CLEMENT IV

From Agepedia

CLEMENT IV (Guido of St. Guilles, in Languedoc); previously counsellor to the king of France, and a lawyer. He was also the father of two daughters. When a widower, he became archbishop of Narbonne, cardinalbishop of Sabina, and legate in England. He was chosen pope in 1265, by the party of Charles of Anjou, and conferred on this prince the crown of both the Sicilies, then possessed by Manfred. Clement assisted Charles against Manfred by instigating a crusade? against the latter, and did not obtain possession of Rome himself until 1268, after a residence of two years in France (until 1267), and subsequently at Viterbo, and after the last prince of the Hohenstaufen stock, Conradin, had been beheaded at Naples. Not satisfied with having caused the fall of the house of Hohenstaufen in Italy, he wished to decide the dispute between Richard of England and Alphonso o,f Spain, respecting the imperial throne of Germany, but died, without having accomplished his object, at Viterbo, Nov. 29, 1269. He was distinguished, as a ruler of the church, by his power and resolution, as an excellent preacher, strict ascetic, and enemy to nepotism.*