The History of the Holy War, Book 4 · Chapter 20 – Chapter 21

The History of the Holy War · Book 4 · Chapter 20 – Chapter 21

p. 203Chap. 20. The manner of the death of Frederick King of Ierusalem; His Will, and posterity after him. An interregnum both in Germanie and the Kingdome of Ierusalem.

1250IN this same yeare Frederick King of Jerusalem and Emperour of Germany ended his troublesome dayes. A Prince, who in the race of his life met with many rubs, some stumbles, no dangerous falls. Besides the Turk, he had to do with the Pope (the Pope immortall in his succession.) And though his Holinesse was unfit for warre (as being alwayes old, and never ripe for that place till almost rotten) yet he used his own head, and commanded the hands of others; whereby he kept Frederick in a continuall warre. Yet never could he have beaten him with fair play, had he not used a weapon, if not against the law of Arms, against the law of God, and against which no guard, Arming his subjects against him, and Dispensing with the oath of allegeance.

But he gave Frederick the mortall wound, in setting himself against himself; I mean, Henry his eldest sonne. And though Frederick easily conquered that rebellious youth, and made him fast enough, keeping him in prison in Apulia, where he died; yet he carried the grief hereof to his grave. For now he knew not where or in whom to place any confidence; as suspecting the single cord of Loyaltie would not hold in others, which brake in his own sonne though twisted with Naturall affection.

The greatnesse of his spirit was a great hastening of his death; and being of a keen, eager, and active nature, the sharpnesse of the sword cut the scabbard the sooner asunder. Bowe he could not, break he must. What-ever is reported, he died of no other poison then sorrow (which ushered him into a wasting ague) grief being a burden whereof the strongest shoulders can bear the least. As for the fame, that **Bzovius, anno 1250. §. 14.Maufred his base sonne should stifle him with a pillow: though I must confesse he might be taken on suspicion, as likely enough to play such a devilish prank; yet it is unreasonable, that he who is acquitted p. 204by the **Falsum ex ejus temporis hominum testimonio esse convincitur, Pantal. in Fred. 2^o.Authours of the same time, should be condemned on the evidence of the writers of after-ages.

He died at Florence in an obscure castle on S. Lucies day, having reigned King of Jerusalem three and twenty yeares.Dec. 13. As others. 26. By his Will he bequeathed many ounces of gold to the Knights Templars and Hospitallers, in recompense of the wrongs they had received by him. He left a great summe of money for the recovery of the Holy land, to be disposed at the discretion of the foresaid Knights. He forbad any stately funerall for himself, though in his life immoderately excessive in pomp; as if he would do penance for his pride after death. A Prince, who had he not been hindred with domesticall discords, would have equalized Cesar himself: For if thus bravely he laid about him, his hands being tied at home with continuall dissensions, what would he have done if at liberty? A scandal is raised since his death, That he was but **Others say, a falconers, or, a physicians. See Munster, De Italia, lib. 2. pag. 235.a millers sonne; but he would have ground them to powder who in his life-time durst have averred it. Indeed he was very happy in mechanicall matters, such as we may term Liberall handycrafts; as casting, founding, carving in iron and brasse: Neither did this argue a low soul, to dabble in such mean imployments, but rather proved the amplitude and largenesse thereof; of so generall acquaintance, that no Art was a stranger to him. But the suspicion of his birth rose from the almost miraculous manner of it; Constantia his mother bearing him when wel…igh sixty yeares of age. But both in Scripture and other writers, we may see the sonnes of long-barren mothers to have been fruitfull in famous atchievements.

Pity it was that he had some faults: yea, pity it had been if he had not had some. But his vices indeed were notorious and unexcusable. Many wives and concubines he had, and by them many children.

p. 205It is much, that succession adventured in so many severall bottoms, should miscarry: Yet these foure sonnes dying, left no lasting issue; and in the third generation Fredericks stock, and that whole race of Suevian Princes was extinct: Which in the judgement of some men was a judgement of God on him for his lasciviousnesse.

We must not forget a memorable passage which happened more then twenty yeares after Fredericks death: **Calvisius, anno 1285. ex Spang. Et Pantal. in Rodulpho Caesare.One Tylo Colupp, a notable juggler, sometime brought up at the Court, cunningly sowing together all the old shreds of his Courtship, and stretching them out with impudency, pretended to be Frederick the Emperour, long detained in captivity in Palestine. The difference betwixt their aspects was easily reconciled; for few Physiognomy-marks are so deeply fixed in any face, but that age and misery will alter them. The credulity of the vulgar sort presently betrayed them to be couzened by him: yea, some Princes took this brasse for gold without touching it. But the best engine which gave this puppet his motion, was a bruit constantly buzzed, That Frederick was not dead. For Princes, the manner of whose deaths hath been private and obscure, fame commonly conjureth again out of their graves, and they walk abroad in the tongues and brains of many, who affirm and beleeve them to be still alive. But the world soon surfeted of this cheaters forgerie; and this glow-worm when brought into the light, shined no more, but at Nanse was burnt to ashes by Rodulphus the Emperour.

After Fredericks death there was an interregnum for three and twenty yeares in the Empire of Germany. True it is, that of some, William Earl of Holland (one without a beard, not valour) was nominated Emperour. The Spirituall electours chose Richard, brother to our King Henry the third. And as in Cornwall he got much coin, so Germany gave him a bottomlesse bag to put it in. A third party named Alphonse King of Castile, an admirable Mathematician: But the ointment of his name is marred with the dead flie of his Atheisticall speech, That if he had been in Gods stead, he could have framed the world better then now it is. Notwithstanding, the best Dutch writers make an interregnum, as counting the Empire still a widow, and all these rather her suiters then any her husband.

In like manner also in Palestine there was not any King for fourteen yeares after Fredericks death. The right indeed lay in Conrade Duke of Suevi…, Fredericks sonne by Iole daughter to John Bren King of Jerusalem: But he was so imployed in defending himself in Sicily against Maufred his base brother (who soon after dispatched him out of the way) that he had no leisure to prosecute his title to the fragments of the Kingdome of Jerusalem.

p. 206Chap. 21. The Pastorells killed in France; King Lewis returned home.

GO we back to King Lewis, who all this while stayed in Palestine, busying himself partly in building and fensing of Sidon and Cesarea, partly in composing discords betwixt the Pisans and Genoans, even proceeding to threaten them into agreement: But these armed men little cared for his naked menacing. He being also an excellent religious Antiquary and Critick on holy monuments, much employed himself in redeeming of old sacred places from the tyranny of time and oblivion.

Mean time,1251 in his Kingdome of France happened this strange accident; **Matth. Paris. pag. 1094.An Hungarian pesant, who is said to have been an apostate to Mahomet and well learned, gathered together many thousands of people, pretending they had intelligence from heaven to march to the Holy land. These took on them the name and habit of Pastorelli, poore shepherds; in imitation belike (as the Devil is Gods ape) of those in the Gospel, who were warned by Angels in a vision to go to Bethlehem.

Being to shape their course into Palestine, they went into France; shewing they had a vertigo in their heads, mistaking the West for the East; or else, that like vagabonds they were never out of their way.

The Holy Lambe was their ensigne, but their actions neither holy nor lambe-like. They pillaged and killed the poore Jews as they went (an unhappy nation, whose heads lie pat for every ones hands to hit, and their legges so stand in mens way that few can go by them without spurning at them:) Where they wanted Jews, they made Jews of Christians, especially if they were rich, using them with all cruelty. But at last neare Burdeaux threescore thousand of them were slain, and the rest dispersed. A rhymer of that age (or in courtesie call him a Poet) made this Epitaph on them;

**Magdeburg. Cent. 13. cap. 16. col. 698.M semel, & bis C, L I conjungere disce;

Duxit Pastorum saeva Megaera chorum.

Learn to put together well,

What M, C, C, L, I, do spell;

When some devilish fiend in France

Did teach the Shepherds how to dance.

By this time Lewis in Syria had stayed out the death and buriall1253 p. 207of all his hopes to receive succour from his own countrey. Long expecting in vain that France should come to him, he at last returned to it. The greatnesse of the burden he bore, made him go the faster; and being loaden with debts to his Italian creditours,Apr. 25. he secretly hasted home: Where safely arriving, besides loyaltie to their Prince, love to a stranger was enough to make him welcome.