FREDERICK I., Emperor of Germany, surnamed BARBAROSSA, was born in 1121, and succeeded his uncle Conrad III. on the imperial throne in 1152. Though Conrad was not deficient, either in warlike spirit or in talents, an unhappy concurrence of circumstances had prevented him from regulating, as might have been wished, all the domestic and foreign concerns of the empire. So many imports.it affairs, both in church and state, demanded immediate attention, so many difficulties were to be overcome, that it required a man of no common energy to accomplish such a task ; and of this Conrad him self was so sensible, that he did not recommend to the princes of the empira his young son Frederick, but his nephew Frederick, son of Frederick duke of Suable, by Judith daughter of Henry duke of Bavaria. who had already given proofs of his personal courage. Accordingly on tho 17th day after the death of Conrad, Frederick was unanimously chosen his successor by the temporal and ecclesias tical princes assembled at Frankfurt, and crowned at Aix-la-Chapelle five days after. In the second year of his reign, Frederick settled the dispute between Canute and Sueuo, competitors for the Danish crown, in favour of Sueno, whom he however compelled to do him homage as his vassal. But his chief attention was directed to Italy. Com plaints were made by the Apulians against Roger king of Sicily ; and some citizens of Lodi also came, and represented in strong colours the tyrannical conduct of the Milanese. Frederick sent an envoy with a letter, enjoining the Milanese to refrain from such proceedings, but they tore his letter to pieces, and hle envoy saved his life by timely flight. This and other important considerations called him to Italy in 1155, where he held an assembly in the plain of Roncaglia, to receive the homage of most of tho great Italian lords and principal cities. In this, his first expedition into Italy, he in some measure humbled the Milanese, but not choosing to attack their city took the road to Turin, received on the way the submission of many cities, and in particular inflicted severe chastisement on Asti. Having taken Tortona, after e; two months' siege, he allowed the inhabitants to retire, but gave the place up to plunder, after which it was entirely burnt and destroyed. After being crowned king of Italy at Pavia, he advanced rapidly towards Rome, where Adriau IV. had just suc ceeded Pope A-pasta/due. The city having been excited by Arnold of Brescia to dispute the authority of the pope, Adrian, who was a man of great resolution, excommunicated Arnold and his partisans, also were in consequence expelled by the Roman senate, and Arnold being enbsegnently taken prisoner, was by the emperor delivered up to the pope, who caused him to be burnt alive. Having hail
an Interview with the lope, at which Ile coils:luta" to hold hie holiucai? stirrup, and having reestablished his authority at Rouse, and received the imperial crown from his hands, Frederick set out on his return to Germany. His first care was to restore the peace of the empire, which was disturbed by a dispute between the Archbishop of Mentz, and the Count Palatine of the Rhine; he likewise ended, to the satisfaction of all parties, a most important question respecting the duchy of Bavaria. Ile bad resolved to divorce his consort Adelaide, because she had no children; but this not being a sufficient ground for a divorce, the plea of consanguinity was set up, and a sentence of divorce was pronounced by Cardinal Joseph Orsini and several prelates. Frederick then proposed to marry a Greek princess, but this neeociation failing, he married in 1156 Beatrice, heiress of Burgundy, by which alliance he annexed that rich kingdom to his domioiona. Frederick soon afterwards compelled Bolealsu? duke of Poland to acknowledge himself a vassal of the empire, and in the first six years of his reign restored the empire to the same power and extent of dominion which It had under Henry IIL The affairs of Germany being settled, Frederick found it necessary again to go to Italy, where the Milanese cruelly oppressed the towns which would not submit to their orders. In 1158, Frederick with an army of 300,000 infantry and 15,000 cavalry laid siege to Milan, and the inhabitants, notwithstanding some previous successes, were reduced, after an obstinate resistance, to offer submission, which was accepted. But they again rebelled, and Frederick resolved to make au example of this haughty city, which was closely invested and com pelled to surrender at discretion. Frederick's. decision was that "Milan should be a desert; that all the inhabitants should leave the city in a week, and settle in four villages, ten miles distant from each other." It has been often asserted that the city was razed to the ground, with the exception of the churches: but this seems to be an exaggeration. The city was not plundered; the order or permission for the work of destruction extended only to the fortifications, and even of these a considerable part wee left standing. But the power of Milan was broken. Its fall entirely discouraged the other cities. Brescia and Piacenza were obliged to demolish their walla; and the other cities which had joined in the insurrection were deprived of their rights and privileges.