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 Recalcitrant Princes and Great Schism 267 he would be too strong for the pope. And the German clergy were to be freed from all taxation. Frederick agreed — but with no intention of keeping his word. The pope had already induced the French King to make war upon his own subjects in France, the cruel and bloody crusade against the Waldenses ; he wanted Frederick to do the same thing in Germany. But Frederick beirig far more of a heretic than any of the simple pietists who had in- curred the pope's animosity, lacked the crusading impulse. And when Innocent urged him to crusade against the Moslim and recover Jerusalem he was equally ready to promise and equally slack in his performance. Having secured the imperial crown Frederick II stayed in Sicily, which he greatly preferred to Germany as a residence, and did nothing to redeem any of his promises to Innocent III, who died baffled in 1216. Honorius III, who succeeded Innocent, coiild do no better with Frederick, and Gregory IX (1227) came to the papal throne evidently resolved to settle accounts with this young man at any cost. He excommunicated him. Frederick II was denied all the comforts of religion. In the half-Arab Court of Sicily this produced singularly little discomfort. And also the pope addressed a public letter to A TYPICAL CRUSADER : DON RODRIGO DE CARDENAS Fiom the Church of S. Pedro at Ocana, Spain {In the Victoria and Albert Museum)