Page:Readings in European History Vol 1.djvu/288

 252 Readings in European History Marozia, mother of Alberic, prince of the Romans, sent legates to a certain Hugo, king of the Lombards, 1 asking that he unite himself with her in marriage. And this was done [932]. But after the marriage had been solemnized in the Castle of St. Angelo and the king had retired with the queen, the king had evil thoughts, that he would tear out the eyes of his stepson Alberic, and so bring the Roman kingdom under his own power. Alberic the prince learned of this plot, and he made a covenant with the Romans. The trumpets in the churches sounded with fearful clamor, the people rushed to arms, and the earth echoed with outcries. The hearts of the king and the queen quaked with fear, and the king returned to Lombardy. The face of Alberic, prince of the Romans, shone like his father's, and he grew in strength and power. Indeed, he was too terrible, and his yoke grew heavy upon the Romans and upon the holy apostolic see. The pope dared not to do anything without the commands of Prince Alberic. 2 And in his time no hostile force entered Italy from the land pf the Lombards or from across the Alps. Alberic had a son, to whom he gave the name Octavian. The Romans, according to their evil habit, took counsel how they might kill Prince Alberic, and Alberic became aware of this plan. Marinus the bishop and Benedict the bishop, with many others, worked secretly from that time to bring Prince Alberic to death. But their evil plans came to naught. The glorious prince had sisters of senatorial rank, who plotted secretly among themselves the death of their brother. Then one of them abandoned the plot and, feigning to be grieved, in the goodness of her heart hinted to her brother how she had chanced upon the knowledge of a plot against him. C? When Alberic heard her story the bishops we named were S seized. Some of the conspirators were made executioners of others, some were scourged, some thrust into prison, some 1 See below, p. 255. 2 Alberic kept his half-brother, John XT, who died in 936, in honor- able confinement and appears to have held the four succeeding popes in complete subordination.