not thinking or knowing of
this plot, nor being on his guard, or if he heard anything of it,
through his great courage not heeding it, or perhaps, as it pleased
God, by reason of his great sins,--in the month of September, 1303,
Sciarra della Colonna, with his mounted followers, to the number of
300, and many of his friends on foot, paid by money of the French
king, with troops of the lords of Ceccano and of Supino, and of other
barons of the Campagna, and of the sons of M. Maffio d'Anagna, and, it
is said, with the consent of some of the cardinals which were in the
plot, one morning early entered into Anagna, with the ensigns and
standards of the king of France, crying: "Death to Pope Boniface! Long
life to the king of France!" And they rode through the city without
any hindrance, or rather, well-nigh all the ungrateful people of
Anagna followed the standards and the rebellion; and when they came to
the Papal Palace, they entered without opposition and took the palace,
forasmuch as the present assault was not expected by the Pope and his
retainers, and they were not upon their guard. Pope Boniface--hearing
the uproar, and seeing himself forsaken by all his cardinals, which
were fled and in hiding (whether through fear or through set malice),
and by the most part of his servants, and seeing that his enemies had
taken the city and the palace where he was--gave himself up for lost,
but like the high-spirited and valorous man he was, he said: "Since,
like Jesus Christ, I am willing to be taken and needs must die by
treachery, at the least I desire to die as Pope"; and straightway he
caused himself to be robed in the mantle of S. Peter, and with the
crown of Constantine on his head, and with the keys and the cross in
his hand, he seated himself upon the papal chair. And when Sciarra and
the others, his enemies, came to him, they mocked at him with vile
words, and arrested him and his household which had remained with him;
among the others, M. William of Nogaret scorned him, which had
conducted the negotiations for the king of France, whereby he had been
taken, and threatened him, saying that he would take him bound to
Lyons on the Rhone, and there in a general council would cause him to
be deposed and condemned. The high-spirited Pope answered him, that he
was well pleased to be condemned and deposed by Paterines such as he,
whose father and mother had been burnt as Paterines; whereat M.
William was confounded and put to sh