Page:A Biographical Dictionary of the Celebrated Women of Every Age and Country (1804).djvu/137

BENEVENTO, (AGELTRUDE, or ROCHTRUDE) Empress of the West. Daughter of Adelgise II. Prince of Benevento, Wife of Guy, duke of Camerino, crowned Emperor 891.

On the day even on which he received the purple, Guy, by a diploma, confirmed to Ageltrude the possession of her hereditary domains, and whatever his fondness had added to them. The next year he associated his son Lambert, though very young, in the empire. He died in 894; but though he left a powerful enemy in Berenger, the duke of Friuli, with whom he himself had been at war, yet this event, by the talents of Ageltrude, was of no disservice to her son. She tried to engage the pope's interest on the side of Lambert; but was not deceived by his false pretences of regard, and guided by her counsels, Lambert put himself at the head of his troops, and recovered what Arnold, the king of Germany, invited by Berenger, had conquered from him. This prince, at the instances of the pope, passed into Italy, in the spring of 896, and marched to Rome. But when he arrived near it, he found the empress, resolute to maintain the rights of her son, had foreseen his intention, and stationed herself with a large body of troops in that city. The temporising pope, whose duplicity she was well assured of, had been put in prison by a faction, which she joined; and Arnold, foreseeing the difficulties of a siege, was almost tempted to retire, but a fortunate change in his circumstances put him in possession of the city, when he released the pope from prison, who, in return, crowned him emperor; and took vengeance on his enemies: but Ageltrude had escaped, and was gone to join her son at Spoleto, whither Arnold followed, and laid siege also to that place;

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