From the time of Gregory VII. to Gelasius II. inclusive, almost all the popes, drawn from the shade of the cloister, had borne to the throne the obstinacy and asperity of the monastic spirit. Calixtus II. who replaced Gelasius, sprung from the house of the counts of Burgundy. The relative of the emperor, and of many other monarchs, he possessed at least some idea of the art of governing, and of reconciling great interests. He had the honour of terminating the disputes about investitures. A diet at Worms ruled, that for the future the prelates should be elected only in the presence of the emperor, or of his lieutenants:—that in case of misunderstanding, the matter should be referred to the emperor, who should take the opinion of the bishops: that, finally, the emperor should bestow investiture by the sceptre, and not by the crozier and ring¹⁷⁸ Calixtus ratified this treaty in the midst of the general Lateran Council of 1123. We may also applaud this pontiff for saving the life of his rival Bourdin; he contented himself with exposing him to the jests of the populace, consigning him for ever to the depths of a dungeon, and with causing himself to be represented trampling this antipope under his feet.¹⁷⁹ Such was the generosity of this friend! Calixtus pressed the king of England to restore a deposed bishop. ‘I have sworn,’ replied the king, ‘never to suffer him to re-ascend his seat.’ ‘You have sworn,’ said Calixtus, ‘very well, I am pope, and I release you from your oath.’ ‘How, replied the monarch, ‘shall I çonfide in this bishop’s oaths, or in your’s, if your will alone is necessary to cancel them.’ ¹⁷⁸ Concilior. vol. 10, p. 883.—Abb. Ursperg. Chron. p. 204. —Muratori’s Antiquities of Italy, med. ævi. vol. 6, p. 72. —Schill. de libertate eccles. German. 1. 4, c. 4, p. 545. ¹⁷⁹ Art of verifying dates, vol. i. p. 283, 284.