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288 INNOCENT vol. x. III. Giovanni Lotario Contl, born at Ana- gni about 1161, died in Perugia, July 16, 1216. Being from his childhood destined for the church, he was sent to Paris to study theology, and then to the university of Bologna, where he mastered the science of law. He returned to Rome in 1181, and in 1190 was made car- dinal deacon by his uncle, Pope Clement III. Being coldly treated by Celestine III., Clem- ent's successor, he retired to Anagni, where he composed his treatise De Conte.mptu Mundi, sine de Miseriit Humance Conditions. On the day that Celestine died, Jan. 8, 1198, al- though but 37 years old, he was unanimously chosen his successor by the college of cardinals. He reluctantly accepted the tiara; but as soon as he was firmly seated on his throne, he show- ed himself a worthy successor of Gregory VII. Aiming to establish the supremacy of papal rwer, he soon made his influence felt in near- every part of Christendom. His first care was to restore order in the administration of the city of Rome, by forcing into submission such civil officers as had hitherto sworn alle- giance to the emperor; he then extended his authority over the cities of central Italy which had been usurped by vassals of the empire, and, while vindicating his political rights, ap- peared as the champion of justice, humanity, and morality. Philip Augustus of France hav- ing repudiated his wife Ingeburga of Denmark to marry Agnes of Meran, Innocent excom- municated him in 1199, and put his kingdom under an interdict. After resisting for eight months, the king yielded to the pontifical au- thority, dismissed his new queen, and took back the Danish princess. Innocent had pre- viously been instrumental in bringing about a five years' truce between Philip Augustus and Richard I. of England. About the same time he was appointed guardian of young Frederick of Hohenstaufen, the son of the late emperor Henry VI., and of Constanza, queen of Naples and Sicily ; but he refused Frederick the inves- titure of his kingdom of Sicily until he had set at liberty Queen Sibyl, her daughter, and her son William, who had been imprisoned by Henry VI. He was soon called to interfere in the political affairs of Germany. Philip of Swabia and Otho of Brunswick were now contending for the imperial crown. Innocent, after trying in vain to bring about a pacifica- tion between the rivals, took the part of the latter, who nevertheless was unable to stand his ground, and was obliged to take refuge in England. Meanwhile the pope had increased his power in Italy, and concluded with the cities of Lombardy an alliance against Philip of Swabia, by which he was enabled to reappear as a mediator; he proposed a compromise, leaving Philip in undisputed right to the impe- rial crown, and declaring Otho his successor. This agreement had scarcely been entered into when the emperor was murdered by one of his followers. Otho was immediately acknowl- edged by most of the German princes, and in 1209 proceeded to Rome, where he received the imperial crown at the hands of the pope. But the new emperor soon showed signs of de- termined hostility to the power of the pope, seized upon several cities of central Italy, and claimed Naples and Sicily as fiefs of the em- pire. Innocent at once excommunicated him, called for the assistance of France, and sum- oned the electors to choose another emperor. They deposed Otho in 1212, and elected Fred- erick, king of Naples and Sicily. Innocent acted also a conspicuous part in the events which marked the latter part of King John's reign in England. The election of Stephen Langton to the archbishopric of Canterbury, supported by the pope and opposed by the king, was the cause of a protracted dispute, in the course of which John, resorting to violent and even cruel measures, saw his kingdom placed under an interdict, and himself excommunica- ted, and finally deposed by the pope, Philip Au- gustus being directed to put the sentence into execution. John, frightened into submission, complied with the humiliating terms which were dictated to him by the pope's legate, and put his dominions under the protection of the Roman see (1213). Innocent immediately commanded the king of France to desist from the attack upon England, which belonged to the church; thenceforth taking up the cause of his vassal, he supported him in his contest against his revolted subjects and the attacks of Louis of France, the son of Philip Augustus, but could not prevent his being driven out of England. His zeal in maintaining the sanctity of marriage was also displayed in the case of Alfonso IX., king of Leon and Castile, who had taken to wife his own niece, a daughter of Sancho I. of Portugal. As both princes resist- ed the repeated remonstrances of the pope, he laid their kingdoms under an interdict and themselves under the ban of excommunication, until the scandal ceased. Afterward he united these sovereigns and the kings of Aragon and Navarre in a crusade against the Moors, which resulted in the victory of Navas de Tolosa, Ju- ly 16, 1212. Pedro II. of Aragon was crown- ed in Rome by Innocent, to whom he did hom- age for his dominions; and the title of king was conferred on Leo of Armenia, Premislas of Bohemia, and Joannicus prince of the Bul- garians. In Norway Sverrer the Great had baffled all the efforts made by the legates of Celestine III. to check his tyranny. Innocent, being appealed to by the king and his nobles, after hearing both parties, excommunicated Sverrer, and released his subjects from their allegiance. One of his first undertakings after his election had been to preach and organize the fourth crusade. Its failure arose from the vio- lation of the oath imposed by him on its chiefs not to make war on any Christian power. Ho displayed the most uncompromising severity against heresy, the extirpation of which was with him a matter at once of duty and policy ; this led him to sanction the crusade against