is power to prevent the unnatural union, and
when his last desperate effort to have an audience of the emperor on the
subject was repelled, he left the patriarchal residence and retired to
his old home at the Pammakaristos. There, during the absence of the
emperor in Thessalonica, where the objectionable marriage was
celebrated, Cosmas remained for two years, attending only to the most
urgent business of the diocese.[228] Upon the return of Andronicus to
the capital, Cosmas was conspicuous by his refusal to take part in the
loyal demonstrations which welcomed the emperor back. Andronicus might
well have seized the opportunity to remove the patriarch from office for
discourtesy so marked and offensive, but, instead of doing so, he sent a
friendly message to the Pammakaristos, asking Cosmas to forget all
differences and resume his public duties. Achilles in his tent was not
to be conciliated so easily. To the imperial request Cosmas replied by
inviting Andronicus to come to the Pammakaristos, and submit the points
at issue between the emperor and himself to a tribunal of bishops and
other ecclesiastics specially convened for the purpose. He furthermore
declared that he would return to the patriarchal residence only if the
verdict of the court was in his favour, otherwise he would resign
office. The public feeling against Andronicus was so strong that he
deemed it expedient to comply with this strange demand, going to the
monastery late at night to escape notice. The tribunal having been
called to order, Cosmas produced his charges against the emperor: the
Servian marriage; oppressive taxes upon salt and other necessaries of
life, whereby a heavy burden was laid upon the poor, on one hand, and
imperial prodigality was encouraged on the other; failure to treat the
petitions addressed to him by Cosmas with the consideration which they
deserved. The defence of Andronicus was skilful. He maintained that no
marriage of the Kraal had violated Canon Law as some persons claimed. He
touched the feelings of his audience by dwelling upon the sacrifice he
had made as a father in bestowing the hand of a beloved daughter on such
a man as the Servian Prince; only reasons of State had constrained him
to sanction a union so painful to his heart. The taxes to which
objection had been taken were not imposed, he pleaded, to gratify any
personal love of money, but were demanded by the needs of the Empire. As
to love of money, he had reasons to b