gave him a refusal.  The order of the Templars gave only a qualified support.  At the approaching advent of the new bull which was being anticipated, the king resolved to act still more roughly and speedily.  Notification must be sent to the pope of the king’s appeal to the future council.  Philip could no longer confide this awkward business to his chancellor, Peter Flotte; for he had fallen at Courtrai, in the battle against the Flemings.  William of Nogaret undertook it, at the same time obtaining from the king a sort of blank commission authorizing and ratifying in advance all that, under the circumstances, he might consider it advisable to do.  Notification of the appeal had to be made to the pope at Anagni, his native town, whither he had gone for refuge, and the people of which, being zealous in his favor, had already dragged in the mud the lilies and the banner of France.  Nogaret was bold, ruffianly, and clever.  He repaired in haste to Florence, to the king’s banker, got a plentiful supply of money, established communications in Anagni, and secured, above all, the co-operation of Sciarra Colonna, who was passionately hostile to the pope, had been formerly proscribed by him, and, having fallen into the hands of corsairs, had worked at the oar for them during many a year rather than reveal his name and be sold to Boniface Gaetani.  On the 7th of September, 1303, Colonna and his associates introduced Nogaret and his following into Anagni, with shouts of “Death to Pope Boniface!  Long live the King of France!” The populace, dumbfounded, remained motionless.  The pope, deserted by all, even by his own nephew, tried to touch the heart of Colonna himself, whose only answer was a summons to abdicate, and to surrender at discretion.  “Those be hard words,” said Boniface, and burst into tears.  But this old man, seventy-five years of age, had a proud spirit, and a dignity worthy of his rank.  “Betrayed, like Jesus,” said he, “shall I die; but I will die pope.”  He donned the cloak of St. Peter, put the crown of Constantine upon his head, took in his hands the keys and the cross, and, as his enemies drew nigh, he said to them, “Here is my neck, and here is my head.”  There is a tradition, of considerable trustworthiness, that Sciarra Colonna would have killed him, and did with his mailed hand strike him in the face.  Nogaret, however, prevented the murder, and confined himself to saying, “Thou caitiff pope, confess, and behold the goodness of my lord, the King of France, who, though so far away from thee in his own kingdom, both watcheth over and defendeth thee by my hand.”  “Thou art of heretic family,” answered the pope:  “at thy hands I look for martyrdom.”

[Illustration:  Colonna striking the Pope——­185]