OV THE ROMAN EMPIRE,

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mended in Italy a more effectual choice; instead chapof a private citizen, to whom they yielded a vo-^ ^luntary and precarious obedience,.the Romans claries orelected for their senator some prince of inde-pendent power, who could defend them fromtheir enemies and themselves. Charles of An-jou and Provence , the most ambitious and war-like monarch of the age, accepted at the sametime the kingdom of Naples from the pope, andthe office of senator from the Roman people. dAs he passed through the city, in his road tovictory, he received their oath of allegiance,lodged in the Lateran palace , and smoothed ina short visit the harsh features of his despoticcharacter. Yet even Charles was exposed tothe inconstancy of the people, who saluted withthe same acclamations the passage of his rival,the unfortunate Conradin; and a powerful aven-ger, who reigned in thecapitol, alarmed the fearsand jealousy of the popes. The absolute termof his life was superseded by a renewal everythird year; and the enmity of Nicholas the thirdobliged the Sicilian king to abdicate the govern-ment of Rome . In his bull, a perpetual law,

(lie imperious pontiff asserts the truth, validity,and use, of the donation of Constantine, not lessessential to the peace of the city than to the in-dependence of the church; establishes the annualelection of the senator; and formally disquali-

d The election of Charles of Anjou to the office of perpetual senatorof Koine is mentioned by the historians in the eighth volume of thecollection of Mnratori, by Nicholas de Jamsilla (p. 592), the monk ofPadua (p. 724), Sahas Malaspina (h ii, c. 9, p. SOS), and RicordanoMalespini (c. 177 p. 9991