may be the confequences of the late revolution time only can difcover. Of all the European kingdoms, Great Britain, perhaps, enjoys the highest degree of profperity and glory. She ought, therefore, to be very attentive to preferve fo brilliant an exiftence. A great empire cannot be continued in a happy fituation, but by wifdom and moderation. The unhappy conteft of this country with the American colonies, plunged her into great difficulties. Her national debt has been much augmented, and her taxes greatly increafed. Peace is an unfpeakable bleffing, and all means fhould be used to cherish and maintain it. War is a dreadful evil, and a nation fhould Never be involved in it without the most urgent neceffity. CHA P. LVI. FRANCE. Tranfalpine Gaul was the Name given to France by the Ro mans.-The Franks gave it the Name of France.-Clovis, and the Merovingian Race of Kings. THE HE kingdom of France, which was by the Romans, called Tranfalpine Gaul, or Gaul beyond the Alps, to diftinguish it from Cifalpine Gaul, on the Italian fide of the Alps, was probably peopled from Italy, to which it lies contiguous. Like other European nations, it foon became a defirable object to the ambitious Romans; and, after a brave refiftance, was annexed to their empire by the invincible arms of Julius Cæfar, about forty-eight years before Chrift. Gaul continued in the poffeffion of the Romans till the downfal of that empire in the fifth century, when it became a prey to the Goths, the Burgundians, and the Franks, who fubdued, but did not extirpate the ancient natives. The Franks themselves, who gave it the name of France, or Frankenland, were a collection of feveral people inhabiting Germany, and particularly the Salii, who lived on the banks of the river Sale, and who cultivated the principles of jurifprudence better than their neighbours. Thofe Sali had a rule, which the rest of the Franks are faid to have adopted, and has been by the modern Franks applied to the fucceffion of the throne, excluding alb females from the inheritance of fovereignty, and is well known by the name of the Salic Law. The Franks and Burgundians, after establishing their power, and reducing the original natives to a ftate of ilavery, parcelled parcelled out the lands among their principal leaders: and fucceeding kings found it neceffary to confirm their privileges, allowing them to exercife fovereign authority in their refpective governments, until they at length affumed an independency, only acknowledging the king as their head. This gave rife to thofe numerous principalities that were formerly in France, and to the feveral parliaments; for every province became, in its policy and government, an epitome of the whole kingdom; and no laws were made, or taxes raifed, without the concurrence of the grand council, confifting of the clergy and of the nobility. Thus, as in other European nations, immediately after the diffolution of the Roman empire, the firft government in France feems to have been a kind of mixed monarchy, and the power of their kings extremely circumfcribed and limited by the feudal barons. The firft Chriftian monarch of the Franks according to one of the beft French hiftorians, was Clovis, who began his reign in the year 481. The Gauls hated the dominion of the Romans, and were ftrongly attached to Chriftianity. Clovis gained on their piety, by favouring their bithops; and his marriage with Clotilda, niece to Gondebaud, king of Burgundy, made them hope that he would fpeedily embrace the faith. The attachment of his countrymen to their ancient worship was the fole objection: the pious exhortations of the queen had fome effect; and the king having vanquished the Allemanni at Tolbiac, near Cologne, after an obftinate engagement, politically afcribed the victory to the God of Clotilda, whom he faid he had invoked during the time of battle, under promife of becoming a Chriftian, if crowned with fuccefs. He was ac cordingly baptized by St. Remigius, bishop of A. D. 496. Rheims, and almoft the whole French nation followed his example. Clovis was fo affected with the eloquence of the bifhop, in defcribing the paffion and death of Chrift, that he started up, and feizing his fpear, violently exclaimed, "Had I been there with the valiant "Franks, I would have redreffed his wrongs!" But Clovis, instead of enjoying his good fortune with dignity, disfigured the latter part of his reign by perfidies and cruelties toward the princes of his houfe, whom he extirpated. He died in 511, after attempting to atone for his crimes by building and endowing churches and monafterics, and affembling a council at Orleans for the regulation of church difcipline.. On the death of Clovis, his kingdom was divided among his fons, and, on that account, involved in civil wars. A feries of weak fovereigns fucceeded, under whom the Maires du Palais, or Mayors of the Palace, a kind of viceroys, amid the diforders of civil war and anarchy, extended. their authority over both king and nobles, and poffeffed of the power of fovereigns, affumed at length the title. Pepin le Bref was the firft Maire du Palais, who made his way to the throne, and affumed the fovereignty in name as well as in reality, excluding for ever the defcendants of Clovis, or the Merovingian race * from the crown of France, after they had poffeffed it 270 years. CHAP. LVII. Carlovingian Race.-Pepin.-Charlemagne.His heroic En terprizes and Exploits. He encourages Learning and the Arts. His beautiful domeftic Character. Partition of his Empire. Incurfions of the Normans.-Their Religion and Manners.-Louis V. the last of the Carlovingian Line. EPIN, the founder of the Carlovingian race of kings, after vering Narbonne from the infidels, paffed the Alps, in defence of Stephen the Third, then the Roman Pontiff, against Aftolphus, who fpread his dominion to the very gates of Rome, and demanded an annual tribute of a piece of gold For the life of each citizen. Pepin and his two fons received the title of patricians of Rome from Stephen, who fled to them for affiftance; and Aftolphus, when befieged in Paris, renounced all pretenfions to the fovereignty of Rome. The bravery, wifdom, and generofity of Pepin facilitated the triumphs of his fon Charlemagne, who by the death of his brother Carloman foon enjoyed the undivided empire of France. The ambition and abilities of Charles foon gave birth to projects which will render his name immortal. A profperous reign of forty-fix years, abounding with military enterprizes, political inftitutions, and literary foundations, offers to our view, in the midft of barbarifm, a fpectacle worthy of more polished ages. *So called, from Merovæus, grandfather of Clovis. VOL. I. At } A. D. 800. At the inftigation of the Pope he put an end to the kingdom of the Lombards, obliged several Italian princes to do him homage, protected the fee of Rome, and was crowned emperor of the Romans. The greatest part of Europe fubmitted to the arms of Charlemagne, before the Saxons, in Germany, could be conquered. The war with that brave and independent people lafted upwards of thirty years, and formed the principal business of his reign. After a number of battles gallantly fought, and many cruelties committed on both fides, the Saxons were totally fubjected, and Germany became part of the empire of Charle magne. A defire of converting the Saxons to Christianity feems to have been one of the principal motives for profecuting his conqueft; and as they were no lefs tenacious of their religion than their liberty, perfecution marched in the train of war, and ftained with blood the fetters of flavery. When we fee Charlemagite ordering 4500 Saxons to be flain in his presence, because they would not deliver up Witikind, their leader and defender; when we fee him, from a mistaken zeal, forcing them to become Chriftians, and fubjecting them to cruel laws, humanity revolts, and seized with horror, we forget his more amiable qualities, and abhor his memory. Witikind at laft fubmitted, and embraced Chriftianity, continuing ever after faithful to his engagements. But he could never infpire his affociates with the fame docile fentiments. They were continually revolting; and fubmitting, that they might have it in their power to revolt again. On the final reduction of their country, the more refolute spirits retired into Scandinavia, carrying along with them their vindictive hatred against the dominion, and the religion of France. Some hiftorians blame the obftinacy of those barbarians, not confidering that, it is natural for man to flee from flavery, and the fury of intolerance. Let us call things by their right names. Hiftory is an upright tribunal, before which, flattery is filent, and the voice of truth alone is heard. Had the fame of the Charlemagne arifen from no other cause, than his victories over the Lombards, Saracens, and Saxons, he would have deserved to be ranked only among the deftroyers of the human race; but he poffeffed other qualities, which procured him the love of his fubjects, and are worthy the admiration of pofterity. Almost every year of Charles's reign was fignalized by fome military expedition, though very different from thofe of our times. War was then carried on without any fettled plan of operations. The troops were neither regularly disciplined nor paid. Every nobleman led forth his vaffals, who were only only obliged to ferve for a certain time; fo that there was a kind of neceffity of concluding the war with the campaign. The army was diffolved on the approach of winter, and affembled next feafon, if neceffary. Hence we are enabled to account for a circumftance, which would otherwife appear inexplicable, in the reign of this great prince. Befides the Lombards and Saxons, whom he conquered, Charles vanquifhed in feveral engagements the Abares and Huns, plundered their capital, and penetrated as far as Ruab on the Danube. He likewife made an expedition into Spain, and carried his arms to the banks of the Ebro *. It is not, however, in the midft of conqueft that Charlemagne appears a great man; it is when we fee him employed in procuring happiness to his fubjects; extending his views to government, manners, religion, learning, and the arts. He frequently convened the national affemblies, for regulating affairs both of church and ftate. His attention extended even to the most diftant corner of his empire, and to all ranks of men. Senfible how much mankind in general reverence old cuftoms, and thofe conftitutions under which they have lived from their youth, he permitted the inhabitants. of all the countries that he conquered to retain their own laws, making only fuch alterations as he judged abfolutely neceffary for the good of the community. Charlemagne was no lefs amiable in private life. He was an affectionate hufband, a tender father, a fincere and generous friend. His houfe was a model of economy, and his perfon of fimplicity and true grandeur. "For fhame!" faid he to fome of his nobles, who were finer dreffed than the occafion required; "learn to drefs like men, and let the world "judge of your rank by your merit, not your habit. Leave "filks and finery to women; or referve them for those days "of pomp and ceremony, when robes are worn for fhew, "not ufe." On fuch occafions he himself appeared in imperial magnificence, and freely indulged in every luxury; but in general his dress was plain, and his table frugal. He had his fet hours for study, which he feldom omitted, either in the camp, or the court; and, notwithstanding his continual wars, and unremitted attention to the affairs of a great empire, he found leisure to collect the old French poems and hiftorical ballads, with a view to illuftrate the hiftory of the monarchy. He was fond of the company and converfation of learned men, invited them from all parts of Europe, and had an academy in his palace, of which he was a member. He established fchools in cathedrals and abbeys, in which fcholars were in |