f France, their
adversary, trusting that whichever the other party might take they
would have a Pope after their mind, and a friend. Among these three
the archbishop of Bordeaux was the one in whom they most trusted. The
wise and far-seeing Cardinal da Prato thought that their purpose would
be better carried out by taking M. Raimond de Goth, archbishop of
Bordeaux, than by taking either of the others; albeit he had been
appointed by Pope Boniface, and was no friend of the king of France,
by reason of injuries done to his kinsfolk in the war of Gascony by M.
Charles of Valois; but knowing him to be a man desirous of honour and
lordship, and that he was a Gascon, who are by nature covetous, and
that he might easily make peace with the king of France, they
secretly took counsel, and he and his party in the college took an
oath, and having confirmed with the other part of the college the
documents and papers concerning the said agreements and pacts, by his
letters, and those of the other cardinals of his party, they wrote to
the king of France, and enclosed under their seals the pacts and
agreements and commissions between themselves and the other part of
the college, and by faithful and good couriers ordered by means of
their merchants (the other party knowing nothing of this), they sent
from Perugia to Paris in eleven days, admonishing and praying the king
of France by the tenor of their letters, that if he wished to recover
his estate in Holy Church and relieve his friends, the Colonnesi, he
should turn his foe into a friend, to wit M. Raimond de Goth,
archbishop of Bordeaux, one of the three chosen and most trusted by
the other party; seeking and stipulating with him for liberal terms
for himself and for his friends, forasmuch as to his hands was
committed the election of the one of those three, whichever he
pleased. The king of France having received the said letters and
commissions, rejoiced greatly, and was eager for the undertaking.
First of all he sent friendly letters by messengers into Gascony to M.
Raimond de Goth, archbishop of Bordeaux, that he should come to meet
him, for he desired to speak with him; and within the next six days
the king came in person with a small company, to a secret conference
with the said archbishop of Bordeaux in a forest, at an abbey in the
district of S. Jean d'Angelus, and when they had heard mass together
and sworn faith upon the altar, the king parleyed with him with good
words to