146 UNIVERSAL ERUDITION. 



him, Leo IV. Conftantine VI. the emprefs Irene, 

 and Nicephorus. Italy was in the power of 

 Aitulf, king of the Lombards. Stephen IV. and, 

 after him, Adrian I. and Leo III. were popes. 

 Germany contained many nations that were but 

 little civilized : Wittekind was chief of the 

 Saxons. Winceflaus, and, after him, Crzezonifle, 

 reigned in Bohemia. Gotric, or Sigefroi, was 

 king of Denmark. Biorno III. and, after him, 

 Alaric III. reigned in Sweden. Lefcus I. was 

 duke of Poland. The Saxons were matters of 

 England, and had there eftablifhed feveral fmall 

 kingdoms, which were united in 801 under Eg- 

 bert, firft fole king of that country. Fergus, 

 and, after him, Solvathius, Achaius, and Congal- 

 lus, reigned in Scotland. Aurelius, and, after 

 him, Silon, Mauregat, Veremond, and Alphonfo 

 the Chafte, reigned in the Auftrias and the king- 

 dom of Leon. The reft of Europe was entirely 

 barbarous ; and what they called civilized was 

 not much better. Such was the ftate of Europe 

 when Charlemagne, by the death of his father, 

 became king of France. But this hero foon made 

 new acquifitions, bearing in one hand the fword, 

 and in the other the promifes of the gofpel. By 

 the extinction of the kingdom of the Lombards 

 in 773, he got pofleflion of all Italy. By con- 

 quering the Saxons, and by converting them to 

 Chriftianity, he became matter of all Germany. 

 By the election of the Roman people in 800, he 

 obtained the empire of the Weft, with the title 

 of Emperor -, and a fhort time before his death, 



in 



