therefore begin with Conrad, the first German who ruled the empire, after it ceased to be considered as an appendage of France.

Though the successors of Charlemagne possessed that empire which he had formed by virtue of hereditary descent, they had usually procured the consent of the nobles to their testamentary deeds, that no dispute might arise in regard to the succession. This precaution was highly necessary in those turbulent times, especially as the imperial dominions were generally divided among the children of the reigning family, who were by that means put in a better condition to contest a doubtful title. What was at first no more than a political condescension in the emperors, became gradually to be interpreted into a privilege of the nobility, and hence originated the right of those electors, by whom the emperor is still invested with the imperial power and dignity. They had already deposed Charles the Fat, and raised to the empire Arnold, bastard of Carloman, king of Bavaria'.

Thus authorised by custom, the German nobles assembled at Worms, on the death of Lewis IV. and not judging Charles the Simple worthy to govern them, they offered the imperial crown to Otho, duke of Saxony. But he declined it, on account of his age; and with a generosity peculiar to himself, recommended to the electors Conrad, count of Franconia, though his enemy. Conrad was accordingly chosen by the diet. The empire of Germany then comprehended Franconia, the provinces of Bamberg, Suabia, Constans, Basil, Bern, Lausanne, Burgundy, Bezancon, Lorrain, Metz, Liege, Cambray, Arras, Flanders, Holland, Zealand, Utrecht, Cologne, Treves, Ments, Worms, Spire, Strasbourg, Friezland, Saxony, Hesse, Westphalia, Thuringia, Wateravia, Misnia, Brandenburg, Pomerania, Rugen, Stetin, Holstein, Austria, Carinthia, Stiria, the Tyroles, Bavaria, the Grisons; and in general, all the

1. See Let. x.

countries

countries situated among these provinces, and their de pendencies.

The reign of Conrad I. was one continued scene of troubles, though he took every necessary measure to support his authority and preserve the tranquillity of the empire. He was no sooner elected than he had occasion to march into Lorrain; where the nobility, being attached to the family of Charlemagne, acknowledged Charles the Simple as their sovereign, and offered to put him in possession of that country. Before Conrad could settle the affairs of Lorrain, he was recalled by the revolt of several powerful dukes, who had envied his promotion. One rebellion succeeded another; and, to complete his misfortunes, the Huns, or Hungarians, invaded the empire. They had for some time been accustomed to pass the entrenchments formed by Charlemagne along the Raab, in order to restrain their incursions, and, no less fierce than their ancestors, they had laid every thing waste before them, and borne down all opposition. In 901 they ravaged Bavaria, Suabia, Franconia; all Germany felt their fury. Lewis IV. submitted to pay them an annual tribute. They had several times pillaged Italy: and now in their way from that country, where they had humbled Berengarius (taking advantage of the troubles of the empire), they made A. D. 917. irruptions into Saxony, Thuringia, Franconia, Lorrain, and Alsace, which they desolated with fire and sword, and obliged Conrad to purchase a peace on the most shameful conditions'. He died without male heirs, in 919, after recommending to the Germanic body as his successor, Henry duke of Saxony, son of that Otho to whom he owed his crown.

A. D. 920.

Henry I. surnamed the Fowler, because he delighted much in the pursuit of birds, was elected with universal approbation by the assembled states; composed of the dignified clergy, the principal nobility, and the heads of the army.

2. Ann. Hildist. Annal. German, ap struv. Corp. Hist. vol. i.

This right of chusing an emperor, originally common to all the members of the Germanic body, was afterwards confined, as we shall have occasion to see, to seven of the chief members of that body, considered as representatives of the whole, and of all its different orders; namely, the archbishops of Mentz, Cologne, and Treves, chancellors of the three great districts into which the German empire was anciently divided, the king of Bohemia, the duke of Saxony, the marquis of Brandenburg, and count Palatine of the Rhine3.

It was still undecided whether Lorrain should belong to France or Germany. Henry, as soon A. D. 925. as the situation of his affairs would permit, entered it with a powerful army, and subdued the whole country. His next care was the internal peace and prosperity of the empire. He published a general amnesty in favour of all thieves and banditti, provided they would enlist in his armies, and actually formed them into a troop. He created marquises, in imitation of Charlemagne, to guard the frontiers of the empire against the barbarians, and obliged all vassals and sub-vassals to furnish soldiers, and corn for their subsistence. He likewise ordered the principal towns to be surrounded with walls, bastions, and ditches; and that the nobility might be habituated to the use of arms, even in time of peace, he instituted certain military games, or tournaments, in which they vied with each other in displaying their valour and address.

A. D. 932.

After taking these wise measures for the welfare of the state, Henry began to prepare for war against the Hungarians, whom he had exasperated by refusing the annual composition, and other marks of disdain and defiance. Enraged at his firmness, they entered Germany with an army of three hundred thousand men, breathing vengeance. But Henry being supported by the whole force of his dominions,

3. Goldats. Politic, imperial. init. 4. Ann. Sax.

though

though still inferior to theirs, defeated them with great slaughter at Mersbourgh, and rescued the empire from a barbarous enemy, and an ignominous tribute3.

A. D. 936.

Having thus subdued his enemies, and secured the tranquillity of his subjects, both at home, and abroad, the emperor began to taste the fruits of his wisdom and valour, when the pope and the citizens of Rome invited him to the conquest of Italy, still distracted by civil wars, offering him the holy unction, and the title of Augustus. Henry, who was ambitious to be master of Italy, and no doubt desirous of the papal sanction to the imperial crown, set out immediately for that country at the head of his troops; but being seized with an apoplexy on his march, he was obliged to return, and died at Mansleben in Thuringia. Before his death, he convoked the princes of the empire, who settled the succession on his son Otho.

Henry was universally allowed to be the ablest statesman, and the greatest prince of Europe in his time; but his successor Otho, afterwards styled the Great, surpassed him both in power and renown, though not perhaps in valour or abilities. For, as Voltaire well observes, the acknowledged heir of a great prince, who has been the founder or restorer of a state, is always more powerful than his father, if not very much inferior in courage and talents:-and the reason is obvious. He enters on a career already opened to him, and begins where his predecessor ended. Hence Alexander went farther than Philip, Charlemagne than Pepin, and Otho the Great than Henry the Fowler. But before I proceed to the reign of Otho, we must take a view of the troubles of France under Charles the Simple, and his unhappy successors of the Carlovingian race.

5. Engelhus. p. 174. 6. Ann. Sax.

LETTER

LETTER XV.

FRANCE, FROM THE SETTLEMENT OF THE NORMANS TO THE EXTINCTION OF THE CARLOVINGIAN RACE.

A. D. 911.

YOU have already, my dear Philip, seen the usurpations of the nobles, and the settlement of the Normans in France, under Charles the Simple. He gave daily more proofs of his weakness, and became equally contemptible to the French and Normans. A violent attempt was made to dethrone him by Robert duke of France, brother to Eudes, the late king. This rebellion was defeated, in the first instance, by the unexpected answer of Rollo, duke of Normandy, who generously declared, when solicited to join in it, that he was equally incapable of abetting or suffering injustice'!.... Yet Rallo, as we have seen, was once a robber by profession. But then, as ought to be observed in his vindication, he was under engagements to no prince, and claimed the protection of no laws: he was then on a footing with the Cæsars and the Alexanders, and now only inferior in power to the Alfreds and the Charlemagnes.

A. D. 922.

After the death of Rollo, duke Robert renewed his intrigues. He first made the king dismiss Haganon, his favourite minister; and next seized that minister's treasures, with which he gratified his adherents. They declared Charles incapable of reigning, and proclaimed Robert king of France. He was soon after killed in battle, yet his party triumphed: and his son Hugh the Great, or the Abbot, as he is styled by some writers, on account of the number of rich abbies which he held, had the crown in his power. But he

A. D. 923.

chose to place it on the head of Rodolph, duke of Burgundy, who assumed the title of king, and was almost universally acknowledged2.

1. Flodoard. Chron. 2. Monach.

VOL. I.

X

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