1. Romans 5: 3-5
........In those times, I myself was born- on the 8th of the Kalends of August, 1001 years after the Incarnation. Yet why tarry with useless words- attend dear Reader, as we return to the business at hand, long neglected.
The Emperor desired to restore the long dilapidated glory of the antique Romans, doing much to this end- about which different people thought different things. He was wont to eat alone at a semi-circular table, raised higher than the others. On a visit to Aquae Granni, he doubted where lay the bones of Carolus Caesar, and demanded to see them- once the grave had been opened and the lightless eyes of the old emperor had met those of his successor, he ordered a tooth to be taken back to Rome, where even now it may be seen as a miracle and monition towards faith and peace. In return for the tooth, the Emperor placed a golden cross which had been hanging from his neck onto that of Carolus Caesar and ordered him to be lain to rest once more.
Yet why narrate his every coming and going through the counties and bishoprics of the realm? Suffice it to say that he set aright the Transalpine Empire and returned to the Romulean Citadel, where he was received with great praise by the Apostolic seat and its cobishops.
After this, Gregory, who at that time was count of Tusculum and well beloved of the emperor, attempted to capture him with shameful deceit. He gathered a band of conspirators and forced his way through the city, aided and abetted by the base and vulgar of the Roman city- who are never pleased with their lords, for shame, and respond to the gentle hand of piety with such evil. The Emperor slipped through the snapping jaws of the city with his closest followers and began, asking them whether if their honour had been so stained they would stand in military rank behind him. Meanwhile, the Romans reddened from the shame of their crime and argued amongst themselves how best to submit themselves once again to Imperial grace.
As they delayed, the Emperor’s heart grew heavy in the knowledge that though he possessed all the countries of the Romans and the Lombards, Rome itself, which he professed to love and care for above all else, had hardened herself to him.Though he took care at all times to dissimulate and maintain a cheerful countenance, he was known to weep rivers by night. In those days he dispersed much wealth in alms and fasted almost the whole week, barring the fifth day.
Then arrived to the imperial presence the venerable holder of the Aggrippine Seat, Archbishop Heribert, and the patrician Ziazo, who as always held in his power the skill of mutating the Emperor’s despair into delight. In their retinue, they were accompanied by a legate of the Ambrosian Episcopate, to which had been entrusted some years prior the most excellent mission to Romania and the quest for a bride who might match the Emperor’s own dignity. The Emperor turned his shining face towards these welcome words and learnt the name of his bride to be- Zoe, which is in the language of the Greeks, life- and that she was presently on her route towards him.
Stirred by the promise of his new Life, and accompanied by his cousin Heinricus, Duke of the Bavarians as well as Petrus Urseolus, Duke of the Venetians, whose son had been baptised under the auspices and grace of the Emperor. As the Imperial procession marched south and news of the imminent celebration spread, the bubbling regret of the Roman populus erupted into fury at the conniving snake who had turned them against their natural lord, and praise be to the ever living and ever merciful God, the gates of Rome were thrown open before the Emperor. By the Grace of God, the Consors of the Imperium of the Romans, Zoe Porphyrogenita, was anointed with holy chrism by Pope Sylvester II before the primates of the realm and joined in flesh and spirit with the universal earthly Emperor Otto, third of his name on the anniversary of our lords suffering and resurrection , in the year 1002 of His Incarnation.
The most pious lord and lady found their union not bereft of divine favour, for many miracles were heard of in the land, which will greatly amaze you to hear dear Reader. In my fathers own castle, a boar with eight tusks was sighted and brought down with much difficulty. In Quidlinberg Abbey, an infant was found and entrusted to the Abbess who remained eternally young of body- and even now I have heard from dear friends that if you visit you may see and converse with him, and wonder at his form which does not appear more than ten years old, though many decades have passed since then. This and much more was said to have passed, the import of which must be obvious to any with eyes to see- and yet, why tarry with useless words dear Reader?
The truest sign of the divine favour that blessed the house of the Vicar of God was that even before the Lady Empress Zoe’s second coronation at Aquae Granni, fruit of her body had already entered the light of this world.
The Emperor desired to restore the long dilapidated glory of the antique Romans, doing much to this end- about which different people thought different things. He was wont to eat alone at a semi-circular table, raised higher than the others. On a visit to Aquae Granni, he doubted where lay the bones of Carolus Caesar, and demanded to see them- once the grave had been opened and the lightless eyes of the old emperor had met those of his successor, he ordered a tooth to be taken back to Rome, where even now it may be seen as a miracle and monition towards faith and peace. In return for the tooth, the Emperor placed a golden cross which had been hanging from his neck onto that of Carolus Caesar and ordered him to be lain to rest once more.
Yet why narrate his every coming and going through the counties and bishoprics of the realm? Suffice it to say that he set aright the Transalpine Empire and returned to the Romulean Citadel, where he was received with great praise by the Apostolic seat and its cobishops.
After this, Gregory, who at that time was count of Tusculum and well beloved of the emperor, attempted to capture him with shameful deceit. He gathered a band of conspirators and forced his way through the city, aided and abetted by the base and vulgar of the Roman city- who are never pleased with their lords, for shame, and respond to the gentle hand of piety with such evil. The Emperor slipped through the snapping jaws of the city with his closest followers and began, asking them whether if their honour had been so stained they would stand in military rank behind him. Meanwhile, the Romans reddened from the shame of their crime and argued amongst themselves how best to submit themselves once again to Imperial grace.
As they delayed, the Emperor’s heart grew heavy in the knowledge that though he possessed all the countries of the Romans and the Lombards, Rome itself, which he professed to love and care for above all else, had hardened herself to him.Though he took care at all times to dissimulate and maintain a cheerful countenance, he was known to weep rivers by night. In those days he dispersed much wealth in alms and fasted almost the whole week, barring the fifth day.
Then arrived to the imperial presence the venerable holder of the Aggrippine Seat, Archbishop Heribert, and the patrician Ziazo, who as always held in his power the skill of mutating the Emperor’s despair into delight. In their retinue, they were accompanied by a legate of the Ambrosian Episcopate, to which had been entrusted some years prior the most excellent mission to Romania and the quest for a bride who might match the Emperor’s own dignity. The Emperor turned his shining face towards these welcome words and learnt the name of his bride to be- Zoe, which is in the language of the Greeks, life- and that she was presently on her route towards him.
Stirred by the promise of his new Life, and accompanied by his cousin Heinricus, Duke of the Bavarians as well as Petrus Urseolus, Duke of the Venetians, whose son had been baptised under the auspices and grace of the Emperor. As the Imperial procession marched south and news of the imminent celebration spread, the bubbling regret of the Roman populus erupted into fury at the conniving snake who had turned them against their natural lord, and praise be to the ever living and ever merciful God, the gates of Rome were thrown open before the Emperor. By the Grace of God, the Consors of the Imperium of the Romans, Zoe Porphyrogenita, was anointed with holy chrism by Pope Sylvester II before the primates of the realm and joined in flesh and spirit with the universal earthly Emperor Otto, third of his name on the anniversary of our lords suffering and resurrection , in the year 1002 of His Incarnation.
The most pious lord and lady found their union not bereft of divine favour, for many miracles were heard of in the land, which will greatly amaze you to hear dear Reader. In my fathers own castle, a boar with eight tusks was sighted and brought down with much difficulty. In Quidlinberg Abbey, an infant was found and entrusted to the Abbess who remained eternally young of body- and even now I have heard from dear friends that if you visit you may see and converse with him, and wonder at his form which does not appear more than ten years old, though many decades have passed since then. This and much more was said to have passed, the import of which must be obvious to any with eyes to see- and yet, why tarry with useless words dear Reader?
The truest sign of the divine favour that blessed the house of the Vicar of God was that even before the Lady Empress Zoe’s second coronation at Aquae Granni, fruit of her body had already entered the light of this world.
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