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his Writings, that our Franks were a part of thofe German Nations, who thus entred into Gallia.

CHA P. IV.

Of the Original of the Franks; whe having poffeffed themselves of Gallia, changed its Name into that of Francia, or Francogallia.

HE Order of our Difcourfe requires,

Tthat we thould now enquire into the O

riginal of the Franks, and trace them from their firft Habitations, or (as it were) their very Cradles In which Difquifition 'tis very much to be admired, that no mention has been made of them by Ptolomy, Strabo, or even by Tacitus himself, who of all Writers was most accurate in defcribing the Names and Situations of all the German Nations: and 'tis plain, the Franks were a German People, who poffeffed moft part of Europe for many Years, with great Reputation; of which we will quote but a few Inftances out of many.

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First, Johannes Nauclerus fays thus,---" Charles the Great was call'd King of the Franks; "which is as much as to fay, King of Germany

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and France. Now 'tis demonftrable, that ar that time all Gallia Tranfalpina, and all Germany from the Pyrenean Mountains, as far as Hungary, was called Francia: This laft was called

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Eastern France, the former Western France; and in this all true Hiftorians agree.

fays,

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Eguinarthus, in his Life of Charlemain, The Banks of the River Sala "which divides the Turingi from the Sorabi, were afterwards inhabited by those called the Eastern Franks. Otto Frifing. Chron. 5. cap. 4. fpeaking of King Dagober's Reign, "The

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Bounds of the Franks Dominions reach'd now (fays he) from Spain, as far as Hungary, being two moft noble Dukedoms, AquitaCC nia, and Bavaria; - but much more at large, lib. 6. cap. 17. And after him Godfrey of Viterbo, in his Chronic. part. 17. Sub Anno 881. Arnulphus (fays he) ruled all Eastern Francia, "which is now called the Teutonick Kingdom, or Germany; that is to fay, Bavaria, Suabia, Saxonia, Turingia, Frifia, and Lotharingia: "but Odo was King of Western France. Again, Sub Anno 913. "It is apparent by the Authority of many Writers, that the Kingdom of Germany, which the Emperor Frederick at prefent holds, is part of the Kingdom of ແ the Franks; for there (on both Sides the "Rhine) the first Franks were feated; which cc as far as to the Limits of Bavaria, is now CC called Eastern France: But Western France is "that Kingdom which lies on both Sides the "Rivers Seine and Loire---. And again he fays, "In the time of Charles the Great, King "of the Franks, all Gallia, that is, Celtica, Belgica, and Lugdunenfis, and all Germany which reaches from the Rhine as far as Dalmatia, "made but one Kingdom; which was called "Francia. Almoft all which Quotations have been taken out of Otto, as I faid before. 'Tis to be noted, that Rhegino writes thus, in

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Chron. anni $77.

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"After the Death of King Pipin, Lewis his Son (who had been prefent at his Father's Deceafe, and celebra"ted his Funerals) kept his Refidence at Francfort, the principal Seat of the Eastern Kingdom. Luitprandus Ticinenfis fays, lib. 1. "It was order'd that Wido fhou'd cap. 6. have for his fhare, that which Men call the "Roman France, and Berengarius fhou'd have 66 Italy. And a little after, ----When he had "march'd thro' the Territories of the Burgun

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dians, he purpofed to enter Roman France, &c. Now it was call'd Roman France, firft, because the Franks had poffeffed themselves of that Gallia, which was under the Romans Obedience. Secondly, because the Roman Language prevail'd in that Country, as we formerly told you: Whence arofe the Saying, Loqui Romanum, of fuch as ufed not the German or Frank, but the Latin Tongue. Otto Frifingius, chron. 4. cap. penult. fays, "It feems to me, that thofe Franks who dwell in Gallia, borrowed the Language, which they make use of to this "Day, from the Romans; for the others who ftay'd about the Rhine, and in Germany, ufe the Teutonick Tongue. ---And in Imitation of him, Godfridus, part. 17. cap. I. ---"The

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Franks (fays he ) feem to me to have learn'd "the Language which they make use of to "this Day, from the Romans, who formerly "dwelt in those parts ---- From all these 'tis apparent, that the Reputation and Power of the Franks was extraordinary great; as 'twas fitting for fuch as were Mafters of a great part of Europe.

Moreover we find, that thofe Germans which were transplanted by the Emperor Frederick

the

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ken pieces of Sentences,

to prove, that the Germans (establish'd in Na

ples and Sicily) were called, and actually

were Franks.

the IId, into the Kingdoms of Naples and Si-
cily, and establish'd there as a prefidiary Colo-
ny, were called Franks. Petrus de Vineis,
lib. epift. 6. cap. 25.
cc Fol-
"lowing (fays he) the Law and
"Cuftom of the Franks, in this In-
ftance, that the Eldest Brother to
"the Exclufion of all the Younger
"fucceeds, even in the Camp it felf.
Imp. Freder. 2. Neapol. conftit.
lib. 2. tit. 32. fpeaking of thofe
Franks, who upon occafion trusted the fortune of
"their Lives, and of all their Estates, to the Event
a Duel, or fingle Combat. And again,
---The aforefaid manner of Proof, which all who
"obferve the Rites of the Franks made ufe of --
Alfo lib. 2. tit. 33. "Which Law, our Will is,
fhall in all Caufes be common both to the Franks
"and Longobards.

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Matters being thus plain, 'tis ftrange that Gregory Bishop of Tours (who writ concerning the Original of the Franks 800 Years ago) fhou'd fay, in the first part of his Hiftory, That altho' he had made diligent Enquiry about the Rife and Beginning of the Franks, he cou'd find nothing certain: notwithstanding he had feen an ancient Book of a certain Hiftorian of theirs, called, Sulpitius Alexander; who affirms nothing either of their firft Habitations, or the Beginnings of their Domination.

But we have found out, that these People originally came from that Country which lies between the Rhine and the Elb, and is bounded on the Weft by the Sea, almoft in the fame Tract where the greater and the leffer Chauci dwelt. "A People (fays Tacitus)the most noble among all the Germans, who founded their

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"Greatness, and maintained it by Juftice.. These were next Neighbours to the Batavians; for 'tis agreed on all Hands, that the Franks had their firft Seats near the Sea-fhore, in very marshy Grounds; and were the most skilful People in Navigation, and Sea-fights, known at that time: Whereof we have the following Teftimonies. First, in Claudian, who congratulating Stilicon's Victory, writes thus ;

---Ut jam trans fluvium non indignante Chayco Pafcat Belga pecus, mediumque ingreffa per Albin Gallica Francorum montes armenta pererrent.

In which place he makes ufe of a Poetical Licenfe, and calls thofe People Chayci, which the Geographers call Chauci. Now that they were feated near the Sea, that Panegyrical Oration made to Constantine the Great, is a Teftimony: "Quid loquar rurfus, &c. What should I speak CC more of thofe remote Nations of the Franks, tranfplanted not from places which the Romans of old invaded; but plucked from their very original Habitations, and their fartheft "Barbarous Shores, to be planted in the waft Places of Gallia; where with their Husban"dry, they may help the Roman Empire in time of Peace; and with their Bodies, fup

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ply its Armies in time of War---. And in another Panegyrick, by Eumenius the Rhetorician, we find this Paffage, "Aut hæc ipfa, &c. "Or this Country, which was once overfpread "with the Fiercenefs of the Franks, more.

than if the Waters of their Rivers, or their Sea, had cover'd it; but now ceafes to be barbarous, and is civilized. To the fame Purpose is Procopius's Teftimony, in his firit Book of

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