e so
soon as he was made Pope, he called a general council at
Lyons-on-Rhone in Burgundy, and by his mandate caused the electors of
the empire of Germany to elect as king of the Romans, Rudolf, count of
Friburg, which was a valiant man-at-arms, albeit he was of small
possessions; but by his prowess he conquered Suabia and Austria; and
the duchy of Austria being vacant, since the duke had been slain with
Conradino by King Charles, he made Albert, his son, to be duke. The
aforesaid Pope, the year after his coronation, set forth with his
court from Rome to go to Lyons-on-Rhone to the council which he had
summoned, and he entered into Florence with his cardinals, and with
King Charles, and with the Emperor Baldwin of Constantinople, which
was of the lineage of the chief house of Flanders. This Baldwin was
son of Henry, the brother of the first Baldwin, which conquered
Constantinople with the Venetians, as we before made mention. And with
the Pope, and with King Charles, there came to Florence many other
lords and barons, on the 18th day of June, in the year of Christ 1273,
and were received with honour by the Florentines. And the situation of
Florence being pleasing to the Pope, by reason of the convenience of
the water, and the pure air, and that the court found much comfort
there, he purposed to abide there, and pass the summer in Florence.
And finding that this good city of Florence was being destroyed by
reason of the parties (the Ghibellines being now in exile), he
determined that they should return to Florence, and should make peace
with the Guelfs; and so it came about, and on the 2nd day of July in
the said year, the said Pope, with his cardinals, and with King
Charles, and with the said Emperor Baldwin, and with all the barons
and gentlemen of the court (the people of Florence being assembled on
the sands of the Arno hard by the head of the Rubaconte Bridge, great
scaffolds of wood having been erected in that place whereon stood the
said lords), gave sentence, under pain of excommunication if it were
disobeyed, upon the differences between the Guelf and Ghibelline
parties, causing the representatives of either party to kiss one
another on the mouth, and to make peace, and to give sureties and
hostages; and all the castles which the Ghibellines held they gave
back into the hands of King Charles, and the Ghibelline hostages went
into Maremma under charge of Count Rosso. The which peace endured but
a short time, as he