and by virtue of the Concordat he decided for his own candidate in
defiance of all ecclesiastical laws, and straightway invested him with
the regalia.

[Sidenote: Imperial rights.]

Moreover, he had a high idea of the imperial mission. It was seventeen
years since any emperor had crossed the Alps; and it is difficult to
say whether the selfish policy of Lothair or the non-appearance of
Conrad must have been the more detrimental to the maintenance of
imperial interests. But during the first few months of his reign
appeals poured in from the Pope against his various enemies, from some
barons of Apulia against the great Roger of Sicily, from the citizens
of Lodi against the tyranny of Milan. These, together with the
ridiculous proffer of the imperial crown from the lately formed
Republic of Rome, seemed to open an opportunity for the successful
recovery of imperial rights. And, much as the Italians resented the
spasmodic interferences of the Emperor, they were proud of their
imperial connection. The commerce of the East, largely increased by
the Crusades, flowed into Western Europe chiefly through Italy. As a
result, the north and centre of the peninsula were studded with a
number of compact, self-governing communities inclined to resent any
outside interference, however lawful in origin. But the larger cities
were ever trying to group the smaller round them as satellites; and
the constant quarrels which resulted, often produced a party which was
ready to welcome the interposition of the Emperor. There was this
common ground, then, between these cities and the Papacy that, whereas
they found it equally necessary to invoke the aid of the Emperor as an
outside power against their foes, each was threatened by the assertion
of those imperial rights which it was the sole object of Frederick's