But her love for Irene
was greater than the fear of punishment, and, in spite of the censure
and the blandishments of her parent, she could never reconcile herself
to the loss of the happy hours at the side of the virtuous and gifted
empress. During Irene's lifetime John was uniformly successful,
extending the bounds of his dominion and winning the love and devoted
admiration of his subjects. But, after her death, another woman led him
into evil ways.

John married as his second wife, in her twelfth year, the Princess Anna,
natural daughter of the Emperor Frederick II. of Germany. Anna had
brought in her train, as directress of her court, a beautiful Italian
lady, Marchesina by name. The Emperor John fell violently in love with
his child-wife's chief attendant. Marchesina soon received the honors
conferred in courts on the recognized mistress of the sovereign, and was
permitted to wear the dress reserved for members of the imperial family.
Public opinion severely censured the emperor for his conduct, and one of
the prominent bishops of the day, Nicephorus Blemmidas by name, found
occasion to give Marchesina a severe rebuke. Blemmidas had so
beautifully embellished the church of the monastery of which he was
abbot, that it was frequently visited by members of the court. One day,
while the abbot was conducting divine service in the chapel, the
imperial mistress passed by with her attendants, and made up her mind to
enter. But when Blemmidas heard of her approach, he at once ordered the
doors to be closed, declaring that never with his permission should an
adulteress enter the sanctuary. Marchesina, incensed at so severe a
rebuke, so publicly inflicted, hurried back to the palace, threw herself
at the feet of her imperial lover, and implored him to avenge on the
abbot the insult he had put upon her. But John was not regardless of
public opinion, and, recognizing the mistake he had made, merely said in
response to Marchesina's entreaties: "The abbot would have respected me,
had I respected myself."

Woman, too, was in large measure the cause of the overthrow of the
dynasty of Lascaris, and the usurpation of Michael Palaeologus, scion of
one of the most influential families of Constantinople. Theodore II.,
who succeeded his father John, grew testy and superstitious in his old
age, and had reason to suspect the cunning and able Michael who was
rapidly winning the popular favor. But Michael was undoubtedly spurred
on to acti