upon themselves as the allies more than as the enemies of Roman power, and who had at first bravely stood forth in its defence, had advanced their establishments over the present Netherlands to the limits of modern France; whilst the central provinces, preserved to the empire by the victories of Etius, were, like Britain, gradually abandoned to themselves, and came to obey, under Roman forms and titles, the wealthiest and most powerful of the native provincials. It was thus that Count Egidius, and after him his son Syagrius, governed, and were even said to have reigned at Soissons.

It is singular to observe that, of all the nations which overran Gaul, that which eventually subdued the rest, and gave its name both to the land and to the general race, was the least united, and the least advanced in the arts of life and policy. Both the Goths and the Burgundians

were more civilised than the Franks. Each of the former was a nation forming one race, and obeying one monarch and family of monarchs. The Franks, on the contrary, were but a looser kind of confederacy, which held together still less as they advanced from the Rhine. Each town or territory had its petty and independent sovereign; and previous to Clovis, we meet with no sign of supreme chief or capital town amongst them. This, no doubt, was advantageous to them. They were thus more free to emigrate and to invade. It left the throne of chieftaincy open to the first leader of pre-eminent talents; whilst the vagueness and comprehensiveness of their name was calculated to congregate and admit beneath their banner any roving bands, or even whole nations, of barbarians that might be in search of plunder or establishments.

vase.

Such is the secret of the rise of Clovis, the founder of the French monarchy. He was the young chief or king of a small colony of the Franks established at Tournay. In conjunction with the Frank chief of Cambray, he attacked Syagrius, the provincial governor of the Soissonnois, defeated him, and took possession of his territory and capital (A.D. 485). It was on this occasion the circumstance took place, so often narrated and alluded to as a proof of the piety of the king, and the independent habits of the barbarians. A silver vase, reserved for sacred uses, had been taken, amidst other plunder, from the church of Rheims. It was at Soissons that the distribution of booty was to take place. Thither came Saint Remy, bishop of Rheims, supplicating for the restoration of the silver Clovis was favourable to the bishop's request, and sought to gratify it. He addressed his assembled soldiers, and begged of them, in addition to his share, to grant him the vase in question. Ere the assembly could answer, a cholerous soldier, jealous of his rights, struck the vase with his axe, exclaiming that the king had no right to more than fell to his allotment. Despite the rudeness of the act, it was still consonant to the habits and laws of the free barbarians. Clovis was obliged to dissemble his resentment, and defer his vengeance. It was not until several months after, that, at a review, he took an opportunity to find fault with the breaker of the vase for the bad condition of his arms. Clovis flung the soldier's axe to the ground, and whilst the latter stooped to pick up the weapon, the monarch slew him with a blow of his own, exclaiming, "Thus didst thou use the vase of Soissons!"

Clovis, like all the heroes and eminent men of these ages, paid great respect to the church, and received considerable advantage from its aid.

B 2

The Franks had been hitherto heathens; but Clovis, having married Clotilda, a Burgundian princess, became instructed in the rites and religion of the Christians. In the heat of a battle against the Germans in the neighbourhood of Cologne, Clovis recalled the example of Constantine, who in a doubtful moment of action invoked the God of the Christians, and was heard. The king of the Franks imitated the example of the Roman, prayed for victory to the God of Clotilda and of Constantine, won it soon after, and was baptized, with the greater number of his followers, in grateful acknowledgement of the divine aid. Clovis had the good fortune to imbibe christianity at its pure source. The Visigoth and Burgundian monarchs, though Christian, were Arians at this time, Clovis received the orthodox faith, which brought to him the zealous support of the Gaulish clergy, and gave to him the title of Most Christian King, worn by his successors to the present day.

The comparison between Clovis and Constantine might be followed further. Their embracing of christianity had a similar effect upon both. Instead of tempering their passions, and inspiring them with the virtues of mildness and mercy, it seems to have rather given rein to their ferocity and blood-thirstiness. The domestic murders committed by Constantine, that of his wife and of his son, are known. To assassination Clovis united perfidy. All the rival monarchs or chieftains whom he could conquer or entrap were sacrificed to his jealousy and ambition. The whole race of a rival family was extirpated, in some instances by the hand of Clovis himself. How could christianity be made conducive to such crimes? By being coupled with the corrupt doctrine of personal confession and absolution, which, by superseding the voice of conscience, took away all natural obstacles to crime, and held forth, in a barbarous age, the certain prospect of impunity.

Although Clovis won a great battle over the Visigoths in Aquitaine, and obtained a nominal dominion over a portion of that province, nevertheless, his kingdom cannot be said to have really extended beyond the Loire. His system, though favourable to conquest, was by no means so to extended sway. Whilst the Gothic and Burgundian chiefs dispersed and settled on the soil, a considerable portion of which they forced from the native proprietors, the Franks remained in a warlike body, a kind of standing army, about the king. Even if they did scatter and divide, for the greater convenience of pasturage and provision, into winter quarters, in spring they never failed to re-assemble in their Champ de Mars; a kind of half parliament, half review, at first used for discussing and arranging plans of conquest. But in time, as the inferior order of warriors ceased to attend, and the prelates appeared there in greater numbers and influence, the national assembly came to exercise judicial and legislative functions, to elect sovereigns and officers, and to sanction laws.

About the

Clovis reigned until the year 511. He had first fixed his residence at Soissons, and was crowned in the cathedral of Rheims. middle of his reign he transferred the seat of sovereignty to Paris. Its central situation and security, owing to its being surrounded by the Seine, proved the wisdom of the choice. Clovis ended his days in his new capital, and was buried in the church of St. Généviève, its future patron, so honoured for having defended it successfully by her prayers against the menaces of Attila.

II. THE MEROVINGIANS.

SECTION 1.-GOVERNMENT OF KINGS.

The Sons of Clovis-After the death of Clovis (511) the possessions of the Franks, which already comprised two-thirds of Gaul, were divided among his four sons, according to the usages of the barbarians. The eldest, Theodoric, resided at Metz, Clodomir at Orleans, Childebert at Paris, and Clothaire at Soissons. Each of them, besides, allotted to himself his own share in the southern provinces. In like manner, the custom of his tribe in requiring military service, instead of rents or taxes, was extended to the succession to the throne; and thus the Salic law of these barbarians prevents to this day a female from reigning in France.

Clodomir died in Burgundy, and left three young children, who were put to death by their uncles. Childebert had only had daughters. The issue of Theodoric had become extinct after disastrous campaigns in Italy. Clothaire became, therefore, like Clovis, the sole king of France (558.) But like him, he left four sons, and the same horrors recommenced. One of these, Caribert, died, and there were now only three kings in France: Gonthram the king of Burgundy, Chilperic the king of Neustria, and Sigebert the king of Austrasia.

Frédégonde and Brunehaut.-Peace under such conditions was impossible. Whilst Sigebert was defending Austrasia against an invasion of barbarians, Chilperic seized upon some contested towns. This led to a first war; a reconciliation, however, speedily took place, and the two brothers married two sisters, daughters of the king of the Visigoths, Brunhault and Galsevinthe. But Fredegund, a peasant girl, the favourite handmaid of Galsevinthe, had obtained such mastery over the weak mind of Chilperic, that she caused the queen to be strangled, and took her place. The queen of Austrasia, Brunhault, was resolved to avenge her sister, and thus was laid the foundation of the animosities which caused torrents of blood to be shed, and rent asunder the empire of the Franks for upwards of half a century.

Sigebert summoned the Germans to his aid, marched against Chilperic, defeated the Neustrians every where, burnt their towns, and at length held Chilperic a prisoner in Tournay, believing himself already master of Neustria, when two of Fredegund's emissaries stabbed him with poisoned knives (575). The Neustrians then took their revenge: Chilperic marched on Paris, and Brunhault became the captive of Fredegund. She, however, had had time to preserve her son, five years old, from the vengeance of her enemies. The Austrasian grandees carried the young Childebert with them, and raised him to the throne: the moment to repair their fortunes had arrived, and they profited by it.

Meanwhile Brunhault, having, by the force of her beauty, seduced

Mérovée, the son of Chilperic, found means to escape. But the unfortunate man could not suffer her to depart alone, and married her. Pursued, betrayed, he caused himself to be killed by a friend rather than fall into the hands of Fredegund, whose fury was not yet abated. In order to secure power in her own hands, she ridded herself likewise of the brothers of Mérovée, and, it is recorded, instigated one of her lovers also to assassinate Chilperic her husband (584). At length she remained alone, with a son scarcely four months old. Her position was a difficult one. The widow of Chilperic implored the protection of the king of Burgundy, the good Gonthram, who had already mediated between his brothers. Gonthram, good easy man, imagined that he was about peaceably to govern the states of his nephews, and thus to hold undivided sway over the empire of the Franks, as his father had done. But a natural son of Clothaire 1., Gondovald, had hastened from Constantinople to the south of Gaul, and had taken Toulouse, Bordeaux, Périgueux, and Angoulême. Gonthram finding himself abandoned by the clergy, on whose support he had reckoned, fell back altogether on Austrasia, adopted his nephew Childebert, made him his heir, and with the united forces of Austrasia and Burgundy, overwhelmed Gondovald and crushed him. Then was concluded the treaty of Andelot, which, besides opening Burgundy to the king of Austrasia, had the important result of insuring to the chiefs of the Franks and their vassals the undisturbed possession of their lands and revenues (587).

The treaty of Andelot did not, however, terminate the war between the two queens. The Austrasians invaded Neustria. Fredegund repulsed them. But her death, after that of Gonthram, leaving the young son of Chilperic, Clothaire II., without support against his enemies, he was compelled to yield them a portion of his kingdom. But, in truth, the dissensions among the conquerors soon gave him back more than he had lost. The aged Brunhault, expelled by her grandson Theudebert, whom she had debased in order to maintain power in her own hands, took refuge in Burgundy, where she was destined to exercise greater ascendancy. She armed the heir of Gonthram against his brother Theudebert. Theudebert had already been twice defeated, when his adversary died. Brunhault, who was detested by the Austrasian grandees for having in some respects restored the imperial administration, and by the people and the priests for having persecuted saints, was delivered up without defence to the king of Neustria. After a short struggle she was condemned to be bound alive to the tail of a wild horse, and so torn to pieces.

Then the king of Neustria, Clothaire Il., believed himself all-powerful. But his victory had been that of the great vassals and the priests. The bishops commenced to sit in the assemblies of the grandees. This was the commencement of the dominion of the church in the kingdom of the Franks.

Dagobert.-It was not without a struggle that the Austrasians would submit to the authority of the king of Neustria, and it was necessary to render them the provinces which had belonged to them, and to give them a king of their own. After the death of Clothaire a new partition of the country took place. His son Dagobert, already at the head of the Austrasians, had Neustria and Burgundy; the ancient kingdom founded by the Visigoths between the Loire, the Pyrenees, and the Rhone, being

allotted to his brother. But the latter died, and Dagobert having put his nephew to death, thus obtained entire possession of the kingdom. After this, surrounded by Roman ministers, by the goldsmith, St. Eloi, and by the refendary St. Ouen, he founded convents, caused church ornaments to be manufactured, drew up laws, and ultimately gave himself up to cruelty and debauchery. During this period the Saxons emancipated themselves from the tribute which they paid to the Franks; the Franks were defeated by the Venedes, the Avarians established themselves in Bavaria. The Gascons and Britons made their voluntary submission to the priests by whom the king was surrounded. This was the last conquest, the last symptom of power of the Merovingian kings (636).

SECTION II.-GOVERNMENT OF THE MAYORS OF THE PALACE.

The Austrasian chiefs, to whom Brunhault had confided her son, had, in raising on the shield a child which would for a long time be incapable of bearing arms, elected one of their number as major-domus, or mayor of the palace, who was entrusted with the education of the youthful king and the government of the country. About this period, the whole empire of the Franks was divided between children. Austrasia, Neustria, and Burgundy, each had their mayor. This was no new dignity; but hitherto these officers had been the creatures of the king, whilst now they entirely ruled him, and in the name of the chiefs became his master. Thus a rival power grew up by the side of the crown-a dynasty of mayors. Pepin was mayor of Austrasia, after him his son Grunwald, who, on the death of Sigebert, one of Dagobert's sons, endeavoured to usurp the sceptre to his own family, by imprisoning Dagobert II. in an Irish monastery.

The monarchy of the Franks was becoming extinct, the mayors of the palace in vain endeavouring to maintain it. One of them, Erchinwald, was for a short period sole master of Austrasia, of Neustria, and Burgundy. whilst Clovis II. was giving himself up to debauchery, and after the death of that king, who left three sons, he still maintained undivided sway (654). But when he died in his turn, the Austrasians would not recognise the famous Ebrouin, whom the Neustrians had raised to the mayoralty. Power was once more divided. Austrasia had its king, Childeric II., and its mayor. The war then naturally recommenced between Neustria and Austrasia, eternally rivals. Ebrouin, abandoned by the great chiefs whom he had endeavoured to deprive of their privileges, was vanquished and incarcerated in a convent with a young king, fifteen years old, Thierry III., whom he had imposed upon Neustria. Childeric II. then reigned alone, but knew not how to profit by his victory. He estranged the nobles from him, who assassinated him in the forest of Chelles, with his wife and his son (674).

In Austrasia, the freemen had taken Dagobert II. from his monastery in Ireland. But on his side, Ebrouin, having also left his monastery, depended on the phantom of a king to resume authority anew; he returned to Neustria and put to death the bishop of Autun, Saint Léger, whom he accused of the murder of Childeric II. By way of reprisal, the mayor Pepin and his brother, nephews of Grunwald, caused the unfortu