891-893 Materials are scanty, and a judicious selection 888-912 from the few known facts often leaves you in ignorance of the Abbot's secularity. Saint-Vedast, like Tynemouth, was a castle as well as an Abbey, the citadel in fact of Arras. Rodolph conducted himself valiantly, and greatly strengthened the fortifications; but at this critical period he died childless. The notion of property in the secularized Abbeys was becoming more settled and consistent; and examples can now be adduced of hereditary succession in such preferments. Upon the death of Rodolph, his kinsman, Baudouin-le-Chauve made suit to Eudes for Saint-Vedast as the heir. Eudes replied he would do what he pleased with his own.-Abbeys were peculiarly the King's own; but if Baudouin would repair to the King, the King would return a gracious answer. The Count of Flanders took offence, and rose in open hostility against the Capet. Archbishop Fulco, despite of his previous vacillations, which he would have justified as arising from a conscientious feeling of duty towards the kingdom, now became the loyal supporter of the Carlovingian line. The Vermandois party merely tolerated the Capet domination. the restora Charles. We last found Charles under the care of Rain- Plans for ulph his friends then quietly and secretly sent tion of him to England, where they kept him till the opportunity for investing the heir with his ancestorial rights should arrive. The young prince, 888-912 active, intelligent, winning in manners, welltaught, and having profited by his tuition, libe891-893 rally munificent, with a love of enterprize only restrained by his greater love of ease and pleasure, and endued with all the elements of popularity, was fully ready for action; and Archbishop Fulco and Herbert and Pepin, the Counts of Vermandois, diligently worked for the royal Heir. July 892. Revolt against Eudes in mandois. § 12. A new and zealous partizan made the first demonstration. Amongst the Franks, the the Ver- saying, "blood is thicker than water," did not hold. Consanguinity rarely mitigated enmity or averted hostility. Count Walter, nephew of Eudes, drew his sword against Eudes in the great Council of Verberie, and having passed over to the Carlovingian party, surprised the rock of Lâon. Eudes besieged the fortress, compelled Walter to surrender, and then caused the assertor of legitimate royalty to be executed as a criminal. Walter was beheaded, and the Bishop of Lâon refused him Christian burial. Such summary judicial vengeance was rarely exercised. The severity practised by Eudes taught the Vermandois party the reward they might expect, and rendered them more cautious and also more pertinacious. 892 Death of Rainulph. Eudes thus engaged in the North, Rainulph pairs to the Count of Poitiers died. Rainulph was said to South of the Loire. have leagued with Rollo. Eudes, according to 891-893 report, had him removed by poison. Whether 888-912 the suspicion could be warranted or not, there was a general tendency to assume that persons of eminence met their death unfairly. Rainulph was succeeded, though not immediately, by "Ebles the mamzer," whose illegitimacy became a part of his style.-Abbot Ebles, who had so strenuously assisted Eudes in defending Paris, possessed great power in Poitou, and, with other nobles, entertained inimical feelings against the Capet. The Vermandois party craftily contriving to draw King Eudes away from their part of the country, exaggerated this discontent, and made him believe that the Poitevins were plotting to deprive him of kingdom and life. Eudes and his brother Count Robert, immediately marched to Aquitaine, and the insurrection was suppressed. A stone cast from a balista killed the excellent marksman, Abbot Ebles; and the people said, that the soldier Prelate, so notoriously violating his vows and calling, well deserved his fate. revolution, of Charles. Eudes prevailed gloriously, unconscious that Counterwhilst thus triumphing, the son of Louis-le-Bégue restoration had been conducted to the throne. The Vermandois Counts, Herbert and Pepin, and Fulco Archbishop of Rheims, were unquestionably the efficient organizers of the counter-revolution. During the time that the Capet was so busily employed in Aquitaine, the protectors of the Carlovingian Prince brought him over from England; and the VOL. I. U U 888-912 nobles of "France," together with Richard-le 893 Justicier Count of Burgundy, and Guillaume-lePieux Count of Aquitaine, proclaimed him King. The inauguration ceremonies were cautiously completed: invested with the purple, and consecrated on the Feast of Saint Agnes, observed thenceforth by Charles as a solemn anniversary, Feb. 2. a pause ensued, probably occupied in discussing consecrated the arrangements needed by the new government; and, on the feast of the Purification he received the crown. 893 Jan. 28. Charles and crown ed. The young competitor's elevation, though sudden, could not have been altogether a surprisal. Eudes and Robert crossed the Loire from Aquitaine into "France," not very hastily, but interposing a due interval, during which expectations could be encouraged, apprehensions excited, and private intimations conveyed. All those who had concurred in recognizing Charles, appeared to rally loyally and strenuously round their young Sovereign. About Easter, the rival Kings and their armies were in sight of each other, so near over the ad- that a battle seemed imminent; but, at this juncture, hostilities were dexterously avoided. Eu 893 April, May. Eudes gains herents of Charles. des applied himself to Fulco and the Vermandois Counts, to Richard-le-Justicier and Guillaumele-Pieux, and to all who were mustered under the Carlovingian eagle. He addressed them temperately yet boldly. Had they not committed a great wrong, deserting him, the king of their 893-895 choice?-let them return to their willing obe- 888-912 dience, and they should receive a gracious pardon. -So said, so done: a prompt and hearty response was made to the call. Few were the weeks which had elapsed since Archbishop Fulco, and Count Herbert, and Count Richard -le-Justicier, and Count Guillaume-le-Pieux, not coerced, but acting upon their sense of duty, had unanimously sworn allegiance to the son of Louis-le-Bégue; and now, as unanimously, they slipped out of their oaths and abandoned him. 894 July-Sept. pelled, but Raised to the throne in early Spring, when Summer came, Charles was a dethroned fugitive; Charles exbut trusting to the untrustworthiness of the re-enters Franks, and to the chances afforded by their dom. marvellous versatility, he fled cheerily, and with good hope of regaining his ground. the King 894 Like the diligent husbandman, his preparations were rewarded in the Autumnal season: by that time he had gathered a large and imposing force, re-entered France, and, with so much power, that a compromise ensued, Capet and Carlovingian agreeing to divide the kingdom.-Eudes is to rule north of the Loire, Charles southward far as the ComproPyrenees, if he can command obedience;-but the agreement was not kept, and indeed not in- Eudes to tended to be so. The treaty took no effect. Had of the Loire, Eudes and Charles been willing to abide by their south. convention, their nobles were not: a worrying civil war, interspersed with fraudulent truces, mise between Eudes and Charles; reign north Charles |