A.D. Î-J-J'j.j F.UTHI.KSSNESS OF THF. EMI'Utolt. for ever. When, however, the appointed time drew near, he began to make many ex- ι es, declaring that he was not prepared to go ; and he offered many advantages and presents that a delay of three years might be granted to him. Dill in order that the whole affair, which chiefly devolved on this prince next to the Roman church, might not be put an end to, and such great labour expended to no purpose, the apostolic see took counsel with several bishops and other men, omitting none of the circumstances of the case, and then sent our venerable brother 1\ bishop of Albano, and G. cardinal presbyter under the title of St. Martin, to confirm the promises, which the emperor had voluntarily made, of giving assistance to the cross. They therefore convened a council of several chiefs of Germany at St. Germain's, and there the emperor, of his own accord, swore, that in two years from that time, that is, in the passage of August last past, he would, laying aside all pretext for delay, set sail, and would keep there for two years at his own expense a thousand knights for the assistance of the Holy Land, and would, in the five passages next ensuing, send a hundred thousand ounces of gold to be paid to certain persons there. The cardinal priests then, with the consent of the emperor, and by the authority of the apostolic sec, in sight of the chiefs and the surrounding people, publicly proclaimed the sentence of excommunication which the emperor would incur if he should fail in any one of the above-named promises. The emperor, moreover, bound himself to bring and to keep beyond sea a hundred chclanders and fifty galleys, and that, besides this, he would at certain times grant, a passage to two thousand knights, swearing on his soul that he would fulfil these promises which we have mentioned, and willingly consenting to the fulfilment of the sentence against him and his kingdom, if they were not kept. But you are now to learn how he fulfilled lliesc promises ; for, at his pressing solicitation, many thousands of crusaders, under penalty of excommunication, had proceeded at the preconcerted time to th port of Hruudusiuin : the emperor had withdrawn his favour from almost all the cities of the coast, and although he had been often warned by our predecessor and by us to make all the necessary preparations, and faithfully to fulfil all that he had promised, yet he disregarded those promises which both by