ADRIAN IV. Pope, the only Englishman who ever had the honour of sitting in the papal chair. His name was Nicholas Brekespere, and he was born at Langley, near St Albans, in Hertfordshire. His father having left his family and taken the habit of the monastery of St Albans, Nicholas was obliged to submit to the lowest offices in that house for daily support. After some time he desired to take the habit in that monastery, but was rejected by the abbot Richard. Upon this he resolved to try his fortune in another country, and accordingly went to Paris; where, though in very poor circumstances, he applied himself to his studies with great assiduity, and made a wonderful proficiency. But having still a strong inclination to a religious life, he left Paris and removed to Provence, where he became a regular clerk in the monastery of St Rufus. He was not immediately allowed to take the habit, but passed some time by way of trial, recommending himself to the monks by a strict attention to all their commands. This behaviour, together with the beauty of his person and prudent conversation, rendered him so acceptable to the monks, that after some time they entreated him to take the habit of the canonical order. Here he distinguished himself so much by his learning and strict observance of the monastic discipline, that upon the death of the abbot he was chosen superior of that house; and we are told that he rebuilt the convent. Pope Eugenius III. being apprised of the great merit of Nicholas, and thinking he might be serviceable to the church in a higher station, created him cardinal-bishop of Alba in 1146. In 1148 the Pope sent him as legate to Denmark and Norway, where, by his fervent preaching and diligent instructions, he converted those barbarous nations to the Christian faith, and erected Upsal into an archiepiscopal see. When he returned to Rome, he was received by the pope and cardinals with great marks of honour; and Pope Anastasius, who succeeded Eugenius, happening to die at this time, Nicholas was unanimously chosen to the holy see in November 1154, and assumed the name of Adrian. When the news of his promotion reached England, King Henry II. sent Robert, abbot of St Albans, and three bishops, to Rome, to congratulate him on his election; upon which occasion Adrian granted very considerable privileges to the monastery of St Albans, particularly an exemption from all episcopal jurisdiction, excepting to the see of Rome. In virtue of the pretensions of the Roman see in those days to dispose of kingdoms, Adrian, by a papal bull, conferred on Henry II. of England the sovereignty of Ireland; and that prince, stimulated by the success with which some of his own subjects had established themselves in that distracted country, eagerly closed with the pope's proposal to resign for this bull the long-contested point of lay investiture to ecclesiastical offices. The consequence of this agreement was the speedy reduction of Ireland, by a trifling force, to the crown of England. Adrian, in the beginning of his pontificate, boldly withstood the attempts of the Roman people to recover their ancient liberty under the consuls, and obliged those magistrates to abdicate their authority, and leave the government of the city to the pope. In 1155 he drove the heretic Arnold of Brescia, and his followers, out of Rome. The same year he excommunicated William, king of Sicily, who ravaged the territories of the church, and absolved that prince's subjects from their allegiance. About the same time Frederick, king of the
Romans, having entered Italy with a powerful army, Adrian met him near Sutrium, and concluded a peace with him. At this interview Frederick consented to hold the pope's stirrup whilst he mounted on horseback. After this, his holiness conducted that prince to Rome, and in St Peter's church placed the imperial crown on his head, to the great mortification of the Roman people, who assembled in a tumultuous manner, and killed several of the imperialists. The next year a reconciliation was brought about between the pope and the Sicilian king, that prince taking an oath to do nothing further to the prejudice of the church, and Adrian granting him the title of King of the Two Sicilies. He built and fortified several castles, and left the papal dominions in a more flourishing condition than he found them. But notwithstanding all his success, he was extremely sensible of the disquietudes attending so high a station; and declared to his countryman, John of Salisbury, that all the former hardships of his life were mere amusement to the misfortunes of the popedom, that he looked upon St Peter's chair as the most uneasy seat in the world, and that his crown seemed to be clapped burning on his head.1 He died September 1. 1159, in the fourth year and tenth month of his pontificate, and was buried in St Peter's church, near the tomb of his predecessor Eugenius. There are extant several letters and some homilies written by this pope.