Chrift. His Words are thefe:

* Cum, &c. Whilft Gallienus. fpent his time in nothing but Gluttony and Shameful practices, and govern'd the Commonwealth after fo ridiculous a manner, that it was like Boys play, when they fet up Kings in jeft among themselves; the Gauls, who naturally hate co luxurious Princes, elected Posthumus for their Emperor, who at that time was Gallienus's Lieutenant in Gaul with imperial authority. "Gallienus thereupon commenced a War with Pofthumus; and Pofthumus being affifted by many Auxiliaries, both of the Celte and the Franks, took the Field along with Victorinus.By which words we may plainly perceive, that the Gauls crav'd the affiftance of the Franks; that is, of thefe Authors or Beginners of Liberty, to enable them to fhake off the Tyrant Gallienus's Yoke: Which fame thing Zonaras hints at in his Life of Gallienus, when he says, iLOVE de caf2015, &c. We find another mention made of the fame People in Flavius Vopifcus's Life of Aurelian, in these words: --- At Mentz "the Tribune of the 6th Legion discomfited the "Franks, who had made Incurfions, and over

fpread all Gallia; he flew 700, and fold 300 "Captives for Slaves. For you must not expect that our Franks, any more than other Nations in their Wars, were conftantly victorious, and crown'd with fuccefs. On the contrary, we read that Conftantine, afterwards call'd the Great, took Prifoners two of their Kings, and expofed them to the Wild Beafts at the publick Shews. Which Story both Eutropius in his 9th Book, and the Rhetorician in that Panegyrick fo often quoted, make mention of.

And

And because the fame Rhetorician in another place fpeaks of thofe Wars in the Confines of the Batavi, which we have fhewn not to be far diftant from the Franks, I will fet down his Words at length. Multa Francorum millia, &c. "He flew, drove out, and took Prisoners many thousand Franks, who had invaded Ba<< tavia, and other Territories on this fide the Rhine. And in another place fays, He clear'd the Country of the Batavians, which had before been poffefs'd by feveral Nations and Kings of the Franks; and not fatisfied with only overcoming them, he tranfplanted them into the Roman Territories, and forced them to lay afide their Fiercenefs as well as their Weapons. From which place we are given to understand, not obfcurely, that Conftantine, (being constrain'd to do fo by the Franks) granted them Lands within the Bounds of the Roman Empire. Ammianus, lib, 15. writes, that the Franks, during the Civil Wars between Confantine and Licinius, fided with Conftantine, and fought very valiantly for him. And in other places of the fame Book he records, that during the Reign of Conftantine, the Son of Con fantine, great numbers of Franks were at that Court in high favour and authority with Cafar. Afterwards, fays he, Malarichus on a fudden got power, having gained the Franks; whereof at that time great numbers flourish'd at Court. During the Reign of Julian, call'd the Apoftate, the fame Franks endeavour'd to refore the City of Cologne (which was grievously opprefs'd by Roman Slavery) to its liberty: and forced it, after a long Siege, to furrender thro' Famine; as the fame Ammianus tells us, lib. 12. And because one Band of those Franks fix'd their E Habita

Habitations upon the Banks of the River Sala, they were thereupon called Salii; concerning whom he writes in the fame Book." Having prepar'd these things, he firft of all march'd CC towards the Franks; I mean thofe Franks "which were commonly called Salii, who had cc formerly with great boldness fix'd their Ha"bitations within the Roman Territories, near

a place called Toxiandria. Again, in his 20th Book he makes mention of that Country poffefs'd by the Franks beyond the Rhine, and called Francia." Having on a fudden pafs'd the "Rhine, he enter'd the Country of thofe "Franks called Attuarii, a turbulent fort of People, who at that time made great Ha"vock on the Frontiers of Gallia. And in his 30th Book, where he speaks of King Macrianus, with whom Valentinian the Emperor had lately made a Peace on the Banks of the Rhine, in the Territory of Mentz,--- He died, fays he, "in Francia, whilft he was utterly wafting "with Fire and Sword all before him, being "kill'd in an Ambush laid for him by that va"liant King Mellobandes. Now of this Mellobandes, King of the Franks, the fame Author in his following Book gives this character;: That he was brave and valiant, and upon "the score of his Military Virtue conftituted great Mafter of the Houfhold by the Empe

ror Gratianus, and Lieutenant-General (in "conjunction with Nannienus) of that Army "which was fent against the Leutiates, a Peo

ple of Germany. Afterwards, by virtue of a Treaty concluded between the Franks and the Emperor Honorius, they defended the Frontiers of the Roman Gallia against Stilicon: For Orofius tells us in his laft Book, "That the Nations

of

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

After the Emperor Honorius's time, we have very little in Hiftory extant concerning the Frank's Warlike Deeds. For to thofe 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 Maxi

пу,

+

mus) was presently beaten by the Franks and 66 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 first 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 cross'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 commonly reckon'd the 3d King: tho' he was indeed King of the Franks, yet he was a Stranger Pand 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 be E 2

fore)

fore) the firft 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 Thouloufe. Etius 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 Erius 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 Transactions, Meroveus, 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 Meroveus, for their King, placing him upon a Shield according to anci

'ent