Page:Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire vol 6 (1897).djvu/216

 194 THE DECLINE AND FALL [Helena] one of them was betrothed, in a tender age, to Constantine, a beautiful youth, the son and heir of the emperor MichaeU^ But the throne of Constantinople was shaken by a revolution ; the imperial family of Ducas was confined to the palace or the cloister ; and Robert deplored, and resented, the disgrace of his daughter and the expulsion of his ally. A Greek, who styled himself the father of Constantine, soon appeared at Salerno, and related the adventures of his fall and flight. That unfortunate friend was acknowledged by the duke, and adorned with the pomp and titles of Imperial dignity : in his triumphal progress through Apulia and Calabria, Michael "" was saluted with the tears and acclamations of the people ; and pope Gregory the Seventh exhorted the bishops to preach, and the Catholics to fight, in the pious work of his restorationJ*^ His conversations with Robert were frequent and familiar ; and their mutual promises were justified by the valour of the Normans and the treasures of the East. Yet this Michael, by the confession of the Greeks and Latins, was a pageant and an impostor : a monk who had fled from his convent, or a domestic who had served in the palace. The fraud had been contrived by the subtle Guiscard ; ''^ and he trusted that, after this pretender had given a decent colour to his arms, he would sink, at the nod of the conqueror, into his primitive obscurity. But victory was the dustry of Leibnitz and Muratori. From the two elder sons of the marquis Azzo are derived the illustrious lines of Brunswick and Este. See Muratori, Antichita Estense. '^8 Anna Comnena, somewhat too wantonly, praises and bewails that handsome boy, who, after the rupture of his barbaric nuptials (1. i. p. 23 [c. 10]), was betrothed as her husband ; he was ayaXixa (ii/o-tcos . . . &eov xetP>i>'' <^iAoTi>iT)jao. . . xpva-ov 76V0VS a-oppo-n. Sec. (p. 27 "c. 12]). Elsewhere, she describes the red and white of his skin, his hawk's eyes, &c. 1. iii. p. 71 [c. i]. [It had been proposed originally that Helena should marry another Constantine, a brother of Michael ; and there are extant two letters of this Emperor to Robert Guiscard, concerning the projected alliance, dating from 1073 (in the correspondence of Psellus, published by Sathas, Bibl. Gr. Med. ^v., 5, p. 3855^(7.). For criticism see .'^eger.'Nikephorus Bryennios, p. 123-4 : Heinemann, o/>. cit. p. 394-6.] " Anna Comnena, 1. i. p. 28, 29 ; Gulielm. Appul. 1. iv. p. 271 ; Galfrid Mala- terra, 1. iii. c. 13, p. 579, 580. Malaterra is more cautious in his style ; but the Apulian is bold and positive. Mentitus se Michaelem Venerat a Danais quidam seductor ad ilium. As Gregory VII. had believed, Baronius, almost alone, recognises the emperor Michael (a.D. 1080, Xo. 44). 78[Registrum Epistolarum, ofGregor)' VII. (ap. Jaffc^ Bibl. rer. Germ, ii.), viii. 6, p. 435-] ■9 [So the Greeks said. But probably this was not so. Robert saw through the imoostiu-e and took advantage of it ; but probably did not invent it.]