410 John of Gaunt
peace. He was further renowned for his PREACHINGon
ethical and social questions, especially against luxury and
sexual vice. A defender of papal primacy, between 1438
and 1444, he wrote a treatise on the authority of the
pope over that of a COUNCIL. Appointed a preacher of the
Crusade against the TURKSafter the fall of CONSTANTINO-
PLEin 1453, he took part in the victorious siege of Bel-
grade in 1456 but died in Slovenia on October 23, 1456.
He was canonized much later, in 1690.
See alsoHUNGARY;HUNYADI,JOHNCORVINUS.
Further reading: Mary H. Allies, Three Catholic
Reformers of the Fifteenth Century(Freeport, N.Y.: Books
for Libraries Press, 1972); Johannes Höfer, St. John Capis-
tran, Reformer,trans. Patrick Cummins (1943; reprint, St.
Louis: B. Herder, 1947).
John of Gaunt (1340–1399)English soldier-statesman,
fifth duke of Lancaster
Born in March 1340, John of Gaunt was the fourth son of
King EDWARDIII; his name is from his birthplace, GHENT.
He was created earl of Richmond in September 1342.
Trained in military skills, he took part in an expedition to
FRANCEat the age of 19 and on May 19, 1359, he married
Blanche, younger daughter and coheir of Henry of Lan-
caster (1299–1361). After this marriage and the death of
Henry he was created earl of Derby in April 1362 and in
November duke of Lancaster.
For the next years Lancaster was active in various
military campaigns, which mainly failed, serving under
his brother, EDWARD THEBLACKPRINCE, in SPAINin 1367;
as captain of Calais two years later; and as lieutenant in
AQUITAINE in 1371. After the death of his first wife
in September 1369, he married Constance of Castile in
- He then relinquished the title of earl of Richmond
and ambitiously became king of CASTILE. In 1384–85, he
invaded the kingdom of LEÓN, but met a humiliating fail-
ure and finally gave up there in 1388.
BACK IN ENGLANDOn his return to ENGLAND, Lancaster took an active part
in politics as head of the court party that was opposed
by the “Good Parliament” of 1376. At the same time he
supported John WYCLIFFEagainst the upper clergy of
England, and protected him at the Council of LONDON
the following year. With the accession of King RICHARD
II in 1377, he exercised strong influence at court, advis-
ing on the French war, serving on the Scottish border,
and making a truce there in 1380. In 1381 he served on
several commissions to deal with the PEASANTREBEL-
LION in 1381 and reform of the royal household. In
1385 he quarreled with Richard and, though reconciled,
tried to continue to serve as a mediator between the
king and his opponents. In 1388 he was made lieu-
tenant of Gascony and in 1390 the duke of Aquitaine.
After he married his daughter, Catherine, to Henry III of
Castile (r. 1390–1406), he renounced claim to the king-
ship of that country. After helping with a reconciliation
between the duke of Gloucester and King Richard, he
retired. On the death of his second wife, in 1396 he
married Catherine Swynford (d. 1403). The children of
his last marriage were the line through which Henry
TUDOR(eventually King Henry VII [r. 1485–1509]) later
claimed the throne. He died on February 3, 1399, and
was buried in Old Saint Paul’s in LONDON. After his
death Richard seized his estates. This forced Lancaster’s
son, Henry of Bolingbroke, to claim the throne as Henry
IV (r. 1399–1413).
See alsoCHAUCER,GEOFFREY; HUNDREDYEARS’ WAR;
IMPEACHMENT AND ATTAINDER.
Further reading: Simon Walker, The Lancastrian
Affinity: 1361–1399 (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1990);
Anthony Goodman, John of Gaunt: The Exercise of
Princely Power in Fourteenth-Century Europe (London:
Longman, 1992); P. E. Russell, The English Intervention in
Spain and Portugal in the Time of Edward III and Richard II
(Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1955).John of Paris(Jean Quidort, Jean le Sourd) (ca.
1225/40–1306)Dominican political theorist
Jean Quidort, or John of PARIS, as a student of Thomas
AQUINASplayed an important role in the controversies of
the 13th and 14th centuries over the relations between
the spiritual and temporal powers, notably at the time of
the conflicts between Pope BONIFACE VIII and King
PHILIPIV the Fair of FRANCEin the early 14th century.
He is generally considered as holding a moderate posi-
tion on the autonomy of both the civil power and the
ecclesiastical.
In 1302 he wrote On Royal and Papal Power, in
which he posited a dualism of powers, that of the prince
and that of the pope. Human beings pursued two ends
in this world, happiness on Earth and salvation in the
afterlife. They lived in society in accordance with
human nature but required a spiritual authority for sal-
vation. Spiritual authority accrued to Christian priests
as heirs to Christ, especially in matters of morals. The
unity of the church demanded a unity of spiritual power
as it was embodied in the PAPACY. There should be only
cooperation between the two powers, with the spiritual
power holding only a superior dignity. Secular power,
too, was from GOD. Thus the two powers were distinct
but complementarily and mutually related. However,
councils were superior to the papacy. John died on
September 22, 1306.
See alsoPOLITICAL THEORY AND TREATISES.
Further reading:John of Paris, On Royal and Papal
Power,trans. J. A. Watt (Toronto: Pontifical Institute of
Mediaeval Studies, 1971); Joseph Canning, A History of