RELATIONS BETWEEN RICHARD AND LOTHAR. 263 aggerations of the Norman writers, we must also allow CHAP. IV. for the evident unwillingness of the French writers to say one word more about the Normans than they could help. But the whole Norman story is strange and improbable, and many of the events sound most temptingly like repetitions of earlier events. We seem to be reading the tale of Lewis and Harold over again with but slight variations. Yet the dates come within the life, perhaps within the memory, of our one original informant on the Norman side. I leave the more minute examination and final decision of the matter to those with whom Norman history is a primary object. It is enough for my purpose that the few distinctly authenticated facts fall in with the more elaborate picture in the legend, so far as to bring out the same general view of Richard's position as the firm ally of Ducal France and as the enemy of the Kingdom. of Lothar. that of his During the latter part of the reign of Lothar things Later years took a different turn. Hugh Capet now began personally 962-986. to take the lead in affairs, and his peculiar policy impressed itself on the period. We have already seen what the Policy of Hugh policy of the elder Hugh was; he would reduce the King Capet difof the French to the least possible amount of power and ferent from of territory, but he would himself never be more than father. Duke of the French. Hugh Capet followed a different policy. He was ready to be a King as soon as he could become one quietly and with a decent pretext, but he would not hazard the prize by clutching at it too soon. The relations between King and Duke during the last twenty General years of Lothar were very different from the relations peace bewhich had existed between the father of Lothar and the Kingdom father of Hugh. There was very little of open enmity, and, 1 Twenty-four years later, in 986, Dudo, then Canon of St. Quintin, was of an age to take a prominent share in public business. Dudo, 155 D. tween the and the Duchy of France. CHAP. IV. when there was any, the wily Duke contrived that it should Change in the relations between the two Frank ish King doms on the death of Otto the Great. be the King who was outwardly in the wrong. For a long time Duke Hugh acted as the vassal and friend of King Lothar, and the friendship of Duke Hugh of course carried with it the friendship of Duke Richard. On the whole this was a time of peace, a thing hitherto so unusual, between Ducal and Royal France, so much so that the Duchy actually underwent a German invasion in the cause of the King. For it was now that the relations between the two Kingdoms of the Franks again became of paramount importance. It was now that the folly of Lothar forfeited the German protectorate for himself and his Kingdom. 3 It was on the death of Otto the Great that the relations between the Eastern and the Western Kingdoms were completely changed.1 Otto the uncle had been a protector; Otto the cousin was a rival; the endless disputes about Lotharingia began again;2 war broke out, a war which, on Lothar's side, had the approval of the Duke and the other princes, but which readily suggests the suspicion that the approval was given as a snare. At any rate and Lothar. Lothar went on a wild and sudden raid against Aachen, which could produce no permanent gain, but which gave him the opportunity of occupying the city of his great invasion of ancestor, and of turning the eagle on his palace the wrong way. But the insulted Emperor retaliated by a far more tween Otto Lothar's raid on Aachen and Otto's France. 978. 1 See the detailed narrative in Richer, iii. 67-81. 66 2 Did the very name of the country, regnum Lotharii," suggest to the present Lothar the thought of recovering it? Such a motive would not be out of character with a prince whose indignation was stirred up simply because the Emperor was staying with his pregnant wife-so near the border as Aachen. So at least Richer tells us, iii. 68. 3 Richer, iii. 69. "Mox Dux et aliis primates, sine deliberandi consultatione, sententiam regiam attollunt. Sese sponte ituros cum Rege et Ottonem aut comprehensuros aut interfecturos aut fugatuos pollicentur." Rich. iii. 71. "Eream aquilam quæ in vertice palatii a Karolo magno acsi volans fixa erat, in Vulturnum converterunt. Nam Germani eam RELATIONS BETWEEN LOTHAR AND OTTO THE SECOND. 265 terrible invasion of the Western Kingdom, in which, not CHAP. IV. only the royal domains, but those of the Duke were occupied and ravaged, and Paris itself was threatened.1 This campaign of Otto the Second, like that of his greater father, was not exactly rich in military glory, but it was politically successful. Lothar, without consulting Hugh, sought Peace befor peace,2 and gave up his claims on Lotharingia.3 Hugh, Otto and who had hitherto stuck so faithfully by the King, was Lothar. alarmed at his sudden and secret reconciliation with the tween 980. between reconcilia Lothar and Emperor. He held a council of his own vassals, and, Alliance by their advice, he determined to win over Otto to himself, and which he succeeded in doing, though greatly against the Hugh; will of the King. Hugh and Lothar were however at last tion of reconciled again. Lewis the son of Lothar was, with the Hugh. consent of Hugh and the other princes, associated in the Lewis son Kingdom with his father. A ludicrous and unsuccessful elected attempt was then made to establish him at once as King King; in Aquitaine by marrying him to a princess of that riage and country. The notion was in itself a return to a rational in Favonium converterant, subtiliter significantes Gallos suo. equitatu quandoque posse devinci." It is amusing to find the characteristic vanity of the Great Nation showing itself thus early. Most likely neither Charles nor any later German had ever thought of anything of the kind. 1 Richer, iii. 74-76. 2 According to Thietmar of Merseburg (iii. 7) Lothar came in person, accompanied by his son. Richer (iii. 79) makes him send ambassadors. The speech put into their mouths seems quite to look on Otto and Lothar as royal colleagues. Otto's Imperial dignity is not hinted at; I doubt whether Richer ever uses the word Emperor at all. 3 Richer, iii. 81. "Belgicæ pars quæ in lite fuerat in jus Ottonis transiit." * See the narrative, a most full, curious, and interesting one, of Hugh's journey to the Emperor at Rome, and the snares laid for him on his return by Lothar. Richer, iii. 81-88. 5 Richer, iii. 89, 90. 6 Ib. iii. 91. "A Duce reliquisque principibus Ludovicus Rex accla matus." Others place this event in 978 or 979. Ib. iii. 92-95. Adelaide, widow of Raymond of Septimania or Gothia. Lewis divorced her. Cf. Rod. Glaber, i. 3. of Lothar his mar divorce. 981. Otto the CHAP. IV. policy with regard to Southern Gaul, if it had only been Death of set about in a wiser way. On the death of Otto the Second. Second, Lothar, notwithstanding his former cession of 983. his rights over Lotharingia, took advantage of the minority Lothar's further at of Otto the Third, and the consequent anarchy in Germany, again to assert his claims. He was pressing them with some success by force of arms, when his career was cut short by an early death.1 tempts on Lotha ringia. 986. During all this time the narrative of our French authority tells us absolutely nothing about Normandy. Yet we may well believe that Richard took the first place in the assembly of Hugh's vassals, and that Norman troops duly accompanied those of Ducal France in every expedition. The policy of Hugh, we may be sure, was always the Richard's policy of Richard. The only thing about him which even mediation his garrulous panegyrist has to tell us is that, after the in Flan ders. 965. The acces Parisian or death of the old Arnulf, when his grandson and successor the younger Arnulf refused his homage to the King, Richard stepped in as mediator. Lothar invaded Flanders, but Richard pacified King and Marquess; Arnulf rendered the homage, and his dominions were restored to him.2 And now we have at last reached the great Revolution sion of the which extinguished the last remnants of Carolingian Capetian royalty, which decided the long controversy between the dynasty. German Frank and the half Celtic, half Roman, Frenchman, which raised Paris to that rank among the cities of Gaul which it has since never lost, which raised the Lords of Paris to that rank which they have lost-it may be, not for ever-within the memory of a generation which Reign of still is young. Lothar was succeeded by his son Lewis, already his colleague in the Kingdom, but his reign was Lewis the Fifth. 986-987. 1 Richer, iii. 97–110. 2 Dudo, 155 C. Cf. Flod. A. 965. HUGH CAPET ELECTED KING. sieges 267 short and troubled. His counsellors were divided, whether CHAP. IV. he should assert his independence or should put himself under the protection of Duke Hugh. He chose the safer course, and, in the one act of his reign, he had Hugh to his helper. He attacked and besieged Rheims, in a quarrel He bewith the Archbishop Adalbero, whom he charged with Rheims having, nine years before, aided the Emperor Otto in and dies. his invasion of France.2 But an accommodation was hardly brought about between the King and the Primate, when Lewis died.3 The Princes met at Senlis to elect Diet of election at 987. trine of Adalbero. a successor. Our French writers take care not to mention Senlis. him, but we can hardly doubt that Richard of Normandy, 987. the most faithful and the most powerful vassal of Duke Hugh, was there ready to support the cause of his Lord and brother. The choice lay between the Duke of the French and the last remaining Karling, Charles, uncle of the late King and brother of Lothar. This prince was unlucky and The docunpopular, and he had given special offence by accepting elective Lotharingia, or a part of it, as a fief of the Empire. A monarchy set forth by speech from the Primate, setting forth the merits of Hugh, Archbishop and the lawfulness and necessity of elective monarchy,5 settled the minds of the waverers, if any waverers there were. Hugh was chosen King and was crowned at Noyon. Hugh Thus did an assertion of the right of election which would not have been out of place in an English Witenagemót 987. or even in a Polish Diet, become the foundation of a dynasty which was to become, more than any other in Europe, the representative of strict hereditary succession. PermaAdalbero raised to the throne a race in which, by a fate unparalleled in any other kingly house, the crown was nasty. 2 Ib. iv. 2, 3. 3 Ib. iv. 5. 1 Richer, iv. I. This is alluded to in the words, "Qui tanta capitis imminutione hebuit [any notion of the legal phrase of 'deminutio capitis'?] ut externo Regi servire non horruerit." Richer, iv. 11. elected and crowned. nence of his dy See above, p. 119. |