Meetings which were unannounced to Cossa began to be held under the seal of secrecy, but he soon knew what happened at them because groups of prelates came to see him every night and he had no
difficulty inducing them if necessary, under an absolution to tell all they knew of the plotting. He learned that the English and Sigismund wanted him locked in prison. The French were noncommittal. The Italians – a week before so fervent in his support – were now going along with the demand for his abdication.
Out of favour, he was nevertheless acknowledged by the council as the only legitimate pope. He refused to perform publicly the sacred functions of his office except that of presiding over the meetings of the council. he was thick with gout at forty-eight-years of age, and an elderly forty-eight at that (for I though twelve years' older, seemed far younger, Bernaba often told me); it was because of his torpid life after so many active years; Dr Weiler said. But Cossa still bedded the Angioni sisters imaginatively. He had worked out with pen and instruments, on paper, dozens of variations on exotic sexual positionings and of course, these were vastly expanded by his use
of twins in the studies. His other formal audiences were political. But his close direction of the curia produced steady revenue for himself and his sacred college so there were many who approached the problem of his cession with much reluctance.
Political ceremonies were faithfully performed by him. Masses opened all council meetings. He solemnly blessed the people from the summit of his palace. He carried out the canonization of St Brigitta, the Swede who had already been canonized in 1391 by Boniface IX for rewarding fees, but the Swedes wanted a renewal and they were to ask for still another renewal four years later.
Cossa could see the crisis coming. Information reached him that, by their steady ministrations and constant campaigning, the marchesa and her daughters were creating and sustaining a universal feeling that the only way to heal the schism was for all three popes either to abdicate or be deposed. No one ventured publicly to bring forward this proposition. Cossa continued to receive the marchesa at dinner. They didn't discuss politics any more. They did not look into each other's eyes. They talked almost entirely about money. All at once, Cardinal Spina arose in council, and openly demanded
that Pope John resign. He was so pronouncedly an Italian cardinal that his exhortation had all the more weight: While Cossa presided over the meeting, Spina told the council that the more firmly Cossa was persuaded that he was the true pope, the more incumbent it was upon him as a good shepherd to make this sacrifice for his flock
Sigismund took a copy of the speech and sent abstracts to all nations.
The next day, Cardinal D'Ailly advocated the same course, Although the Council of Pisa had been legitimately convoked, he argued, and no exception could be taken to the election of Pope John XXIII, they still had to face-the fact that neither of the other two popes had resigned, so that action by all three was advisable. He assured the assembly that, in counselling Pope John to abdicate, they would not be derogating from the authority of the Council of Pisa – nor, certainly, would Pope John be put upon a level with heretics and schismatics; instead,, they would be conferring on him the high distinction of doing honour to Christendom and of showing his own humility by exposing the obstinacy of his rivals; Nonetheless, he reminded them, whether the pope chose to show the example or not, the council, as representing, the Church universal, had the power to depose any, pope,, legitimate or otherwise, if peace could not be restored to the church in any other way.
`It is the mockery of my life,' Cossa said to me. `I fought as if for my life not to become pope; but, no matter what they do, I will not give up the papacy because the marchesa and the Medici have killed to get it for me, and the marchesa killed to preserve it for me.'
55
Cossa had stationed relays of fast horses all the, way north of the Adige to hasten Bernaba's journey. He had teams of people clearing snow in the high passes. `When she gets here, he said to me, `we'll use her to draw Decima in. I have a meeting arranged with Frederick; Duke of Austria – who took my money and swore to defend me – and the Markgraf of Baden. They are hard men and they can hold off Sigismund and keep him away, from me until I can get out of here.'
'Were are we going?'
'We don't have to go too far. We don't have to go all the way back to Italy with a screen such as the Duke of Austria can put between the and the council. But when I'm impregnable wherever it is I'm going, let that miserable pack of turncoats see if they have any council without the presence of the pope who summoned it. Whatever they do, if I'm not there, it will be illegal. They will be, powerless. `What about the marchesa?' I am ready for her now.'
Do you want Palo to stand by to compensate her for her trouble?' 'No.’
'What about Cosimo?'
'I have already begun to settle Cosimo. I talked to the provincial of the Benedictine order. The order has never had any centralized authority. They have no general superior but the pope. But, because of the Fourth Lateran Council, there is a strong union between all the monasteries of the order. That council ordered that the abbots of all Benedictine houses should meet every three years to pass regulations which are binding on all houses. At last I am getting use out of those ten years at the university. Sometimes it is even. good to be a lawyer.'
`What does that have to do with Cosimo?'
`The next meeting of the Benedictine abbots comes up in twelve weeks' time, I am going to direct them to organize the parishes of every one of the new factories that Cosimo is building and not only see that the people raze them to the ground but make sure he never again operates factories anywhere in Europe.'
'What about Spina?'
`He's crazy. Anyway, we punished him a long time ago. Maybe we made him the way he is.'
`I am afraid for Bernaba. Palo has to kill Spina.'
`Bernaba will be safe. I promise you that.'
By the middle of the next afternoon, Cossa's two `hard men' had ridden. into Konstanz with their troops of horse. Frederick, Duke of Austria, contracted bodyguard of the pope, was clad in a uniform of emerald velvet. He was fully armed with helmet, corslet, braces and greaves of mail, riding at the head of a force of eight counts and 800 horsemen. Cossa felt so reassured about his own safety that, when Bernard of Baden arrived with 400 horsemen, he gave the loyal Markgraf 16,000 florins and made a secret bargain with him.
The Markgraf of Baden was a short man, about thirty-five years old, whose mother had been Maddalena Visconti, which was enough for me. He had thick-black hair, dark burning eyes and a slender face with a Strongly protruding nose. He was bold, hot-tempered; intelligent, sly and unforgiving-a true Visconti. Even I did not know what Cossa had bought until the night he settled with the marchesa:
'They are planning a coup against me,' Cossa told them. `I have to be sure I can get out of the city.'
`We will get you out,' the duke said; and you are welcome to come with me to Austria.'',
`I thank you,' Cossa said, 'but I must stay within reach of Konstanz. The council is going to collapse when there is no pope to preside over it. Hundreds of them will go home, but the others will wait here for instructions from me. I am overwhelmed by your support and encouragement. Most of the territory in this region is under your rule, so I think perhaps the best thing will be to allow your troops to take me out.'
On 6 March 1415, the English nation rose in council to demand shat the pope be arrested and held in prison. Bishop Thomas Buckley of Salisbury said he should be burned. Only the opposition of the French, undertaken in part for the sake of opposing the English prevented this from happening.