sand men, but, the larger the army the worse for Berenger. The nobles under Adalbert declared they would not any longer obey his father. Abdication, effected or promised, might have been prudent; but Berenger's conduct in this strait, compels us to render an honour to his valour, which we deny to his moral character. He made a brave defence, nor was his Consort less resolute. 951-987 955-962 courageous resistance ultimately and dies at Bamberg. Compelled, as we are, to view the scene from Berenger's a distant point, we may faintly discern the de- he is posed King and the deposed Queen, keeping deposed, Otho at bay, in the fastnesses protected by lake and mountain where they respectively took refuge. Adalbert also, apart from his father, continued to comport himself bravely. But the contest was hopeless. They were compelled to implore Otho's mercy. Berenger, his wife, and his daughters, were considerately, nay, kindly treated by their conqueror, and Berenger died in honourable retirement at Bamberg. As for Adal- Adventures bert, he took to the sea. He made for congenial in Burgundy, Corsica; and seems to have become a Captain of the daughter Pirates. His first exploit was the abduction of King Otho's chaplain, and we are almost tempted to believe that his felucca may have been partly manned by Scandinavians. But, ultimately, Adalbert settled quietly in France, marrying Gerberga, the daughter of Lambert, Count of Chalons, and by her he had a son, Otho, or of Adalbert -he settles and marries of the Count of Chalons. 951-987 Otto-Guillaume, who afterwards became sole Count of Burgundy and King of Arles, and of whom we shall hear something more hereafter in connection with Norman history. 955-962 Otho ad The last-mentioned events were speedily though not immediately accomplished, and we must now wind up the main skein of this story. Adalbert's forces dispersed, Otho presented himself in Lombardy, not as a foreign invader, but as the successor of the Cæsars, coming to his own.-Otho, who had repelled the Magyar flood; -Otho, the great defender of the Christian Commonwealth. The constitutional distinction between King of Italy and Emperor was carefully maintained so long as the Holy Roman Empire subsisted, and, it was in the first capacity that Otho appeared at Milan. Received by the Archbishop Walbert in the Basilica of Santo Ambrogio, the ceremonial testified the rights appertaining to the Lombard Monarchy. The Royal 955-962 insignia, battle-axe and baldric, lance and sword, were displayed upon the altar, whilst the Crown was imposed upon the Sovereign's head by the Archbishop. All the Dukes and Princes and Marquises, Nobles of higher estate, and Capitanes and Vavassors of lower degree, rendered their homage to Otho as their immediate Sovereign. The festival of the Nativity was celebrated at Pavia, and Otho and his Queen then proceeded to the City of the Seven hills. vances into Lombardy -crowned at Milanhomage rendered by the Lombard Nobles. 951-962 962 Otho and enter Rome. Accompanied by the Clergy, the Senators and 051-987 Magistrates of the Republic came forth to accept their Emperor. We are told how, upon these solemn occasions, the revered standards of the Legions, treasured, without doubt, in the massywalled Ærarium beneath, were brought out from the Capitol, such as we see them imaged on the winding spirals of the sculptured Column or the frieze of the triumphal Arch. The vast, many Jan-Feb. terraced, mountainous Palace of the Cæsars Adelaide here, deeply caverned by the gigantic vaulted halls, such as might befit the brethren of Enceladus-and there, emulating Babylon's Seven-zoned tower, decaying, yet glorious, stood ready to receive Otho and his lovely Adelaide. We yet read, in the very remarkable ritual of these solemnities, that, pursuant to traditionary usage, the yet uncrowned Cæsar should be lodged in the stately chamber of Augustus, whilst the more splendid apartment of Livia, still adorned by the tarnished reliques of past magnificence, was assigned to the Empress. Thundering acclamations welcomed Otho and Adelaide as they traversed the City. The successor of Saint Peter advanced to greet the successor of Charlemagne and the Coronation, the Feast of the Purification coinciding, was celebrated with unprecedented solemnity. By the Pope, was proclaimed Emperor and Augustus: and, the Republic from the Pope's hands, he received the Imperial Otho 962-2 Feb. Otho ac cepted by by Pope John VOL. II. X X 951-962 951-987 Crown. The Pontiff, as well as the whole Roman people, took the oath of fidelity; and Otho reciprocated, by granting and re-granting to the Papal See all the dominions which the Primatial Chair of Christendom had at any time held, and more. The Pontiff and Roman people take the oath of fealty. 962 All the endowments bestowed by Pepin and Charlemagne, and Louis-le-Debonnaire, were confirmed,-Rome, to wit, and the Exarchate of Ravenna, various towns and regions of the Pentapolis,-numerous cities and domains in the Campagna, and the Lombard Duchies of Spoleto Otho reci and Benevento.-Corsica was added, Sicily also, as appurtenant to the Empire, though occupied over Rome, by the Saracen. The Election of the Pontiff Imperial was to be conducted according to the Canon law; banishment being denounced as the punishment of any offender who might disturb the freedom of suffrage. procates by confirming the Pope's authority reserving the Supremacy. But the Emperor vigilantly asserted his rights. Only the usufruct of the ceded territories passed to the Pope. A mixed Commission, composed of Imperial Judges adjoined to the Pontiff's nominees, was permanently established. All complaints of maladministration were to be examined before this Tribunal; and, if the Pope did not afford a congruous remedy, the duty of rectifying the abuse was to be exercised by the Emperor. This appellate jurisdiction afforded the strongest testimony of the Imperial superiority. The reservation was clenched by the concluding clause of the Charter, that nothing therein contained was to derogate from the Emperor's prerogatives. 954-967 The original document, written in characters of 954-955 gold, and whilom deposited in the Castle of St. Angelo, has disappeared, and the very antient transcripts preserved in the Vatican may not be faithful to the letter: but notwithstanding the acute objections raised by Catholic critics, or the stern judgments passed by Protestant antagonists, we must admit that the "Diploma Othonis Magni” affords satisfactory evidence of the relations then subsisting between the Pontiff and the Paramount Sovereign.— 18. OTHO was thus pursuing his eventful career during the last agonies of his Brotherin-law's anxious reign.-Had the King's demise occurred whilst the family dissensions were raging, Otho, however urgently required, could not have taken any share in the affairs of France. Louis occurs As yet, he had not triumphed: but, the pacification of Germany effected, he was fully able terfere in to answer Gerberga's call. Louis, sometimes rallying, yet slowly sinking, long must his death have been anticipated by friend and foe. Indeed, the Normans had been awaiting the event, day by day, ever since the Rout of Rouen. Even then, they boasted that the disappointment had as good as killed him. The vaticination was tardily accomplished, but it was something to look for. The discomfort of suspense, when our desires are delayed, is 954Death of at the juncture when Otho was able to in French affairs. |