was invited to take possession of the
imperial crown, but was dissuaded from accepting the honor by Pope
Honorius, who had already crowned Peter emperor of the East. Peter was
opposed by Theodore Comnenus, by whom he was arrested and thrown into
a dungeon. The Pope appealed for assistance to Andrew, then on his way
to the Holy Land. Andrew accordingly proceeded to Acre, which he
reached after a long voyage, but his expedition partook more of a
pilgrimage than of a crusade. He was absent from Hungary four years,
and returned to find the whole kingdom in disorder, the treasury
emptied, and greedy prelates and magnates devouring the substance of
the people.

To replenish his treasury, Andrew appropriated the gold and jewels
left by the empress Constantia, whose death, which took place about
this time, prevented her establishing her claim. He further supplied
his own extravagance, by farming the taxes to Jews, deteriorating the
coin, mortgaging the domains belonging to the fortified castles, and
selling the crown lands to wealthy magnates.

His eldest son Bela had already gained the respect and affection of
the people by the firmness of his character and his love of justice;
and Andrew, jealous of his popularity, obliged him to fly the kingdom
and seek protection from Leopold, Duke of Austria. The King was,
however, at last persuaded to invite him to return, and, in order to
secure his throne, he established him at a distance from himself, in
the government of Croatia and Dalmatia. Two years later his younger
son Coloman took the place of Bela, who was intrusted with the
government of Transylvania and of all the country between the Theiss
and Aluta. With a weak monarch and an exhausted treasury, the land had
become the prey of barbarous invaders, and the disorders of the
kingdom had reached such a climax that the magnates resolved to appeal
to the mediation of the Pope.

Honorius commanded Andrew to restore the lands which he had parted
with in direct violation of his coronation oath, by which he had sworn
to preserve the integrity of the kingdom and the honor of the crown.
Bela now assembled the nobles and franklins of Hungary, and, supported
by them, demanded the restoration of the ancient constitution. The
ecclesiastics of Hungary, instigated by the Pope, offered to mediate a
peace between the King, who was supported by the great magnates, and
his son, who had the voice of the people. The condition of this peace
was