also the deliberations of the assembly turned upon the conduct of certain princes, who had protested against the election of the count of Hapsburg. Among these was Ottocarus king of Bohemia, against whom the diet had other causes of dissatisfaction. He had seized upon the duchy of Austria, after the death of Frederic, the last duke; and the states complained of the oppressions which they suffered under this usurper, from whom they begged to be delivered.

A. D. 1275.

A second diet was summoned on this subject at Augsburg: where Ottocarus not appearing, or doing homage by his embassadors, was declared a rebel to the empire. His possession of Austria, Stiria, Carniola, and Carinthia, was adjudged illegal: and the emperor was desired to divest him of those territories.

When this sentence was notified to Ottocarus, he arrogantly exclaimed, "To whom should I do homage! "I owe Rodulph nothing; he was formerly my ser"vant! and I paid him his wages. My possessions I will "maintain with the point of my sword".

In consequence of this resolution, Ottocarus associated himself with several other German princes, and among the rest with the duke of Bavaria. But they were all at last obliged to submit; and the proud Ottocarus himself not only relinquished the contested territories, but did homage for Bohemia and Moravia. This homage was performed in the island of Camberg in the Danube, under a close canopy, A. D. 1276. in order to save Ottocarus from a public humiliation. He repaired to the place, all covered with gold and jewels. Rodulph, by a superior pride, received him in the most coarse and simple dress; and in the midst of the ceremony, either by accident or design, the curtains of the canopy fell back, and exposed to the eyes of the people, and the armies that lined the banks of the river, the haughty king on his knees, with his hands joined between those of his conqueror, whom he

1. Annal Boior. Heiss, liv. ii. e. 22. 2. Æn. Sylv. Hist. Bobem.

had

had so often called his steward, and to whom he now became cup-bearer.

The wife of Ottocarus, a Russian princess, and no less haughty than her husband, was so much hurt by this mortifying circumstance, that she induced him to renounce the treaty he had concluded with A. D. 1277. Rodulph, and again have recourse to arms for the recovery of Austria. The emperor immediately marched against him; and a battle ensued, in which Ottocarus was slain.

Rodulph now discovered himself to be no less at politician than a warrior. He gave the government of Austria and its appendages to his eldest son, A. D. 1282. count Albert; whom he afterwards, in a diet at Augsburg, publicly invested with that duchy, which was incorporated with the college of the princes. Hence the rise of the house of Austria. And he at the same time invested Rodulph, another of his sons, with the county of Suabia, which belonged to him in right of his wife. He also wisely resolved to adhere to the articles of the treaty with Ottocarus; and accordingly put his infant son Winceslaus under the tutelage of the marquis of Brandenburg3.

But although Rodulph's authority was now fully established in Germany, he was far from being master in Italy. The imperial crown had indeed been confirmed to him by Gregory X. on his ceding to the holy see the lands of the countess Matilda, and all the territories mentioned in the grants made to the church by former emperors. In so doing, Rodulph properly yielded nothing but the right of receiving homage from noblemen, who never did it without reluctance, and cities which it was not in his power to command. Venice, Genoa, and Pisa, had a greater number of ships than the emperor could muster of ensigns: Florence was become considerable, and already the nurse of the liberal arts.

3. Heiss, ubi sup. Du Mont. Corp. Diplom. tom. i.

Rodulph

Rodulph spent the latter part of his reign in establishing the grandeur of his family in Austria. He granted privileges to the clergy; bestowed new dignities upon the noblemen; diminished the taxes; built and repaired public edifices; and behaved with so much generosity and moderation, as won the hearts of all men. But notwithstanding his popularity, he could not procure his son Albert, duke of Austria, to be elected king of the Romans; a disappointment which, together A. D. 1291. with the death of his son Rodulph so much chagrined him that he died soon after. He was a prince of great valour, sagacity, and probity; and raised the empire from a state of misery and confusion, to the enjoyment of peace, policy, and riches1.

A. D. 1292.

After an interregnum of nine months, which was productive of many disorders, the German princes raised to the imperial throne Adolphus of Nassau, on the same principle which had made them choose his predecessor. He seemed capable of maintaining the glory of the empire at the head of its armies, without being able to enslave it.

The reign of this prince was one continued scene of troubles, and at last terminated in his deposition. His necessities had made him guilty of several acts of injustice; which Albert duke of Austria, dissatisfied at not A. D. 1297. succeeding to the imperial throne, took care to represent in the worst light. A confederacy was formed against Adolphus; and he was deposed by the archbishop of Mentz, in the name of the princes of the empire.

4. Heiss, lib. ii. c. 22.

Barre, tom. vi. Annal. de l'Emp. tom. ii. Nothing can shew in a stronger light Rodulph's resolution and presence of mind, than his behaviour at his coronation. The absence of the imperial sceptre, supposed to be that of Charlemagne, which had been mislaid, seemed to afford some disaffected noblemen a pretext for refusing the oath of allegiance ;—" This is my sceptre," said Rodulph, seizing a crucifix: and all the princes and nobles instantly took the oath, and did him homage as emperor. Heiss, &c. ubi sup.

"Six years ago," said the archbishop," the empire "being vacant, we canonically elected Adolphus count "of Nassau, king of the Romans, knowing at that time

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no person more worthy of the dignity. At first he con"ducted himself wisely, following the counsels of the "most prudent electors and princes of his court. But "he began by degrees to despise their advice, and listen to the counsels of young persons without either sense or experience; then he found himself destitute of means "and friends to assist him sincerely in bearing the burden "of government. The electors perceiving his indigence, "and swayed by many other motives have demanded "the pope's consent to depose him, and chuse another emperor. We are told that our envoys have obtained "the consent of his holiness; though those of Adolphus "affirm the contrary: but we, having no regard to any "authority except that which is vested in ourselves, and "finding Adolphus incapable of governing the empire, "do depose him from the imperial dignity, and elect "Albert, duke of Austria, king of the Romans" "

Adolphus, apprized of this election, raised the siege of Ruffach, in Alsace, and marched towards Spire, where he encamped. He was reinforced by the count Palatine Rodulph, Otho duke of Bavaria, and the cities of Spire and Worms, which had never deserted his cause. Albert advanced towards him, in order to dispute the imperial crown by arms. They engaged between Gelnsheim and the cloister of Rosendal, and the battle was maintained with much obstinacy on both sides. In the heat of action Adolphus singling out his rival, attacked him hand to hand, haughtily exclaiming, "Here you shall resign to me the empire and your life!"" Both,” replied Albert," are in the hands of God;" and immediately struck his competitor with such violence in the face, that he fell from his horse, and was instantly slain".

During the reign of Adolphus, and also of his predecessor Rodulph, the Jews were persecuted in the

empire with great cruelty, on a supposition that they had slain several Christian children, and committed other crimes, which excited the hatred of the public. They were accused of having stolen a consecrated host; and the credulous people without examining into the matter, were so much incensed at this pretended sacrilege, that the inhabitants of Nuremberg, Rottemberg, Amberg, and several other towns of Franconia and Bavaria, seized all the unhappy Israelites that fell in their way; committed them to the flames, and drove the rest to such despair, that numbers chose rather to destroy themselves and families than run the hazard of falling into the hands of the merciless Christians. Nor was this unhappy people treated with more indulgence in Holland and Friesland, their present asylum, at that time provinces of the empire'.

Though Albert had been elected king of the Romans before his victory over Adolphus, and consequently became emperor on the death of that prince, he chose to have his title confirmed by a new diet; which was accordingly assembled for that purpose at Franckfort, A. D. 1298. 'the elector of Triers and the Palatine not having formerly given their votes: and he was afterwards solemnly crowned at Aix-la-Chapelle. The concourse of people on that occasion was so great, that the duke of Saxony, the emperor's brother, and several other persons, were squeezed to death in the crowd,

The first years of Albert's reign were disquieted by a quarrel with the pope and the ecclesiastical electors. Boniface VIII, the last pontiff who pretended to dispose of crowns, and who carried the pretensions of the apostolic see as high as any of his predecessors, took part with the three German archbishops, who had refused to answer

7. Annal Steron. Mosheim, Hist. Eccles. vol. iii. Dr. Mosheim leaves it doubtful whether the accusations against the Jews were true or false; but his learned and judicious translator, in a note, gives reason to believe they were insidiously forged. 8. Heiss, lib. ii. chap. xxiv. the