Not only had the Crusades, for many years, brought vast sums to Rome, extorted from the fears or the piety of every Christian nation; they had also increased the papal power to a most dangerous extent.

In the dual governments everywhere prevailing in Europe, the spiritual had obtained the mastery; the temporal was little better than its servant.
From all quarters, and under all kinds of pretenses, streams of money were steadily flowing into Italy.

The temporal princes found that there were left for them inadequate and impoverished revenues.

Philip the Fair, King of France (A.D.

1300), not only determined to check this drain from his dominions, by prohibiting the export of gold and silver without his license; he also resolved that the clergy and the ecclesiastical estates should pay their share of taxes to him.
This brought on a mortal contest with the papacy.