Having heard the complaint of Pavia and its allies against the Milanese, he ordered the contending parties to cease their hostilities, and await his decision at Novara, whither he commanded the Milanese consuls to conduct him. The route by which he marched had however been already laid waste in the war between Milan and Pavia, and Frederic, enraged at not finding the necessary sup plies for his army, dismissed the consuls, and began to lay waste the Milanese territory. The citizens of that repub lic having in vain attempted to appease his wrath by the offer of a tribute, proceeded to repair their fortifications, and put them in a posture of defence, sending at the same time embassies to solicit earnestly the assistance of their ancient allies. In the mean time, Frederic put in execu tion his threat against Chieri and Asti ; which, being de serted by the inhabitants on his approach, were pillaged and burnt by his soldiery. The city of Tortona having refused to renounce its league with Milan, was put under the ban of the empire ; and, after sustaining a siege of two months with the greatest valour and fortitude, its citizens were obliged to capitulate, on the condition of evacuating the town immediately, being allowed to take away only what they could carry on their shoulders. The fate of Tortona only filled the Milanese with admiration for its brave de fenders, and animated them to resistance. Frederic hav ing been crowned king of Italy at Pavia, now proceeded to Rome, in order to receive from the pope the imperial diadem. Before approaching that city, he was met by three cardinals, sent by Pope Adrian IV. requesting his as aistance in subduing the Romans. To show his willing ness to comply with the pope's desires, Frederic, having got possession of the person of Arnold of Brescia, deliver ed him up to Adrian, by whom he was cruelly put to death. To the deputies of the senate Frederic paid no attention, nor did he enter the city but on the day of coronation ; and even on that day, there was a skirmish of some conse quence between his soldiers and the citizens. The em peror next marched into the duchy of Spoleto; and the inhabitants of the city of that name having had the mis fortune to excite his indignation, the town was given up to pillage. Frederic next proposed to enter Apulia, where Robert of Capua had succeeded in raising an insurrection in his favour against William the Bad, son of Roger ; but his troops were impatient to return home, and their ranks were already thinned by fatigue and disease. He was, therefore, obliged to disband his army at Ancona, and return to Germany. The unfortunate prince of Capua was betrayed by one of his adherents into the hands of William, who put out his eyes ; and he shortly afterwards died in prison at Palermo. Scarcely had the army of Fre deric quitted Italy, when the Milanese proceeded to rebuild the walls of Tortona at the public expence ; and so gene ral was the desire to testify their gratitude to allies who had suffered on their behalf, that for three weeks half of the citizens of Milan, of every rank and profession, was employed either in personally labouring at the houses and fortifications of Tortona, or in repelling the assaults of the Pavisans, who took every opportunity of interrupting the work.
Not content with re-establishing Tortona, the Milanese turned their arms against the allies of the emperor, and were successful. Pavia was forced to accept of a dis honourable peace, the Marquess of Montferrat defeated, and the inhabitants of Lodi again reduced to submission.
The example of Milan was imitated by her allies, and all Lombardy appeared in hostilities against Frederic. The pope, too, alarmed by the success of William, had grant ed- him the kingdom of Sicily and Naples ; and in his letters to the emperor, had assumed a degree of haughti ness, which offended him so much, that he ordered the legates to depart from Germany. Perceiving the necessity
of returning to Italy, he convoked a meeting of the princes of the empire with their vassals, at Ulm, for the express purpose of punishing the defection of the Milanese. The army, which now entered Italy, was still greater and better organized than the former one. After having obliged the Brescians to atone for their short opposition to his arms by a heavy fine, Frederic summoned a sort of diet in his camp, where some military regulations were enacted, and the deputies from Milan were heard in their defence. Their proffered tribute, and excuses for their conduct, however, were not accepted ; the diet declared Milan under the ban of the empire ; and the army was ordered to prepare for the siege of that city.
I laving- accepted of the Submission of most of the Ita lian nobility, and of the smaller towns, Frederic proceeded to lay waste the Milanese territory ; and having raised entrenchments round the city, attempted to reduce it by famine. The distress occasioned by this measure, soon induced the majority of the people to listen to the advice of the Count de Bland•ata, to submit to the emperor. A treaty was accordingly concluded, by which Frederic en gaged to evacuate the Milanese territory, and that of their allies of 'Pomona and Crema, on condition of their restor ing their liberty to the towns of Como and Lodi, and re nouncing the other sovereign rights they had assumed ; and besides building the emperor a palace, it was stipu lated, that a considerable annual tribute should be paid 19 him.
Soon after concluding this treaty, a general diet of the kingdom of Italy was neld at Roncaglia. Its resolutions evidently mark the terror which the success of the Ger man army had inspired. The ancient feudal prerogatives of the emperor were acknowledged, and his exactions sub mitted to ; and the right of appointing consuls and judges declared to reside in his person. A new measure was also approved of, which, in its consequences, proved most fatal to the liberties of the Italian cities. This was the appoint ment of a new magistrate in each town for the administra tion of justice, who was styled a podesta. The right of nomination was vested in the emperor ; but it was enacted, that the podesta should in no case be a native of the city over which he presided. Another enactment, no less in imical to the privileges of the cities, was that which de prived them, together with the independent nobles, of the right of making war and peace, which they had so long enjoyed. Having inquired, also, into the cause of the dis pute between Cremona and Placentia, Frederic decided against the latter, which was allied to Milan, and command ed its fortifications to be demolished. Encouraged by the general obedience of the diet, Barbarossa did not deem it necessary to adhere to his agreement with the Milanese, and not only seized on part of their territory, but ordered the fortifications of Crema, their ally, to be destroyed. The indignation of the people, already excited by these insults, at length burst into open insurrection, on the attempt to substitute the podesta for the consuls ; and the inhabitants of itlilat3 and Crema once more set the emperor at defi ance.
Frederic having again laid waste the Milanese territorv, proceeded to lay siege to Crema, whose hostages he caused to be executed in sight of the walls. The citizens, how ever, undismayed, continued for six months to defend them selves with persevering valour, till at length worn out with famine, they were forced to surrender, and leave their city, which was razed to the ground.