204 ^^^^^^ stories were told of Ws crossing rivers dry-shod, and causing vult- ures to descend from on high at his simple command. The BoLnese we so loath to part with him that they used gentle vi2i?nceo retain him, and only let him go after Gregory had Ordered their city laid under interdict, and had threatened to de- ^Zot its episcopal dignity any place which should detain him against his wV After completely succeeding in his mission to Xence he was despatched on a similar one to Lombardy. The League which had been so efficient an instrument in curbing the fmpSl power, was breaking up. Fears were entertained that Fred ri would soon return from Germany with an army, and a portion of the Lombard cities and nobles were disposed to invite toi Some countervailing influence was required, and nothing ^re effective than Giovanni's eloquence could be resorted to. At Padua, Treviso, Conigliano, Ceneda, Oderzo Belluno and Jd^ tre he preached on the text " Blessed are the eet of the bearers of peace" with such effect that even the terrible Ezzehn da Ro- manoTsaid to have twice burst into tears. The whole land was Sec save the ancestral quarrel between Ezzehn and the counts of Carni San Piero, which unpardonable wrongs had rendered LlarJe After a visit to Mantua, the apostle of peace went to Verona then besieged by an army of Mantuans, Bo ognese, BreTcTans and Faenzans, where he pei^uaded the assailants to wrdrTw L the Veronese, in gratitude, proclaimed him podesta
- Tac«ion. He promptly made use of the position o burn
•n the maWace some sixty heretics of both sexes belongmg to the noblest f amihes of the city. Then he summoned to a great iemWy in a plain hard by all the confederate cities and nobles^ Obtdie?t to hi caU there came the Patriarch of Aquileia, the BisCs of Mantua, Brescia, Bologna Modena,ReggioT^^^^^^^^ Vlrpn/a Padua and Ceneda, Ezzehn da Romano, the Marquis oi Se who tt Lord of Mantua, the Count of San Bonifacio, who fuled FeLra, and delegates from aU the cities with their carro- cW The mu titude was diversely estimated at from forty thou- ■ id to Ave hundred thousand souls, who were wrought by his XL to the utmost enthusiasm of mutual ^f ~,,^^ denouncing as rebels and enemies of the Church all who adhered to Frderi! or invited him to Italy, Giovanni induced his auditors to Iwetrto accept such settlement of their quarrels as he should
