PAPAL LETTERS to SCOTLAND I
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PAPAL LETTERS TO SCOTLAND i \ ' lr\ BE N F. DIC T XIII OF AVIGNON 1394-1419 •S GOTTI TCLL SOCIETY Sts SHS ^L% / SCOTTISH HISTORY SOCIETY FOURTH SERIES VOLUME 13 Calendar of Papal Letters to Scotland of Benedict XIII of Avignon 1394-1419 CALENDAR OF Papal Letters to Scotland of Benedict XIII of Avignon 1394-1419 edited by Francis McGurk, m.a., m.litt. ★ ★ EDINBURGH printed for the Scottish History Society by T. AND A. CONSTABLE LTD 1976 Scottish History Society 1976 . 4 ^ Q ^ / W ' 1 /Wy.-i ,,',G 9?? ISBN 9500260 9 3 Printed in Great Britain PREFACE The completion of this calendar of papal letters relating to Scotland was begun during the tenure of a Ross Fund scholarship in the University of Glasgow from 1966-68. A systematic investigation of the Vatican archives initiated under the auspices of that fund had led to the collection of the Scottish material relating to the pontificate of Benedict xm (1394-1419). My principal task was to compile a calendar from the microfilm assembled in Glasgow as a result of that search, but all doubtful readings have been personally checked from the original volumes in Rome. If any problems remain unresolved, the microfilms from which the calendar was compiled are available for consultation in the department of Scottish History, Uni- versity of Glasgow, where they form but a small part of a vast microfilm collection which now covers almost the entire pre-Reformation period. The publication of this calendar would have been impossible but for the generosity of the Ross Fund of the University of Glasgow which provided the resources for both the collection and calendaring of this material. It also owes much to the labours of others to whom I am under a deep debt of gratitude. In particular much was owed to the Reverend Francis Kennedy whose premature death earlier this year deprived the Church of a young and energetic priest, who, as a Ross Fund scholar, had collected much of the original material from the Vatican archives. In this he was assisted by the late Dr Annie I. Dunlop, and it is most appropriate that a volume to which she gave so much personal attention, both in the collection of material and in assisting with knotty palaeographical problems, should form part of the Scottish History Society’s tribute to her memory. I am also indebted to Monsignor Charles Burns for so willingly checking points of detail in the archives, and to Dr D. E. R. Watt of St Andrews University for many corrections to my calendar which, but for his vigilance, might have remained unamended. Finally, I would like to record my gratitude to Dr Ian B. Cowan who has given assistance at all stages in the preparation of this calendar and, in association with Dr T. I. Rae, Secretary of the Society, to whom my thanks are also due, saw my manuscript through the various stages of publication. Glasgow FRANCIS MCGURK May, 1976 A generous contribution from the Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland towards the cost of producing this volume is gratefully acknowledged by the Council of the Society CONTENTS Preface v Introduction ix Table of Abbreviations xxxiii CALENDAR OF PAPAL LETTERS TO SCOTLAND OF BENEDICT XIII OF AVIGNON I Appendix 387 Index 395 r H r r r ,4 r4 'fit'TTTxTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTxTTT 'tit tir tt' -tit it ifr itr ilr "St iir itt ilr* 'lir "St &r itr ifr* Sr INTRODUCTION on 16 September 1394 Clement vn, formerly Robert of Geneva, whose election to the pontificate on 20 September 1378 had brought about the Great Schism of the west, died. The cardinals at Avignon entered into conclave on the 26 September, but so swiftly had the news been carried to Paris that a message from Charles vi of France urging delay and the suspension of an election until the arrival of an embassy, was placed into the hands of Peter Corsini, cardinal of Florence, one of the last to enter the conclave. The cardinals, aware of the possible contents of the letter, resolved however not to open it until after the election, for if the message had been received it would have been difficult to reject the advice which it contained, and the Avignon papacy would have remained vacant while the ‘anti-pope’ Boniface would have continued to reign, intransigent as ever, in Rome. With the conclave under way, the cardinal of Saluzzo proposed that the cardinals should either adjourn without electing anyone and thereafter, open negotiations with Rome, or else that they should elect Boniface ix outright. The former suggestion was opposed by Peter de Luna, cardinal deacon of St Mary in Cosmedin, on the grounds that a delay would merely strengthen the claims of the intruder Boniface, and the latter suggestion on the grounds that since Boniface and his anti-cardinals had been excommunicated they were under a canonical and legal disability from which only a new pope could free them. These arguments, in which may be traced the influence of Peter’s training in canon law, were upheld by the other cardinals who resolved, therefore, to choose a new pope. The actual election was, however, preceded by another dispute following upon the suggestion that all the cardinals present should take an oath, a summarised version of which runs thus: T promise upon the holy gospels, to work with all my strength for unity, LETTERS OF POPE BENEDICT XIII and not to say or do anything which by its nature could impede or even delay the union. If I am elected pope, I will follow all suitable ways to union, including the way of cession if the majority of cardinals at the time, considers it appropriate’. This oath was opposed by certain cardinals as being needless and prejudicial, needless as it only obliged the future pope to what, as a catholic, he was already obliged, and prejudicial as it was claimed that it might seem to reduce the dignity of the papacy in the eyes of the common people. Nevertheless with the exception of the three scrutineers the cardinals signed what is known as the ‘cedula’ of the conclave, and thereafter proceeded to the election.1 On 28 September twenty votes from the twenty-one available were cast in favour of Peter de Luna, who after much resistance finally agreed to the election, taking the name Benedict of which he was the thirteenth in line of succession.2 Peter de Luna was bom in 1342 in Illueca, a son of one of the noblest families of Aragon. During his youth it seems he intended to follow a military career and he took part in the battle of Najera in 1367, but subsequently he decided on an academic career. He specialised in canon law at the university of Montpellier at which he obtained his doctorate in Decreets, and where he taught as professor of both laws, canon and civil. As such he was in minor orders, and he rapidly obtained the archdeaconry of Valencia, canonries of Vich, Tarragona and Huesca, the archdeaconry of Andorra and the archbishopric of Palermo. Further preferment followed and on 20 December 1375 he was given the red hat by Gregory xi as cardinal deacon of St Mary in Cosmedin. On Gregory’s death Peter took part in the election of Urban vi, and later he was one of the disaffected cardinals who moved to Fondi and elected Robert of Geneva as pope. He then returned to Avignon with Clement, by whom he was appointed papal legate to the Spanish kingdoms. In this role he was largely responsible for winning Castile, Aragon and Navarre to the Clementine cause. Even the 1 The cedula was rendered inoperative on the grounds that to be valid it has to be ‘profitable and suitable’ in the political context of the moment and Benedict was sole judge in this respect. * For Benedict’s career see Sebastian Puig y Puig, Pedro de Luna, dltimo papa de Avinin, 1387-1430 (Barcelona, 1920); Alec Glasfurd, The Antipope (Peter de Luna, 1342-1423), (London, 1963). INTRODUCTION xi rival pope Boniface could not deny his obvious qualities and in 1390 Boniface had written to him from Rome exhorting him to work for the unity of the church. Peter, before his election to the papacy, had thus accumulated political wisdom coupled with diplomatic ability and skill, and he arrived at the chair of St Peter’s, albeit a half share, preceded by a universal reputation. He was the first Spaniard to become pope and even his adversaries had to admit that his weaknesses were in the main nothing more than an excess of his obvious qualities. Nevertheless his cleverness could degenerate at times into cunning and slyness, his inflexible energy into obstinacy and his personal dignity and independence of character into unbearable pride. These characteristics were to stand him in good stead during the years ahead. Almost from the moment of his coronation Benedict was involved in a struggle for survival. In 1398 the French withdrew their obedience, but as their example was not followed they re- acknowledged Benedict as pope in 1403. In an effort to resolve the deadlock a general council of the church which met at Pisa in 1409 deposed both Benedict and his Roman rival Gregory xn and proceeded to elect Alexander v as pope. This ‘Pisan’ pope was recognised by France, which had again withdrawn from Benedict’s allegiance in 1408, England and the Empire. The Roman pope was supported only by some Italian states while Scotland, together with the Spanish kingdoms of Aragon, Castile and Navarre and with the counts of Armagnac, Foix and Savoy, continued to recognise Benedict who had established himself at Peniscola in Aragon.