MarginaliaThe pope afrayd of the emperours comming into Italye.The pope, when he vnderstood that Fridericke was come to Viterbium, he was very heuie for þ^t he feared he would come to Rome, the good will of whiche Citie the pope much mistrusted. He therfore caused a supplication to be drawne, portratyng about the same the heades of Peter and Paul, and with a sharpe and contumelious oration he much defaced the Emperour: promising them euerlastyng lyfe, and gaue them the badge of the crosse, as many as would arme them selues and fight agaynst the Emperour, as agaynst þ^e most wicked enemy of God and the churche. Now when the Emperour marchyng somewhat nere to Rome gates, and beheld those whom the pope had with hys goodly spectacle of S. Peter, and S. Paul, and with hys alluryng oration stirred vp agaynst hym and marked with the badge of the crosse to come forth in battel agaynst him: MarginaliaThe emperour hangeth all the crossed soldiers.Disdainyng to be accompted for the enemie of the churche, who had ben therunto so beneficial, giuyng a fierce charge vpō them, put thē soone to flight: & as many as he tooke (cuttyng of that badge from them) he caused to be hanged. From thence he marchyng into Campania and his own kingdomes: leuied a great masse of mony, and mustered new bands. and augmented his army: and in these bandes he retayned the Saracens also. And to the intent he myght finde the Saracens the more trustie vnto hym: he appoynted them to inhabite in a citie named Luceria. MarginaliaThe emperour retayneth the Sarasens in his warres against the pope.For whiche thyng, although the papistical writers do greatly blame and opprobriously write of Fridericke: yet notwithstandyng, Nicholaus Machiauellus doth write, that therfore he retayned them: least that through the popes execrable curses, he should be quite destitute of Souldiors as was Fridericus Barbarossa a litle before, his graundfather, when that of Alexander the Pope he was excommuncated as ye haue herd.

After this, when the Emperour had greatly afflicted by battaile the popes ecclesiasticall consortes, such as cōspired with the Pope agaynst hym: and that he had wasted and destroyed Beneuentum, the mount Casenum, and Sora, for that they tooke part with the pope against hym: Fridericke, when he had manned the citie Aquila, marched forth with a great hoste both of horsemen and foote men to Picenum, that he might vanquishe his enemies in Italie. And by the way, he besieged þ^e strōg town of warre named Asculinum, which was also conuerted to the popes faction and rebelliō. He there hauyng vnderstandyng what the Popes assistentes had done with the princes electours and other princes of Germanie, especially with Wenseslaus kyng of Bohemia, & Otho Palatinus: writeth his letters vnto them. MarginaliaTheffect of a letter sent by themperour to the princes of GermanyIn the which, first he sheweth howe that those contumelyes and spytefull wordes whiche the pope blustered out agaynst hym, are light vpon him selfe: And how the bishops of Rome haue taken to them of late such hart of grace and are become so loftie, that not onely they seeke to bryng Emperours, Kyngs, and Princes, vnder their obedience but also seke how to be honored as Gods: And say, that they cannot erre, neither yet be subiect or bound to any religion: and that it is lawfull for them to do all thynges what they list, neither that any accoumpt is to be sought or demaūded of their doinges, or els to be made of them to any, so impudent are they in these theyr affirmations. And further, as princes they commaund (and that vnder payne of cursyng) that men beleue euery thyng they say, how great a lye soeuer it be.

MarginaliaNo enemie more hurtefull to the church of god then is the pope. pope.In somuch that by this couetousnes of his, al things go backeward and subuerteth the hole state of the common weal: neither can theyr any enemie be found more hurtfull or perillous to the churche of God then he. He wrote vnto them furthermore, that he (to whom the greatest charge and dignitie was in the whole commō weale appointed and committed) seyng and perceauing to hys great peril, their good hartes, wyls, & practises, towardshym: would with all the power and habilitie that God had giuen him, do his indeuour: MarginaliaThe emperour voweth to remoue the pope and put an other more carefull shepherd into the church of god.that he which in the likenes of the shepheard of the flock, the seruaunt of Christ, and chief prelate in the churche, sheweth him selfe so very a wolfe, persecutour, and tyraunt: may be remoued from that place, and that a true and carefull shepheard of Gods flocke, may be appointed in the church. Wherfore he exhorteth thē, þ^t if they desire þ^e safety & preseruation of the hole state of the common weale and Empire: þ^t they be vnto hym no hinderers, but furtherers of hys purpose and proceadynges: least otherwyse, they also should happen to fall into the same snare of seruitude with the bishop of Rome. And further, he gaue them to wyt, that if he should aspire to that he sought for (that is to be an Emperour and kyng ouer kynges) yet should that be no staye of his insatiable desire, but would be as gredy and rauenous as now he is. Therfore, if they be wyse, to withstand hym betymes: least hereafter when they would it should be to late, neither wer able to withstand his tyranny. The effect of this Epistle I tooke out of Auentyne which more largely delateth the same: who also writeth, that the Emperour (by his Legats) sent the same to Wenseslaus.

MarginaliaBolemus relenteth at the emperours letter.Bolemus somwhat relenting at this letter, promyseth to accomplish themperours biddings and precepts: and forthwith gathereth the assembly of princes and nobles at Aegra: wher, by common consent they thinke to renouate with the Emperour a new leage and couenāt. And furthermore, they finde Otho Boius (whych was absēt, and would not be at this their assemblie) to be the autor of this defection, and an ennemye to the common weale. MarginaliaThe practise of Otho wyth the pope agaynst the emperour.Otho, then seyng him selfe not able to stande agaynst the Cesar, and the other princes with whom hee was associate, desiring ayde of the Pope by his letters, came with all speede to Boiemus his kinsman: whom, when he could not perswade vnto him againe, neyther he would vnto their partes also bee wonne: obtayneth notwithstanding yet thus muche at theyr handes, that the leage and couenaunt (whych they were in hande to make with the Emperour) mighte for a tyme be deferred, and that an other assembly might be made: wherat he also would be, and ioyne hymselfe with them. Thus had they, who killed (as you heard) his father, bewitched also hys sonne: and brought to be both a rebel and traytor. In the meane season, the Pope sent his rescript vnto the kyng of Boiemia and to Otho, tendyng to thys effect: that in no case they should eyther forsake him, or els the church, to take þ^e Emperours part. MarginaliaThe popes rescript casheth all the matter agayne.And so much preuayled he by the meanes of Bohuslaus & Budislaus (which were the chiefest of the Senate regal) and by his fayr promises and bribes to such as he before had made to hym: that agayn at Libussa by Boiemus and Boius new assemblies were gathered for the creation of a new Emperour, in despite of Augustus themperour, and this Cesar his sonne. And whilest that this was thus in hād, Conradus Cesar casteth Landshuta the wyfe of Otho (being absent) in the teeth for great benefit and possessions whych her husband had and possessed by the aunciters of hym: and that vnles her husbande tooke a better way with him selfe, and shewed hys obedience to the emperour hys father: that he should not enioy one foote of that land, whych nowe hee had by hys predecessours. The promotion and dignities which Otho had by the aunciters of Conradus Cesar came thus. MarginaliaBy what meanes Otho attained so great possessiōs by the emperour and his Auncitors.Fridericus Barbarossa in the yeare of our Lorde. 1180. at a parliament holden at Reginoburgh, condemned Hēricus Leo of hygh treason: and depriued him of hys dominons of Boioria and Saxonie: and gaue Boioria to Otho Wiltespachius: for that he had done him so faythfull seruice in hys Italian warres. After that, Ludouicus the sōne of thys Otho, obtayned of thys emperour Fridericus the second, in recompence of hys assured and trusty fide-