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" contented themselves with having turn'd him out, because he was a diffolute Man, and a De"baucher of his Subjects Daughters--- Sigibertus fays, "Hilderick behaving himself infolently and luxurioufly, the Franks thrust him out of the Throne, and make Ægidius their King.

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And this moft glorious and famous Deed of our Ancestors, deferves the more diligently to be remark'd, for having been done at the very Beginning, and as it were, the Infancy of that Kingdom; as if it had been a Denunciation, and Declaration, that the Kings of Francogallia were made fuch, upon certain known Terms and Conditions; and were not Tyrants with abfolute, unlimited and arbitrary Power.

Their Succeffors alfo, keeping up the fame Cuftom, in the Year of Christ 679, forced Childeric, their Eleventh King, to Abdicate, because he had behaved himself infolently and wickedly in his Government. And he having formerly caufed a certain Nobleman, called Bodilo, to be tied to a Stake and whipp'd, without bringing him to a Tryal, was a few Days after flain by the fame Bodilo. Our Authors are Aimoinus, lib. 4. cap. 44. Tritemius, anno 678. and Sigebertus, anno 667.

The Severity of our Ancestors appear'd in the fame Manner a little while after, in the Inftance of their 12th King Theodoric; who being a wicked and covetous Prince, "the Franks "fays Aimoinus) rofe up against him, and caft "bim out of the Kingdom, cutting off his Hair "by force, lib. 4. cap. 44. --Ado, Etat. 6. anno 696. but Sigebertus fub anno 667. imputes a great many of his Crimes to Ebroinus his Favourite and chief General. King Theodorick Regius.

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(fays

Præfectus

abdicare coegerunt.

"(fays he) was depofed by the Franks, because "of the Infolence of Ebroinus, and his Brother "Hilderick was with unanimous Confent chofen

King. And Ado fays, The Franks caft Theo"dorick out of the Kingdom,fhaved Ebroinus in "the Monaftery of Lexovium, and afterwards "raifed Childerick to be King over them. Alfo the Appendix to Greg. of Tours, lib. 11. cap. 64. The Franks rife up in arms againft

Theodorick, caft him out of the Kingdom, "and cut off his Hair: They fhaved alfo ECC broinus.

The like Virtue our Ancestors exerted in the Cafe of Chilperick their 18th King, whom they * Regno Se* forced to abdicate the Kingdom, and made him a Monk, judging him unworthy to fit at the Helm of fo great an Empire, † by reafon of his ↑ Propter Sloth. Whereof Aimoinus, lib. 4. cap. 61. Sigibertus and Tritemius, anno 750. and Godfrey, Chronic. part. 17. cap. 4. are our Witneffes.

inertiam.

:: Ab opti

Again, a fixth Example of the like Severity is extant in Charles the Grofs, their 25th King; who for the like Cowardife, and because he had granted away part of France to the Normans, Juffering his Kingdom to be difmembred, was: rematibus jected and turn'd out by the Nobility and Gentry of Regni re- the Kingdom, as Sigebertus tells us anno 890. pudiatus. Which fame thing Godfridus records, part. 17. But more at large Otto Frifing. chron. 6. cap. 9. where he adds this memorable Paffage, This "Man (fays he) who next to Charles the Great, "had been the King of greateft Power and "Authority of all the Kings of the Franks, 66 was in a fhort time reduced to fo low a

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Condition, that he wanted Bread to eat; "and miferably begg'd a small Allowance from "Arnolphus, who was chofen King in his ftead, 66 and'

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and thankfully accepted of a poor Pension: From whence we may obferve the uncertain 6.6 and miferable State of all Human Greatnefs; that he who had govern'd all the Eaftern and Western Kingdoms, together with the Roman Empire, fhou'd at laft be brought down to fuch a Degree of Poverty, as to want even Bread. A Seventh Inftance is Odo the 26th King, who after he had been elected King in the Room of Charles the Son of Lewis the Stammerer, was, in the 4th Year of his Reign, by the Franks, banish'd into Aquitain, and commanded to abide there; they replacing in his ftead the fame Charles the Son of Lewis. Which Fact is recorded by Sigebertus fub anno 894. Aimoinus lib. 5. cap. 42. And Godfridus part. 17.

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Propter

We must add to this Number Charles the 27th King, firnamed (because of his Dulness) Stuporem Charles the Simple: Who having thro' his Folly ingenii fuffer'd his Kingdom to run to Decay, and loft Lorrain (which he had before recover'd) was taken and caft into Prifon, and Rodolphus was chofen in his place, as Aimoinus, lib. 5. cap. 42. and Sigebertus, anno 926. do teftify.

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What Rule was obferv'd concerning the Inheritance of the deceased King, when he left more Children

than one.

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LL that we have above faid, tends to prove, that the Kingdom of Francogallia in old times, did not defcend to the Children by Right of Inheritance (as a private Patrimony does); but was wont to be bestow'd by the Choice and publick Suffrages of the People: So that now there is the lefs Room left for the Queftion, What Rule was obferved in Relation to the Children of the deceased King, when he left more than one behind him. For fince the Supreme Power not only of Creating, but alfo of dethroning their Kings, was lodged in the Convention of the People, and Publick Council of the Nation; it neceffarily follows, that the ordering the Succeffion (whether they should give it entirely to one, or divide it) was likewife in the People. Altho' in this place another Queftion may arife, viz. fuppofing the People fhou'd reject the Son of their King, and elect a Stranger, whether any thing fhou'd be allowed to the first to maintain his Dignity? For the Solution of which 'tis to be understood, that Lawyers reckon four Kinds of fuch Goods, as In Regis may be properly faid to be under the King's * Governance; viz. the Goods of Cafar, the Goods of the Exchequer; the Goods of the

ditione.

Publick

Publick, and private Goods. The Goods of Cæfar are fuch as belong to the Patrimony of every Prince, not as he is King, but as he is Ludovicus, or Lotharius, or Dagobertus. Now this Patrimony is called by the Gallican Inftitutions, The King's Domain; which cannot be alien'd, but by the Confent of the publick Council of the Nation, as we fhall make it appear hereafter, when we come to treat of the Authority of that Council. The Goods of the Exchequer are fuch as are given by the People, partly to defend the King's Dignity, and partly appropriated to the Ufes and Exigencies of the Commonwealth. The Goods of the Publick (as the Lawyers" call them) are fuch as infeparably belong to the Kingdom and Commonwealth. The private Goods are reckoned to be such Eftate, Goods and Fortune, as are esteemed to belong to every Father of a Family. Therefore upon the Death of any King, if the Kingdom be conferr'd on a Stranger, the Patrimonial Eftate, as Lawyers call it, (being what was not in the King's Power to alienate) fhall defcend by Inheritance to his Children: But that which belongs to the Kingdom and Commonwealth, muft neceffarily go to him who is chofen King, becaufe it is part of the Kingdom. Altho' it may be reasonable, that Dukedoms, Counties, and fuch like (by Confent of the publick Convention of the People) may be affigned to fuch Children for the Maintenance of their Quality; as Otto Frifing. Chron. 5. cap. 9. and Godfrey of Viterbo, tell us, That Dagobert Son of Lotharius being made King, affigned certain Towns and Villages near the Loire, to his Brother Heribert for his Maintenance. Which Aimoinus confirms, lib. 4. cap. 17. and further

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