FROM CHARLEMAGNE TO HILDEBRAND 159 partisanship ; popes followed each other in rapid succession j and then throughout the first half of the tenth century came a series who degraded the sacred office to the lowest depths. As a natural consequence the demoralisation permeated the whole ecclesiastical organisation in Italy, and was not without its corrupting influence beyond the Alps. Otto intervened in Italy, which he entered in arms, and was first crowned King of Italy and then in the following year Emperor. Otto contented otto, himself with removing the pope and replacing him Emperor, 962. by another of respectable character. He did not make a vigorous effort to reform the papacy; but he definitely reunited Germany and Italy under the empire, and brought Italy into the field of the operations of the German kings. The change was emphasised under Otto II., and otto II. and still more under Otto in., who actually made otto ni. Rome his capital, and imposed two excellent German popes, Bruno and Gerbert, Gregory v. and Sylvester 11. of the Church. His idea was the restoration of the Roman Empire with Rome as its centre. Otto in. was succeeded by Henry of Bavaria, who reverted to German policy ; that is to say, he treated Germany as the predominant instead of the subordinate portion of the empire. The control over the papacy lapsed, and for a short time the family of the otherwise unimportant counts of Tusculum managed to keep the succession to the papacy to themselves. Its char- acter, which the Ottos had sought to rehabilitate, again sank painfully low. On the other hand Henry completed the German kingdom by the absorption of Burgundy. He died childless, and a second Conrad of Franconia was elected. Franconian The reign of Conrad's successor Henry m. pre- Emperors. pared the way for a great change. The degradation of the papacy and the attendant demoralisation had already produced a reaction, and a reforming spirit was at work especially among the members of the Cluniac Order of the monks. Henry set himself to carry out a reforma- tion. He had not himself the slightest intention of conceding an iota of the Imperial supremacy to the Roman pontiff, but the clergy who were zealous for moral reformation were precisely
