482 
GERMANY. 
was, liowever, engaged in feveral quarrels with the 
court of Rome ; and his life was foon terminated, either 
by ficknefs or the treachery of his enemies. He left 
one fon, named Conradin; but as he was only tlifee 
years of age, the Sicilian fceptre was nfurped by Main- 
froy prince of Tarentum ; and the government of the 
empire was vefted in William count of Holland, who 
had been defied king of the Romans during the reign 
of Frederic 11 .. 
William’s acceffion was marked by two fingular oc¬ 
currences, which expofed him to the mod imminent pe¬ 
ril ; for, loon after his marriage with the daughter of 
the duke of Brunfwic, his palace was confumed by fire ; 
and, during a temporary relidence at Utrecht, he was lb 
dangeroully wounded with a Hone from an unknown 
hand, that he narrowly efcaped inllant death. The co¬ 
ronation of this prince was performed at Aix-la-Cha- 
pelle, with the exprefs conTent of the pope : but he 
found himfelf involved in a troublefome war with 
Margaret countels of Hainault, and his partifans were, 
for I'ome time, unable to make any confiderable pro- 
grefs againll the noblemen who refufed to acknowledge 
his authority. At length, however, he concluded a 
treaty with Margaret; conciliated the aftettion of the 
German princes ; and acquired great popularity by pa- 
troniling an alfociation of towns for the defence of their 
commerce, which, in thole times of confulion, had luf- 
fered very feverely from the depredations and oppref- 
lions of feveral petty noblemen, who refided in llrong 
cafiles, and fublilled chiefly by rapine and plunder. 
This feerns to have been the true epoch of the general 
union among the Hans Towns ; though a fimilar treaty 
had longfubfi lied be tween Hamburg, Bremen, and Lubec. 
After a crulade againll the Rullians, and the founding 
of Konigfbeig by the Teutonic knights, William, in 
1256, undertook an expedition againll the Friezelanders, 
who had renounced their allegiance. But in attempt¬ 
ing to reconnoitre the burg of Hochwend, without any 
attendants, his horfe unfortunately funk into a moral's, 
and he became an eafy prey to the enemy, who killed 
him without knowing his rank, and afterwards buried 
his remains in a burgher’s houfe. Such was the fad 
catallrophe of a prince whole courage and accoinplilh- 
jnents deferved a better fate. 
Several afl'emblies were now convened for the purpofe 
of eleifting a new emperor; but none of the princes 
were willing to undertake lb weighty a charge. At 
length, however, Richard duke of Cornwall confented 
to accept the profl'ered dignity, and was folemnly 
crowmed at Aix-la-Chapelle, notwithllanding the fpi- 
rited oppofition of a party who declared for Alphonlo 
king of Callile. The new emperor had laviflied Inch 
inunenfe fums previoufly to his eleclion, that he found 
his treafures totally exhaulled whilll making a tour 
tlirough the cities of the empire ; and the princes, after 
avowing that they had chofen him merely on account 
ct his riches, lent him a formal renunciation of their 
allegiance. He was therefore compelled, in 1258, to 
abandon the government, and retire into England^ where 
he ended his life. 
For fifteen years after the abdication of this prince, 
Germany groaned beneath the accumulated evils which 
ufually attend an interregnum. No laws were obferved, 
no order w’as maintained; but murder, theft, and rapine, 
were committed wfith impunity, and the conllitutions of 
the eiT.pire were totally negleiled. Sanguinary wars 
refulted from the feuds of private noblemen ; bilhops 
and clergymen, forgetful of their facred charabler, em- 
brued their hands in blood, for the augmentation of 
their benefices ; commerce was almoll annihilated ; tra¬ 
velling was unfafe ; and anarchy was completely and 
univerfally prevalent. The princes, indeed, convoked 
feveral aifemblies : and Conradin, fon of Conrad IV. 
made fome gallant exertions to retrieve his inheritance ; 
but the raealu-res of the .former '.vere rendered abortive 
by the pbfllnacy of the .Roman pontiff; and the latter, 
being taken prifoner by Charles count of Anjou, as 
doomed to perifh on a fcaftold. The fubfeqiient exe¬ 
cution of Conrad prince of Antioch, terminated the 
illuftrious race of Swabia; and Germany continued 
without a mailer till pope Gregory X. enforced the ne- 
celTity of a fpeedy renewal of the fovereign authority, 
by the Tiomination and eledtioa of a nev/ emperor. 
From the ELECTION of RODOLPHUS I. Foun. 
DER OF THE AUSTRIAN DYNASTY, to the 
ABDICATION of CHAPvLES V- 
In compliance with the iiijuntlions of the pope, the 
princes of the empire aifembled, in diet, at Frankfort, 
A. D. 1273; and, notwithllanding the remonllrance of 
Alphonlb’s ambalTador, and the pretenlions of fome 
other candidates to the imperial crown, they elected 
Rodolphus count Hapllnirg, on account of his known 
prudence, and the brilliant reputation which he had 
acquired by his bravery on feveral iinportant occafions. 
On receiving information of this event, Rodolphus 
hallened to Frankfort, whence he was conducled to 
Aix-la-Chapelle, in order to be invelled with the impe¬ 
rial crown: but when all things were prepared for the 
egremony, it was dil'covered that the fcepire was want¬ 
ing, without which the princes could not receive the in- 
velliture of their refpeClive fiefs. This circumllance 
occafioned much confulion, and the princes fcnipled to 
take the accullomed oaths in an irregular manner : but 
the emperor immediately took a crucifix from the altai*, 
laying, “This is the reprefentation of Him by whom 
we were laved; let us nfe it inltead of a fceptre.”' 
They agreed to this expedient, and the Iblemnity was 
performed accordingly. 
The firll care of Rodolphus was to put a Hop to thofe 
a£ls of cruelty and depredation which had fo long dif- 
graced the police of Germany, and lie exerted himfelf 
with fuch vigilance upon this occafion, that lixty caf- 
tles which had ferved as retreats to banditti, were de- 
inolilhed ; ninety-nine marauders were executed, at one 
time, in the city of Erfurt; and peace and fecurity 
were feafonably re-ellablillied. He then obtained a 
confirmation of his dignity from the pope, after pro- 
miling to defend the holy lee againll all its enemies ; 
and Alphonlo of Callile was perfuaded to renounce his 
pretenlions to the. empire. 
Rodolphus maintained his interefts with the popes, 
by a truly dextrous policy. At an interview with Gre¬ 
gory X. he promil'ed to lead an army into Paleftine ; 
and, at tlie defire of Nicholas III. his ambafi'adors re¬ 
newed his promife, in full conlillory, at Rome ; but he 
wifely contrived to difpenl'e with thefe engagements ; 
and his chancellor was empowered to treat with feveral 
of the Italian cities refpecling their enfranchifements, 
as he preferred the receipt of their money to the altez'- 
riative of making war upon them. He had been fre¬ 
quently requelled to vilit Rome, and to receive the im¬ 
perial crowTi from the hands of his holinefs; but he al¬ 
ways declined the journey, and (alluding to the fable 
of the fick lion) replied, that many of his predecelTors 
had gone to Italy, but that he had obferved few of 
them to return without the lofs either of their rights or 
authority. 
After Rodolphus had fw’ayed the imperial fceotre 
about eighteen years, he convoked a diet at Frankfort, 
and requelled that tlie empire might be fecured to his 
fon Albert duke of Aullria, by creating him king of the 
Romans: but the princes excufed themfelves from 
complying with this propofal; and Rodolphus retired 
in dil'gull to Gemerlhei^, where he died, after a fhor'c 
illnefs, in the feventy-third year of his. age, This 
prince was juHly renowned for his valour, fagacity, and 
love of jullice; and by his foie condudl and courage, 
the eifipire was extricated from rapine and mifery, and 
rellored to the enjoyment of peace and opulence. 
■Rodolphus 
