Retrospect of French Literature—Hisiory. 
the two heroes of their age, would have 
overturned the empire of the east, but 
for the courage of Alexis,.who was sup- 
ported by all the power of the Venetians. 
Those redoubtable Normans, whose ex- 
ploits at that period, obtained the adii- 
ration of the whole world, were neverthe- 
less exposed to the machinations of the 
treacherous inhabitants of Apulia, who 
meditated a general massacre, during 
which, two of their princes were slain, 
“ The first Duke of Apulia, who as- 
sumed the title of king in 1130, was 
called Roger II. He carried on war, 
both in Africa and the East. At length 
the immense riches, which the Normans 
had collected during their expeditions, 
began to corrupt their morals. The in- 
dolence, the mean conduct, and the cru- 
elty of William the Bad, son of Roger, 
occasioned, the most atrocious scenes ; 
unworthy favourites made the people 
groan under the burden of imposts, and 
Naples became a prey to horrors, no less 
execrable than those formerly perpetra- 
ted by Nero, and Caligula; but under 
the reigns of William If. and of Tancred, 
the two kingdoms of Naples and Sicily, 
began to experience something like tran- 
quillity ; the former by the goodness of 
his heart, and the mildness of his man- 
ners»; the latter by his clemency and his 
éminent qualities, merited the esteem 
and the attachment of their subjects. 
“ At length this valorous race of adven- 
turers, was humbled and overwhelined 
by a variety of ills. The sceptre dropped 
out of the feeble hands of the youthful 
William IIL. into those of the Emperor 
Henry VI. the exterminator of all the 
Roman princes ; a crowned ruttian, who 
by his multiplied assassinations but too 
well merited the appellation of the Nero 
ef Sicily. Like another Cambyses, ex- 
tending his vengeance to the dead princes 
of the dethroned dynasty, he caused the 
bodies of William IL, and of Ruger, his 
son, to be dragged from their graves, and 
the crowns which had been placed on 
their tombs, to be nailed on the heads 
of two of the nobles attached to their 
house. 
“ Tleaven at !ength punished so many 
crimes, in the descendants of this mon- 
ster. Notwithstanding the virtues of 
Frederic, who founded the University of 
Salerno, made the sciences flourish, and 
eultivated them himself with so much 
success, the innocent Conradin, while 
scarcely a man, became the expiatory 
victim. Mainfred despoiled him of the 
crown, and this barbarous guardian him- 
641 
self, in his turn, fell under the poniards 
of the assassins protected by Charles of 
Anjou, who in less than three months, 
beheld himself in possession of the Two 
Sicilies, Notwithstanding this, Conra- 
din, accompanied by his cousin Frederic 
of Austria, recovered the patrimony of 
his forefathers, by means of arms. 
“ Every thing at first yielded to his cou- 
rageous exploits; but at length vanquished 
while reposing in the bosom of victory, in 
consequence of a fatal mistake, he was 
forced to resign himself to tie mercy of 
his most implacable enemies. All Eu- 
rope shed tears of pity on this occasion, 
and shuddered at the recital of the ca- 
tastrophe which terminated the life of 
Conradin, At the voice of ambition, 
both he and Frederic were immolated on 
a scaffuld, in Naples, and the brother of 
Saint Louis was the first to exhibit the 
terrible example, of cutting off a crowned 
head, with the axe of an executi- 
oner. Before he received the fatal blow, 
Conradin, who tenderly loved his mother 
Elizabeth, exclaimed in an agony of 
grief: 
“ Ah! my dear and worthy mother, 
what sorrows will you not experience in 
consequence of my death ! 
“ Many acts of refined barbarity pre- 
ceded this tragedy. In the presence of 
the still living prinees, were recited the 
prayers usually read for the dead, and ~ 
their funeral was celebrated before their 
own faces, a circumstance, which doubt- 
less inspired Charles V. after his abdi- 
cation, with the desire of celebrating his 
own within the precincts of his convent. 
Thus became extinct, after being struck 
with the thunders of the Vatican in the 
shape of excommunication, one of the 
most illustrieus and unfortunate houses, 
that had ever wielded a sceptre. 
“ The merciless Charles, however, al- 
though able to conquer, was not capable 
of reigning. This imprudent monarch, 
permitted his countrymen to indulge all 
their passioas, notwithstanding the re- 
monstrances of the Popes, who foresaw 
a revolution in his states, and already an- 
ticipated that destructive conflagration, 
which was concealed beneath the de- 
lusive appearance of a perfidious tran- 
quillity. John de Procida, at once ac- 
tive, discreet, eloquent, supple, haughty, 
being piqued at seeing himself neglected 
by the conqueror, went abroad, in order, 
to raise up enemies against him, in Are 
ragon, as well as at Constantinople ; and 
received large supplies of money, for that 
very purpose, frum the Greek emperorse 
All 
