FRA 
and the fchools which lie eflablifhed in the barbarous 
regions on either fide of the Wefer, atoned, in fome 
meafure, for the cruelties lie perpetrated in the purfuitof 
dominion. The Avars, or Huns of Pannonia, in vain op. 
pofed to his ambition their love of independence and 
hereditary valour: in eight fucceffive campaigns their 
youth were flaughtered, their treaf'ures rifled, and their 
ftrength broken ; and the empire of the Franks ftretched 
between eaft and welt from the Ebro to the Elbe or Vif- 
tula ; and between the north and fouth from the duchy 
of Beneventum to the river Eyder, which (till feparates 
Denmark from Germany. 
At the time that Louis, furnamed Debonnaire, or the 
Gentle, afcended the imperial throne of his father, he 
had attained the age of thirty-fix years, and had efpoufed 
Ermangarde, the daughter of the count of Hefbai, of the 
diocefe of Liege ; three forts, Lothaire, Pepin, and 
Louis, were the fruits of thefe nuptials ; the eldeft, in 
817, was affbciated to the empire, the two younger were 
entrufted with the government of Bavaria and Aquitain ; 
and each violated every tie of filial and fraternal duty. 
But the mod difafirous events which diftinguifhed the 
year, were the death of Ermangarde, and the marriage 
of Louis with Judith, defcended from the nobles of Ba¬ 
varia and the dukes of Saxony; but whofe fplendid ac- 
complifhments concealed an ambitious mind, the fource 
of equal calamities to her confort and the empire. 
The meek piety of Louis had nourifbed the holy am¬ 
bition of the fuccelfors of St. Peter at Rome ; and Paf- 
chal the Firft, without deigning to folicit the confent of 
the emperor, feated himfelf in the apoflolic chair. To 
Lothaire was afiigned the important taflc of humbling the 
afl'uming pope ; but the excufe of the artful pried was 
too readily accepted; the liberality of Louis confirmed 
to the holy fee the donation of his anceftors ; and Lo¬ 
thaire, in 823, condefcended to receive his crown from 
the hands of the Roman pontiff. It were unneceffary to 
difgufithe reader with the weaknefs of a monarch, who 
was prevailed on by monkifh influence to atone, by 
public penance, for the firmnefs with which he had 
guarded his fceptre from the invidious attempts of his 
nephew Bernard ; and we haften from his vain efforts to 
convert the unbelieving warriors of Denmark, to the 
birth of his fon Charles, whofe fatal pretenfions (hook 
the throne of his father, and involved the empire in the 
calamities of civil war. Already that empire was aflailed 
by the fury of its foreign enemies ; the Bretons once more 
refumed their arms, and violated their recent oaths of 
allegiance ; a torrent of Moors deluged the plains of Ca¬ 
talonia ; the revolt of Navarre may be conlidered as the 
foundation of its future independence ; and the ambitious 
defigns of the emprefs Judith doled the gloomy profpedt 
with the dark fcene of fraternal difcord. 
The kingdom firft intended for Charles, was that part 
of Germany which is bounded by the Danube, the Maine, 
the Neckar, and the Rhine, the country of the Grifons, 
and the diftridt of Burgundy, which comprehends Geneva 
and the Swifs Cantons ; but the fons of the emperor re¬ 
jected the unequal partition with contempt ; Pepin and 
Louis advanced with the forces of Aquitain and Bavaria ; 
the royal troops deferted the imperial ftandard, and 
crowded to that of the malcontents; the emperor him- 
-felf became a prifoner in the hands of his children; and 
on the arrival of Lothaire, to whofe fuperior dignity the 
other brothers reluctantly fubmitted, the emprefs retired 
to a monaftery, and exchanged her diadem for a veil. 
But the heart of Lothaire was not entirely callous to the 
impreflions of filial affeCtion ; he dreaded the reproaches 
of the world, nor could he be indifferent to the menaced 
cenfures of the church ; proftrate at his father’s feet he 
implored tire pardon of his guilt; and the diet which 
met to depof'e, was moft eager to confirm, the authority of 
the emperor. 
Louis was no fooner re-eflablidied on his throne, in 
831, than he retailed his emprefs from religiousjetire- 
Vot.VIl No.457. 
N C E. 7 
ment; and the monadic vows of Judith were abfolved 
by the indulgence of Gregory IV. The implaca¬ 
ble enmity of an injured female was not to be conci¬ 
liated by the pre'ended contrition of Lothaire; that 
prince was depofed from the rank of emperor, and re¬ 
duced to the title of king of Italy ; and the implacable 
violence of his ffep-mother compelled him to feek his 
own fafety in joining the hoftile meafures of his brothers 
Pepin and Louis. The emperor was fcarcely informed of 
the defigns of his fons, before lie increafed the general 
difcontent, by revoking bis grant of Aquitain to Pepin, 
and transferring it to Charles, then only nine years of 
age ; while Gregory IV. in 832, reftored to Lothaire the 
imperial dignity, and (Lengthened by his prefence the 
arm of the ion againft his father. Again deferted by his 
people, the unhappy monarch was haffily depofed by an 
affembly of the confederates; and Lothaire, by the fame 
authority, was raifed to the vacant throne. The emprefs 
was difmifled to a nunnery at Tortona, and Charles was 
ftriftly guarded in the caftle of Ardennefe. The victorious 
princes, after folemn profellions of mutual attachment, 
feparated, and each retired to his refpective dominions-; 
the pope to Rome, and Pepin and Louis to Aquitain and 
Bavaria, 
In the moments of triumph, Lothaire had embittered 
the degradation of his father by an oflentatious difplay of 
ceremony; and inftead of the purple robe, afiigned him 
the humble habit of a penitent. His fubmifiive refigna- 
tion to the infults of an unnatural fon, obliterated the 
guilt of his confort; the misfortunes of their lawful fo- 
vereign excited the pity of the multitude, ever difcon- 
tented with the ruling powers ; and the active diligence 
of his adherents foon opened the road for his reftoration. 
Dreux, bifliop of Mentz, awakened Louis of Bavaria to 
a fenfe of his intereft and duty ; he armed in the caufe of a 
fovereign and a parent; the nobility of France encouraged 
by their alacrity his hopes ; the Saxons l'welled the num¬ 
bers and terror of his hod ; the aged emperor was reftored 
to St. Denys ; his fon Charles was releafed from prifon ; 
and Lothaire, after a fruitlefs refiftance, was compelled 
to deplore his crime, and throw himfelf on the mercy of 
his father. 
Empire had no charms for the uxorious Louis, unlefs 
it was (hared tvith the partner of his bed ; and Judith was 
once more recalled, and once more abfolved; yet, ever 
reftlefs and 'Vken-V'.v. adverfity, (he again refumed her 
intrigues for 1 f eftablifhment of her (on, and engaged 
the fond partiality of her hufband to add tlie kingdom 
of Neuftria to the dominions before intenoed for him. 
In a folemn affembly, and in the prefence of Louis of 
Bavaria, Charles was declared king of Neuftria, and the 
difcontent of Lothaire and Pepin died away in ineffectual 
murmurs. But the deatli of Pepin, in 837, was productive 
of a new partition . the juft claims of his children Pepiu 
and Charles were difregarded ; the fon of Judith was in¬ 
verted with the kingdom of Aquitain; and the French 
dominions of the deceafed prince were divided between 
the brothers, Charles and Lothaire; the latter of whom 
was named as the guardian of his infant nephew. 
Louis of Bavaria, enraged at a divilion in which his 
intereft was negifeCted, again fet up the banner of revolt; 
but the unexpected appearance of the emperor, with the 
hoftile preparations of the Saxons, compelled him to fue 
for pardon ; yet the infatiate ambition of the emprefs, 
(till countenanced by the weaknefs of her aged hufband, 
kept alive the glowing embers of (edition. The commons 
of Aquitain vented their difcontent in fecret meetings, 
and the nobles openly remonftrated againft the injufnce 
which was offered to the fons of their deceafed iov reign. 
It was in vain that Louis engaged to provide to; uis 
grand-children; the adherents of the youthful Pepin 
Readily refnfed to deliver him up to the dangerous pro¬ 
tection of an abandoned woman ; the empire was menaced 
with the reiterated calamities of civil conimo.ion ; and 
the implacable rage of fraternal difcord was iulpended. 
