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THE YOUTH’S CABINET.

The Pepe in the Fourteenth Century.

HE power of the popes was very
great in the beginnin s of the
fourteenth century. Strange as
it may seem, kings and emperors,

at that time, humbled themselves before
the Roman pontiff, as if they were his
slaves. ‘They used to hold his stirrup
for him, while he was getting upon his
horse, and lead his horse after he had
mounted. Sometimes they used to lie
down, and let the pope put his foot on
their neck, to show how completely they
were under his power. Once in a while
aking, who had rather more spirit than
the rest, would “set up for himself,”
and try to shake off the yoke. But in

the end the pope showed himself the
victor. How disgraceful! In the year
1305, the residence of the popes was
removed from Rome to Avignon, in
France. At this time Clement V. was
pope. At his coronation, when the pro-
cession was returning from church, Phil.
ip IV. appeared on foot, leading the
horse of the pope. The picture at the
head of this article represents this dis- *
graceful scene.

I need scarcely tell my readers that
the pope has now lost almost all his
power as a temporal prince. In these
days, he would not find many kings to
hold his stirrup for him.