[151] Pütter, Dissertationes de Instauratione Imperii Romani; cf. Goldast's Collection of Constitutions; and the proclamations and other documents collected in Pertz, M. G. H. legg. I.
[152] Pütter (De Instauratione Imperii Romani) will have it that upon this mistake, as he calls it, of Otto's, the whole subsequent history of the Empire turned; that if Otto had but continued to style himself 'Francorum Rex,' Germany would have been spared all her Italian wars.
[153] 'Iohannes episcopus, servus servorum Dei, omnibus episcopis. Nos audivimus dicere quia vos vultis alium papam facere: si hoc facitis, da Deum omnipotentem excommunico vos, ut non habeatis licentiam missam celebrare aut nullum ordinare.'—Liudprand, ut supra. The 'da' is curious, as shewing the progress of the change from Latin to Italian. The answer sent by Otto and the council takes exception to the double negative.
[154] 'Cives fidelitatem promittunt hæc addentes et firmiter iurantes nunquam se papam electuros aut ordinaturos præter consensum atque electionem domini imperatoris Ottonis Cæsaris Augusti filiique ipsius Ottonis.'—Liudprand, Gesta Ottonis, lib. vi.
[155] 'In timporibus adeo a dyabulo est percussus ut infra dierum octo spacium eodem sit in vulnere mortuus,' says the chronicler, crediting with but little of his wonted cleverness the supposed author of John's death, who well might have desired a long life for so useful a servant.
He adds a detail too characteristic of the time to be omitted—'Sed eucharistiæ viaticum, ipsius instinctu qui eum percusserat, non percepit.'
[156] Corpus Iuris Canonici, Dist. lxiii., 'In synodo.' A decree which is probably substantially genuine, although the form in which we have it is evidently of later date.
[157] Cf. St. Peter Damiani's lines—
'Roma vorax hominum domat ardua colla virorum,
Roma ferax febrium necis est uberrima frugum,