FRA 
held at Oppcnheim, he was in confequence declared, by 
the nobles of France and Germany, incapable of fup- 
porting the weight of government. In Italy he had for 
fome time po(TeHed the mere name of fovereign; and the 
Lombard princes of Benevento, Salerno, and Capua, re- 
jetted his authority, and alferted their independence. 
The crown of Germany was taken from him, and con¬ 
ferred by the voice of the nobles on Arnold, natural fon 
of Carloman king of Bavaria, who had diftinguiflied him- 
felf as an able general on the frontiers of Pannonia. 
The unhappy Charles was reduced to beg his bread from 
the fuccefsful rebel, by whole contempt his life and li¬ 
berty were fpared. So hidden was the revolt of his fub- 
jetts, that in three days he was left without a fervant to 
adminifter to his infirmities ! The companion of the bi- 
fiiop of Mentz relieved his immediate ncceflities; and a 
leanty allowance from the ufurper Arnold, enabled him 
to linger through a few months of difeafe and diftrefs, 
which put a period to his life on the 14th of January, 888. 
The mod plaufible pretenders to the vacant throne of 
France were Guy duke of Spoleto, and Berenger duke of 
Frioul, both alike defeended from Charlemagne ; Her¬ 
bert, count of Vermandois, who claimed from Bernard 
king of Italy; Arnold, king of Germany; and Charles 
furnamed the Simple, fon of Louis the Stammerer; but 
his tender years were incapable of wielding the feeptre of 
a tottering empire ; and the exigencies of the date called 
aloud for the virtues of a foldierand a datefman. Eudes 
was encircled with laurels from his recent defence of Paris; 
and the popular opinion named him for the fovereign of 
France. The virtuous patriot, however, refilled to 
trample on the laws of fuccetTion, or to plunge his coun¬ 
try in the calamities of civil war; he declared that he 
would hold the crown only as the faithful guardian of the 
infant Charles ; and that the formidable competition of 
Arnold mud be averted by the fandtion of his free con- 
fent. The king of Germany was vanquifhed by the ge¬ 
nerous candour of his rival; and the name of Eudes 
became inferibed among the monarchs of France. 
The fliort reign of Eudes was diligently devoted to re- 
prefs the infolence of the nobility, and to humble the 
foreign and domedic enemies of the date. At the head 
of only one thoufand horfe he difperfed an army of 
twenty thoufand Normans ; and the vittory of Mont- 
faucon might have been improved to decifive advantage, 
had not Eudes been recalled from the purfuit by the re¬ 
volt of Aquitain. His prefence redored the allegiance 
of that province; but the Normans had feized the fa¬ 
vourable opportunity : their banners were difplayed on 
the walls of Meaux, Toul, and Verdun; and Paris itfelf 
was again infulted by the licentious arms of thefe northern 
rovers. Their deltruttive incurfions into Lorrain were 
chadifed by the king of Germany ; but in France a. feene 
of anarchy and difeord prefented itfelf on every fide ; 
the nobles of each province difobeyed their fovereign, 
opprefled their vaflals, and exercifed perpetual hofiilities 
againd their equals and neighbours. Thefe diforders 
were reprelfed by Eudes; and his vigour was exerted to 
redrain the ambition of the chiefs, and re-ertablilh the 
regal authority. Count Walgaire had availed himfelf 
of the general didraction, and feized the important city 
of Laon ; but before he could fufficiently fortify the ob- 
jett of his ufurpation, he was furprifed by the French 
king ; the rebellious garrifon was compelled to furrender, 
and the life of Walgaire atoned for his guilt. Aquitain 
once more eretted the dandard of revolt; but Eudes 
foon extinguifhed the torch of difeord by acknowledging 
the fovereignty of Charles the Simple, and only retain¬ 
ing for himfelf, under an oath of homage and fidelity, 
the country from the Seine to the Pyrenees, Eudes fur- 
vived to enjoy but a (hort time the tranquillity edablifited 
by his own moderation ; in the month of January, 898, 
he expired at La Fere in Picardy, in the fortieth year of 
his age. His infant fon, Arnold, fucceeded to his prin¬ 
cipality, with the title of king; but his death, in a few 
Vol. VII. Nc.458. 
N C E. 07)1 
days after, again united France under the authority of 
Charles the Simple. But his e^tenlive dominions on 
every fide mouldered away ; Lorrain was ceded to the 
king of Germany ; duke Rodolfehad eretted thediftritt 
of Burgundy, beyond Mount Jura, into a kingdom, and 
firetched his fway over the greateft part of Franche 
Comte ; Louis, the fon of Bofon, maintained an inde¬ 
pendence in Arles; and though Charles might nominally 
reign over the remnant of France, yet his real power was 
controlled by the formidable pretenfions of Herbert count 
of Vermandois, and Robert the brother of Eudes. 
Rollo, whofe noble delcent and perfonal qualifications 
raifed him above the crowd of northern adventurers, 
about this time entered the Seine, and polfefTed himfelf 
of the city of Rouen. The difirefs of Charles; and the 
influence of Robert the brother of Eudes, who had cul¬ 
tivated the friendfliip of the Norman, firft fuggefied the 
propriety of a treaty with Rollo. The kingdom of 
Nen(trio, with the county of Brittany, was offered to the 
gallant invader; and the conditions that he fhould become 
a Chriflian, efpoufe the daughter of Charles, and do ho¬ 
mage for his principality, were readily accepted by the 
Norman chief: he was purified in the waters of baptifm ; 
and received the Chriflian name of Robert. This prin¬ 
cipality of Robert now alfumed the title of the duchy of 
Normandy ; and Charles, in the fame year, received fome 
compenfation for it by the death of Louis king of Ger¬ 
many. With that prince expired the male line of Char¬ 
lemagne in Germany ; and the vacant throne was, by the 
voice of the nobility, filled with Conrad duke of Fran¬ 
conia ; but Lorrain refilled to acquiefce in the injurious 
election, and in Charles fought the protection, and ac¬ 
knowledged the authority, of the lafl prince of>the Car- 
lovingian race. 
The w eaknefs of Charles now led him to the choice of 
a favourite, named Haganon, a private gentleman ; but 
without either birth or fortune. The cares of empire 
were devolved on, and the hours of the prince were de¬ 
voted to, this new minion ; and it was well obferved by 
Henry duke of Saxony, whofe requeft of an audience had 
been continually evaded by the anfwer, that the king was 
engaged with Haganon, “Either Haganon will feat him¬ 
felf on the fume throne with Charles, or Charles will be¬ 
come a private gentleman like Haganon.” Yet the fa¬ 
vourite, however unpopular, cannot be denied the praife 
of penetration and fidelity; but the times were adverfe 
to the adminiflration he had alfumed ; and the two Ro¬ 
berts, dukes of Normandy and France, overfhadowed 
with united influence the power of the crown. Their 
formidable confederacy compelled the king to difmifs his 
minifter ; and their ambition, nouriflied by fuccefs, foon 
revealed the pretenfions of Robert to a throne which had 
been occupied by his brother Eudes. The recall of Ha¬ 
ganon was the fignal of war; Robert was folemnly 
crowned at Rheims ; and with the forces of the conlpira- 
tors encamped under the walls'of Soitfons. While in 
oftentatious fecurity he enjoyed the pleafures of the ta¬ 
ble, he was furprifed by the appearance of Charles at the 
head of a few faithful followers. With undaunted courage 
he mounted his horfe, and endeavoured to reflore order to 
his troops ; but in the tumult of the conflitt he was killed 
by the fpear of his rival, on the 15th of June, 923. Yet 
his fon Hugo, and Herbert count of Vermandois, main¬ 
tained the bat tie with more fuccefsful valour; and Charles, 
after having enjoyed the triumph of revenge, was in his 
turn compelled to retreat before fuperior numbers, with 
the lofs of his baggage and the bravefl of his companions. 
The confederates proceeded immediately to elett a new 
king; the principal competitors were, Hugo dtike of 
France, fon of the deceafed Robert ; Herbert count of 
Vermandois; and Rodolph duke of Burgundy, who had 
efpoufed Emma the lifter of Hugo. The laft was by the 
influence of his wife, on the 13th of July, 923, crowned 
at Soiffons; and Charles, deferred by his (objects, endea¬ 
voured to arm in his fupport, by the offer of Lorrain, 
8 F Henry 
