their
powerful opponent in the field, and when, as often happened, they were
brought to bay, they made a feigned submission, and obtained mercy by
vows they never meant to keep. Meanwhile events had been taking place
in another quarter, that called away Charlemagne, and obliged him to
leave his generals to watch over them.

The Lombard king, Desiderius, had made use of his absence to plunder
the papal see, to which Adrian had now succeeded. With some difficulty
the Pope contrived to give his friend notice of his danger, when
Charlemagne assembled a vast army, one division of which he himself
led into Italy over the Alps by Mount Cenis, while the other was
conducted to the same ground by his uncle, Duke Bernard, over the Mons
Jovis, or Mount Joux, which from this event received the name it has
borne ever since, of the Great Saint Bernard. Although surprised by an
invasion from a quarter so unexpected, Desiderius marched out to meet
his enemy, but his flank being turned, he fled hastily to Pavia,
without having struck a blow; Charlemagne pursued the fugitives, but
finding the city too strong to be taken by storm, he blockaded it with
one portion of his army, while with the other he proceeded against
Verona, having reduced which, he returned to the siege of Pavia. Month
after month passed, till at length Easter approached, when, leaving
the city blockaded as before, he determined to visit Rome in his
capacity of patrician or governor. His march through the Italian towns
was one of uninterrupted triumph; everywhere he was met with
acclamations, and at Rome he was received by the Pope, as well as the
people, with the liveliest expressions of gratitude for having freed
them from the tyranny of the Lombards. The friendship then cemented
between Adrian and his young deliverer lasted through the remainder of
their lives without any serious interruption.

Having thus asserted his rights of Patrician or Exarch, Charlemagne
was liberal in his donations to the Church, and soon afterward
returned to the siege of Pavia, which it now became important for him
to bring to a speedy conclusion, the Saxons having again taken
advantage of his absence to ravage his frontiers. About the middle of
the year, the city surrendered, and he was crowned with the iron crown
of Lombardy. He then marched against the Saxons, defeating them
whenever they ventured to make a stand, till they found their best
resource was in submission.

It was not long