More bribes required

“Politics, politics, politics - yes!”, as Mel Brooks once said.

In June 1298 the diplomats of England and France laid their competing claims to Gascony before the pope, Boniface VIII. Philip IV brought against his vassal, Edward I, a charge of treason for having waged open war against him, his liege lord. As a result he demanded Gascony, his vassal’s fief, as a forfeit. The English lawyers responded that Gascony had always been held of the French crown as allod (freehold), not a fief, and that Philip had failed to uphold his side of the feudal contract, as set out by the Treaty of Paris. Therefore he had forfeited his lordship.

 Both arguments were bogus. Philip had deliberately provoked war by denying Edward a safe-conduct and breaking his sworn word in council. Equally, there is no proof that Gascony had ever been held as freehold of the French crown. But this was war and politics, and the lawyers on both sides happily lied through their teeth.

Count Guy of Flanders, Edward’s ally, sent a warning to his sons in Rome:

“You should know that the Roman court is very grasping, and that anyone who wants to do business there must make many gifts and promises and pledges.”

In other words, the papacy was corrupt as hell, and if you wanted anything from the pope it was best to turn up loaded with bribes.

Boniface VIII

It didn’t help that Pope Boniface VIII was one of the most eccentric characters to sit on St Peter’s Chair. At first he welcomed the Flemings, but then changed his attitude. Boniface wanted peace between England and France, and to that end was prepared to sacrifice Flanders.

Count Guy of Flanders

The Flemish envoys went to their English colleagues and asked for help. Edward I’s agents made it clear the English would send no more troops or money to Flanders, but were prepared to try and put diplomatic pressure on Boniface. On 25 June 1298 Guy’s sons and the English envoys had an audience with the pope, in which the head of the English deputation asked for Flanders to be included in the peace. Boniface erupted and declared that he would not risk anything for the sake of Flanders, and that if Count Guy regretted entrusting his affairs to the papacy, he could go take a running jump.

Clearly, more bribes were needed.