Abstract
On the election of Clement VII none could have been more enthusiastic than the imperial servants of Charles V, king of Spain and the Indies, Holy Roman Emperor, and ruler of the Netherlands. At the close of the conclave which elected Clement, the duke of Sessa wrote to Charles: ‘The Pope is entirely your Majesty’s creature. So great is your Majesty’s power that you can change stones into obedient children.’1 It is strange that it was not yet understood at the court of the emperor that it was likely that the very nature of their offices would bring pope and emperor into conflict. Yet, within months of Clement’s election, the inevitability of such conflict was obvious, even were the pope to remain uninvolved in the international struggle between Spain and France.
I shall go into Italy and revenge myself on those who have injured me, especially on that poltroon the Pope. Some day, perhaps, Martin Luther will become a man of weight.
Charles V
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Chapter II. Pope and Emperor
For the opinion of some Italians on the consequences of Pavia, see Gilbert, Machiavelli and Guicciardini, p. 241. On Gattinara, Brandi, Charles V, pp. 90–1, 153–4. M. Bataillon, Érasme et l’Espagne (Paris, 1937) pp. 243–6, has a full account of the reaction in Spain to the news of Pavia.
Copyright information
© 2004 Palgrave Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Hook, J. (2004). Pope and Emperor. In: The Sack of Rome. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230628779_3
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230628779_3
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-4039-1769-0
Online ISBN: 978-0-230-62877-9
eBook Packages: Palgrave History CollectionHistory (R0)