POPE ADRIAN IV.
AN
HISTORICAL SKETCH.
BY RICHARD RABY.
LONDON.:
THOMAS RICHARDSON AND SON,
172, FLEET STREET; 9, CAPEL STREET, DUBLIN; ANDDERBY.
1849.
PREFACE.
The following sketch was written to supply what its author feltpersuaded could not fail to interest his fellow Catholics in England;namely, some account of the only English Pope who ever reigned.
In it he does not pretend to any novelty of research; but simply topresent a connected narrative of such events in the history of PopeAdrian IV. as have hitherto lain broken and concealed in oldchronicles, or been slightly touched for the most part in anincidental way by modern writers.
In the course of his sketch, the author has ventured to take part withPope Adrian in some acts of his, which it is commonly the mode tocondemn. Should his opinions in so doing not be deemed sound, he yethopes that at least the spirit which inspired them—in otherwords, the spirit to promote the cause of practical rather thantheoretical policy, as also of public order and legitimate authority,will deserve commendation.
For the rest, the striking similarity between the difficulties whichPius IX. in our day has to contend with, and those which Pope Adrianhad to encounter in the twelfth century, should only lend the moreinterest to his story.
R. R.
Munich, May, 1849.
POPE ADRIAN IV.
AN HISTORICAL SKETCH.
I.
THE information, which has come down to usrespecting the early life of the only Englishman, who ever sat on thepapal throne, is so defective and scanty, as easily to be comprised ina few paragraphs.
Nicholas Breakspere was born near St. Albans, most probably aboutthe close of the 11th century. His father was a clergyman, who becamea monk in the monastery of that city, while his son was yet a boy.Owing to extreme poverty, Nicholas could not pay for his education,and was obliged to attend the school of the monks on charity. [1] This circumstance would seem to have put hisfather so painfully to the blush, that he took an unnatural dislike tohis son; whom he shortly compelled by his threats and reproaches toflee the neighbourhood in a state of utter destitution.
Thus cruelly cast on the world, Nicholas to settle the church inthose remote countries, where it had been planted about 150 years. Thecircumstances which led to this legation were as follows:[2] —originally the three kingdoms of Denmark, Sweden,and Norway, were spiritually subject to the archbishop of Hamburg,whose province was then the most extensive in Christendom. In the year1102, Denmark