I 4 2 On tie ORIGIN and STRUCTURE of 



from the hiftory of latter times, I hope, will be found equally 

 fatisfactory. 



WE have no details refpecling the diets on the continent, pre- 

 vious to the rife of the houfe of Martel. GREGORY of Tours, 

 in a pafTage formerly quoted, mentions the Franks aflembling in 

 their champ de mars " per phalanges * ;" in other places, he calls 

 their national council an exercittts ; and we have frequent men- 

 tion of fimilar conventions "f, before as well as after DAGOBERT I. 

 when the power of the mayors of the palace came to engrofs 

 that of the crown. The champs de mars were fields belonging 

 to the great cities of Gaul, allotted for the recreation of the in- 

 habitants, and named after the campus martius in Rome. And, 

 as the aflemblies of citizens and reviews of the troops were 

 held in them, it was natural they fhould likewife be chofen for 

 the meetings of the diets of the Franks, whether general or pro- 

 vincial. We ufually find mention made of thefe aflemblies as 



celebrated 



* THUS he mentions a placitum, in which GONTRAN appointed CHILDEBERT the heir 

 of his kingdoms ; and tells, that there " GONTRAN cohortabatur omnem exercitum," 

 and feafled them for three days. Lib. 7. 33. In the fame way, when CLOTAIRE 

 marched againft the Saxons, and they offered terms of accommodation, which the king 

 approved of, and propofed to his people, he relates, that they (Franci) repeatedly rejeft- 

 ed them j and when CLOTAIRE declared to them, " Si abire volueritis, ipontanea voluntate 

 " nou fequar," that " ipfum vi detrahentes interficcre voluerunt, fi cum illis abirc dif- 

 " ferret." Lib. 4. 14. See alfo lib. 6. 45. An ancient author writes, " Franco- 

 " rum regibus moris erat kal. Mali, prasfidere coram tola gente, et falutare et falutari, ob- 

 " fequia et dona accipere. SIGEBERT ad aun. 662 pontan. orig. Franc." Lib. 6. p. 485. 



-{WHEN, in A. D. 575, SIGEBERT wanted to dethrone his brother CHILPERIC, he wasaf- 

 faffinated by two pueros Tarvuancnfes, who had been hired by the wife of CHILPERIC, 

 and aflifted at his election to the throne with this view. The election was like that of 

 CLOVIS, by the nation aflembled. " Colledus eft ad eum omnis exerdtus, impofitumque 



" fupra clypeum, regem t\irafupcr fe Jlatuunt : dixitque Fredegundis (fciz. pueris.) 



" Ite ad cuneum SIGEBERTI, et adfimulate ut eum fupra vos in regem elevare debeatis." 

 Gefla Francor. 32. ; and GREG. lib. 4. 46. When, about A. D. 612, THECDEBERT 

 claimed ALSACE from THIERRI, the hiftorian relates, " Unde placitum inter hos duos re- 

 * ' ges ut Francorum judicio finiretur in Saloiffo (Seltz.) caftro inftituunt. Ibjque THEU- 

 " DERICUS (or THIERR.I) cum SCARITJS tantum decem millibus acceffit, THEUDEBERTDS 

 " vero cum magno exercitu Auftrafiorum." Fredeg. Chron. 37. When BRUNEHADT, 

 the JEZEBEL of the North, was put to death by CLOTAIRE, it was " advocato agmine 

 " Francorum et Burgundiorum, et omnibus vociferantibus Brunihildum morte urpiffi- 

 '* ma -cfTe condignam." Gejla Francor. \ 40. Again; " Cum autem denunciatum fiiit 

 ** f taciturn qua die ad prxliandum convenire deberent." 5 3 O> 



