ABSTRACT
Of the discord between the emperor and the duke. Around this time the emperor was staying in Italy, where he was busy with a serious conflict. For indeed the Lombards were all rebelling against him and the state in those parts was greatly disturbed, largely because of the sin of the schism, which had lasted for many years, and many of the sheep were not entering into the sheepfold by the door, 1 but were going in different directions and harming the Church with schismatic error. Because Caesar was suffering from the fortunes of war, and was seriously worried [by this], he left these regions, crossed the Alps, came to the lands of the Germans, and after summoning the princes he explained to them the problems that the empire faced. He then issued them a summons to take part with him in an Italian expedition to suppress the rebels. He also made every effort to have Duke Henry take part in this endeavour, and indeed he said that, since it was well known how feared the duke was by the Lombards, without his presence he himself would be quite unable to prevail against them. But the duke argued against this that he was worn out through his many labours, both in Italian expeditions and by innumerable other tasks, and was now suffering from old age. 2 He claimed that he would serve the imperial majesty with the utmost devotion in providing the army with gold and silver for its various expenses; however he flatly refused to come to serve in person, saving the emperor’s grace. To this the emperor replied:
God in Heaven has raised you on high among the princes, and has conferred upon you wealth and honour beyond all others. 3 All the empire’s 64strength rests in you, and it is right and proper that you should show yourself the first among all to lend a hand in this matter, 4 so that the commonweal, which is starting to crumble, should be restored to health through your efforts, which have undoubtedly been especially valuable in the past. We wish you [also] to be mindful that we have never denied your wishes and that we have always been ready to increase your honour, we have always been ‘an enemy to your enemies’, 5 and we have never allowed anybody to prevail against you. We shall not mention the faith that you have promised on oath to the empire, but we wish to remind you of the blood-relationship, which binds you to us above everything, so that in the present crisis you hasten to us with all loyalty, as our nephew to his lord and friend; and furthermore you shall have our benevolence for all that you want. 6
However, the duke still refused. He said that he was ready for every service, but he would not come to serve in his own person. The emperor rose from his throne, and with everyone looking on anxiously he flung himself at the duke’s feet. The duke was greatly disturbed by such an unheard-of thing – that the man under whom the earth trembled 7 lay humbly on the ground – and he raised him up as quickly as he could. But he still would not agree to his request. 8