FREDERICK BARBAROSSA 69 forgot their former insolence, and only required, in return for his clemency, a renewal of the oath of fealty and their promise to rebuild the town of Lodi. To put an end to these ever-recurring disputes Frederick called together a diet at Roncaglia, to which each of the Italian towns was commanded to send its representative ; the four most learned jurists from the university of Bologna being also requested to attend, for the purpose of drawing up a document which should conclusively define the relations between himself, as head of the empire, and the vassals and imperial cities of Italy. But when the learned quartet had heard all the points of dispute, and were in possession of the facts, their decision gave such almost limitless power to Frederick that several of the towns, and more especially Milan, refused to abide by it and prepared for further resistance. Frederick had not been idle all the time these schisms were raging ; on the contrary, he had made a third expedition to Italy, from which he had been com- pelled to return, leaving the flower of his army lying dead, stricken down with, pestilence. The next six years were spent in settling various disputes and com- plications which had arisen in Germany during his absence ; in causing his son Henry, a child of only five years of age, to be crowned at Aix-la-Chapelle ; and in keeping some sort of check on his vassal, Henry the Lion, who, now that he had increased his power by a marriage with Matilda, daughter of Henry II. of England, was no unimportant person in the empire, and moreover one extremely liable to become sulky and unmanageable if he had a chance, or the smallest grievance to complain of. The news now spread through Europe of the reconquest of Jerusalem by Saladin. These tidings effaced every other thought ; the new Pope, Urban, for- got the thunders of the Church which he had been keeping, like a second sword of Damocles, suspended over Frederick's head ; the emperor buried his resent- ment ; a general peace was concluded, and Barbarossa, then in his seventieth year, gave the regency of his dominions to his son Henry, and joyfully taking up the cross accompanied by his son Frederick, the flower of German chivalry, and an army of 100,000 men marched by way of Vienna to Presburg, and thence through Hungary, Servia, and Roumelia. Isaac Angelus, the Greek emperor, who had promised to furnish the German troops with provisions and assist Frederick in all ways, with the proverbial du- plicity of his nation, broke his word, harassed him on his march, and threw Count von Diez, his ambassador, into prison ; which treachery greatly incensed the emperor, and caused him to give permission to his soldiers to plunder ; the results being that the country soon bore sad traces of their passage, and that the two important towns of Manioava and Philippopolis were completely destroyed. This reduced Isaac, professedly, to a state of contrition ; and when Barbarossa advanced toward Constantinople, the Greek emperor, anxious to conciliate him, placed his entire fleet at his disposal for the transport of the German army. Scarcely had they entered Asia Minor before Isaac's good resolutions aban- doned him, and leaguing himself with another faithless ally of Frederick, the Sultan of Iconium, they beset the German troops, and did everything they possi-
