Page:Readings in European History Vol 1.djvu/341

 Tke HoJicnstanfen Emperors and the Popes 305 fault, in such a case, lies wholly in the insolence of the people; the prince, who has acted under necessity, should be absolved before God and man. Among all these cities Milan has become the leading one. ... It must be regarded as more powerful than any of the Mllan - others, in the first place, on account of its size and its multi- tude of brave men, and, secondly, because it has brought the two neighboring cities of Como and Lodi under its sway. Led on by Fortune's smiles, as is the way of this fleeting world, Milan has become so puffed up with pride that she has dared not only to incur the enmity of all her neighbors, but, fearing not even the majesty of the emperor himself, she has recently courted his anger. How this came about I shall presently relate. But first I wish to say something of the prerogatives of the empire. . There is an ancient custom, which has existed ever since Collection the Roman power devolved upon the Franks and which has J^ m been preserved until our own times, that when the kings wish to visit Italy they should send officials of their household ahead to go through the various cities and towns and demand what is due to the royal treasury, called by the inhabitants fodrum. The usual result is that when the ruler himself arrives, most of those cities, towns, and castles which have ventured either to refuse to pay the tax altogether, or have paid it only in part, are razed to the ground as a warning to posterity. Another right which is said to be derived from ancient The em- custom is that when the emperor enters Italy all magistracies P 6 ^ 3 and offices are suspended and all things are regulated accord- ing to his will and the decisions of men skilled in the law. Even the Italian judges are said to recognize his supreme jurisdiction, to the extent of assigning to him for his own use and that of his army all that he needs of whatsoever the land produces, scarcely excepting the oxen and seed necessary for the cultivation of the land. The emperor camped for five days, it is said, on the plain of Roncaglia and held an assembly there, to which came princes, consuls, and notables from all the cities. Many