6 A.D.]

[Sidenote: 1237 A.D.]

[Sidenote: 1239 A.D.]

[Sidenote: 1240 A.D.]

Sec. 15.--_How peace was made between Pope Gregory and the Emperor
Frederick._ Sec. 16.--_How the Church ordered a crusade over seas,
whereof the Emperor Frederick was captain, and how, after the
expedition had set forth, he turned back._ Sec. 17.--_How the Emperor
Frederick passed over seas, and made peace with the Soldan, and
recovered Jerusalem, against the will of the Church._ Sec. 18.--_How the
Emperor returned from over seas because the Kingdom had rebelled
against him, and how he began war again with the Church._ Sec. 19.--_How
the Emperor Frederick caused the Pisans to capture at sea the prelates
of the Church which were coming to the council._ Sec. 20.--_How the
Milanese were discomfited by the Emperor._ Sec. 21.--_How the Emperor
Frederick besieged and took the city of Faenza._

Sec. 22.--_How the Emperor laid hold of King Henry, his son._

[Sidenote: Purg. iii. 121.]

[Sidenote: 1236 A.D.]

[Sidenote: Inf. xiii. 31-108.]

In these same times (albeit it had begun before) Henry Sciancato [the
Lame], the first-born of the said Emperor Frederick, who had had him
chosen king of the Romans by the electors of Germany as aforesaid,
perceiving that the Emperor his father was doing all he might against
Holy Church, and feeling the same heavy upon his conscience, time and
again reproved his father, for that he was doing ill; whereat the
Emperor set himself against him, and neither loving him nor dealing
with him as with a son, raised up false accusers who testified that
the said Henry had it in his mind to rebel against him as concerning
his Empire, at the request of the Church. On the which plea (were it
true or false) he seized his said son, King Henry, and two sons of
his, little lads, and sent them into Apulia, into prison severally;
and there he put him to death by starvation in great torment, and
afterward Manfred put his sons to death. The Emperor sent to Germany,
and again had Conrad, his second son, elected king of the Romans in
succession to himself; and this was the year of Christ 1236. Then
after a certain time the Emperor put out the eyes of that wise man
Master Piero dalle Vigne, the famous poet, accusing him of treason,
but this came about through envy of his great estate. And thereon the
said M. Piero soon suffered himself to die of grief in prison, and
there were who said that he himself took away his own life.