ibi de electione futuri Papae per quem modum fieret. Italici volebant quod procederent per viam compromissi isto modo quod compromitterent omnes in sex Cardinales, quorum tres essent illi Italici et alii tres assumerentur de Gallicis. Et iste vidit notam scriptam de isto modo ad procedendum ad electionem. Sed postea omnes alii Cardinales, timentes cavillationem aliquam, noluerunt quod procederetur per illam viam, sed per scrutinium vel per viam Spiritus Sancti. Et ita factum est quod omnes concorditer elegerunt istum Dominum Clementem, exceptis illis Cardinalibus Italicis.

"Likewise, he knows that Nicholas of Naples came to the Cardinals who were at Fundi, and negotiated about the other Italian Cardinals coming to them, and he was dealing privately with each one, since each one of the three had the expectation of being elected Pope. Cardinal Guy de Malsec was writing privately to Cardinal Corsini and to Cardinal de Borsano, and Cardinal Pierre Flandrin was writing to Cardinal Orsini that all three should to Fundi. They were negotiating there about the election of the next Pope, as to how it should be carried out. The Italians wanted them to proceed by the Way of Compromise, in such a way that all the Cardinals should agree on six Cardinals, of whom three would be Italians and the other three French. [Nicholas de Brancaccio] saw a note written about that method of proceeding to an election. But later, the other Cardinals, fearing some trick, were unwilling to proceed by that Way, but instead by the Way of Scrutiny or the Way of the Holy Spirit (Inspiration). And so it happened that all agreeably elected Pope Clement [Cardinal Robert of Geneva], except for those three Italians."

 

Stephanus Baluzius [Étienne Baluze], Vitae Paparum Avinionensium Volume 1 (Paris: apud Franciscum Muguet 1693) column 1051-1052:

[ Testimony of Alvaro Martini, Ambassador of the King of Castile, speaking of Agapito Colonna, Bishop of Lisbon, made a Cardinal by Urban VI on September 18, 1378: ]

Tunc dixit nobis idem Agapitus sibi fuit dictum et assertive dicebat quod tres Cardinales Italici interfuerunt electioni Clementis, credens eorum quilibet quod eligeretur in Papam, et facta electione statim recesserunt ab eis, et tamen non iverunt ad Urbanum.

"Then the same Agapitus told us that it was said to him and he stated emphatically that the three Italian Cardinals took part in the election of Clement [VII], each one of them believing that he would be elected Pope, and, after the election was completed, they immediately departed from them [the French Cardinals], and yet they did not go to Urban."

 

Stephanus Baluzius [Étienne Baluze], Vitae Paparum Avinionensium Volume 1 (Paris: apud Franciscum Muguet 1693) column 1050-1051:

[ Testimony of Nicolaus Mesquini, OP, Cardinal of the titulus of S. Cyriaco: ]

Causa autem quare tres Cardinales Italici non adhaerent Domino nostro [Urbano] credo quod sit eorum confusio, quia confunduntur ex eo quod interfuerunt electioni Antipapae, licet non consenserint, et protestati fuerunt se nolle consentire. Ipsi enim ambitione moti, sed decepti, iverunt Fundos habita promissione a Cardinalibus ultramontanis quod unus eorum eligeretur in Antipapam. Postea ipsi Italici videntes se deceptos, confusi non sunt ausi respicere faciem Domini, sed invenerunt tertiam viam, scilicet de Concilio.

'The reason why the three Italian Cardinals did not remain loyal to our Master, I believe, was because of their confusion, because they were confounded by the fact that they took part in the election of the Antipope [Pope Clement VII], though to be sure they did not give consent and protested that they were unwilling to consent. For they themselves, motivated by ambition, but deceived, went to Fundi, having received a promise from the French Cardinals that one of them would be elected Pope. Afterwards, the Italians, seeing that they were deceived, in confusion did not dare to look their Master in the face, but instead they found a third way, namely the Way of the Council."

 

Ludovicus Antonius Muratori, Rerum Italicarum Scriptores Tomus Tertius (Milan 1723), columns 715-730:

[ Deposition of Thomas of Acerno, Bishop of Lucera ]

.... Interim, quia deviatio dictorum Ultramontanorum inducebat schismata et gravia scandala et pericula in Dei Ecclesia, ipsi Cardinales per diversos Nuntios et Ambasciatores laborarunt pro dicto tractatu concordiae; et illi Ultramontani etiam diversos Nuntios mise[728]runt ad Italicos. Tamdem quia per Nuntios quasi nihil fieri poterat, denuo tres praedicti Florentinus, Mediolanensis, et de Ursinis iverunt de licentia Domini nostri ad Abbatiam Sublacensem vicinam Anagniae, ut inde possent facilius tractare concordiam et unionem praedictam. Et licet Domini laborassent, tamdem quia Anagniae propter multitudinem Britonum, qui ibi fuerant cum Cardinalibus, defecerunt victualia; propter hoc ipsi Cardinales Ultramontani iverunt ad Civitatem Fundanam. Et interim per subtilissimas astutias et versutias verborum, literarum, et Ambasciatorum traxerunt ipsi Ultramontani ipsos tres Italicos post se de mense Augusti usque ad Civitatem Suessae....

Quare videntes quod non erat eis possibile per eorum industriam vel potentiam ducere Papam verum secum ultramontes, maximo dolore turbati, et Diabolico rubore confusi, si ibant ultramontes sine capite, etiam cogitarunt facere unum Antipapam. Et tenentes hoc secretum, simularunt unum Consilium, ad quod vocarunt dictos tres Cardinales Italicos, qui jam erant in Fundis semper ad restitendum eis, ut non procederent ad faciendum Antipapam. Et quum essent omnes simul, nullo facto vel convocato Consilio, absolute incoeperunt induere Dominum Gebennensem vestibus Papalibus, et dixerunt, "Dominus Gebennensis est Papa." Ipsi autem Italici hoc videntes, statim turbati verterunt oerum vultus et terga, et dixerunt, "Nos non venimus ad hoc, nec consentimus in hoc, quoniam habemus Romae unum Papam, unde non possumus habere alium Papam." Et statim insalutato hospite recesserunt, et reversi fuerunt Suessam. Et quoniam involavit una fama quod Cardinalis de Ursinis libenter voluisset esse Antipapa et destruere Dominum nostrum, et hoc secreto sibi promiserant Ultramontani. Et haec fama venit ad Dominum nostrum. Ipse Cardinalis de Ursinis semper conatus est facere morulas per Ci[729]vitates et Castra, et cum versutiis et dolis detinuit dictos Dominos, scilicet Florentinum et Mediolanensem, faciendo eis magnas expensas et nonores per Terras consanguineorum suorum, et post in suis. Et quum Dominus Mediolanensis absolute voluisset venire ad Dominum nostrum, et venisset de Suessa usque ad Abbatiam Cassinensem, ipse Dominus Jacobus scripsit sibi, quod ipse volebat venire, rogans eum quod exspectaret eum ibidem: quod etiam fecit Dominus Mediolanensis quia est purus homo et deciperet eum unus puer. 19. Tamdem quum omnes tres Italici essent simul, fuit eis relatum quod Dominus noster erat turbatus fortiter contra eos. Unde ipsi etiam turbati de tanta multitudine Cardinalium, scilicet XXIX, et timentes Dominum nostrum qui non plene diligebat eos, Florentinum et de ursinis, propter eorum malitias paulatim iverunt ad subtilem tractationem ipsius Cardinalis de Ursinis ad Castrum Tagliacozi, quod erat ipsius Cardinalis de Ursinis. Et sic quia timebant Dominum nostrum, apud quem erant infati, quod non fideliter duo eorum, scilicet Florentinus et de Ursinis, se gesserant in eorum itinere. Et Cardinalis de Ursinis dixerunt multa mala de Domino nostro et ficta mendacia Dominae Reginae Neapolitanae, scilicet quod volebat facere Dominum Carolum Regem; tum etiam quia timebat asperos mores Domini nostri; tum etiam quia dicebatur eis, quod Dominus noster male tractabat Cardinales, quos ipsemet fecerat; tum etiam quia non poterant vivere Romae in tanta paupertate, quanta vivunt novi Cardinales, quum consuevissent ipsi Romae laute et honorabiliter vivere, remanserunt Tagliacozi, ubi tandem mortuus fuit ipse Cardinalis de Ursinis ex nimio dolore. Nam medici nescientes plene qua aegritudine mortuus fuisset, fecerunt eum evixcerari, ut corpus ejus cum aromatibus conservaretur melius usque ad diem funeris; quod funus non potuit cito fieri, quia Rainaldus ejus frater misit Roman ad Dominum nostrum pro Camerario suo, ut interesset exsequiis, sicut est de more in funere Cardinalium, et misit Romam pro pannis de nigro et cera et aliis necessariis ad funus tanti viri. Et invenerunt ipsi medici prope splenem et prope femur unam vesicam ad modum quasi felis, totam plenam petris croceis et arenosis. Et ipse Cardinalis de Ursinis mortuus fuit in fide Domini nostri, prout ipse Rainaldus dixit et scripsit Domino nostro Papae manu propria, et prout dixit Episcopus Calvensis, et alii Capellani dicti Cardinalis qui interfuerunt morti ejus. Item ipse Cardinalis dimisit Domino nostro anulum tamquam suo vero Romano Pontifici, prout est de more; et recommendavit sibi familiam suam, et animam suam. Post haec autem Cardinalis Florentinus et Mediolanensis, quia ex tanta mora et aliis sentiebant se offendisse Dominum nostrum, tum ex timore aliquali, tum ex verecundia, non venerunt ad ipsum Dominum Papam; sed quaerebant ab eo certa pacta, volentes colorare defectus eorum; et etiam steterunt Tagliacozi per magnum tempus, et tamdem ad subtilem perfusasionem Reginae et suggestionem benefactorum eorum et suorum, iverunt ad Civitatem Aversae ubi ad praesens morantur.

Theoderic de Nyem [Dietrich von Niem]: Georg Erler (editor), Theoderici de Nyem de scismate libri tres (Lipsiae 1890), Liber primus, pp. 24-26:

IX. Demum dictus dominus Urbanus videns se non proficere quoad hoc, quod ipsi cardinales ad eum redirent, in autumpno Romam repeciit. Et post hoc ipsi cardinales ultramontani tunc in civitate Fundana in ipsa Campania sub defensione dicti comitis congreatti ad ipsos tres Ytalicos cardinales, scilicet Petrum [Corsini], Jacobum [Orsini] et Johannem [Another error: Simon de Borsano, Mediolanensis], qui tunc simul erant in quodam castro dicti domini Cardinalis Jacobi, destinarunt oratores ipsorum, scribentes cuilibet eorum literas [July 20, 1378, while they were at Agnani, not Fundi], in quibus quemlibet ipsorum intelligere dolo fecerunt, quod, si veniret ad ipsos, summus pontifex creatur. Sed quod illud secrete quilibet eorum teneret, eciam [25] dicte litere innuerunt, scientes dictos Ytalicos ambiciones vicio laborare simulque ipsos sic dolose ad se trahere posse.

X. Unde predicti tres cardinales Ytalici ad dictum civitatem Fundanum sublato more dispendio euntes et venientes ad confratres suos tunc ad faciendum scisma in universali ecclesia, scilicet ad eligendum alium pontificem congregatos insimul accesserunt, sed predictum Rupertum [Robert of Geneva] dicti cardinales ultramontini eisdem cardinalibus, Ytalicis tunc presentibus, elegerunt [September 20, 1378], prout in hoc per prius in eorundem cardinalium Ytalicorum absencia [Not so.] mutuo concordarunt, scientes dicti electores eum esse ambiciosum et pluribus indigentem ac presumptuosum, large conscientie, sed genere nobilem, multis eciam consangiuneis atque affinibus nobilibus ac potentibus constipatum. Unde post elici, quod illa eleccio a Spiritu Sancto [26] et puris conscientiis non processit. Videntes autem dicti cardinales Italici se totaliter delusos indignantur a dicta civitate recesserunt, ad ipsum castrum [Sora] unde illuc venerant redeuntes, in quo tam diu extunc insimul steterunt donec ipse Jacobus cardinalis [Orsini] in eodem castro postea infra pauca tempora decessit [Orsini died on August 13, 1379].

 

November 12, 2013 6:33 PM

John Paul Adams, CSUN
john.p.adams@csun.edu