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Anjou her best support against the periodical inroads of German Cæsars.

CHAP.
XII.

The danger in 1239 was no common one. What 1237-1239. Rome would have become, had Frederick the Second been allowed to hold on in his victorious career, may be seen by the analogous instances of Constantinople and Moscow. The Spiritual power would have been the slave of the Temporal Ruler. The Pope would have sunk into a mere puppet in the hands of the Emperor, a mere Registrar of the decrees of Augustus. Frederick, like the present Czar, would have enjoyed absolute sway over both clergy and laity, over souls as well as bodies. The Bark of St. Peter would have been driven to hoist fresh colours. The Banner of the Keys would have been hauled down, and would have been replaced by the Eagle of the Hohenstaufens. All grand visions of empire, reaching into the uttermost parts of the earth, would have come to an end. The Papal system would have been broken up long before its appointed time. It is not likely that foreign Princes would have remained content to obey a Bishop, who was but a tool in the hands of an Emperor already far too powerful. The planets would therefore have ceased to revolve around the Sun. Canterbury, Rheims, Gran, and Toledo, would each have usurped a portion of the authority of Rome. The proud Prelates of Germany would have claimed equality with the successors of St. Peter. All the dazzling dreams of Hildebrand and Innocent would have failed of their realization. The Bishop of Rome, shorn of his Temporal power, would have had to content himself with figuring in great pageants at the Imperial pleasure; and his aggressive movements would have been restricted to an occa

CHAP.

sional wrangle with the Greek Patriarch on the XII. Filioque or the Azyms.

1237-1239.

Rome saw her danger and rose up, equal to the crisis; the Lombards must be supported, or else they would soon be on their knees. She had already succeeded in uniting Genoa and Venice in a common league, and many other cities were ready to revolt from the Emperor. Now, if ever, the blow must be struck. There was no drifting into war here; the danger was looked full in the face; Rome chose her part deliberately. She was not prepared to give up the policy which had made her the mistress of the world. She would promptly make her declaration of war, for which she had many plausible pretexts. The burnt Church of Sora, the unbaptized nephew of the King of Tunis, Frederick's jests upon the Eucharist, might all be paraded before the eyes the vulgar. But the true cause of war was carefully kept in the background.

of

The question was doubtless debated at great length in the councils of the Lateran. We should have liked to know what was said by Cardinal Colonna, what by Cardinal Fiesco, what by our own countryman, Cardinal Summercote; all the chances of war must have been well balanced by these far-seeing statesmen. They well knew the gigantic strength of the enemy with whom they had to deal. The coming struggle would task all the undivided energies of Rome. The Latin Christians on the Jordan and on the Bosphorus must be left to their fate; the arms of Crusaders would be wanted nearer home. England would furnish money; France perhaps would furnish men. Germany might be divided against herself. Little help could be expected from Lower Italy; but Upper

XII.

Italy abounded with Guelf states, ready to declare themselves, who would soon rally around their natural leader the Pope. After Cortenuova, it would be 1237-1239. madness to risk another pitched battle; but Brescia had shown what Italians could do behind walls. Such were the chances of the struggle, and Rome girded herself for a Thirty years' war.

Frederick, then at Padua, had an inkling of what was going on at the Lateran. You are the equals of the Pope,' he thus writes to the Cardinals, ‘and you must bear an equal part of the blame. His Holiness (O that he were a just Judge!) is said to be on the point of deposing the Emperor, the Advocate of the Church, on trivial grounds, in order to favour the Lombard rebels. We may be driven to reprisals in self-defence. The Pope and his house alone are not worthy of our vengeance. We beseech We beseech you then to look to yourselves, and to compel his Holiness to moderate counsels.' This threatening letter had no effect. On Palm Sunday, the 20th of March, and again on Holy Thursday, Pope Gregory excommunicated the Emperor. Many of the Cardinals were present, and heard Frederick's soul consigned to the Devil. The fearful sentence, couched in appropriate words, struck awe into the hearts of all listeners.

'In the Name of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and of the blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and of ourselves, we excommunicate and anathematize the Emperor Frederick; because he has stirred up a sedition in Rome; because he has obstructed the Bishop of Palestrina; because he will not allow twenty

* M. Paris.

XII.

1237-1239.

CHAP. Sicilian Sees and two Abbeys to be filled.' The indictment consists of seventeen counts, most of which have been touched upon before. The murder of Clergymen, the profanation of Churches, the unrepaired Church of Sora, the detention of the Tunisian convert, the imprisonment of Peter the Saracen, are all laid before the world. The Emperor is excommunicated, because he has seized Ferrara, Bologna, Sardinia, and other appurtenances of the See of Rome. His oppression of the Sicilian Nobles and Churches, his robbery of the Templars and Hospitallers, his taxation of the Clergy, his breach of faith with the rebels of 1229, and his opposition to the Crusade, are all brought forward. His subjects are therefore released from their oath of allegiance. It is moreover hinted that he is by no means sound in the faith. The Archbishop of Milan is ordered to publish the sentence forthwith throughout Northern Italy, with ringing of bells and with lighting of candles.

On hearing the news of his excommunication, the Emperor in April held a council in his Palace at Padua. He sat in his chair while Peter de Vinea spoke in his behalf, taking as the text of the discourse two lines of Ovid:

'Stripes, dealt with justice, must be meekly borne;

Stripes, with injustice dealt, give cause to mourn.'

On this text the cloquent Peter harangued, as probably no other layman of the age could have harangued. Well might their Lord, the most merciful and just Emperor since the days of Charlemagne, complain of the rulers of the Church! Frederick

Leniter, ex merito quicquid patiare, ferendum est;
Quæ venit indignè pœna, dolenda venit.

XII.

1237-1239.

himself did not disdain to protest before the people CHAP. that if the sentence was just, he was ready to bow to it in all respects; but it was unrighteous. He was amazed, he said, at the Papal ministers proceeding against him with such rashness, and at their inflicting so enormous a punishment upon one who had given them no ground of offence. The citizens of Padua were divided in opinion.

Frederick now rode to Treviso, and after receiving a warm welcome, appointed James of Morra as Podesta of that city with the consent of the people. This Apulian nobleman is described as a man of forethought, wisdom, and loyalty. Seven years later, the Emperor would change his opinion as to the Podesta's character. Frederick afterwards came back to Padua, and gave a safe-conduct to Azzo of Este and his partizans, who accordingly returned. The brothers Eccelin and Alberic on the other hand took secret counsel with their party against their enemies, thus restored to the Imperial favour. Frederick now proceeded to guard against rebellion by exacting hostages, saying that this was the way to secure peace. Some of these were sent to Apulia, others to Vicenza and Mantua; the men were thus marked out for ruin.

The Emperor went to Vicenza, the scene of his old exploit, and there held a conference with all the nobles of the Trevisan March. He set free a captive, Jordan the Prior of St. Benedict of Padua, whom Eccelin had kept in prison for almost two years, and whose captivity had been charged upon the Emperor by the Pope in the late excommunication. This Churchman was let out, besides some other prisoners, and was handed over to the Patriarch of Aquileia.

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