544 
Mistery. in his lifetime he divided his dominions among his chil- 
ro dren: he died A. D. 814, in the seventy-second year of 
his 
gin of Inthe time of Pepin Je Bref, the system of annual 
peckasnants i ts, held first in March, and afterwards in May, 
been established or restored. ordered 
these assemblies to be held twice a year, in spring and au- 
tuum. The business of the first assembly was to prepare 
and digest what the second was to enact into laws. Of 
this assembly he constituted the people a part, so that it 
consisted of three estates, The ign never was pre- 
sent, unless to ratify its decrees. In this reign also, the 
kingdom was divided into provinces and districts ; the 
latter were under the superintendance of royal envoys; 
chosen from the nobles and clergy, who were bound to 
visit their territories'every three months, and to make 
their reports to the sovereign at the general assembly. 
Lonis le Of all 
Debensaif® bonnaire survived him, who was consecrated Emperor 
A. 0.818. and King of the Franks, at Aix la Chapelle, A. D. 816. 
Having very imprudently divided his territories, very 
soon his succession, among his sons, they made 
open war against him, and he was compelled to surren- 
der hi a prisoner to his rebellious children. His 
spirits were thus broken, his health decayed, and he ter- 
minated an inglorious and turbulent reign, A. D. 840. 
Lotharius, his eldest son, was =~ ae ret but the 
quarrels among the brothers, whi even in 
their father’s lifetime, rae continued. fide seg. in 
conjunction ‘with Pepin his brother’s son, took up arms 
sguiiie th tw Uther dood of Louie, Cacia! the ld, a 
son by a second — to whom Aquitaine had been 
given, and Louis, who had received Bavaria from his fa- 
ther. ‘A dreadful battle was fought at Fontenay, in which 
Lotharius was defeated. A council of bishops was ims 
mediately held ; Lotharius apne and grant 
rors were itted to rei > on condi- 
peeing te mel gpm 
rius, however, contrived to accommodate matters with 
his brothers in such a manner, that they to a new 
Division of division of the empire. By this division, A. D.'843, 
“a snets, the western part of France, called Neustria and Aqui- 
en taine, was assigned to Charles the Bald. Lotharius:re- 
tained the title of Emperor, with the nominal sovereignty 
of Italy, and the real possession ‘of Lorraine, Franche 
Compte, Provence, and the Lyonnois'; while the king- 
dom of Germany was allotted to Louis. FIM 
On the death of Lotharius, Charles the Bald assumed 
the empire, having it from the Pope, on con- 
dition of holding it from the holy see.. This prince was 
the first of the French monarchs who made dignitaries 
and honours hereditary : he died by poison, after a weak 
inglorious reign, A. D.877. During ae the 
Normans, who had first made their appearance in’France! 
in 843, sailed up the Seine, and burned Paris. 
Bald was succeeded by his son Louis the 
Stammerer, who, after reigning only about two years, 
ueen Adelaide t. He 
leaving his 
was succeeded by Louis IL, and Carloman II. his two’ 
marriage. On the death of these pri 
Emperor peepee Fat, ‘son of Louis 
rance. He disgraced 
ely the Normans; but this 
disgraceful, but impolitic, for it 
fresh incentive to emadetibn. Paris 
time, 
z 
not 
served only as a 
a 
"s lawful sons, only Louis le De-_ 
FRANCE. 
Count Eudes and Bishop Goslin, A truce was concluded, History. 
but the Normans, after leaving Paris, besieged Sens and ““Y—” 
was deposed by an assembly of the states, who conferred 
the crown on Eudes. His title to the throne, howev 
path e 1 oe by a great part of the states 
rance, who, on the contrary, their allegiance to 
Charles’ the Sipley!son:-of Lacis 
nye a reign was by no means’ 
tranquil, the nobles aspiring openly at independency, 
d body “of ie feollourt in-tha 
and 
, 
: midst. 
ol Sheet Intersil diaotdens the Normans gained a perma 
in mar 
iage. The new kingdom was called Normandy, of which’ 
Rouen was the capital. ro ented 
‘Charles 
endeavoured to gain the assistance of the of Nor- 
mandy, and the Emperor of Germany ; but beii 
trayed, and thrown into prison by the court of Vi 
dois, he died there in 929.. yes Gos J 
of Charles, who had taken’ 
this circumstance he was ‘surn: Stranger. 
When Louis was called. to the throne he*was 
as 
‘only 17 
: but, of 
led to make peace with his vassal, and to confirm 
the’ ' of Laon, which comprehended almost the 
are 
Ph) 
i 
er. ste! 
a 
