, by way of
proving whether he were innocent or guilty of the charges which his
enemies brought against him. And, after all that Henry had gone through,
no peace was made between him and his enemies. The troubles of Germany
continued: the other party set up against Henry a king of their own
choosing, named Rudolf; and Henry, in return for this, set up another
pope in opposition to Gregory.

After a time, Henry was able to put down his enemies in Germany, and he
led a large army into Italy, where he got almost all Rome into his
hands; and on Easter Day, 1084, he was crowned as emperor, in St.
Peter's Church, by Clement III., the pope of his party. Gregory
entreated the help of Robert Guiscard, the chief of some Normans who had
got possession of the south of Italy; and Guiscard, who was glad to have
such an opportunity for interfering, speedily came to his relief and
delivered him. But in fighting with the Romans in the streets, these
Normans set the city on fire, and a great part of it was destroyed, so
that within the walls of Rome there are even in our own day large spaces
which were once covered with buildings, but are now given up to
cornfields or vineyards. Gregory felt himself unable to bear the sight
of his ruined city, and, when the Normans withdrew, he went with them to
Salerno, where he died on the 25th of May, 1085. It is said that his
last words were, "I have loved righteousness and hated iniquity;
therefore I die in exile;" and the meaning seems to be, that by these
words he wished to claim the benefit of our Lord's saying, "Blessed are
they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake; for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven."

Of all the popes, Gregory VII. was the one who did most to increase the
power of the papacy. No doubt he was honest in his intentions, and
thought that to carry them out would be the best thing for the whole
Church, as well as for the bishops of Rome. But he did not care whether
the means which he used were fair or foul; and if his plans had
succeeded, they would have brought all mankind into slavery to Rome.

CHAPTER IX.

THE FIRST CRUSADE.

A.D. 1095-1099.

PART I.

The popes who came next after Gregory VII. carried things with a high
hand, following the example which he had set them. They got the better
of Henry IV., but in a way which did them no credit. For when Henry had
returned from Italy to his own country, and had done his best, by many
years of good governmen