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army. On his return home, finding that a civil war 

 had arisen, he was compelled to remain in Germany 

 for two years, and thus allow the Lombard cities time 

 to prepare for a vigorous resistance. In the mean 

 time, the antipope Victor died, and his party appointed 

 as hi. successor Pascal IK. who, being acknowledged 

 by none of the European princes, began to be despis- 

 ed even by his own adherents in Rome. The friends 

 oi Alexander in Rome, took advantage of this to pro- 

 pose his return ; and it was at Itn^th determined in 

 nate, to invite him to Ir-uc France, and take up 

 bis residence among them. He was accordingly recei- 

 ved with great joy, notwithstanding the opposition of 

 the emperor's lieutenant, Christian, archbishop of 

 Menu, whose attempts against Rome were frustrated 

 by the troops of William, king of Naples. This prince 

 died soon after, leaving a son in his minority, after- 

 wards called William the Good. In the end of this 

 year, the emperor again crossed the Alps, and, with- 

 out taking any decisive step against the Veronese, 

 inarched into the south of Italy. The confederates, 

 however, lot no time in preparing for defence. Hav- 

 ing called a general council at Puntido, near Milan, 

 they were joined by the deputies from Cremona, Ber- 

 gamo, Brescia, Mantua, and Ferrari; a general plan 

 of resistance was organized, and an oath agreed on, to 

 be taken by all the member* of the confederation, which 

 now assumed the title of the league of Lmbardy. 

 Their first measure was to rebuild the w.illi of Milan : 

 for which purpose, each city of the League sent a large 

 body of men, and so eager were the Milanese to secure 

 their independence, that, till the fortifications were 

 completed, no attempt was made to repair their ruined 

 habitations. The city of Lodi was forced into the 

 confederacy, which wa soon after joined by Placentia, 

 Parma, Modena. and Bologna, and now consisted of 

 fifteen of the principal cities in Italy. Frederic having 

 in vain assaulted Anoxia, which wa garrisoned by the 

 troops of the Grecian emperor, Minuel Comncnus, pro- 

 ceeded to besiege Rome, which soon yielded to him ; 

 and the pope was obliged to retire for safety to Bene- 

 vento. in the mean time, the German troops were 

 attacked by the pestilential fever of the " Man-mint-, '' 

 which, in (ess than two months, carried off all the prin 

 cipal officers, more than 3000 gentlemen, and a propor- 

 tionate number of common soldiers. Such was the 

 weakness of the German army after this loss, thai Fre- 

 deric, finding himself unable to make any attack on the 

 Lomlwrds, privately recruased the Alp*. On his de- 

 parture, all those states whom the terror of his arms 

 bad formerly kept back, hastened to join the League, 

 which now comi.oted of all Lombvdy, except the city 

 of Pavia, and William, Marques* of Montferrat. To 

 prevent any junction between these allies, the League 

 determined to build a city between them, and having 

 fixed on a spot at the confluence of the river* Tanaco 

 and Bormida, whose situation rendered it almost im- 

 pregnable, the whole armies of the League laboured at 

 the work with such assiduity, that, in a few months, 

 the walls, and a competent number of houses, were 

 finished, and the inhabitants of five neighbouring vil. 

 lage* transported to it, and authorised to constitute a 

 free and republican government. This city, destined 

 to be a monument of their alliance, and of their seal 

 for liberty and the church, was named Alexandria, af- 

 ter the pope, the head of the League ; and so rapid 

 Was the increase of its population, that in the course of 

 one year .after ilt foundation, the inhabitants of Alex- 



Historr. 



aiulria were able to send to the field a body of 15,000 



armed troops. ~"f~~ 



In the mean time, the emperor attempted, by all the Frederic 



means in his power, to throw the seeds of disunion ei.ileavou 



among the confederates ; sometimes endeavouring to ' lllsuml 



... -it i ! -i ihcconlcuii- 



treat with the pope, with the king of isicily, or with ratcs 



the cities singly; but without effect. He then sent the A.I)'. 11TI. 

 archbishop of Mentz, with a considerable body of 

 troops, into Tuscany ; who, taking advantage of the 

 war between Pisa, and its allies the Florentines, with 

 the Genoese, for the sovereignty of Sardinia, pretend- 

 ed to observe a neutrality, and was chosen arbiter by 

 the contending parties. No sooner, however, had the 

 magistrates of Pisa and Florence appeared at the place 

 appointed, than the archbishop, irritated at their having 

 concluded an alliance with the Grecian emperor, order- 

 ed them to be thrown into a dungeon. Putting him- A. D. 1173. 

 self, then, at the head of the armies of Sienna, Pistoia, 

 and Lucca, with the nobility of Tuscany, Umbria, and 

 Romagna, he proceeded to invade the Florentine terri- 

 tory. But the Pisans having succeeded in making a 

 diversion by attacking Lucca, Christian was twice de- 

 feated, and obliged to give up his designs against Flo- 

 rence. He now, notwithstanding, had contrived to col- 

 lect a considerable army, with which, early in the fol- Frederic be- 

 lowing year, he began to lay siege against Ancona. In ile 8" 

 this, he was assisted by the fleet of the Venetians, who "*" D 

 were jealous of the inhabitants of that city becoming 

 their rivals in the commerce of the Levant. The situation 

 of Ancona is naturally strong ; and the attempts to as. 

 sault it by land or sea, were unavailable. The wooden 

 towers of the archbishop were burnt by the citizens, 

 K-.l mi by a courageous and patriotic female; and of 

 the Venetian squadron, seven vessels were destroyed 

 and stranded, by divers cutting, their cables under wa 

 ter, during a violent gale. The town, however, con- 

 tained 12,000 inhabitants; and the preceding harvest 

 having been bad, and all supplies completely cut of)', it 

 soon began to suffer all the miseries of famine. An of- 

 fer to capitulate being refused by the archbishop, they 

 still continued, with unparalleled fortitude, their resist- 

 ance, although their remaining stock of provisions con- 

 sisted only of 15 sacks of corn, and one dozen of eggs; 

 and the poorer part of the inhabitants were reduced to 

 feed on the most nauseous and unwholesome substan- 

 ces. At length, the Guelph nobles of Ferrara contri- 

 ved, by an ingenious stratagem, to raise the siege. 

 Having collected a few hundred cavalry, they contrived 

 to pas* through the imperial rear-guard ; and, led on 

 by William Marcheselli, who commanded the vassals of 

 the ( ountess Bertinoro, the zealous friend of Ancona, 

 they encamped on the top of the mountain of Falcog- 

 nara. At midnight, each horseman fastening several 

 torches to the end of his lance-, the whole body pro- 

 ceeded down the mountain, in line, to attack the impe- 

 rial camp. Christian, alarmed by the formidable ap- 

 pearance, gave orders to retreat; and the provisions 

 of his camp were carried to the famishing inhabitant* 

 of Ancona by the Ferrarese troops. The retreat of the 

 archbishop was followed, next day, by the departure of 

 the Venetian fleet. It i* satisfactory to add, that the 

 conduct of Marcheselli waa magnificently rewarded by 

 the eastern emperor. 



In the end of the year, Frederic again entered Italy Frederic 

 by the way of Mount Cenis. Having accepted the sur. bcegr 

 render of Asti, whose citizens were alarmed at the Alea*ailrJa. 

 strength of his army, i.e sat duwn before Alexandria, 

 which, after some ineffectual attempts to storm, he de 



