t in one of the islands of
Arguim, which islands had already become a place of bargain for gold and
negro slaves. This was the first Portuguese establishment on the coast
of Africa. It seems that a system of trade was now established between
the Portuguese and the negroes.

COUNCIL OF CONSTANCE

A.D. 1414

RICHARD LODGE

During the forty years of the second great schism in the
Roman Catholic Church, 1378-1417, different parties adhered
to different popes, of whom there were sometimes two or more
simultaneously in office. The French cardinals preferred
Avignon--to which the holy see had been removed in 1309--as
the seat of the pope, the Italian cardinals preferred Rome,
and two lines of popes were consequently chosen. This
division proved extremely injurious to the papal power and
authority.

Meanwhile there were various efforts for reform in the
Church, among the most notable movements being those led by
John Wycliffe in England and John Huss on the Continent. At
last a council was called to decide who was the rightful
claimant to the papal throne. The council assembled at Pisa,
Italy, in 1409, but recognized neither of the then rival
popes--Gregory XII and Benedict XIII--Alexander V being
elected in their stead. The deposed popes, however, would
not give up their rule, and so the action of the council
added to the difficulty, since there were now three popes
instead of two.

Alexander V died ten months after his election, and the
cardinals chose as his successor Cardinal Cossa, who took
the name of John XXIII. The Church remained as much divided
as before. In 1412 Pope John, who was a shrewd and politic
man, opened at Rome a council for the reformation of the
Church, but there seems to have been little serious purpose
either on the part of John himself or of the ecclesiastics
who assembled; and practically nothing was done.

John was more concerned about his political relations with
various sovereigns. He was at war with Ladislaus, King of
Naples, who soon drove him from Rome. John fled to Florence,
and appealed to Sigismund, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire,
for assistance. But the Emperor would aid him only on
condition that the Pope should summon a new council to some
German city, in order to end the schism. At last John issued
a formal summons for a council to meet at Constance on
November 1, 1414. Before it assembled, L