cardinal and legate of Bologna, appointed a council at Pisa, where they
created Alexander V., who immediately excommunicated King Ladislaus,
and invested Louis of Anjou with the kingdom; this prince, with the
Florentines, Genoese, and Venetians, attacked Ladislaus and drove him
from Rome. In the head of the war Alexander died, and Balthazar Cossa
succeeded him, with the title of John XXIII. Leaving Bologna, where he
was elected, he went to Rome, and found there Louis of Anjou, who
had brought the army from Provence, and coming to an engagement with
Ladislaus, routed him. But by the mismanagement of the leaders, they
were unable to prosecute the victory, so that the king in a short time
gathered strength and retook Rome. Louis fled to Provence, the pope
to Bologna; where, considering how he might diminish the power of
Ladislaus, he caused Sigismund, king of Hungary, to be elected emperor,
and advised him to come to Italy. Having a personal interview at Mantua,
they agreed to call a general council, in which the church should be
united; and having effected this, the pope thought he should be fully
enabled to oppose the forces of his enemies.

At this time there were three popes, Gregory, Benedict, and Giovanni,
which kept the church weak and in disrepute. The city of Constance, in
Germany, was appointed for the holding of the council, contrary to
the expectation of Pope John. And although the death of Ladislaus had
removed the cause which induced the pope to call the council, still,
having promised to attend, he could not refuse to go there. In a few
months after his arrival at Constance he discovered his error, but it
was too late; endeavoring to escape, he was taken, put into prison, and
compelled to renounce the papacy. Gregory, one of the anti-popes, sent
his renunciation; Benedict, the other, refusing to do the same, was
condemned as a heretic; but, being abandoned by his cardinals, he
complied, and the council elected Oddo, of the Colonnesi family, pope,