capital.

A very splendid Prince of the Church was Cardinal Corrado, the
envoy dispatched by Pope Honorius II., full armed with apostolic
weapons to reduce the rebellious Infante of Portugal into proper
subjection.

His approach was heralded by the voice of rumour. Affonso
Henriques heard of it without perturbation. His conscience at
ease in the absolution which he had wrung from Mother Church
after his own fashion, he was entirely absorbed in preparations
for a campaign against the Moors which was to widen his
dominions. Therefore when at length the thunderbolt descended, it
fell--so far as he was concerned--from a sky entirely clear.

It was towards dusk of a summer evening when the legate, in a
litter slung in line between two mules, entered Coimbra. He was
attended by two nephews, Giannino and Pierluigi da Corrado, both
patricians of Rome, and a little knot of servants. Empanoplied in
his sacred office, the cardinal had no need of the protection of
men-at-arms upon a journey through god-fearing lands.

He was borne straight to the old Moorish palace where the Infante
resided, and came upon him there amid a numerous company in the
great pillared hall. Against a background of battle trophies,
livid weapons, implements of war, and suits of mail both Saracen
and Christian, with which the bare walls were hung, moved a
gaily-clad, courtly gathering of nobles and their women-folk,
when the great cardinal, clad from head to foot in scarlet,
entered unannounced.