A. D. 586.

For this purpose the heads of the nation assembled, and with one voice called Autharis, the son of Clephis, to the throne. Autharis, perfected that form of government, which had been established by Alboinus. Sensible that the dukes, who had ruled their several districts like independent princes, for so many years, would not willingly part with their authority, he allowed them to continue in their governments, but reserved to himself the supreme jurisdiction. He made them contribute a part of their revenues toward the support of his royal dignity, and take an oath, that they would assist him to the utmost of their power in time of war3. After settling the government of his kingdom, he enacted several salutary laws for its tranquillity and good order. He was the first of the Lombard kings who embraced Christianity, and many of his subjects followed his example; but being of the Arian persuasion, like most of the northern conquerors, whose simple minds could not comprehend the mysteries of the Trinity and incarnation, many disputes were by that means occasioned between the Arian and Catholic bishops; for the Romans, or native Italians, were then as staunch Catholics as at this day.

Liberty of conscience, however, was allowed under all the Lombard kings; and Rotharis, who surpassed all his predecessors in wisdom and valour, was so moderate in his principles, and so indulgent to his people, that during his reign most cities of Italy had two bishops, one Catholic and the other Arian. He was the first prince who gave written laws to the Lombards. For that purpose he summoned at Pavia, a general diet of the nobles; and such regulations as they approved, he ordered to be digested into a code, and observed over all his dominions. His military talents were not inferior to his civil. He very much extended the limits of his kingdom, and gained so many advantages over the imperial

A. D. 643

3. Ibid. lib. iii.

forces,

forces that no future hostilities passed between the exarchs and the kings of the Lombards, till the reign of Luitprand.

A. D. 663.

But the emperor Constance, before that time, landed in Italy with a considerable army, which he commanded in person, determined to expel the barbarians, and reunite the kingdom of Lombardy to his dominions. He at first gained some inconsiderable advantages; but his army was afterward totally routed by Romuald, duke of Benevento, whose father, Grimoald, had been elected king of the Lombards.—Grimoald was a prudent prince, and in all respects worthy of the dignity to which he had been raised. As soon

as he was free from the alarms of war, he applied himself wholly to the arts of peace. He reformed the laws of Rotharis, which were now from A. D. 668. choice appealed to by the Italians as well as the Lombards; revoking some, and enacting others more applicable to the circumstances of the times. Influenced by the arguments of John, bishop of Bergamo, he renounced the tenets of Arius. His successors followed his example, all professing the Catholic faith; so that Arianism was in a short time forsaken by the whole nation of the Lombards+.

A. D. 712.

Luitprand gave strong proofs of his wisdom and valour from the moment he ascended the throne; but his courage sometimes bordered on rashness. Informed that two of his attendants had conspired against his life, and only waited an opportunity to put their design in execution, he walked out with them alone, and upbraided them with their guilt. Struck with such heroic firmness, they threw themselves at his feet, as wretches unworthy of mercy. The king, however, thought otherwise: he not only pardoned them, but received them into favour, promoting them afterwards to principal employments. Having thus won his domestic enemies by kindness, and strengthened his interest abroad by marry

VOL. I.

4. Paul. Diac. lib. v.

ing

ing the daughter of the duke of Boioarii, Luitprand applied himself, in imitation of his two illustrious predecessors, Rotharis and Grimoald, to the formation of new laws. In one of these, his sagacity appears highly conspicuous. He blames "the ridiculous custom of trials "by duel, in which we would force God to manifest his "justice according to the caprice of men;" adding, "that he has only tolerated the abuse, because the "Lombards are so much attached to it."

But Luitprand's great qualities were in some measure shaded by his boundless ambition. Not satisfied with the extensive dominions left him by his predeces sors, he formed the design of making himself sole master of Italy: and a favourable opportunity soon offered for the execution of that enterprise.

Leo Isauricus, then emperor of Constantinople, where theological disputes had long mingled with affairs of state, and where casuists were more common upon the throne than politicians, piously prohibited the A. D. 726. worship of images; ordering all the statues to be broken in pieces, and the paintings in the churches to be pulled down and burnt. The populace, whose devo tion extended no farther than such objects, and the monks and secular priests, interested in supporting the mummery, were so highly provoked at this innovation, that they publicly revolted in many places. The emperor, however, took care to have his edict put in force in the East; and he strictly enjoined the exarch of Ravenna, and his other officers in the West, to see it as punctually obeyed in their, governments. In obedience to that command, the exarch began to pull down the images in the churches and public places at Ravenna; a conduct which incensed the superstitious multitude to such a degree, that they openly declared they would rather renounce their allegiance to the emperor than the worship of images. They considered him as an abo

A. D. 727.

5. Leg. Langob. in Codex. Lindebrog.

minable

minable heretic, whom it was lawful to resist by force, and took arms for that purpose.

Luitprand, judging this the proper season to put his ambitious project in execution, suddenly assembled his forces, and unexpectedly appeared before Ravenna; not doubting but the reduction of that important place would be speedily followed by the conquest of all the imperial dominions in Italy. The exarch, though little prepared for such an assault, defended the city with much courage; but finding he could not long hold out against so great a force, and despairing of relief, he privately withdrew. Luitprand, informed of this, made a vigorous attack; carried the city by storm, and gave it up to be plundered by his soldiers, who found in it an immense booty, as it had been successively the seat of the Western A. D. 728. Emperors, of the Gothic kings, and of the exarchs. Alarmed at the fate of Ravenna, most other cities in the exarchate surrendered without resistance. Luitprand seemed, therefore, in a fair way to become master of all Italy. But that conquest neither he nor any of his successors was ever able to complete: and the attempt proved fatal to the kingdom of the Lombards.

6. Meimb. Hist. Iconoclast.

7. Paul. Diac. lib. vi

LETTER

LETTER VI.

RISE OF THE POPE'S TEMPORAL POWER, WITH SOME ACCOUNT OF THE AFFAIRS OF ITALY, THE EMPIRE OF CONSTANTINOPLE, AND THE KINGDOM OF FRANCE, FROM THE TIME OF CHARLES MARTEL TO THAT OF CHARLEMAGNE.

THOUGH Rome was now governed by a duke, who depended on the exarch of Ravenna, the Pope, or bishop, had the chief authority in that city. He was yet less conspicuous by his power than the respect which religion inspired for his See, and the confidence which was placed in his character. St. Gregory, who died in 604, had negociated with princes upon several matters of state, and his successors divided their attention between clerical and political objects. To free themselves from the dominion of the Greek emperors, without falling a prey to the kings of Italy, was the great object of these ambitious prelates. In order to accomplish this important purpose, they employed succesfully both religion. and intrigue; and at last established a spiritual and temporal monarchy, which of all human institutions, perhaps most merits the attention of man, whether we consider its nature, its progress, or its prodigious consequences.

Gregory II. had offended the emperor Leo, by opposing his edict against the worship of images; but he was more afraid of the growing power of the Lombards than of the emperor's threats; he therefore resolved to put a stop, if possible, to the conquests of Luitprand. The only prince in Italy, to whom he could have recourse, was Ursus, duke of Venice, the Venetians making already no contemptible figure. Not less alarmed than Gregory at the progress of so powerful a neighbour, Ursus and the Venetians promised to assist the exarch (who had fled to them for protection) with the whole strength of the republic. They accordingly fitted

A. D. 728.

out