sanguine saciatus cruentas manus crudelissime in matrem propriam
iniciens apostolice sedis
dignitates comminuens proprias possessiones ab ipsa
uiolenter nisus est extorquere. ⊗ O quam
insaciabilis
ambitionis ingluuies, que quanto maiora deuorat tanto lacius hiando ⊗ fame
inextinguibili semper noua deuorando eiulando deposcit. O quam inproba
terrene dig
nitatis auiditas, que nusquam honoris terminos attendens, semper ad
alcioris magistratus
apicem posse conscendere suis fautoribus pollicitans, eosque
infra omnium uiciorum spurcicias
latenter precipitans, manus plusquam sacrilegas
in Deum etiam porrigere compellit. Hec ⁊ hiis similia non
solum in predicto, sed
etiam in omni qui presumtuose in sancte matris ecclesie possessiones manus extollit
uiolentas de facili possunt comperiri. Quid plura? Apostolica in eum publice ⁊
inpropatulo lata est
sentencia, qua promulgata ex decreto domini pape nouus
imperator substitui edicitur. Sed quo fine
uel qua lege hec nimis inproba litis
contestatio fuerit dir\i/mata ⁊ determinata sequens annorum
series planius declarabit. Eodem etiam anno accidit quod cum iam per quinquennium
uel amplius
Abigenses // scilicet aspera ⁊ a Deo
reprobata, iusticiam Dei a se abigentes, suam uolentes constituere,
catholice
fidei religionem manifesta persecutione inpungnauerant ex persuasione apostolice
ammonicionis ⁊ uirtute uerbi diuine predicacionis, sed ⁊ principaliter ex gratia diuine
inspirationis
unanimiter contra predictos diuine legis derisores non modica turba
fidelium in partibus coadunata
est Tholosanis, que diuine uirtutis dispositione in
acies dispartita pugna campestri qualem non meminit
etas presencium1 infidelium2 stragem
dederunt. Hoc autem factum est anno milleno, bis centeno, mo
nodeno, Septembrique
die quarta post festa Marie, sub duce Christianissimo ⁊ comite inuictis
simo Simone
dicto de Munford, uel de Rocheford, qui eosdem a principio uehementissimo
feruore
persequtus est. Hac etiam uix finita ⁊ cassata perturbatione ⁊ ecce recens subrepit
Christianorum ali
unde persecutio. Inpetuosa enim ⁊ ignominiosa, turba paganorum cum
classe non modica per litora
Hyspanie applicuerat qui ⁊ Christianos ad
proeliandum inuitauerunt. In quos rex magnanimus cognomine
tamen rex paruus cum
commilitonibus suis insurgens uirtute diuina fere omnes conquassauit. Uix enim rex ⁊
princeps eorum dictus de Mairhoc cum maxima ignominia uiuus euasit. ¶Rex autem
Gallie terram
regis Anglie in transmarinis partibus sibi subiugando non modicum
sanguinem effudit. Consimilem
autem stragem rex Anglie terram Hibernie ⁊ Wales
sibi subiugando perpetrauit. Sed ⁊ rex Scotie filium
MacWillelmi, Guthred scilicet
persequendo, propriosque seductores destruendo, multorum cadauera inanimata
reliquit.
Anno moccoxiio exiit a summo pontifice Innocencio generale
mandatum in omnem
Christiane professionis regionem, ut omni cessante excusatione
uniuersi ecclesiarum pastores
ad terminum prefixum scilicet anno moccoxvo kal’ Nouembris Rome congregarentur, generale
concilium ibidem
celebraturi, exceptis paucissimis qui communi consilio in unaquaque pa
tria ob
animarum custodiam remanerent. Ipse autem pastores interim omni sollicitudine uerbum
uite predicarent, ⁊ infirmos in fide confirmarent, confirmatos animarent, sed ⁊
sancte crucis
signaculo consignarent in subsidium sancte terre repromissionis,
quam tunc temporis Saraceni
nimis inprobe ⁊ inde\ce/nter
tractauerunt:, ¶Missa sunt a latere domini pape multa ⁊ magna
luminaria .'. scilicet sanctissime conuersationis ⁊ excellentissime
doctrine in omnem circa
regionem, quorum duo missi sunt, unus in Angliam ⁊
reliquus in Franciam, in Angliam
blood, he—turning blood-stained hands most cruelly against his own mother,1 belittling the dignities of the apostolic see—strove to extort by
violence her own possessions for himself. ⊗Oh how insatiable is the gluttony of ambition
which, always howling demands for new things to devour, becomes extended by gaping with
inextinguishable ⊗hunger as much as the greater things it devours. Oh how shameless is
the greed for earthly rank which, nowhere heeding the limits of decency, drives
sacriligious hands to stretch yet further against God, always promising its supporters
that it is possible to ascend to the summit of higher authority, but secretly directing
them beneath the filth of every vice. These and similar things can easily be
ascertained, not only in the aforementioned case, but indeed in all those who
presumptuously raise violent hands against the possessions of holy mother church. What
more? The apostolic sentence was declared publicly and openly against him and, as a
consequence of the proclamation, a new emperor was declared by the decree of the lord
pope to have taken his place. But by what resolution this utterly unworthy legal
struggle would be broken off, or by what law it would be determined, will be made clear
more openly in the following succession of years. In this same year it also happened
that—while for five years and more the Albigensians, a savage // disapproved by God, had assailed the religion of the
catholic faith in an open attack, rejecting God’s justice by themselves,2
seeking to establish their own justice—no small group of the faithful gathered with one
accord in the region of Toulouse against the aforesaid mockers of divine law—on account
of the persuasion of apostolic admonition and the strength of divine preaching of the
word, but principally by the inspiration of divine grace—who, separated into fighting
units by the ordering of divine strength, inflicted slaughter on the infidels by combat
in open countryside such as the present age cannot recall. And this happened in
September in the year 1211, four days after the feast of Mary, under the most Christian
leader and most invincible earl Simon, called of Montfort or of Rochefort, who, from the
beginning, had most vehemently hunted down these people with passion. Yet hardly had
this trouble been quashed and ended, but behold!, a fresh persecution of Christians
emerges in another place. For just then a violent and despicable force of pagans landed
on the coast of Spain with no mean fleet, who induced Christians into fighting. Among
the Christians a great-hearted king, whose by-name was ‘the little king’, attacking with
his fellow knights, with divine strength shattered almost all of them. The king and
leader of the pagans, called king of Morocco, only just escaped alive with the greatest
dishonour.3 ¶The king of France shed not a
little blood subjugating the land of the king of England in overseas regions. The king
of England effected a comparable slaughter in subjugating Ireland and Wales. And also
the king of Scots left the lifeless corpses of many while proceeding against MacUilleim,
namely Gofraid, and destroying his own people who had withdrawn from his
allegiance.4
In the 1212th
year a general order was issued by Innocent, the supreme pontiff, to the whole region
professing Christ, that all pastors of the universal church should, quashing every
excuse, assemble in Rome at a prearranged date, namely 1 November 1215, for a general
council to be celebrated there, excepting a bare minimum who should, by common consent,
remain in each country for the care of souls. In the meantime, the pastors were
themselves to preach the word of life with every urgency, reinforce those who were weak
in the faith, endow the resolute with spirit, and seal them, moreover, with the sign of
the cross in support of the Holy Land of renewed promise, which at that time the
Saracens had man-handled far too shamelessly and disgracefully. ¶Many great
luminaries—that is, of most holy society and most excellent .'.
—were
sent a latere by the lord pope to all Christendom.5 Two of them were sent, one to England, the remaining one to
France: to England