More than five centuries before a prince of the house of Brunswick sat
on the British throne, there is a name in the genealogy of the Guelphs
connected with the title of York.
Until the time of Gibbon, the learned were inclined to ascribe to Azo,
the great patriarch of the house of Este, a direct male descent from
Charlemagne: the brilliant result of this able investigator’s researches
prove, in Azo’s behalf, four certain lineal ascents, and two others,
highly probable,
“------ from the pure well of _Italian_ undefiled.”
Azo, marquis or lord of Tuscany, married Cunegunda, a daughter of a
Guelph, who was also sister of a Guelph, and heiress of the last Guelph.
The issue of this alliance was Guelph I., who, at a time before titles
were well settled, was either duke or count of Altdorff. He was
succeeded by his son, Henry the Black, who married Wolfhildis, heiress
of Lunenburgh, and other possessions on the Elbe, which descended to
their son, Henry the Proud, who wedded Gertrude, the heiress of Saxony,
Brunswick, and Hanover. These large domains centered in their eldest
son, Henry the Lion, who married Maud, daughter of Henry II., king of
England, and, in the conflicts of the times, lost all his possessions,
except his allodial territories of Lunenburgh, Brunswick, and Hanover.
The youngest son of this marriage was William of Winchester, or
Longsword, from whom descended the dukes of Brunswick and Lunenburgh, in
Germany, progenitors to the house of Hanover. His elder brother, Otho,
is said to have borne the title of York.
This Otho, duke of Saxony, the eldest son of Henry the Lion, and Maud,
was afterwards emperor of Germany; but previous to attaining the
imperial dignity, he was created earl of York by Richard I., king of
England, who, according to some authorities, subsequently exchanged with
Otho, and gave him the earldom of Poictou for that of York. Otho’s
relation to this kingdom, as earl of York, and grandson of Henry II., is
as interesting as his fortunes were remarkable.
The emperor, Henry VI., having died, and left his son, Frederick, an
infant three months old, to the care of his brother Philip, duke of
Suabia; the minority of Frederick tempted pope Innocent to divest the
house of Suabia of the imperial crown, and he prevailed on certain
princes to elect Otho, of Saxony, emperor: other princes reelected the
infant Frederick. The contention continued between the rival
candidates, with repeated elections. Otho, by flattering the clergy,
obtained himself to be crowned at Rome, and assumed the title of Otho
IV.; but some of his followers having been killed by the Roman citizens
he meditated revenge, and instead of returning to Germany, reconquered
certain possessions usurped from the empire by the pope. For this
violence Otho was excommunicated by the holy father, who turned his
influence in behalf of the youthful Frederick, and procured him to be
elected emperor instead. Otho had a quarrel with Philip Augustus, king
of France, respecting an old wager between them. Philip, neither
believing nor wishing that Otho could attain the imperial dignity, had
wagered the best city in his kingdom against whichever he should select
of Otho’s baggage horses, if he carried his point. After Otho had
achieved it, he seriously demanded the city of Paris from Philip, who
quite as seriously refused to deliver up his capital. War ensued, and in
the decisive battle of Bovines, called the “battle of the spurs,” from
the number of knights who perished, Philip defeated Otho at the head of
two hundred thousand Germans. The imperial dragon, which the Germans, in
their wars, were accustomed to plant on a great armed chariot with a
guard chosen from the flower of the army, fell into the hands of the
victors, and the emperor himself barely escaped at the hazard of his
life. This battle was fought in August, 1215; and Otho, completely
vanquished, retreated upon his devotions, and died in 1218, without
issue.[31]
The wager, in its consequences so disastrous to the Germans, and so
illustrious to the French arms, was made with Philip while Otho was
passing through France on his way from the court of England. Collectors
of “engraved British portraits,” and the portraits of persons who “come
into England,” should look to this. How many illustrated “Grangers” are
there with a portrait of Otho IV., earl of York?
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