Sec. 23.--_How the war began between Pope Innocent IV. and the Emperor
Frederick._

[Sidenote: 1241 A.D.]

[Sidenote: Cf. Purg. xix. 100-102.]

It came to pass afterwards, as it pleased God, that there was elected
Pope Messer Ottobuono dal Fiesco, of the counts of Lavagna of Genoa,
the which was cardinal, and was made Pope as being the greatest friend
and confidant whom the Emperor Frederick had in Holy Church, to the
end there might be peace between the Church and him; and he was called
Pope Innocent IV., and this was the year of Christ 1241, and he
reigned as Pope eleven years, and added to the Church many cardinals
from divers countries of Christendom. And when he was elected Pope,
the tidings were brought to the Emperor Frederick with great
rejoicing, knowing that he was his great friend and protector. But the
Emperor, when he heard it, was greatly disturbed, whence his barons
marvelled much, and he said: "Marvel not; for this election will be of
much hurt to us; for he was our friend when cardinal, and now he will
be our enemy as Pope;" and so it came to pass, for when the said Pope
was consecrated, he demanded back from the Emperor the lands and
jurisdictions which he held of the Church, as to which request the
Emperor held him some time in treaty as to an agreement, but all was
vanity and deception. In the end, the said Pope seeing himself to have
been led about by deceitful words, to the hurt and shame of himself
and of Holy Church, became more an enemy of the Emperor Frederick than
his predecessors had been; and seeing that the power of the Emperor
was so great that he ruled tyrannously over almost the whole of Italy,
and that the roads were all taken and guarded by his guards, so that
none could come to the court of Rome without his will and license,
the said Pope seeing himself in the said manner thus besieged, sent
secret orders to his kinsfolk at Genoa, and caused twenty galleys to
be armed, and straightway caused them to come to Rome, and thereupon
embarked with all his cardinals and with all his court, and
immediately caused himself to be conveyed to his city of Genoa without
any opposition; and having tarried some time in Genoa, he came to
Lyons on the Rhone, by the way of Provence; and this was the year of
Christ 1241.

Sec. 24.--_Of the sentence which Pope Innocent pronounced at the council
of Lyons-on-Rhone, upon the Emperor Frederick._

[Sidenote: 1245 A.D.]

[Sidenote: Inf. xiii. 55-78