ENZIO, king of Sardinia (1225-1272), who played a great part in the conflict between the empire and the papacy in the first half of the 13th century, was one of the natural sons of the emperor Frederick II. by his mistress the beautiful Bianca Lancia. He was born at Palermo at the close of the year 1225, the same year in which his father married as his second wife Iolante of Jerusalem. His name is conjectured to be a corruption of the German “Hans.” In his thirteenth year he fought by his father’s side against the Lombards at the battle of Cortenuova; and in the following year (1238) the emperor, in pursuance of his determination to recover for the empire various territories claimed as fiefs of the Holy See, married Enzio to Adelasia, the widowed heiress of Sardinia and Corsica, and at the same time conferred on him the title of king of Sardinia. He also received the honour of knighthood from his father. In May 1239 he was declared vicar imperial in the north of Italy, and took command of the German and Saracen troops in the imperial army. From this time Enzio was his father’s right hand in war. He at once entered the Mardi of Ancona; and so formidable to the papacy were his achievements that the most distinguished soldier-cardinal, John of Colonna, was sent against him. Before the end of the year the pope, Gregory 1X., excommunicated Frederick and his son; and a crusade against them was soon after preached. This beating of the “drum ecclesiastic,” however, did not scare them from their purpose. In 1241 Enzio was entrusted with the command of the fleet, and in this post he added to his already high reputation by a victory over the Genoese. The pope having convoked a council at Rome, the prelates were flocking to it in large numbers in defiance of the ...