peacefully during recurring "Landfrieden," had cause to bless the day at Constance.
In himself he seems to have lacked breadth and geniality: with humble fidelity he took up the task of his inheritance: his single-mindedness and purity of character are testified to by all: there were great men whom he chose out or who trusted him: Herman of Cologne, Bruno of Toul (Leo IX), Peter Damiani. Yet he could fail with great men as with smaller: Leo IX towards the end, and Wazo of Liège he misjudged; the difficult Godfrey of Lorraine, whom he failed to understand, wellnigh wrecked his Empire. It was this personal weakness that made him, in his last years, fall below his own high standard, unable to cope with the many difficulties of his Empire. He seems weary when he comes to die. Germany looked back to him, not for the good that he had done, but for the evil which came so swiftly when his day was over.
In Germany he did not build to stand. One great thing he did to change history, and in doing it he raised up the power that was to cast down his son and destroy his Empire. His tomb and his monument should be in Rome.
