A SHORT time after the death of Sylvester II. a patrician, consuls, twelve senators, a prefect, and popular assemblies, were seen to re-appear at Rome. A second Crescentius, the son perhaps of the first, filled the prefectorial office. As to the patrician, who was named John, and who was the principal author of the reestablishment of this civil magistracy, he is expressly designated to us as son of the first Crescentius. But in 1013, Henry II. came to Rome: he received from Pope Benedict VIII. the imperial crown: and the Romans, in spite of their menaces, lost once more their independence. Baronius¹³⁴ relates a diploma in which Henry confirms the donations of his predecessors: it is added that Benedict, before receiving this emperor, made him swear that he would be faithful to the pope, and regard himself only as the defender and advocate of the Roman Church. Glaber,¹³⁵ a contemporary historian, after having related this coronation, says, that it appears very reasonable, and a thing well established, that no prince could take the title of emperor, ‘save he whom the pope shall have chosen and clothed with the insignia of this dignity:’ words which seem much less to express in this place the sentiment of an individual than an opinion generally established in his time. ¹³⁴ Ann. Eccles. ad ann. 1014. vol. 9, p. 48. ¹³⁵ Hiclor, 1. l, c. ult. However Mabillon¹³⁶ and Muratori¹³⁷ deny the authenticity of the diploma instanced by Baronius; and we see that in 1020, when Benedict VIII. resorted to Henry in Germany, this prince confirmed the donations of his predecessors with an express reservation of the imperial sovereignty. John XIX. the successor of Benedict, was banished by the Romans, and restored by the Emperor Conrade, in 1033, whom he had crowned in 1027. After John, who survived his re-establishment but a short time, his nephew was elected pope, and took the name of Benedict IX. when he, according to Glaber,¹³⁸ was but ten years of age. ¹³⁶ Annal. Bened. ann. 1014. ¹³⁷ Annals of Italy, year 1014, vol. 6, p. 45. ¹³⁸ Lib. 4, c. 6,1. 6, c. 6. The elevation of an infant to the pontifical throne is not probable; but all circumstances concur in proving that Benedict IX. was in 1033 but a very young man: he bore to the chair of St. Peter the thoughtlessness and irregularities of youth; and he was equally reproached for his robberies and assassinations as for his gallantries. Behold how he is pouryrayed to us by Victor III. one of his successors and contemporaries¹³⁹ : ¹³⁹ J Dialo. 1: 3, In app. Chron. Cassin. vol. 1.