Crown'd him, on condition that he should renounce all Right to the Patrimony of St. Peter, which comprehended the Poffeffions of the Countess Matilda of Eftè, and moreover take an Oath to be Obedient to the Holy See. These Conditions, tho' hard, he feem'd eafily to consent to; nevertheless, not long after, he fhew'd that this and his former Condefcenfion to the Clergy of Germany, had been only the bet ter to gain his ends.

Recovers

In a fhort time Fortune prefented him favourable Occafion to declare himfelf; his former which was this: His Army being encamp- Right. ed under the City Walls, fome or other of the Soldiers would ftill be going in at the Gates to fee the City, which the Citizens difliking, they quarrell'd with them, and at length carry'd it to that height, that they left 1000 Imperialifts dead on the fpot, with confiderable Lofs on their own Side. The Emperor complain'd of this to the Pope, and demanded Satisfaction of him; but tho' he could get none, yet did he think fit to diffemble his Refentments for a while. He feem'd therefore very well fatisfy'd with the Pope, and a few Days after left Rome, pretending to go for Gen many; but he was no fooner come into Lombardy, than he went straight for Milan, and put his Army into Winter Quarters thereabouts. Spring being come, he took the Field with a full Refolution ro re-eftablish his Authority in the feveral Countries of Puglia, Ancona and Spoleto, which had been ufurp'd from him. Fortune favoured

C 4

12190

Is excom

voured his Arms, infomuch, that after feveral Victories he recover'd the Poffeffion of all that had been wrefted from the Empire by the See of Rome.

Pope Innocent not having been able to municated, make the Emperor defift from his Proceedand a new ings by fair Means, he was fo exceedingly Emperor incens'd againft him, that he excommunichofen.

Declares

War a

cated him; and thereupon order'd Sigefrid, Archbishop of Mentz, to fee his Bull publifh'd throughout all Germany. This Prelate, as well to gratifie his own private Refentments, as to obey the Commands of the Pope, forthwith declar'd the Emperor ex-. communicated, discharging all his Subjects from their Allegiance to him; and moreover, to compleat his Revenge, convok'd a Diet at Bamberg, where feveral Princes being prefent, they elected Frederick, Duke of Swabia, and King of Naples and Sicily, Emperor, and prefently after gave Notice thereof, both to the Pope and to him.

This fudden Revolution oblig'd Otho to leave Italy and return with great Expedigainst thofe tion into Germany; where being arriv'd, he Electors. call'd a Diet at Nuremberg, in which the JuJ212. ftice of the Emperor's Proceedings in Italy

having been maturely confider'd, both the Princes and States unanimously exhorted him to declare War against thofe Perfons, that out of too great Complacency to the Pope, had proceeded againft all manner of Reafon, to the Election of a new Emperor. Otho herewith encourag'd, depriv'd the King of Bohemia, who was one of his Enemies, of his Kingdom, and gave it to his

Son,

Son, who was come to complain to the Diet, that his Father had disinherited him, had been divorc'd from his Mother, and was marry'd again to the Daughter of the King of Hungary. The Emperor at the fame time declar'd War against Harman, Marquefs of Thuringen, having first had him profcrib'd throughout the Empire, and not long after fent Orders to Henry Count Palatine, and fome other Princes, to attack the Archbishop of Meniz on their fides, which quickly oblig'd that Prelate to forfake his own Country, and retire to a Neighbouring Court.

1212.

After this fuccessful Beginning, Otho did Is beaten not doubt but he fhould foon re-establish by the King himself. The better to bring this about, of France. he thought it proper to weaken his Enemies Allies. He believ'd he had a juft pretence to quarrel with Philip King of France, on the old Account of the Wager, and which he had a fair Opportunity to do, fince that Prince was then engag'd in a War with the King of England his Uncle. He join'd his Forces therefore with the English, and drew all the Confederates he could into that Expedition, infomuch that the Confederate Army confifted of near 200000 Men. Philip nevertheless entirely routed them in the famous Plains of Bo- 1213. vines; and Otho had much ado to escape with his Life.

After this Defeat Otho would fain have Routed as return'd into Germany; but young Frederick gain by the having been univerfally received there, Jame and he perceiving that the Princes of the

Empire

Princes

1214.

Empire had forfook him, refolv'd to get what Troops he could, and try his Fortune once more with Philip. For this purpose he went into the Neighbouring Countries of the Empire, where he thought he had fome Friends left, and having got a confi derable Force, joyn'd with the Enemies of France, and offer'd Battle once again to Philip near Tournay. This Fight is faid to have been fo obftinate and bloody, that the French King was difmounted by Otho, and like to have loft his Life by him; nevertheless being refcu'd, and afterwards greatly encouraging his Men, he again got the Victory. Otho's Grand Standard, being a Dragon with an Imperial Eagle over it, and the Chariot which bore it, were broke all in Pieces.

Otho finding himself thus unfortunate, and having narrowly escaped out of the Battle, went to Brunswick, where he remain'd for four Years afterwards, without attempting at any time to revenge himself, and dy'd in the Year 1218. at Hartzburg, having been Emperor about fix Years. Having fhew'd great Signs of Contrition and Penitence before his Death, especially for his Rebellion against the Church, as they call'd it, the Bishop of Hildefbeim gave him abfolution, which was afterwards confirm'd by Pope Honorius; and fo he departed this Life in Peace, after a fatiguing Reign and much Trouble. The Emperor made his Will fome time before he dy'd, which because 'tis a Piece of Antiquity, and contains fome things that are fingular

I have given a Copy of it in the Appendix. Numb. II. with fome Hiftorical Matter out of Meibomius, that could not timely enough be digefted in his Life. However, 'tis requifite, that I fhould take Notice in this Place, that this is that Otho who was the first Earl of York, (for the Title of Duke Otho fr was not then in Ufe in England,) and after-Earl of wards Earl of Poitiers by the Gift of King York. Richard I.

The Emperor Otho departing this Life William. without any Children, his Brother William, 1218. firnam'd Longfword, or of Winchester, his Birth Place, his Father and Mother being then Exiles in England, continued the Line. He marry'd Helena, Daughter to Voldemar King of Denmark, and from this Match came our prefent King. One Author fays, that the King of England their Uncle gave him and his Brother Otho Hostages to the King of France for a large Sum of Money, which he engag'd to pay for their Liberty. I find another ancient Writer relates, that this Prince return'd home out of Hungary, where he had been detain❜d long for a Sum of Money, in 1205; after which he won the City of Staden, wherein Bishop Hardwick was taken Prifoner; fo he did alfo Bremen, and Count Bernard vander Wolfs was taken in it. But thefe Exploits he could not accomplish without the Affiftance of his Brother. In the Divifion of their Paternal Eftate between them, Lunenburg fell to William's Share, as Brunswick did to the Emperor Otho, and Cell and Staden to the Paltzgrave Henry.

William