"His" That Changed History.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLVII, Issue 20, 15 May 1912, Page 60

"His" That Changed History.

BY A. P. TEHUNE. A MOMENT OF IMPATIENCE THAT RUINED A GREAT ENTERPRISE. A red-bearded giant—handsomest and greatest man of his time eame in June, 1190, to a crowded bridge. Finding he would have to wait a little while before crossing, he turned aside in a fit of impatience and started to 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. 'rhe man was Frederick I, Emperor of Germany, nicknamed (because ef his scarlet beard) “ Barbarossa.”

He managed, at the age of 29, to secure his own election to the imperial l 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, erippling 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 then 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 palaee carrying dogs in their arms. This was deemed an everlasting disgrace and it quickly smashed the rebellious pride. He also compelled the magistrates of one conquered city to kneel before him barefoot, clad in sackcloth, 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, quarreled 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 of

his life and well nigh deprived him of all his genius had amassed. Here, force failing, he tried diplomacy. The liort 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 hail 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 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 dd* pended the whole success of the Crussade. On Barbarossa, too, in a measure, depended much of Europe's future. He. reached Constantinople, and thence crossed to Syria, conquering as he went. On June 10, 1190, the main body of his troops came to Calycadnus river, a little stream running through Cieilia. When Barbarossa reached the bridge that spanned this river he found it erow’dedj with marching soldiers. There was net real cause for his haste. At his ordeC the bridge could have been cleared fol! 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. The Emperor’S horse was swept off his feet and Barbarossa fell into the water. Weighed down by his heavy armour he drowned! before help could reach him. TJhe German army, which was thd backbone of the Crusade, refused to go' on without its leader. The other monarchs, deprived of Barbarossa’s guidance* quarrelled among themselves. The Crusade was a faihire. 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. ,