¹⁵⁸ Apud omnes sanum aliquid sapientes luce clarius con-stabat falsa esse quae dicebantur. Nam et papa tam ésimié tamqne apostolicè vitam instituebat, ut nec minimum sinistri rumoris maculum conversations ejus sublimitas admitteret; et illâ in urbe celiberrimâ atque in tantâ obsequentium fire-quentiâ, obscœnum aliquid perpetrans, latere nequaquam potu-isset. Signa etiam et prodigia quae per orationes papœ frequen-tiùs fiebant, et zelus ejus ferventissimus linguas communie bant.—Lambert Schafur. ad ann. 1177. This chronicler attributes, as we see, to Gregory, the gift of miracles, and concludes from it that his commerce with Matilda was irreproachable. “Nevertheless, says the Jesuit Maimbourg, as the world, from a certain malignity attached to it, has a greater ’penchant’ for believing the evil than the good, especially with persons of some reputation for virtue, this commerce failed not to be of bad effect, and tended to blacken his character of Gregory at this period.” ¹⁵⁹ Diss. of St Marc. p. 1231. 1316 of v. 4. of Ab. Hist, of Italy. In truth, the emperor Henry V. the heir of this Countess, made himself master of all she had been possessed of, and which reverted at a later period to the Court of Rome; but, with time, the popes have secured a part of this inheritance, and have termed it the Patrimony of St. Peter: they are indebted for it to the cares of Gregory VII. Heniy IV. had obtained a victory over the Saxons, when he was addressed by two legates, who communicated to him the order, to appear at Rome, in order to reply to the accusations brought against him: it related to investitures granted by him, ‘by the cross and ring;’ it was requisite to obtain pardon, or submit to an excommunication¹⁶⁰ Henry, although he despised the menace, thought proper to give the pope some trouble in the city of Rome: a tumult took place, and Gregory was seized, struck, imprisoned, and ransomed. The effect of this ill-treatment was to cast an interest on the person of the pontiff, and to prepare him against a more serious vengeance. The emperor in a council at Worms, deposed Gregory, who, too confident of the inefficacy of such a decree, replied to it by the following:¹⁶¹ “On the part of the Almighty God, and of my full “authority, I forbid Henry, the son of Henry, to “govern the kingdom of the Teutons and Italy: “I absolve all Christians from the oaths they have “taken, or shall hereafter take to him; and all per− “sons are forbidden to render him services as a “king.” ¹⁶⁰ Lamb. Schaf. ad ann. 1074.—Life of Gregory VII. ap. Bell. t. 17. p. 148.