CHILDERICS rOMB. loi 



Douglas, in his ^ Nenia Britannica,' throws great discredit 

 on Chifflet's description, because of his not being present 

 when the tomb was opened, and also because of the con- 

 dition the various objects were in. When Douglas visited 

 France in 1787, the shoe and some other articles were not 

 to be found, which caused him to look with yet greater 

 distrust on the whole account. 



The Abbe Cochet, an accomplished antiquarian, is 

 also suspicious of this fragment of iron, which was so 

 oxidized that it fell into powder on the slightest touch, 

 and has entirely disappeared, being the remains of a horse- 

 shoe ; he is more inclined to think it must have been a 

 portion of the iron-mounting of a box, although the 

 skeleton of a horse was found in the tomb. He bases 

 his doubts on the fact, that in no Prankish grave has 

 anything been discovered at all resembling an iron nailed 

 shoe, and he is of opinion that the Franks did not shoe 

 their small and coarse-bred horses.' 



middle ages, it was not derogatory even for a king to ride a mule. 

 Immediately before the battle of Navarette, he mentions King Henry 

 ' mounted on a handsome and strong mule, according to the custom of 

 his country,' riding through the ranks, paying his compliments to the 

 lords and knights, and entreating them to exert themselves in defending 

 his honour. — Chronicles of England, France, and Spain, vol. iii. p. 302. 

 London, 1806. 



' Jusqu'ici, rien ne s'est montre plus rare dans les sepultures franques 

 que les sabots ou les fers de chevaux. En effet, sur les trois ou quatre 

 chevaux que nous avons trouves a Envermeu, nous n'avons jamais ren- 

 contre de fers et pourtant les jambes ne manquaient pas. En revanche, 

 nous avons trouve des boucles et des mors bien caracterises. M. Lin- 

 denschmit, a Selsen, a rencontre un squelette de cheval, mais sans fer. 

 II en a ete de meme a Sinsheim, a Ascherade, a Langweid, a Norden- 

 dorf ; danscette derniere localite, on a trouve trois squelettes avec brides, 

 mais toujours sans fers. MM. Diirrich et Menzel, dans la fouille si in- 



