738 Mr, planta’s Account of 
minions foon after devolved to the crown of France, ne- 
ceflarily gave the afpiring Merovingian race a great 
alcendency over all the countries furrounding the Gri- 
lons ; and accordingly we find, that this diftridt alfo was 
foon after, without any military effort, confidered as part 
of the dominions of the reviving Weftern empire. But 
it does not appear that thole monarchs ever made any 
other ule of their fupremacy in thefe parts than, agreea- 
ble to the feudal fyftem which they introduced, to con- 
ftitute dukes, earls, prefidents and bailiffs, over Rhaetia; 
to grant out tenures upon the ufual feudal terms; and 
confequently to levy forces in molf of their military ex- 
peditions. 
It muff, however, be obferved, that thefe feudal fub- 
ftitutes were feldom, if ever, ftrangers: thofe who are 
upon record to the latter end of the eighth century hav- 
ing all been chofen from among the nobility of the 
country^;. And that no foreign garrifons were ever 
maintained for any continuance of time in thefe parts, 
appears from a circumffance related by their anna- 
lifts r*;; who fay, that an inroad of the Huns in 670, 
when external forces would probably have been very 
acceptable to the natives, was repulfed merely by a con- 
tour le of the inhabitants* 
Hiftory continues to furnifh us with proofs of the little 
connexion this people had with other nations in their 
domeftic affairs, notwithftanding their dependence upon 
a foreign power. In the year 780, the Bifliop of Coire, 
who by the conftitution of that fee can only be a 11a- 
(b) Ibid. p. 58 , 
live, 
(a) SPRECH. p. 52—55. 
5 
