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"of the Alani, Suevi and Vandali, being (toge"ther with many others) encouraged by Sti"licon; pafs'd the Rhine, wafted the Territories of the Franks, and invaded Gallia.

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After the Emperor Honorius's time, we have very little in Hiftory extant concerning the Frank's Warlike Deeds. For to those times must be apply'd what St. Ambrofe writes in his Letter (the 29th) to Theodofius the Emperor: That the Franks both in Sicily, and many other places, had overthrown Maximus the Roman General. "He (fays he, fpeaking of Maximus) was presently beaten by the Franks and

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Saxons in all places of the Earth. But in the Reign of Valentinian the 3d, that is, about the 450th Year of Chrift, 'tis plain, by the confent of all Writers, that Childeric, the Son of Meroveus, King of the Franks, compleated the Deliverance of Gallia from the Roman Tyranny, after a continued Struggle of more than 200 Years: and was the firft that establish'd in Gallia; a firm and certain Seat of Empire: For altho' fome reckon Pharamond and Clodio-crinitus as the first Kings of the Franks, yet without doubt there were many before them, who' (like them) had crofs'd the Rhine, and made Irruptions into Gallia; but none had been able. to fettle any peaceable Dominion within the Limits of Gallia. Now Meroveus, who is com- ' monly reckon'd the 3d King: tho' he was indeed King of the Franks, yet he was a Stranger and a Foreigner, not created King in Gallia, not King of the Francogalli; that is to fay, not elected by the joynt Suffrages of both Nations united In fhort, all these were Kings of the Franci, and not of the Francogalli. But Chil deric, the Son of Meroveus, was (as we faid beE 2

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fore) the first that was elected by the publick Council of the affociated Franks and Gauls and he was created King of Francogallia prefently after his Father Meroveus had been kill'd in a Battel against Attila, during the Reign of Valentinian the Third, a diffolute and profligate Prince. At which time the Angli and Scoti took poffeffion of Great Britain; the Burgundians of Burgundy, Savoy and Dauphine; the Goths of Aquitain; the Vandals of Africk and Italy, nay of Rome it felf; the Hunni under their Leader Attila wafted Gallia with Fire and Sword. This Attila having an Army of about Five hundred thousand Men, over-ran all Gallia as far as Thauloufe. Atius was at that time Governor of Gallia, who fearing the Power of Attila, made a League with the Goths, and by their affiftance defeated Attila in a Battle; wherein, 'tis faid, they flew no fewer than a Hundred and eighty thousand Men. But the Conqueror Atius being fufpected by Valentinian of afpiring to the Empire, was afterwards, by his Command, put to death; and within a little while after, he himself was flain by Maximus before-mention'd."

During thefe Tranfactions, Merowens, King of the Franks, taking his opportunity, pafs'd the Rhine with a great Army; and joyning in confederacy with many Cities, who affifted in the Common Caufe of the publick Liberty, poffefs'd himself at length of the innermoft Cities belonging to the Celta, between the Seine and the Garonne. He being dead, and both Nations the Gauls and Franks) united into one Commonwealth they unanimously elected Childeric, the Son of Merovéus, for their King, placing him upon a Shield according to anciYerot

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ent cuftom; and carrying him upon their Shoulders thrice round the place of Affembly, with great Acclamations of Joy, and univerfal Congratulation, faluted him King of Francogallia. Of all which particulars, Sidonius Apol linaris, Gregorius Turonenfis, Otto Frifing. Aimoinus and others are Witneffes; whofe Teftimonies we shall farther produce, when we come to treat of the manner of the Inauguration of the King.

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The Words of the fame Otto, in the laft Chapter but one of his 4th Book, concerning their taking poffeffion of feveral Cities, are these.- The Franks, after having pafs'd the Rhine, in the first place put to flight the Romans, who dwelt thereabouts; afterwards they took Tournay and Cambray, Cities of "Gallia; and from thence gaining ground, by degrees they fubdued Rheims, Soiffons, Orleans, Cologne and Triers. And thus much may briefly be faid touching the firft King of Francogallia. To which we fhall only fubjoyn this Remark : * That altho' the Francogallican* HotoKingdom has lafted from that time to this, man's almoft One thousand two hundred years; Francogalyet during fo long a fpace, there are but written three Families reckon'd to have poffefs'd the Anno 1574Throne, viz. the Merovingians; who beginning from Meroveus, continued it to their Pofterity Two hundred eighty three years. The Carlovingians, who drawing their Óriginal from Charles the Great, enjoy'd it 337 years: And lastly, the Capevingians, who being defcended from Hugh Capet, now rule the Kingdom, and have done fo for Five hundred and eighty years paft.

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CHAP. VI.

Whether the Kingdom of Francogallia was hereditary or elective; and the manner of making its Kings.

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UT here arifes a famous Question; the decifion of which will moit clearly fhow the Wisdom of our Ancestors,---- Whether the Kingdom of Francogallia were Hereditary, or conferr'd by the Choice and Suffrages of the People. That the German Kings were created by the Suffrages of the People, Cornelius Tacitus, in his Book De moribus Germanorum, proves plainly; and we have fhewn, that our Franks were a German People: Reges ex nobilitate, Duces ex virtute fumunt ; Their Kings (fays he) they chufe from amongst thofe that are moft eminent for their Nobility; their Generals out of those cc that are famous for their Valour: Which 1574. Inftitution, to this very day, the Germans, Danes, Swedes and Polanders do retain. They elect their Kings in a Great Council of the Nation; the Sons of whom have this privilege (as Tacitus has recorded) to be preferr'd to other Candidates. I do not know whether any thing cou'd ever have been devifed more prudently, or more proper for the Confervation of a Commonwealth, than this Inftitution. For fo Plutarch, in his Life of Sylla, plainly advises. "Even (fays he) as expert Hunters not only endeavour to procure a Dog of a right good Breed, but a Dog that is known to be a right good Dog himself; or a Horfe de

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"fcended from a generous Sire, but a tryed good Horfe himfelf: Even fo, those that conftitute a Commonwealth, are much micc ftaken if they have more regard to kindred, than to the qualifications of the Prince they are about to fet over them.

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And that this was the Wisdom of our Predeceffors in conftituting the Francogallican Kingdom, we may learn, Firft, from the Laft Will and Teftament of the Emperor Charlemagn, publish'd by Joannes Nauclerus and Henricus Mu tius; in which there is this Claufe <c any Son fhall hereafter be born to any of thefe, my three Sons, whom the People fhall be willing to Elect to fucceed his Father in the Kingdom; My Will is, that his Un"cles do confent and fuffer the Son of their "Brother to reign over that portion of the

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66

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Kingdom which was formerly his Father's. Secondly, What Aimoinus, lib. 1. cap. 4. fays, of Pharamond, commonly counted the firft King of the Franks, in thefe Words.- The Franks electing for themfelves a King, according to the custom of other Nations, raifed up Pha"ramond to the Regal Throne. And again, "lib. 4.-- But the Franks took a certain Clerk cc or Priest called Daniel; and as foon as his << Hair was grown, establish'd him in the Kingdom, calling him Chilperic. And lib.4. cap.67.-King Pipin being dead, his two Sons, Charles and Carlomannus, were elected Kings by the confent of all the Franks. And in another place As foon as Pipin was dead, the Franks having appointed a folemn Convention, conftituted both his Sons Kings over them, upon this foregoing condition, that they fhould divide the whole Kingdom equally between them. E 4

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