CHAP. XVIII. 1247-1250. for their cause was his. We, the Kings of the world, are all at enmity with the Prelates of the Church. They are longing to enjoy a pestilent freedom; they abuse our bounty; they conspire against our life; they try to set our brother Monarchs against us. But this only takes place in the West and in this Europe of ours. Happy Asia! happy Princes of the East, who are not troubled by rebellious subjects or by Popes! We congratulate you on your late victory, and we thank you for your proposal to visit us.' Innocent very shortly afterwards strove to neutralize these Imperial invectives by an embassy to Vataces. He chose out for this purpose the best of envoys, a man deemed worthy of kisses from the Papal lips. This was John of Parma, the General of the Franciscans, the most humane and upright of friars, fond of a joke with his young novices, and only chargeable with one fault; a fanatical belief in the books of Abbot Joachim. So little of jealousy was there in the General's nature that he took pains to win back into the fold his predecessor Elias; but the effort miscarried, and the rebel's bones were torn from the grave after death and thrown upon a dunghill. John went to the East, whence a brother of his Order had come with overtures of peace.* But even John seems to have failed in effecting anything; the barrier between the Latins and the Greeks was insurmountable. In the next year, the last of Frederick's life, Eastern politics took up much of the attention of the Apulian Court. A great host was to be assembled in the spring, and the East was invited to send a contingent. 'Pure * Salimbene. CHAP. love in Christ,' so Frederick wrote, has made us one with the Greeks, against whom that Pope is giving his tongue full rein, because we are leagued with 1247-1250. them; he calls them heretics, though they are in the highest degree orthodox.' Vataces, who was Frederick's son-in-law, sent into Italy a band of knights and archers; for whose conveyance the Imperial ships were despatched to Durazzo, opposite to Brindisi. In the summer the Western Emperor was able to congratulate his Greek friend upon various successes in Rhodes. He went on thus; What right has that Pope to send Minorites and Preachers to confer with the heads of your Church? He excommunicates you by name every day, and calls all your subjects heretics, though it was from among them that Christianity was propagated over the world. How does that author of schism denounce you to the Latins as apostates from the faith! How does the Papacy change as it were in the twinkling of an eye its ancient rancour against you for love! Is not this the man who cursed us in public for joining our beloved daughter with you in lawful wedlock? Whence did these priests of ours learn to fight against Christians, to exchange the pastoral staff for the lance, and the pen for the arrow? Look at our holy Cardinals, carrying on war in our Empire; one is called Duke, another Marquess, another Count; this one draws up armies, that one bears a battleaxe. Did they learn this from Christ's first disciples or from any General Council? Ought not these priests of infamy, these false prophets, to be burnt with fire, as in the days of Elijah? Such are the shepherds of Israel; what havoc have they not wrought in Germany, in Italy, in every land! But CHAP. he who is lurking in Lyons is now held in scorn as XVIII. the father of lies; his followers loathe his ways. 1247-1250. How many thousands have just perished in the Nile, owing to him! He has spread a false report of our death; but his treasures, wrung from the churches, have vanished away. Those friars who have been sent to you have not gone to discuss religion, but to sow the tares of strife after their wonted fashion. We blame you for wishing to send envoys to the Pope without asking your father's consent; for our part, we are never willing to act without your advice. We are now despatching six ships to Durazzo, together with one of our courtiers, to bring your messengers and to enjoin the friars that they tarry in that city until we choose to send for them.' Frederick contrived to frustrate all the overtures of the Greeks to the Papacy; he detained some ambassadors from the East, who were on their way to Lyons, for eighteen months; they were only able to proceed Northwards after his death.* Thousands indeed, as he remarked, had that very year perished in the Nile, victims of the rancorous war waged in Italy between the Church and the Empire. The French Crusaders had been left to fight their own way. How could it be otherwise? Frederick complained that the more overtures he made for peace, the harsher did the Pope become. Crusaders had been lately despatched against Apulia, as if Christ had been crucified there over again; these warriors would have been more useful in Egypt. Innocent had craftily delayed his strong measures, until Louis had fairly started for the East. De Curbio. XVIII. 1247-1250. The French troops spent the winter of 1248 in CHAP. Cyprus, and thither Frederick sent plenty of provisions for their use, although there had been a great dearth in Apulia for two years running. Young Joinville has recorded his surprise at the vast stores of barley, wheat, and wine which met his eyes in the quarters of the French army. In 1249, Frederick wrote anxiously to his Royal brother, on hearing that a storm had scattered the Christian fleet near the coast of Cyprus. He despatched another letter to Queen Blanche, who had remained behind; he regretted that he was prevented by the Pope's policy from joining the Crusaders, but he had sent fifty war-horses and a quantity of corn to her son Alfonso, the Count of Poitou, who was then on the way to Egypt. The grateful Queen wrote to Innocent, entreating mercy for the Sovereign who had preserved the life of her son and the honour of the whole Christian army; Louis himself entitled Frederick the friend and benefactor of the Church.* But the Pope did not relent; and a few months later came the dreadful news of the overthrow of the French chivalry. The Emperor requested their Mohammedan gaoler to set them free; though some of their number viewed with suspicion the Eastern correspondence of Messer Ferry, especially after hearing that he was accustomed to send a yearly embassy to solicit the friendship of the Prince of the Assassins. A document only just brought to light makes it clear that the Imperial government was not so misled by mean jealousy as to throw hindrances in the way of the reinforcements coming from the West. The Bailiff at Messina * M. Paris. ↑ Joinville. XVIII. 1247-1250. CHAP. was called upon, in the summer of 1250, to redress the wrongs of some hundreds of pilgrims, knights, priests, barbers, and cobblers, drawn from many realms, who had chartered the good ship St. Victor to convey them and their wives to any place beyond the sea where the King of France might be. Four of them, one being an Englishman, pleaded the cause before the Sicilian Court, and had the owners of the ship, who had made default in carrying out the agreement, condemned in costs. Frederick mourned over the late disaster; as Louis was not in Europe, the Emperor turned to the Crown of Castile. Why,' he asked, 'does not the Pope cease to attack Christians, and why does he not succour the Holy Land? We have often offered him our help, and that of our sons, since we love the Holy Roman Church. Our cause is yours; what would become of other Kings, if the Roman Augustus forsook their cause? Your neighbour the King of Portugal affords you an instance of the danger of yielding to priestly arrogance. We have sent forward a noble army into Northern Italy, intending to follow it; but hearing of the mishap that has befallen our dear friend the King of France, we have returned into our Kingdom, wishing to despatch vessels and men to his aid.' The last year of Frederick's life was spent by him chiefly at Foggia, Venosa, or among his warriors encamped at Lago Pesole; the plotting of the begging friars bore fruit, for Troja had once more to be dismantled and laid waste. Certain of its churches and hospitals were spared so long as they were managed by monks who were strangers to the town. The Emperor had also leisure for foreign politics. Flattered |