The Count of Champagne stood amazed. Thoroughly convinced of the
justice of Alexander's claims, ambition alone had united him to the
Imperial faction, and he had been impressed by the discourse of the
Holy Father; for it seemed to him as though God himself had spoken.
"Holy Father," he said, "I appreciate your reasoning and the resolution
with which you wish to discharge the sacred duties of your ministry.
But my personal opinions have naught to do with the execution of the
order which is intrusted to me. I await then, Holy Father, until it may
please you to notify me of the hour which you have fixed for your
departure for Laon."
_CHAPTER XLVII_.
_THE DUEL_.
Richenza's arrival at Cluny surprised Erwin; but she manifested so
sincere a sympathy with the misfortunes of the Duchess Clemence, that
he related to her all the details of the outrage. The influential
position of the Count of Champagne permitted him to lodge in the
dependencies of the cloister, and his apartments opened upon an immense
garden ornamented with flowers, groves, and shady walks.
Richenza and her retinue had just entered the garden, followed at a
distance by brother Severinus; and Erwin, after leaving the table, went
thither to join the party. Antonio, who was constantly on the watch
over Rechberg's movements, at once left the cloister and hurriedly
proceeded to the village, where Hermengarde was awaiting his return
with feverish anxiety. At last he came, and entered the lady's presence
with an air of supreme indifference.
"Your absence has been long, Antonio; was it not possible for you to
give my message yesterday?"
"Noble lady, Rechberg remained quite late with the Count of Champagne
and the other nobles. He rose late this morning, and I was unable to
give him your message until a few moments since, as he was going to the
garden with the Countess Richenza. The time was ill-chosen."
"Well! what was his answer?"
"'Hermengarde here?' he said, with surprise. 'Come to see her!--you
say. I am very sorry; but it is no longer possible----'"
"Go on, Antonio, and tell the truth!" said she. "Is he in the garden?"
"Precisely; now, as the garden is close to the road near the mountain,
you can see for yourself."
"Yes, and that is what I mean to do," replied Hermengarde, who seemed
to have all at once regained her courage. "Wait for one moment,
gentlemen; I will be back again soon;" and she left the room.
"You have done a stupid thing," said Pietro. "If she succeeds in
entering the garden----"
"Pshaw! she cannot get over a ten-foot wall."
"And if Rechberg were to perceive her?"
"He! his eyes are not clear enough to see so far."
Hermengarde returned in a few minutes, and at once set out, followed by
the two Italians and her nurse Hedwige.
In a short time they were on the road which overlooked the garden.
Antonio led the way to an elevation, from which they could see all the
adjoining country, and the young girl followed, without heeding the
words which the spy still continued to address to her. Suddenly she
paused, and then, before her companions could interfere, ran towards a
little gate in the cloister-wall.
As soon as Antonio perceived her intention, and that the door was open,
he sprang towards her.
"For the love of God!" he cried, "where are you going? Your entrance
into the convent may have disastrous results!"
She turned her head a little, glanced at Antonio, and disappeared.
Hedwige and Pietro followed, but the other remained behind.
"That door open!--unlucky mishap!" he said; "all is lost! The best
thing for me to do is to run away, and escape the Count's anger;" and
he hastily left the place.
A narrow path wound through several clumps of bushes, and terminated at
a conservatory surrounded by vines. Hermengarde stopped here. At about
a hundred yards in front, Richenza and the young nobleman were walking
together, in earnest conversation. Brother Severinus stood near the
door, reading his breviary.
"The Duchess of Saxony is a noble woman," said Richenza; "and what did
she say of her husband's disloyal conduct?"
"Galdini Sala was obliged to repeat three times the Duke's words:
'Clemence ceased to be my wife by the Pope's decree, and with my
consent. No one, not even Alexander, can change my determination.' At
first the Duchess seemed thunderstruck. She repeated only, 'With his
consent!' in a tone which I cannot describe. It seemed at first as
though her heart would break, and then her eyes flashed with anger. The
Duke of Saxony had lost all claim to her affection. 'My lord Count,'
she said to me, 'accept my thanks for all the trouble I have given
you;' and taking a rich jewel, 'Accept this,' she said, 'it is the only
way in which the repudiated Duchess can show her gratitude.' Then she
went to see His Holiness, and this morning left Cluny, escorted by some
of the Austrian men-at-arms."
"How noble! how truly great! but, alas! how unfortunate!" said
Richenza, with emotion.
"Now that the Duchess has gone," said Erwin, "and the object of my
journey is accomplished, I can return to Laon, where I have business of
great importance."
"It can be put off a little longer, and we will go there together,"
urged Richenza.
"I regret that it is impossible; but everything is prepared, and I must
leave Cluny to-day. Allow me, noble lady, to bid you farewell."
He was interrupted by a piercing shriek.
"Erwin! my Erwin!" cried a voice from the conservatory.
The Count approached. In the dim light he saw a group of three persons,
one of whom lay fainting on the ground. He had recognized the voice,
but he could scarcely believe that Hermengarde was there. But it was
she, and Rechberg knelt in astonishment beside his lady-love, from
whose face all signs of life had disappeared. Suddenly the Count was
seized, and thrust violently away.
"Back! wretch," cried Pietro, whose anger broke out at the sight of his
rival. "Back! you have no longer the right to tend her, German savage."
Rechberg gazed first at the Lombard and then at the fainting girl.
Nigri again pushed him away.
"If you dare to approach her again, I will plunge my sword into your
breast." And Pietro, sword in hand, placed himself between the Count
and the lady.
"Who are you, who dare to separate me from my affianced wife?" cried
Rechberg.
"Draw and defend yourself," said the Italian furiously.
"Here, in her presence? No, sir!" replied the Count. "Put up your
sword; elsewhere I will chastise you as you deserve."
"You shall not escape me thus! Villain, defend yourself!" said Pietro.
And his sword's point grazed Erwin's breast.
"Hold!" cried the Count. "Would you dare to assassinate me?"
"I will take your life.--If you will not defend it," said Nigri,
striking Rechberg, as he spoke, with the flat of his sword. Scarcely
had the Count felt the blow, when his sword, quick as lightning,
flashed from the scabbard, and the fight began. Hermengarde still lay
upon the ground, her head upon Hedwige's knee. During the progress of
the duel, she opened her eyes and called her lover's name, but Erwin
saw and heard nothing except his antagonist who had slightly wounded
him. Suddenly, he saw his opportunity, and with a rapid thrust
stretched Pietro lifeless on the ground. Just then the chamberlain.
rushed forward to prevent the combat, but it was too late, and as he
saw the bloody corpse,--
"Woe to us!" he cried, "a murder has been committed within the
cloister-walls. Wretch, what have you done?"
But Rechberg paid no attention to the question; he wished to approach
the young girl, who was seated with her nurse upon a neighboring bench,
but she motioned him away.
"I was present during the whole affair," said brother Severinus, who
endeavored to apologize for the Count. "I saw it all, worthy father;
the Count would have gone elsewhere, but this unhappy man, whose soul
is before his God, tried to kill him; he was obliged to defend
himself."
"That certainly diminishes the enormity of the offence," replied the
chamberlain, "but a crime has been committed within the cloister, and
it is to be judged here at Cluny. Follow me, Count."
"At once," said Rechberg. "Noble lady," he added, turning to Richenza,
"I regret sincerely, that my violence has caused your young lady of
honor to faint. I trust that she will be cared for until I have
established my innocence and can offer my excuses in person. Richenza
understood the hint; for, except as an attendant of the Countess,
Hermengarde would have been obliged to leave the cloister immediately.
"It was scarcely necessary to ask me to take care of my young friend,"
she said; "it is only my duty."
She gave the necessary orders for her to be conveyed to her own
apartments, and Erwin with one last look at Hermengarde, followed the
chamberlain.
On the ensuing day, the judges met, but the testimony of Severinus, and
the favorable reputation which Erwin bore as Clemence's champion,
procured his acquittal. Still the court was at a loss to understand the
motives of the Count's quarrel with the Italian. The judges withdrew
into an adjoining room, whence, after a short deliberation, they
returned.
"My son," said the president, "the law absolves you on the ground of
legitimate self-defence. God alone, to whom the secrets of all hearts
are known, can pronounce whether your act was free from all earthly
passion. Still, in the interest of your own soul, we advise you, as a
penance, to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, where in defence of our
Redeemer's tomb you can purge your sword of the stain left on it by the
blood of Pietro Nigri."
The Count expressed his thanks and proceeded at once to Richenza's
apartments, where he expected to find Hermengarde.
To his great surprise he was informed that the Count of Champagne, with
all his retinue, had started at an early hour for Laon, and that the
young Italian had returned to the neighboring village.
He repaired there at once, and on his entrance to the inn was received
by Hedwige, who informed him that her mistress was quite unwell, and
had not yet left her chamber.
"But I will tell her," she said, "that you are here."
Erwin paced the room until the servant announced that her lady would
receive him.
"Great heavens!" said Hedwige, "how she has suffered! I have always
maintained that you would not be false to your plighted word, and that
in spite of Richenza's relationship to the king of France, she could
not make you forget your betrothed."
"I cannot understand you, Hedwige. How could you entertain such an
idea?"
"Pietro assured us that you wanted to marry Richenza, and Antonio
confirmed his story. Besides, you stayed for several days in her
father's castle and refused to receive us, and then Richenza came to
Cluny with you."
"Now I understand it all," said Erwin; "ah! the wretched knave!"
The door opened, and Hermengarde entered. She was dressed simply in
white, with a blue sash around her waist.
"Pardon me, dearest," said the Count, tenderly; "pardon me for all I
have made you suffer." But Hermengarde was already assured of Erwin's
innocence before he had even spoken.
"Count," she replied, "you need make no excuses; only tell me why I did
not see you yesterday?"
"I had no idea that you were at Cluny."
"Then Antonio did not carry you my message?"
"Most certainly not! You seem surprised, Hermengarde; but you do not
know all. That villain Antonio was in a plot to separate us, and his
measures were skilfully taken."
"Fortune sometimes favors the wicked," said the noble girl. "But was
the arrival of Richenza merely the result of chance?"
"It may have been a part of the plot! I intended to return to Laon, and
was taking my leave, when--"
He suddenly paused, for the recollection of the scene in the garden
seemed painfully depicted on Hermengarde's features. She sat down and
gazed silently at her lover, whose attentions to the young Countess she
had fancied meant more than was called for by the mere requirements of
chivalrous courtesy. But it was impossible to cherish a suspicion of
Erwin's loyalty after his frank and honest explanations.
"Ah! Erwin," she said; "but that murder, that fearful crime!"
"You could not have wished me to allow myself to be assassinated?"
"No, oh! no. But after the combat I saw how your sword was covered with
blood; I seem to see even now his wild glance and the blood streaming
from the ghastly wound." And she hid her face in her hands as if to
shut out the horrid vision.
"Wretch that I am," said Erwin, "to have caused you this fright! But
console yourself, dearest; with time, the painful impression will fade
away. Would you make me regret having been the victor? The pious monks
have pronounced me innocent; will you be more severe than they? Tell
me, dearest Hermengarde; I will abide by your decree, however rigorous
it may be."
"I know you are guiltless, Erwin,--and yet this blood seems to rise up
between us: it is a childish feeling, I know, but I cannot overcome
it."
The Count stood in pensive silence, for the monks even in his acquittal
had uttered doubts of his complete innocence. And indeed, if he had
gone directly to Laon, instead of waiting for Antonio, Pietro would not
have met his death in the gardens of Cluny. His remorse was poignant.
"The pious monks," he said, "have counselled me to make a pilgrimage to
Palestine, to the sepulchre of our blessed Redeemer. It is for you,
Hermengarde, to decide whether I shall submit to this penance."
This singular question was entirely consistent with the manners of the
times. Hermengarde reflected for a moment.
"To-morrow," she said, "after having invoked together, the aid of Mary,
the Mother of Sorrows, you shall know my decision."
_CHAPTER XLVIII_.
_THE TRIUMPH OF FORCE_.
The unexpected departure of the Count of Champagne excited general
surprise, and even Alexander himself was at a loss to account for the
motive. It was said that a horseman had arrived during the night,
urgently inquiring for the Count; but none could say whence he came, or
of what tidings he was the bearer; all that was known was, that after
the receipt of some important despatches, the Count had gone away in
great haste. He scarcely gave breathing-time to his horses, but pressed
on so rapidly, that, after six days' travel, he arrived at his castle
near Laon, on the Seventh of September, the date which had been fixed
upon for another interview between the Emperor and the King of France.
Louis, who had experienced much alarm as long as he was in sight of the
German army, appeared to wish anxiously for this meeting. At least he
had ordered tents, for himself and the court, to be pitched in the
vicinity of the bridge over the Saone.
About nine o'clock Louis arrived, but Barbarossa had not yet appeared.
Rinaldo, with a number of prelates and nobles, seemed astonished at the
punctuality of the King, whom he found more affable than at the
audience in Laon.
"The Emperor can scarcely question my pacific intentions now," said
Louis; "the Count of Champagne has discretionary powers to bring the
Pope, even should violence be necessary. I am punctual to a minute at
the rendezvous which has been appointed by your master. What more can I
do, to avoid the accusation of treachery or double-dealing?"
The Chancellor was embarrassed for an answer.
"The Emperor admits your good intentions, Sire," he answered. "With his
aid, you will soon be freed from an evil which distracts France and
torments the Church. There is no doubt whatever that the Fathers of the
council will refuse to Cardinal Roland, wrongly styled Alexander, all
right to the pontifical throne."
"I cannot take it upon myself to decide upon which side is the right,"
answered Louis.
Before Rinaldo could answer, a loud noise was heard, and a body of
armed men were seen advancing. A horseman, covered with dust, spurred
to the front, glanced around the royal group, and perceiving the king,
bowed respectfully and solicited a private audience. The monarch
entered his tent, and through the canvas walls could be heard the voice
of the stranger, interrupted after a few sentences by Louis, who
exclaimed,--
"_Deo gratias_!--God be thanked for this fortunate result!"
Rinaldo was astonished, but while he was reflecting upon the possible
meaning of what had just happened, they came out. The King's face
beamed with satisfaction, and without noticing the Chancellor's
anxiety, he gave charge of his guest to a nobleman of his suite, with
instructions to treat him with every possible courtesy, and then
turning to Rinaldo, resumed their former conversation.
"We have but one point to regulate, my lord Chancellor, and that is the
pressure which the Emperor means to bring to bear upon the council. The
Fathers ought to be entirely unbiassed, and their votes must not be
influenced either by the force of arms or by worldly considerations."
"His Majesty," said Dassel, "will employ both argument and force to
re-establish order in the Church."
"Doubtless, according to his own ideas. But there is no guaranty that
these ideas are exempt from all selfish considerations! The Emperor is
Alexander's personal enemy; think you that he would recognize his
rights to the throne of Saint Peter?"
"These questions are insulting, Sire!--Frederic is too just by nature,
to be guilty of an injustice.--And you ask for guaranties of the purity
of his intentions? To whom would you make the Emperor responsible? On
whom does he depend?"
"He is responsible to the laws of nations, which he has repeatedly
violated in many different ways, my lord."
"This reproach has often been made by interested persons; I am
surprised, Sire, that you would repeat it."
"And we are surprised!" said Louis, proudly, "that you, Count, do not
feel the importance of this reproach! Besides, in the Assembly of
Besancon, there will be present both temporal princes and unconsecrated
bishops.--Who has conferred on laymen the right of voting in purely
ecclesiastical questions, and particularly on questions of this
importance?"
"The Emperor!" replied Dassel, promptly. "If his Imperial Majesty sees
fit to sanction an exception to a rule, this very exception becomes by
the consequence of his high and mighty authority, the rule and the law.
And more, if the chief of the Roman Empire, who is, at the same time,
the chief of all the princes of Christendom, thinks it expedient to
grant a vote upon this question to foreign princes, he has a right to
all their gratitude."
"Very good, my lord! and we are then the Emperor's vassals? This is a
new phase!--Our bishops will be delighted with the lesson you set
them!--Gentlemen," he added, "are you not somewhat surprised to hear
such a doctrine preached?"
Rinaldo answered boldly, and some bitter words were interchanged; at
last he lost patience.
"We have no need, in any way, of French bishops to put an end to
schism!" he cried. "When a discussion on the subject of a bishopric
arises among you, you put an end to the difficulty yourselves: why
should not the Emperor have the same right? Rome belongs to him."
The French courtiers heard these words, with surprise. Dassel's
opinions were in opposition to all received notions, and to the canons
of the Church. The King profited by the statesman's mistake.
"I am astonished," he said, "that so cautious a man as yourself should
advance such extraordinary assertions. We have the right to choose our
bishops after a previous understanding with the Holy See. But no bishop
of my kingdom is chief of Christendom; your argument is consequently
invalid. You say that the Emperor and his bishops alone have the right
to choose the Pope. Did not Christ confide to Saint Peter and his
successors all his flock? Were my bishops and myself excepted? Is the
Pope only your shepherd, and not mine?"
This language astonished Rinaldo, who was nevertheless forced to admit
its truth; but all efforts to explain his words were useless, Louis
turned away from him, and soon after rode back to Laon.
"What a changeable man!" said the Bishop Gero of Halberstadt.
"Yesterday the French king was the Emperor's humble servant, and to-day
he seems to defy him."
"Patience!" replied Werner of Minden; "Frederic will teach him
obedience. It must come to that. If peace were to last forever, there
would be no need of our good armor. Believe me, this insolence of Louis
comes very opportunely; in two days' time the Imperial eagle will float
over the French frontier."
"Yesterday, the Emperor gave me a splendid charger and a suit of
Venetian armor; I shall be glad of a chance to use them," said Philip
of Osnabruck.
"I shall wear my Nuremberg mail," added the Bishop of Munster; "it was a
present from Frederic, and so far no weapon has started a single link."
The entrance of the Count of Champagne interrupted the conversation;
Dassel, who had been reflecting seriously, approached him.
"Back already?" said the Chancellor. "I trust that you have brought the
Cardinal Roland with you."
"With the best intentions in the world, it was impossible," replied
Henry, whose gloomy face presaged no good. "All is lost. The English
king, Henry, is marching forward with a mighty army. Luckily I was
informed in time, and so escaped from falling into the hands of these
partisans of Alexander. Just now I saw the English ambassador, Earl
Gilbert, in the King's suite."
Rinaldo was thunderstruck.
"At last," he cried, "I have the clue to the mystery. But it is strange
that the negotiation between Alexander and England should have escaped
our notice. I can scarcely believe it possible."
"It was entirely out of my calculation," said Henry, trying to console
the statesman. "The English king, whose character you all know, has
pursued a course which no one suspected, but which probably has been
long in preparation. It is certain that he is not marching merely to
Alexander's assistance, but against the Imperial supremacy."
"It is really absurd! As if a feeble gazelle could struggle against a
tiger," said Dassel. "Let us go at once to the Emperor; he must hear it
from your own mouth."
The Count was in no hurry, for he looked at the question in a different
light.
"My personal safety forbids it," he said. "I have done all I could; I
supported the Emperor; but it would be madness in me to give the
English King a pretext for seizing my domains. For the time being, I
can only be a secret ally of Frederic."
"What! Count, you think to serve two masters?" cried Dassel, furiously.
"How can you be at the same time the friend and the enemy of the
Emperor?"
The Count admitted the dilemma, but no entreaties could change his
determination.
"It cannot be, my lord; I must no longer delay my return to Laon.
Farewell; present my homage to the Emperor."
He sprang into the saddle and rode towards the city.
"Ah! these falsehearted Frenchmen!" said the Chancellor; "but it is
well; our arms will teach them honor and conscience."
"That is my advice too," said the fighting Bishop Werner; "German
honesty, which more than once has been the dupe of its own rectitude,
is well known. Let us go to the camp at once, raise our standards, and
reap a new harvest of laurels in the heart of France."
The nobles returned to the Imperial camp, where they found their
sovereign surrounded by his princes and bishops. The startling
intelligence of the change in the French policy, and the movements of
the English King, amazed every one. A few, among whom were the fierce
Otho of Wittelsbach and the schismatical bishops of the Empire, were in
favor of crossing the frontier at once. But the Dukes of Austria,
Saxony, and Bavaria, and some others, who were secret partisans of
Alexander, took the matter with the greatest coolness.
Barbarossa remained calm in appearance, although the flash of his eyes
and the contraction of his features gave unmistakable evidence that he
with difficulty controlled his rage and disappointment. With a slight
inclination of the head to the assembly, he beckoned to Rinaldo and
left the tent, which had now become the scene of an animated
discussion.
Hastily divesting himself of the sumptuous costume with which he had
thought to dazzle the King of France and his great vassals, Barbarossa
seated himself before the Chancellor.
"The solution of the question can now only be arrived at in the field,"
said Dassel, with the insinuating manner of a serpent creeping on his
prey. "We must attack Louis before his troops are thoroughly organized.
You have been insulted, and every man, even to the meanest serf in our
army, feels the outrage done you by the King of France; let us profit
by the opportunity."
"If you had observed my faithful vassals, you would scarcely call the
present a good opportunity," replied Barbarossa. "Besides, I do not
wish to trust all to the fortune of war. We are not strong enough yet
to engage the united forces of France and England. But," he added, "is
the result of this ecclesiastical meeting very certain?"
"Certain!" said the Count. "We are sure of our own bishops, but not of
those of the King of Sweden. Some things cannot be accomplished by mere
brute force, and rather need skill and intelligence than threats of
violence."
"You are at your tricks again, and I am tired of them," said
Barbarossa. "The Danish prelates are only men; after all, self-interest
will guide them. Besides, Victor will be enjoined from the commencement
of the Council to abrogate all appeal to Rome or elsewhere. We shall
see how the Danes can get over this difficulty."
"All well enough in its way! that may intimidate some," answered
Dassel; "but in this way you lessen the Papal power, and increase that
of the bishops. What will the Emperor gain by the change?"
"What the Pope alone possesses now, will become the property of a
thousand different individuals, and I have always looked upon a divided
power as more easy of direction than when it is vested in one person."
"Your Majesty's observation is just and to the point," replied the wily
statesman.
After a lengthy interview, Rinaldo left the Emperor to take charge of
the preparations for the council. Louis breathed freely at the
announcement of the departure of the German army for Besancon.
Alexander had written to him of the intended campaign of the English
King against Frederic. At the same time he learned that Andrew of
Hungary was ready to march an army into Germany, as soon as the
Imperial troops crossed the French frontier. In the meanwhile, the
Emperor, accompanied by several of his princes, and by about fifty
Bishops and Archbishops, nearly all of whom were as yet unconsecrated,
had arrived at Besancon. King Waldemar of Denmark came to meet him
there, but he was attended by only one prelate, the Bishop Absalom of
Roskilde, for the northern sovereigns could not make up their minds to
attend a council which had been convened in defiance of the canonical
rules, and with the sole view of legalizing the acts of the
schismatical Frederic. The preliminaries against Alexander, the
recognition of Victor, and, as a natural consequence, the Imperial
supremacy, were rapidly and skilfully arranged.
As the Emperor was leaving his apartment, to proceed with great pomp to
the cathedral where the council was to be held, a letter with the seal
of the Abbey of Cluny was handed to him.
"From Cluny! Who brought this?" he asked.
"A strange horseman," said the chamberlain. Barbarossa hastily ran it
over, while Rinaldo examined his expression, with eager curiosity.
"Pshaw! it is scarcely worth talking about," said Frederic, laying the
letter aside; "at least, we have no time to meddle with it. Still if
you would like to know," he added, seeing Dassel's curiosity, "Count
Rechberg informs us that he is going on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
That is all; the young man could do nothing better in order to escape
the bonds in which a sage statesman would have tied him. Let us hope
that he will come back completely cured. My lord Chancellor, you may
give the signal for our departure now."
Under ordinary circumstances, it is probable that Barbarossa would not
have listened so calmly to his kinsman's resolve, but just then he was
busied in a matter of interest to all Christendom, and he could think
of nothing else.
A long and brilliant cavalcade of princes and prelates proceeded to the
Cathedral of Besancon, where the Emperor did not neglect the
opportunity of holding the Pope's stirrup. Victor received the
attention haughtily, as though it were in some way an offset to the
many humiliations which he had suffered. The bishops and princes took
their places in the centre of the nave. The presidency of the council
was assigned to Victor, with Frederic on the right hand, and Waldemar,
King of Denmark, on his left.
Barbarossa opened the proceedings by a recital of all the acts and
artifices of the French and English sovereigns. He also paraded his
efforts for the pacification of the Church and the suppression of
heresy, and his discourse convinced the audience of his moderation and
good intentions.
Victor followed with a long series of complaints against those whom he
called the enemies of the Church, and particularly against Alexander.
The substance of his discourse stated the numerous privileges which
would be accorded to the Bishops.
After him Rinaldo spoke, and in skilful words insisted upon the
legality of Victor's claims, while he endeavored to prove that the
present meeting was in reality a general council.
Finally, Barbarossa rose and besought the assembly in energetic terms,
to put an end to the schism, to banish Roland as an enemy of the
Church, and to proclaim Victor as the head thereof. A general confusion
commenced to prevail in the Cathedral. At this juncture Bishop Absalom
rose and made a signal to his sovereign.
"For the love of God, my dear brother," exclaimed Victor, "do not leave
at this most important moment."
"I am only here as an attendant on my sovereign," said Absalom, with
marked coolness. "As he is leaving the Cathedral, I must follow him."
The withdrawal of the King and his prelate caused additional confusion,
and a few other bishops, with whom the sentiment of honor was stronger
than the dread of the Emperor's anger, followed their example.
But the proceedings were in no way hindered by their absence. Alexander
was excommunicated, and Victor solemnly proclaimed Head of the Church,
and then, after the _Te Deum_, the assembly adjourned.
_CHAPTER XLIX_.
_HERMENGARDE'S CONSTANCY_.
Five years had passed since the Council of Besancon. The struggle
between the Pope and the Emperor still continued, but many things had
turned to Frederic's advantage. In times of discord and civil war, only
the most virtuous remain faithful to their honest convictions; the
others allow themselves to be influenced and directed by circumstances,
or intimidated by eventualities. In both cases, Frederic knew how to
act upon the passions; his violence frightened some, his generosity
gained others.
After the decease of Victor, who died as he had lived, an alien from
the Church, tormented by remorse and without receiving the Holy
Sacraments, the Chancellor Rinaldo immediately installed a new Pope,
Pascal III., and the choice was ratified by the Emperor. The schism had
again a chief, and Barbarossa used every effort to procure the
recognition of his claims.
The bishops were compelled to recite in a loud voice, on Sundays and
holydays, the prayer for Pope Pascal. The monks and other ecclesiastics
were ordered, within the space of six weeks, to swear fealty to Pascal,
and whoever failed in the performance of this pretended duty was
considered an enemy of the Emperor and punished as such.
Frederic even went further, and at the diet of Wuertzburg, in the year
1163, caused the adoption of the following resolutions. "The Emperor,
princes, and bishops refuse to acknowledge Roland, or any future
successor appointed by his faction; the Germans swear to elect no
Emperor, unless he pledges himself to consult the German policy in all
that concerns the Papacy. Any layman acting in opposition to this
decree, will lose his life and property; any ecclesiastic, in such
case, will be deprived of his benefice and dignities. All princes and
bishops will be held responsible for their subjects, to whom a similar
oath will be administered."
In this manner, the German Church was severed from the Roman--the only
Catholic Church,--since the German doctrines on the Papacy were
entirely opposed to the true teachings of Jesus Christ.
Frederic was on the eve of founding a Western Empire, similar to that
established in the East, of which he was to be installed the Supreme
Chief. Like Victor, Pascal was a mere tool, and the episcopacy declined
each day; for all its members were mere court prelates.
The death of Eberhard of Saxony deprived Alexander's party of a leader
in Southern Germany, and thus the mitred personages, without direction,
and enchained in golden fetters, became each day more careless of their
sacred ministry. They exchanged the pastoral crook for the sword, the
episcopal mitre for a casque, and their sacerdotal robes for the
corselet of the soldier. The lower clergy were little better than their
superiors; and the people, whose souls were intrusted to their care,
fell more and more into ignorance and degradation.
Still there were some few whose sanctity opposed, with energy, the
Emperor's designs. The Archbishop Conrad of Mayence, of the house of
Wittelsbach, and the Archbishop Conrad of Salzburg, uncle to the
Emperor, protested loudly against this usurpation. They were at once
declared enemies of the Empire, deprived of their bishoprics, and
forced to seek safety in Italy.
These brutal examples, however, produced the desired results; and the
orders of the powerful monarch were henceforward obeyed literally and
implicitly.
The position assumed by Henry of England towards Pope Alexander, also
favored Frederic's projects. The cruel and despotic English King ruled
his Church according to his own caprices. The cloisters and monasteries
were, in his opinion, mere places whence to draw supplies for his
material wants; and many of the bishoprics were left unoccupied, while
their revenues were appropriated to the royal treasury. The celebrated
St. Thomas a Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, resisted, with all his
energy, the tyranny of the sovereign; but at the royal instigation, he
was slain on the steps of the altar, and all friendly relations between
Alexander and Henry were suspended.
These circumstances came very opportunely to the aid of Frederic's
projects. Rinaldo was sent to London to contract an alliance with
England, and in order to cement it, a daughter of the King was
affianced to the son of Barbarossa, and Henry the Lion to another
princess of the royal family of England. Italy was quiet, although the
people chafed under the Imperial yoke, and were silently preparing for
revolt. The fire smouldered amid the ashes, but since the terrible
chastisement inflicted upon Milan, no city dared to raise the standard
of liberty.
In the year 1167, Barbarossa entered Italy with a numerous army and
marched towards Rome, from which he wished to expel Alexander, who had
returned to the city aided by King William of Naples. The Lombards had
hoped that Frederic's justice would alleviate their distress, and an
enormous crowd came with complaints against his Imperial agents. The
complaints were listened to, but the grievances were not often
redressed, and so soon as he was fairly on his way to Rome, the Lombard
confederation was formed. It was at first weak and secret, but still it
served as a happy presage and an encouragement to the oppressed
inhabitants.
Guido of Castellamare, faithful to his plighted word, remained at his
home and abstained from any hostile act.
Hermengarde was now nineteen years of age; she seldom left the solitary
castle in the valley, where, since her return from France, she had
lived like a recluse. Her only distraction was an occasional visit to
Genoa in search of news of Count Rechberg among the pilgrims returning
from the Holy Land. At first she was successful, for Erwin's name had
acquired a great reputation in Palestine. Many had seen and spoken to
the young hero, and all related his prodigies of valor. But during the
last two years the tidings had been extremely vague and unsatisfactory.
His deeds were still present to the memory of the pilgrims, but none
could speak positively of his fate, and Hermengarde's mind was tortured
with the most mournful apprehensions.--He must have fallen battling
against the infidels, she thought, as the tears coursed down her
cheeks.
But hope rarely abandons the human heart, and the sad girl trusted
always in God's mercy. Still each day her steps grew feebler and her
cheeks more pale, like a lamp which flashes feebly and then is
extinguished forever.
Formerly she frequented a little terrace whence she could overlook the
valley and the distant sea, and each sail that hove in sight she would
fancy was the one which was bringing home her betrothed husband. But at
last the terrace was deserted; for months Hermengarde had watched no
longer--she had lost all hope. Time cures every wound, Guido thought,
as he watched his daughter.
To judge from appearances, Bonello's prognostications were correct. The
girl became more calm, the journeys to Genoa less frequent, and
Rechberg's name rarely passed her lips. To please her father, she
sometimes visited a noble family of the neighborhood, but it was solely
through filial obedience, and the visits were rare and of short
duration. Still Bonello, assured that Erwin had shared the untimely
fate of many of the Crusaders, was thinking of proposing another
husband to his daughter, one who, if not so distinguished, was at least
worthy of her. Old age looks at matters under a different aspect from
youth. Experience had taught him the vanity of earthly aspirations, and
he considered everything with cool and calm deliberation, for he
thought it a matter urgent and important to secure for Hermengarde a
husband who would watch over her happiness after her father's death.
"I am old," he thought; "I may die at any time, and my daughter must
not be left defenceless and unprotected."
The idea had long been ripening in his mind, and his choice had fallen
upon the only son of this same family of Rapallo, which he had
occasionally visited with Hermengarde.
Heribert of Rapallo came regularly every week to Castellamare, where
his visits appeared to gratify the old man, although it frequently
happened that Hermengarde refused to see him. Bonello imagined that his
daughter had forgotten her betrothed, because she never mentioned his
name, and seldom went to Genoa or even to the terrace. But Heribert
felt assured that her calmness was the result of her religious
sentiments, and that Erwin's image was always present to her mind. He
was right; she no longer expected to meet her lover upon earth, but,
with resignation to God's will, trusted to be united to him in heaven.
Still he continued his visits, in the vague hope that some day she
would consent to be his bride.
"It is very strange! Rapallo has not been here for a week," said Guido,
one day after dinner. "I trust that no accident has happened."
"I was thinking of him also, father. To-day is Friday, and he had
promised to come on Tuesday. He may be ill."
The interest which Hermengarde appeared to take in his friend pleased
Bonello, who, after a short pause, continued,--
"Heribert is an accomplished gentleman--he is unassuming, noble, and
brave."
"He is an agreeable companion, and his piety is unquestionable,"
replied the young girl.
"I am glad your opinion of him is so favorable, dear Hermengarde."
"He has been here so often that I have been able to judge his character
thoroughly."
"Very good; but you ought to show yourself a little oftener when he
comes, for I am disposed to think that it is a good deal more on your
account than mine that he makes this long journey so regularly."
Guido smiled as he spoke. His daughter looked at him with such an
expression of ingenuous simplicity that it was evident she had not
penetrated his meaning. But the opportunity seemed favorable, and he
hastened to take advantage of it to speak of his cherished project.
"In fact," he said, "Rapallo suits me exactly. What think you,
Hermengarde?"
"I think, father, that you have excellent taste."
The old man was delighted; it seemed as if he was about to gain his
purpose more easily than he had dared to expect.
"You agree with me, then, my child? I am glad of it; for Heribert will
make an excellent husband, and I shall be most happy to call him my
son-in-law."