64 THE MIDDLE AGES. A.D. 1073-1085.
assembled troops, sent emissaries in all directions, and stirred up distrust and hatred against Henry in Germany. The following letter remains as evidence of her zeal for Gregory: —
"Matilda, such as she is by the grace of God, if she be anything, to all the faithful residing in the Teutonic kingdom, greeting.
" We would have you know that Henry, the false king, has stolen the seal of the Lord Pope Gregory. Wherefore, if ye are told anything contrary to the words of our envoys, hold it false, and believe not Henry's lies. Fur ther, he has carried away with him the Bishop of Porto, because that man was once familiar with the Lord Pope. If by his help he should attempt any thing with you or against you, be sure this bishop is a false witness, and give no credit to those who shall tell you to the contrary. Know that the Lord Pope has already conquered Sutri and Nepi ; Barabbas the robber, that is to say, Henry's pope, has fled like himself. Farewell. Beware of the snares of Henry."
§ 18. Death of Gregory VII.
Gregory was again in possession of the Lateran, but he left the scene of melancholy desolation, accompanied by Guiscard and a few cardinals and Roman nobles. He went first to Monte Cassino and then to Salerno. The descent from Canossa to Salerno was truly a via dolorosa. But the old pope, broken in body, was unbroken in spirit.
He renewed the ban against Henry and the anti-pope at the close of 1084, and sent a letter to the faithful in Ger many, stating that the words of the Psalmist, Quare fremuerunt gentes (Ps. 2 : 1, 2), were fulfilled, that the kings of the earth have rebelled against Christ and his apostle Peter to destroy the Christian religion, but could not seduce those who trusted in God. He called upon them to come to the rescue of the Church if they wished to gain the remission of sins and eternal salvation. This is his last written document.
His mind remained clear and firm to the end. He recom mended Cardinal Desiderius of Monte Cassino (Victor III.) as his successor, and next to him Otto, bishop of Ostia (Urban II.). He absolved all his enemies, except Henry
§ 18. DEATH OP GREGORY VII. 65
and Wibert, "the usurper of the apostolic see."1 He died, May 25, 1085, with the words which best express the mean ing of his public life and character: " I have loved righteous ness and hated iniquity; therefore I die in exile." 2 " Nay," said one of the bishops, " in exile thou canst not die, who, as the vicar of Christ and his Apostles, hast received all the nations for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession" (Ps. 2:8).
Robert Guiscard, his protector, died a few weeks after wards (July 17, 1085).
The body of Gregory, clad in the pontifical vestments, was buried in the church of St. Matthew at Salerno, which he had consecrated shortly before. A plain stone marked his grave till John of Procida — although a zealous Ghibelline — erected a sumptuous chapel over it.3 His name was in serted in the Calendar on the 25th of May, 1584, by Greg ory XIII., without a formal canonization ; Paul V. ordered a festival, in 1609, for the new saint; and Benedict XIII., in 1728, ordered its general observance. The emperor of Ger many, the king of France, and other sovereigns opposed the celebration ; but if ever a pope deserved canonization for
1 « prceter Henricum regem dictum omnes absolvo et benedico, quicumque me hanc habere specialem potestatem in vocem apostolorum Petri et Pauli credunt indubitanter." Paulus Bernriedensis, Vita Greg., c. 12 ; Baronius, Ann. XVII. 566.
2 " Dilexi justitiam et odi iniquitatem ; propterea morior in exilio." The first two sentences are from Ps. 45 : 8 ; the last is put instead of "prop terea unxit te Deus" His enemies spread the false report that he repented of the controversy which he had excited. Mon. Germ. Script., VIII. 470 ; Baxmann, II. 424 sqq.
8 His monument, erected in 1578 in the cathedral of Salerno, bears the inscription : " Gregorius VII. Soanensis, P. O.M., Ecclesioe, libertatis vindex acerrimus, assertor constantissimus, qui dum Romani Pontificis auctoritatem adversus Henrici perfidiam strenue tueretur, Salernce sancte decubuit. Anno Domini 1085, oct. Cal. Jim." Hefele, V. 184 ; Gregorovius, Die Grabmdler der Pdpste, p. 49 ; Giesebrecht, III. 578. Rome, which has so many papal monuments, has none for Gregory VII., except an inscription on a stone in S. Prudentiana, where he is called "Vir benedictits, moribus ecclesiam renovavit." See Gregorovius, IV. 246. F