6.54 
FRANCE. 
regret that his diminutive fize was a fnbjeft of raillery 
among the nobility of his kingdom; and in confequence 
he thought they neglcdted to pay him the refpeit due 
to his high ftation. Being one day at the abbey of 
Ferrieres, he pointed out to his nobles a furious lion at¬ 
tacking a bull ; and faid, “ I will make him quit his 
prey.” The courtiers fluiddered at the idea ; but Pepin 
drew his fabre, and went out fingly to encounter the lion, 
notwithftanding every perfuafion to the contrary. The 
nobles and the religious of the abbey were witneffes of the 
rencounter. The king advanced with a refolute air, and 
after a furious conteft (lew the lion, and cut off his head. 
Then, turning towards the nobility with an heroic pride, 
he faid, “ Think you, now, that I am worthy to com¬ 
mand over you f” 
Pepin was fucceeded by his two fons Charles and Car- 
loman; to whom with his dying breath he bequeathed 
his dominions. They reigned jointly for fome time; but 
the adtive and enterprifing fpirit of Charles gave fuch um¬ 
brage to the weak and jealous Carloman, that he regarded 
him with envy, and vs as on the point of coming to an 
open rupture, when he was taken off by death, and thus 
the tranquillity of the empire was preferved. The firft 
military exploit of Charles was directed again ft Hunalde, 
the old duke of Aquitain, who fuddenly emerging from 
a monadic retirement of above twenty years, refumed the 
weight of royalty, and was joyfully received amid the 
returning affections of his fubjefts. The mod important 
cities freely opened their gates, and a conqueft which had 
coft the French a warfare of feveral fucceflive years, was 
threatened to be overwhelmed in a revolution of a few 
weeks. Charles was fenfible how much his reputation 
was concerned, to oppofe the torrent; his entreaties per- 
fuaded the relirftant Carloman to take the field ; but the 
forces of the royal confederates were fcarcely joined, be¬ 
fore the fickle prince withdrew his troops, and left his 
brother to fupport alone the fury of the war. The com¬ 
manding genius of Charles fupplied the deficiency of his 
numbers ; the duke of Aquitain was defeated in a decifive 
battle, A. D. 769, and with difficulty efcaped to the ter¬ 
ritories of Lupus duke of Gafcony, who foon furrendered 
him to the formidable embaffy of CharW; and the cap¬ 
tive Hunalde was conveyed to a prifon, from whence he 
efcaped only to embark in new calamities. 
A marriage which Charles had concluded with the 
daughter of Didier king of the Lombards, was diffolved 
by the influence of the pope, who reproached that people 
with the firft ftain of leprofy, and with the fufferings 
which their fword had inflicted on the fucceffors of St. 
Peter. The death of Carloman, in 771, had rendered 
Charles foie matter of the empire of the Franks ; and the 
revolt of the Saxons engaged him in a war which, with 
fome (hurt intervals, exercifed his conquering fword dur¬ 
ing the (pace of thirty-three years. From the Rhine and 
beyond the Elbe, the martial inhabitants of the north of 
Germany were (till inimical to the government and reli¬ 
gion of the French ; they rejedted with contempt the 
fervile obligation of tribute, and in fucceflive engage¬ 
ments difplayed a ferocious courage, which could only 
be repulfed by the veteran intrepidity of the troops of 
Charles. The Lombards alfo continued to harrafs the 
Romans with a repetition of vexatious claims and deful- 
tory inroads. At the entreaties of pope Adrian the Firft, 
in 772, Charles prepared to pafs the Alps; he (kilful)y 
evaded the fortified pofts of thofe mountains ; his pre¬ 
fence quickly difperfed the army of the Lombards; and 
while Didier, with the old duke of Aquitain, who had 
efcaped from prifon, took (belter in Pavia, his fon Adal- 
gife, with the widow and children of Carloman, fought 
immediate fafety in Verona. Both cities were befieged at 
the fame moment by the impatient activity of Charles; 
Verona was foon compelled to furrender: Adalgife efcaped 
to Conftantinople; but the widow and fons of Carloman 
are from that period loft in'oblivion. The vidtor, after 
a Ihort vifit to Rome, and confirming and enlarging his 
father’s donation to the fucceffors of St. Peter, returned 
to prefs the fiege of Pavia ; the arms of the Franks were 
feconded by an internal enemy, and the ravages of the 
plague determined the inhabitants to implore the cle¬ 
mency of Charles. The old duke of Aquitain now fell 
a facrifice to his conftancy in oppofing the tumultuous 
clamours of the people ; the gates were thrown open ; the 
kingdom of the Lombards was finally extinguifhed ; but 
the fate of their unhappy monarch has eluded the re- 
fearches of the hi dorian. 
In Milan, the vidfor was crowned king of Lombardy ; 
and after receiving the oaths of allegiance, he haftened 
to repafs the Alps, and reftrain the bold incurfions of 
the Saxons, who had re-affumed their arms, and retaken 
Erefbourg, near the Wefer, which they had loft in the 
former campaign. That city, on the appearance of 
Charles, A. D. 774, was again compelled to change its 
mafter ; but a confiderable detachment of the Franks, 
appointed to guard the paffage, and feparated from their 
companions by the broad ftream of the river, was, in the 
moment of vidtory overwhelmed by the enemy. This 
check, with new difturbances in Italy, induced Charles to- 
receive, with hoftages from the different tribes, the 
doubtful profeffions of the Saxons ; and after (Lengthen¬ 
ing the fortifications of Erefbourg, he pointed his march 
with unwearied diligence towards the weft. The clouds 
which had darkened Italy, and which had been fwelled 
by the intrigues of the emperor of the eaft and the fugi¬ 
tive Adalgife, were difpelled by the prefence of the mo¬ 
narch ; but the ftorm (fill (hook the north with unabated 
violence, and the boafted works of Erefbourg were fwept 
away by the fury of the temped. The rapid return of 
Charles furprifed the Saxons in the fiege of Sigebourg, 
and his unexpected appearance once more renewed their 
profeffions of loyalty. Having received their homage, he 
immediately prepared, at the folicitation of Ibinala, lord 
of Saragoffa, to march into Spain and reftore the fuppliant 
Emir. The authority of this exiled Arabian was quickly 
re-eftabliftied by Charles, who reduced Pampeluna, tra- 
verfed the Ebro, and fuccefsfully inverted the city of 
Saragoffa. The rebellious followers of Mahomet were 
completely reduced, and the March of Spain, in 778, 
extended from the Pyrenees to the river Ebro. Barcelona 
was the refidence of a French governor; he obtained the 
counties of Rouftillon and Catalonia ; and the kingdoms 
of Navarre and Arragon were fubjedt to his jurifdidtion : 
but in his return, his rear-guard was defeated in the Py¬ 
renean mountains ; and this action, which has been fo 
much celebrated in romance for the death of the famous 
Roland, would feem to impeach the military (kill and 
prudence of Charles. 
The enfuing year 779, was dedicated by the indefati¬ 
gable monarch to again fupprefling the commotions of the 
Saxons, and to framing that fyftem of laws which has 
even commanded a degree of reverence in this more en¬ 
lightened age. With his queen and his two younger fons, 
Carloman and Louis, he re-paffed the Alps ; repofed dur¬ 
ing the winter at Pavia ; and on the approach of fpring, 
entered Rome amid the triumphant acclamations of the 
inhabitants. • In that city, and in the prefence of the 
Roman pontiff, on Eufter-day, in the thirty-ninth year of 
his age, he divided his dominions. He conferred on Car¬ 
loman, who then changed his name to Pepin, the kingdom 
of Lombardy ; and on Louis he beftowed that of Aqui¬ 
tain : the latter lie conducted in perfon to Orleans. But 
while he congratulated himfelf on the fubmilfion of Taf- 
filon duke of Bavaria, and vainly imagined, that by the 
divifion of the empire he had fecured the tranquillity of 
his reign, the pleafing vifion was diflipated by thereftlefs 
temper of the Saxons ; and the perfevering valour of 
Charles was again feverely exercifed in three long and 
bloody German campaigns. 
The latent fpark of independence ftill glowed within 
the martial bofoms of the Saxons. The riling flame was 
fanned by the breath of Witikind, an heroic chief, who 
had 
