But  with  the  razing  of  Milan  to  the  ground  Barbarossa
had  touched  the  acme  of  his  power.  The  conference  of
St  Jean  marked  the  beginning  of  his  fall'  In  the  first
place,  he  had  difficulties  with  his  creature  Octavian.  When
the  antipope  found  that  Alexander  had  again  disdained
to  submit  his  claims  to  any  human  tribunal,  he  began  to
feel  keenly  his  own  dependent  position,  and  reproached  the
emperor  with  once  more  wishing  to  submit  his  cause  to
trial*  However,  the  emperor  succeeded  in  inducing  him
to  accompany  him  to  the  bridge  in  the  middle  of.  the  night,^
so  that  he  could  say  that  he  had  fulfilled  his  part  of  the
contract.     He  then  called  upon  Louis,  in  accordance  with

^  £p.  62  (March  16,  1162)  to  Ebehard.  The  Pope  says  he  knows
that  he  has  already  so  acted  ^'  ut  .  .  .  schismatici  durum  in  te  malleum
se  doleant  invenisse,"  and  begs  him  to  try  to  induce  the  emperor  "  ut
...  ad  unitatem  Catholicae  Ecclesias  revertatur."  Cf,  ep.  97.  In  the
beginning  of  11 63  the  archbishop  was  made  Alexander's  legate  "in
regno  Teutonico."    Ep.  131.
*  Cf,  the  letter  of  Ebehard  "ad  abbatem  Admontensem,"  ap.  W.,
517  n.    "  Eum  (Octavian)  et  suos  nee  videre  nee  audire  voluimus."

'  According  to  John  of  Salisbury  (ep.  145,  or  ap.  Materials  for  the
Hist,  of  Thos.  Beckett  v.  377,  R.  S.),  Frederick  acknowledged  this  himself.
*'  Nam  sicut  ipsemet  conqueritur,  ex  quo  Latonam  venit  .  .  .  successus
ejus  relapsi  sunt."

*  Boso.  The  emperor  was  not  sure  of  even  his  own  bishops.  Cf
Ann,  Egmundani^  an.  1 162,  ap.  M,  G,  SS.^  xvi.  "  Plures  erant  qui
Alexandro  favebant."

*  Hist,  Vizeliac,^  ap.  M,  G,  SS.^  xxvi.  p.  147.
