count of this holy man that all the cardinals were struck at
once with the idea of choosing _him_ for pope. His name was Peter of
Murrone. He lived as a hermit in a narrow cell on a mountain; and there
he was found by certain bishops who were sent by the cardinals to tell
him of his election. He was seventy-two years of age; roughly dressed,
with a long white beard, and thin from fasting and hard living. He could
speak no other tongue than the common language of the country-folks
around, and he was quite unused to business of any kind, so that he
allowed himself to be led by any one who would take the trouble. The
fame of Peter's holiness had been widely spread, and he was even
supposed to do miracles; so that his election was welcomed by
multitudes. Two hundred thousand persons flocked to see his coronation,
where the old man appeared in the procession riding on an ass, with his
reins held by the king of Naples on one side and by the king's son on
the other (A.D. 1294).

This king of Naples, Charles II., got the poor old pope completely into
his power. He made him take up his abode at Naples, where Celestine V.
(as he was now called) tried to carry on his old way of life by getting
a cell built in his palace, just like his old dwelling on the rock of
Fumone; and into this little place he would withdraw for days, leaving
all the work of his office to be done by some cardinals whom he trusted.

Other stories are told which show that Celestine was quite unfit for his
office. The cardinals soon came to think that they had made a great
mistake in choosing him; and at length the poor old man came to think so
too. One of the cardinals, Benedict Gaetani, who had gained a great
influence over his mind, persuaded him that the best thing he could do
was to resign; and, after having been pope about five months, Celestine
called the cardinals together, and read to them a paper, in which he
said that he was too old and too weak to bear the burden of his office;
that he wished to return to his former life of quiet and contemplation.
He then put off his robes, took once more the rough dress which he had
worn as a hermit, and withdrew to his old abode. But the jealousy of his
successor did not allow him to remain there in peace. It was feared that
the reverence in which the old hermit was held by the common people
might lead to some disturbance; and to prevent this he was shut up in
close confinement, where he lived only about ten mont