when frederick heard that james was preparing to go to war with him, he sent a messenger, mountainer pérez de sosa, to catalonia in an effort to stir up the barons and cities against james in 1298. mountainer carried with him an occitan poem, "ges per guerra no.m chal aver consir", intended as a communication with his supporters in catalonia. this communiqué seems to have had in mind ponç hug as a recipient, for the count penned a response (under the title "con d'empuria"), "a l'onrat rei frederic terz vai dir", in which he praised frederick's tact and diplomacy, but told him bluntly that he would not abandon his sovereign. this poetic transaction is usually dated to january–march, spring, or august 1296, but gerónimo zurita in the seventeenth century specifically dated the embassy of mountainer to 1298.