were presented by a
woman, he ate many thereof, whereat he straightway fell ill, and in a
few days died, and was buried with great honour at the Preaching
Friars (for he was of that Order), in San Ercolano, of Perugia. This
was a good man, and virtuous and just, and of holy and religious life,
and desirous to do right in all things; and through the envy of
certain of his brother cardinals, it was said, they compassed his
death after the said manner; wherefore God recompensed them, if they
were guilty thereof, in a short time, by a very just and open
vengeance, as will be shown hereafter. For after the death of the said
Pope there arose a schism and a great discord among the college of
cardinals in electing the Pope; and by reason of their differences
they were divided into two almost equal parties; the head of the one
was M. Matteo Rosso, of the Orsini, with M. Francesco Guatani, nephew
that was of Pope Boniface; and the leaders of the other were M.
Napoleone, of the Orsini dal Monte, and the Cardinal da Prato, which
hoped to restore their kinsfolk and friends, the Colonnesi, to their
estate, and were friends of the king of France, and leaned towards the
Ghibelline side. And when they had been shut up for a period of more
than nine months, and were pressed by the Perugians to nominate a
Pope, and could not come to an agreement, at last the Cardinal da
Prato, finding himself in a secret place with the Cardinal Francesco,
of the Guatani, said to him, "We are doing great harm and injury to
the Church by not choosing a Pope." And M. Francesco said, "It does
not lie with me." And the other replied, "If I could find a good way
of escape, wouldst thou be content?" He made answer that he would; and
thus conversing together they came to this agreement, by the industry
and sagacity of the Cardinal da Prato, who, treating with the said M.
Francesco Guatani, gave him his choice; for it was determined that the
one party, to avoid all suspicion, should choose three men from beyond
the Alps suitable for the papacy, whomsoever it pleased them, and the
other party, within forty days, should take one of the three,
whichever they pleased, and that he should be Pope. The party of M.
Francesco Guatani preferred to make the first choice, thinking thus to
have the advantage, and he elected three archbishops from beyond the
Alps, made and created by Pope Boniface, his uncle, which were his
great friends and confidants, and enemies of the king o