XI. 1235-1239. CHAP. loyal servant, came to us from Piedmont, prompted by his own zeal. He has promised to appear with a noble attendance. The Marquess of Montferrat was also present, and did all he could to help us. We are asking aid of the whole world, and we hope to have a countless number of men in arms. We trust that you will distinguish yourself. We wish the term of your appearance to be put off, so that you come on the 1st of June, not on the 1st of May. Your messenger will tell you what he has seen of our good success.' On the 3rd of April, Frederick returned to Pavia, after a triumphant progress of three months through Piedmont, which he had never before made his residence except for a flying visit in 1212. He had, while at Turin in April, received the greetings of his Transalpine subjects, the Prelates of Vienne, Embrun, Gap, and Grenoble. After giving two Charters to the Count of Biandrate, he held a great Council at Cremona, bidding the townsmen make ready for an enterprise and furnish themselves with provisions for four months. On the 13th of May he turned his steps Eastward, wishing to make peace between Eccelin on the one hand and Azzo on the other. These nobles had taken up arms against each other, as soon as they were out of their Lord's sight, although at this time they both professed Ghibelline principles. On the 12th of May, a noble lady, whose name was Selvaggia, a natural daughter of the Emperor, came with a great number of attendants to the Church of the Valley of Cereta, where she was lodged at the cost of the town. On the 22nd of the Chronicon. month she reached Verona, and was given by her father to Eccelin on Whitsunday. This wedding CHAP. XI. took place before the gate of St. Zeno's Abbey, where 1235-1239. Frederick was lodging. Eccelin brought home his bride with the greatest rejoicings to the house of Count Boniface of Panico. On the same day Frederick held a Court in the Campus Martius of Verona, and gave a noble banquet in honour of his daughter's wedding.* One day, as he was riding out with Eccelin, a dispute arose between them, as to which of them had the best sword. Frederick drew his, which was fit for an Emperor, the hilt being studded with precious stones. His new son-in-law remarked; 'My Lord, your sword is excellent, but so also is my unadorned blade.' He drew it, and at the signal 600 of his comrades drew their swords in a moment. 'Such a sword is indeed the best,' said the Emperor.+ Frederick's other partizans were not idle. Theobald Francesco was Vicar in the Trevisan March, and an Apulian, Henry of Eboli, was named Podesta of Vicenza. Further to the South, Paul Traversaro, at this time a zealous Ghibelline, was leading on the men of Ravenna against the Bolognese, and was striving to wrest Faenza from them.§ A great part of this town was burnt down in the struggle, and more than 2000 prisoners from Ravenna, Forli, and Forlimpopoli broke their bonds and fled. Gebhard von Arnstein was the Emperor's Vicar in Tuscany, where he ousted Mandello, the Guelf Podesta of Florence, from that office. The Bishop of the city, a staunch ally of Frederick, brought many * Chron. Veronense. Antonio Godi. Story quoted by Von Raumer. § Ann. Cæsenat. Chronicon. XI. 1235-1239. charges of heresy against Mandello, but the Pope would not allow a man of such good political principles to be harassed on account of religious errors. The Emperor afterwards charged Gregory with abetting heresy, and instanced the case of Mandello.* Roman citizens were taking the oath of fealty to the Emperor, with a proviso against his ever attacking their city. Peter Frangipane was forward as usual on Frederick's side. The Marquess of Lancia commanded in Piedmont, and ravaged the lands of Alessandria in May for nearly three weeks; Frederick wrote a letter of thanks to the Pavians for their services on this occasion. On the other side, the Milanese made an assault upon Bergamo, but were checked by a fearful storm, and many of them were drowned in the Adda. They had in vain begged for peace once more; they had acknowledged Frederick to be their true and natural Lord; they had promised him all the gold and silver they had, and had professed their readiness to burn all their banners at his feet, in token of their obedience. They had, moreover, offered him 10,000 soldiers, whenever he should embark in the Crusade, on condition that he would forego his revenge and maintain the good estate of the city. The Emperor haughtily refused these terms, still demanding unconditional surrender. The Milanese, one and all, resolved to go on with the war. We fear your cruelty,' said they, which we know by experience; we had rather die under our shields by sword, spear, or dart, than by treachery, starvation, and fire!' They worked hard at their trenches, and sought out *Frederick's letters for 1239. † Chronicon. alliances, knowing that this was a matter of life and death. Frederick henceforth began to lose ground in public opinion; he was called a tyrant, and it was thought that God would resist him and give grace to the Milanese.* He should have taken warning by the fate of his grandfather, Frederick the First, who actually destroyed Milan, but who in the end had reason to rue the day when he drove the Lombards to despair by his overbearing harshness. Frederick the Second had, as he thought, by his success wiped out the defeat that had long been a blot on the Hohenstaufen escutcheon; Cortenuova had fully atoned for Lignano; it only remained to tear up the Treaty of Constance, and to make Lombardy like any other province of the Empire. At this time he put forth another of his laws against heretics, and paid court to Venice by edicts in favour of her Monasteries. The summer Campaign was now about to open with the fairest prospects of success. The boy Conrad crossed the Alps at the head of a German host, and reached Verona by the end of June. With him came the Archbishops of Mayence and Magdeburg, the Bishops of Passau and Meissen, and the Count of Tyrol. The Prelates of Arles and Marseilles arrived about the same time. The German Princes seemed eager to revive the days of Barbarossa. It was true that they had allowed their Kaiser to cross the Alps with a very scanty following, both in 1236 and in 1237; but since that time the state of affairs had changed. He had cleared the way for them, and had won a great battle without their help; all they had now to do was to share in the booty * M. Paris. CHAP. XI. 1235-1239. CHAP. XI. 1235-1239. that must be forthcoming. They might look forward with glee to a glorious sack. Milan must be far richer now, than when Barbarossa laid his hand upon her. What could be more honourable, or at the same time more expedient, than for the men of the North to rejoin their Kaiser at this moment? The wealth of Milan was almost in their grasp: the schools of Bologna must be purged of the preachers of sedition; and Alessandria, the very name of which was a standing reproach to Germany, must be blotted out, unless she forestalled her doom by a timely submission. Frederick assembled his army in the plain of San Daniele near Verona; on the 28th of June he marched off towards Goito. He must have chafed over the time wasted since spring had set in; not very much of the year was left for the Campaign, and it was hardly reasonable to expect such another piece of good luck as had befallen him on the eve of Cortenuova. He led his host to Cremona, where a great Council of war was held. The question was, at which of the Five rebellious cities the first blow should be aimed. Many and different were the opinions; at length Eccelin advised an attack on Brescia, the city nearest to his own district, and therefore the most desirable conquest for himself. 'God's Providence,' said he, 'orders all men to obey the Roman Empire. Milan and Brescia are alone holding out; strike the snake on the head; they will come to your footstool. I advise you to begin with Brescia first, and thus you will have peace. I will fight my best for you, I who have placed the * Chronicon. Chron. Veronense. |