PENALTY OF IMPATIENCE

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXV, Issue LXV, 15 November 1913, Page 10

PENALTY OF IMPATIENCE

A red-bearded giant—handsomest, and greatest man of his time came in June, 1190, to a crowded bridge finding he would have to wait a little while before crossing, he turned asidn in a fit of impatience and started' tc go through the river by a nearby ford. If he had not given way to this foolish whim for unnecessary haste, the fate of the Holy Land and perhaps the story of all Europe might have been altered. The man was Frederick 1., Empero* of Germany, nicknamed (because of his scarlet beard) "Barbarossa." He managed, at the age of 29,: to secure his own election to the imperial throne of Germany (despite the fact that his uncle, the late Emperor, had left a son), and then began his task of conquest. This was in 1152. He found Germany in bad condition The petty principalities that made up the Empire were quarrelling among themselves and rebelling against the Emperor's rule. Robber barons were laying waste the country districts, i crippling commerce and devastating the land. The claims made in former years by Germany to the rulership of Italy and of other countries were disregarded. It was altogether a poor start for a man who hoped to be a second Charlemagne. A QUEER PUNISHMENT. > Barbarossa set to work, not only with the courage of a born warrior, but with the craft of a shrewd- statesman. He knitted fast the loosened threads of loyalty that bound the German Princes 'to the Empire, patched up their quarrels and grievances, and bound them by ties of loyalty to himself. He made Germany greater than ever before —prosperous, united, happy. He put down the robber barons mercilessly, and made the country safe. Where an odd example of punishment was needed, his quick brain readily found one. For instance, he captured fourteen ruling princes who had mutinied against his power, and forced them to walk up and down in front of his palace carrying dogs in their arms. This was deemed an everlasting disgrace, and it quickly smashed their rebellious pride. He also compelled the magistrates of one oonquer- , ed city to kneel before him barefoot, , clad ( in 6ackcloth, with ashes on their heads and ropes around their necks. Having restored order at home, he proceeded to punish Italy for having cast off the German yoke. He ravaged the northern part of that country, levelled the city of Milan to the ground, and sowed its ruins with salt, quarrelled with the Pope, and won the rulerships of Poland, Bohemia, Hungary and Burgundy. He was at one time master of the greater part of the European Continent. The quarrel with the Pope brought Barbarossa the bitterest misfortunes. Force failing, he tried diplomacy. The lion became for the time the fox, and thus won back power. Then came news that stirred all Christian Europe with horror. The Saracens for centuries had been masters of the Holy Land. But a Crusader army had driven them from Jerusalem, thus snatching the sacred shrines there from infidel hands. Now word was brought that Saladin, the Saracen Sultan, had retaken the Holy City. At once another crusade was planned to win back the city and drive the Saracens out of Palestine. Richard I. (Coeur de Lion) of England, the king of France and other monarchs rushed to arms. But foremost of all was Barbarossa. He raised an army 30,000 strong and marched against the infidel. EMPEROR DROWNS IN RIVER. On Barbarossa and his veterans depended the whole success of the Crusade. On Barbarossa, too, in a measure, depended much of Europe's future. He reached Constantinople, and thence crossed to Syria, conquering as lie went. On June 10, 1190, the mam body of his troops came to Calycadnus river, a little stream running through Cicilia. When Barbarossa reached the bridge that spanned this river he found it crowded with marching soldiers. There was 'no real cause for his haste. At his order the bridge could have been cleared for him to cross within a very few minutes. But Barbarossa was impatient to press on and join the vanguard of his army. . So instead of waiting he rode into the water at a ford near by. The Calycadnus was swollen by rain. Ihe Emperor's horse was swept off his feet and Barbarossa fell into the water. Weighed down by his heavy armor he drowned before help could reach him. The German, army, which was the backbone of the Crusade, refused to go on without its leader. The other monarchs, deprived of Barbarossa's guidance, quarrelled amongst themselves. iThe Crusade was a failure. The Holy Land remained, as it is to-day^ in the hands' of the Mohammedans. The man who might have turned failure into victory, and have thus averted the calamities that overtook several European nations through the result of the Crusade, had thrown away his life in the muddy waters of a little Eastern river—because he lacked the patience to '-wait five minutes for a bridge to be cleared.—A. P, Tehune, in the Auckland Star.