f decadence, and in 1146 Clement II., the successor of the
worthless Benedict IX., admitted that henceforth not only the
consecration but even the _election_ of the Roman pontiffs could only
take place in presence of the emperor. In fact, after the death of
Clement II. the delegates of the Roman clergy did actually go to Polden
to ask Henry III. to give them a pope, and similar steps were taken
after the death of Damasus II., who reigned only twenty days.
Fortunately on this occasion Henry III. appointed, just before his
death, a man of high character, his cousin Bruno, bishop of Toul, who
presented himself in Rome in company with Hildebrand. From this time
began the reform. Hildebrand had the elections of Victor II. (1055),
Stephen IX. (1057), and Nicholas II. (1058) carried out according to the
canonical form, including the imperial ratification. The celebrated bull
_In nomine Domini_ of the 13th of April 1059 determined the electoral
procedure; it is curious to observe how, out of respect for tradition,
it preserves all the former factors in the election though their scope
is modified: "In the first place, the cardinal bishops shall carefully
consider the election together, then they shall consult with the
cardinal clergy, and afterwards the rest of the clergy and the people
shall by giving their assent confirm the new election." The election,
then, is reserved to the members of the higher clergy, to the cardinals,
among whom the cardinal bishops have the preponderating position. The
consent of the rest of the clergy and the people is now only a
formality. The same was the case of the imperial intervention, in
consequence of the phrase: "Saving the honour and respect due to our
dear son Henry (Henry IV.), according to the concession we have made to
him, and equally to his successors, who shall receive this right
personally from the Apostolic See." Thus the emperor has no rights save
those he has received as a concession from the Holy See. Gregory VII.,
it is true, notified his election to the emperor; but as he set up a
series of five antipopes, none of Gregory's successors asked any more
for the imperial sanction. Further, by this bull, the emperors would
have to deal with the _fait accompli_; for it provided that, in the
event of disturbances aroused by mischievous persons at Rome preventing
the election from being carried out there freely and without bias, the
cardinal bishops, together with a small number of the cl