ent custom; 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 Apollinaris, Gregorius Turonenfis, Otto Frifing. Aimoinus and others are Witneffes; whofe Teftimonies we fhall farther produce, when we come to treat of the manner of the Inauguration of the King.

The Words of the fame Otto, in the laft Chapter but one of his 4th Book, concerning their taking poffeffion of feveral Cities, are thefe."The Franks, after having pafs'd the "Rhine, in the firft 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 a three Families reckon'd to have poffefs'd the Anno 1574. Throne, viz. the Merovingians; who beginning from Meroveus, continued it to their Pofterity Two hundred eighty three years. The Carlovingians, who drawing their OrigiSenal from Charles the Great, enjoy'd it 337 years: And lastly, the Capevingians, who being de1fcended from Hugh Capet, now rule the Kingedom, and have done fo for Five hundred and eighty years past.·

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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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T here arifes a famous Queftion decifion of which will moft 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 Girakan People: Reges ex nobilitate, Duces et cinthic jumt; "Their Kings (fays he) they chufe from

mongst thofe that are moit 'eminent for "their Nobility; their Generals out of thef 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 devised more prudently, er 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 σε endeavour to procure a Dog of a right good Breed, but a Dog that is known to be a દ્ right good Dog himself; or a Horfe de

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

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 Mutius; in which there is this Claufe"And if 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 UnСс cles do confent and fuffer the Son of their "Brother to reign over that portion of the

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 themselves à King, according to the custom of other Nations, raised up Pha"ramond to the Regal Throne. And again, cr lib. 4. But the Franks took a certain Clerk Co or Priest called Daniel; and as foon as his "Hair was grown, establish'd him in the KingCC dom, calling him Chilperic. And lib.4. cap.67.-King Pipin being dead, his two Sons, Charles and Carlomannus, were elected Kings by the con-` fent 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 should divide the whole Kingdom equally between them. E 4.

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And again, after the Death of one of the Brothers-But Charles, after his Brother's decease, was conftituted King by the confent of all the Franks. Allo, towards the end of his Hiftory of Charles the Great, he fays, "The Nobility of "the Franks being folemnly affembled from "all parts of the Kingdom; he, in their precc fence, called forth to him Lewis King of Aquitain, (the only one of Heldegardis's Sons then living) and by the advice and confent of " them all, conftituted him his Affociate in the "whole Kingdom, and Heir of the Imperial "Dignity. Thus much out of Aimoinus.

Many Teftimonies of the like nature we find in Gregorius Turon. whereof we fhall cite only these few following, lib. 2. cap. 12. "The Franks (fays he) having expelled Childeric, "unanimoufly elected Eudo for their King Alfo lib. 4. cap. 51. Then the Franks (who once look'd towards Childebert the Elder) fent an Embaffy to Sigebert, inviting him to leave Chilperic and come to them, that they by "their own authority might make him King.--And a little after The whole Army was drawn r up before him; and having fet him upon a Shield, they appointed him to be their King. And in another place---" Sigibert agreeing to the Franks Propofals, was placed upon a Shield, according to the custom of "that Nation, and proclaimed King; and fo got the Kingdom from his Brother Chilperic-And prefently after The Burgundians and and Auftrafians, concluded a Peace with the Franks, and made Clotharius King over them "in all the three Kingdoms. Which particular the Abbot of Urfperg confirms. "The Burgundians (fays he and Auftrafians having #ftruck

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ftruck up a Peace with the Franks, advanced cc Clotharius to be King and fole Ruler of the "whole Kingdom. And in another place-The Franks appointed one of his Brothers, called Hilderic, who was already King of the Auftrafians, to be alfo their King.

To this matter belongs what Luitprandus Ti cinenfis writes, lib. I. cap. 6. "And when he CC was about to enter into that Francia which is called Roman, (after having crofs'd the Countries of the Burgundians) feveral Ambaffadors of the Franks met him, acquainting him that they were returning home again; because being tired with long expectation of his coming, and not able any longer CC to be without a King, they had unanimously Chofen Odo or Wido, tho' 'tis reported the Franks did not take Wido upon this occafion for their King, &c.

But concerning this Odo, the Story is memorable which Sigibert relates; from whence we may more clearly be inform'd of the ner of their rejecting their King's Son, and fet

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ting up another in his ftead. For (fub anno 890.) he fays thus" But the Franks neglecting "Charles the Son of Lewis the Stammerer, a Boy "fcarce ten years old; Elected Odo for their cc King, who was Son of Duke Robert, flain by the Normans. Alfo Otto Frinfing. Chronic, lib. 6. cap. IO.! "The Western Franks (fays he) with "the confent of Arnolphus, chofe for their King "Odo a valiant Man, and Son of Robert.-- Alfo in the Appendix to Gregory of Tours, lib.15. cap.30. f. After the Death of Dagobert, Clodoveys his "Son obtain'd his Father's Kingdom, being CC at that time very young, and all his Leudes (that is, Subjects) rais'd him to the Throne,

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