CHAPTER III. Anglo-Saxon origin claimed for the Norman laws, p. 109. So affirmed by Rouille, the Coke of Normandy, in his comment upon the Grand-Coutumier (Coutumier General, Paris, 1724, Vol. iv. p. 1). A copy of Magna Charta, adapted to Normandy, was certainly current in the Duchy. This document, printed by Dachery, does not appear to have been noticed by any of the Norman writers. The Church of Normandy is substituted for the Church of England, and the city of Rouen for the city of London. I am unable to explain this species of phenomenon, which may in some degree be paralleled by the extraordinary manner in which the French employed the Coronation-oath, especially intended for our Anglo-Saxon kings. (Rise and Progress of the English Commonwealth, Vol. 1. p. 344.) Formation of Chronicles, p. 117. For the parchment and the plummet see the Monk of Worcester, (Anglia Sacra, 1. p. 469). An extract from the Chronicle of Weissemburg (Pertz, T. v. p. 53) exhibits such memoranda in their genuine form. DCCCCVI. DCCCCVII. DCCCCVIII. DCCCCVIIII. DCCCCX. DCCCCXI. DCCCCXIII. DCCCCXIIII. DCCCCXVI. DCCCCXVIII. Ungarii vastaverunt Saxoniam. Adelbertus comes decollatus est, iubente Ludovico Rege. Burghardus dux Thuringorum occisus est ab Ungariis. Ungarii vastaverunt Franciam. Ludovicus rex obiit, cui Conradus successit. Otto Saxonicus dux obiit. Ungarii vastando venerunt usque Fuldam. DCCCCXVIIII. Cuonradus Rex obiit, cui Heinricus successit. The following is equally curious as a specimen of the dateless chronographies: Annus. Bellum Guinnetal inter filios Caddugan Goronin et Lewelin et Resum filium Owini et ab eo victi sunt. Annus. Bellum Pullgudir in quo Trahern rex Norwallie victor fuit. Resus et Hoelus frater ejus a Trahairn filio Caraduc occisus est. Annus. Filius Teudur Resus regnare inchoavit. Annus. Menevia a gentilibus vastata est. The Chronicle from which this extract is made, is annexed, together with other curious miscellaneous matter relating to Wales and the Marches, to an abridgement of Domesday, amongst the records of the antient receipt of the Exchequer, now in the Public Record Office. The handwriting is of the reign of Edward I. After the Norman Conquest the Chronicle acquires more amplitude, and becomes very valuable for the later history of Wales, a history which, in all its branches, has been so apathetically neglected. BOOK I. CARLOVINGIAN NORMANDY. CHAPTER I. LOUIS-LE-DEBONNAIRE, HIS PREDECESSORS AND A.D. 741-824. PRINCIPAL AUTHORITIES. (1.) Eginhardt's well-known life of Charlemagne. (11.) The Chronicles respectively known by the names of the Annales Laurissenses, and the Annales Einhardi. Both commence A.D. 741; but A.D. 801, the first falls into the second, which concludes A.D. 829. This latter chronicle is an enlarged and continued edition of the first; both very sincere, and evidently grounded upon coæval information. This Einhardt, otherwise Eginhart or Aginhardt, has been conjectured, and not without probability, to be Charlemagne's son-in-law. (11.) Annales Mettenses, a.d. 687-930. Originating in the pre-eminently Carlovingian monastery of Saint Arnolph, at Metz. (IV.) Chronicon Moissiacense, A.D. 500—840. The Chronicle of the great Abbey of Moisiac in the Toulousain, rich in facts, not found elsewhere. (v.) The Chronicle usually quoted as the Annales Fuldenses, but the production of five several writers, as follows: (1.) Enhardus, probably a monk in the Abbey of St. Boniface at Fulda, is the author of the first section. Commencing with brief historical notes of the reign of Charlemagne, the annals expand in matter, and terminate A.D. 838. The marginal note marking where Enhardus desisted from his task, “Huc usque Enhardus," was added by his illustrious continuator, Rudolph of Fulda. (2.) No chasm ensues. Rudolph begins the second portion by completing the imperfect narrative of the year 838. Rudolph was distinguished in every branch of learning. He is very remarkable as being the only medieval writer to whom Tacitus was known at first hand. VOL. I. 3 A There is every reason to suppose that the Fulda manuscript of Tacitus was then the only subsisting copy, and that it is the codex in Lombard characters now in the Laurentian library. Rudolph rather alludes to Tacitus than quotes him: the passage has occasioned much discussion; Ritter treats upon the subject in the preface to his recent edition of Tacitus. Rudolph was much in the confidence of Louis-le-Germanique, before whom he was accustomed to preach, being the royal chaplain and confessor. He was Master of the Schools of Fulda. His portion ends A.D. 863; and in the margin of the year, the formula which Rudolph employed to indicate the conclusion of his predecessor's labours, is adopted by his successor, "huc usque Rudolphus." Infirmity probably compelled him to desist, for he died in 865, as recorded by his continuator, who adds the following remarkable encomium: "Rudolphus, Fuldensis cœnobii presbyter et monachus, qui apud tocius pene Germanie partes doctor egregius floruit hystoriographus et poeta, atque omnium artium nobilissimus auctor habebatur, vi. id. Martii diem ultimum feliciter clausit." (3.) According to the most probable opinion, Meginhardus, Rudolph's disciple, continuing his teacher's work, is the author of the third portion, ending A.D. 882. (4.) From 882 the work was carried on by two writers whose names cannot be ascertained.—A monk of Fulda gives us the fourth portion, ending 887: the confusions of the times probably interrupted him. (5.) The fifth portion, also terminating abruptly, and, as we conjecture, for the same reason, A. D. 901, bears internal evidence that the writer lived in Bavaria. He is supposed to have been a monk of Ratisbon. These annals are extremely important, as presenting the German version of Carlovingian affairs, and they were very largely employed by subsequent medieval chroniclers. By Adam of Bremen they are quoted as the "Annales Francorum." Pertz (Vol. 1.) has published the Annales Fuldenses completely and continuously, distinguishing the several portions. The unfortunate plan adopted by Dom Bouquet, who distributes his excerpts in five volumes, 11. 1739, v. 1744, vr. 1749, vn. 1749, and vii. 1752, quite destroys the character of the annals; and, whilst his volumes were appearing, must have rendered them nearly useless. Dubos, e. g. employed upon the History of France, in the year 1739, would have to provide himself with a Duchesne, or to wait thirteen years for a chronicle which would form an octavo of about 250 pages. The before-mentioned Chronicles ascend and descend; but the materials for the particular history of Louis-le-Débonnaire are remarkably authentic and interesting. (VI.) We possess a complete biography of this Sovereign, composed by the anonymous historian, who is commonly quoted by the description of the "Astronomer." The writer notices his conferences with Louis upon the subject of astronomical, or, as we should now term them, astrological phænomena, whence he is supposed to have been versed in the science. He held, as he informs us in his Preface, an office in the Imperial Palace, and having entered into the service of Louis upon his accession to the Empire, continued with him till his death. The "Astronomer" stood by the King's bedside when he expired. He commences his biography from the birth of Louis at Casseneuil. The events, anterior to his personal knowledge of Louis, he received from Adhemar, nobilissimus et devotissimus monachus, who was the same age as the King, and brought up with him.-The remainder he tells from his own knowledge. (VII.) Another biography of Louis-le-Débonnaire, by Theganus, is, so far as it extends, no less important. Theganus or Thegambert, born of a noble family, and distinguished by great talent, was Bishopcoadjutor, or Chorepiscopus, of Trèves. Intimately acquainted with Louis, and sincerely attached to him, Theganus appears to have written the history mainly for the purpose of testifying against the faithlessness of those who persecuted and abandoned the monarch. Theganus carries on the narrative until A.D. 835, and concludes with the following prayer: "Iste est annus vicesimus secundus regni domni Hludowici piissimi imperatoris, quem conservare et protegere diu in hoc sæculo dignetur feliciter commorantem, et post hæc discurrentia tempora perducere concedat ad societatem omnium sanctorum ejus, ille, qui est benedictus in sæcula sæculorum. Amen." Theganus evidently had completed the biography according to his intentions, for he is known to have been living in 844. The work was published after his death by Walafrid Strabo, who divided it into chapters, and prefixed a preface, apologising for the zeal which, as Walafrid hints, had seduced the author into some degree of unfairness. Throughout this work I have derived much assistance from the historians of the French provinces.-Languedoc, and the South of France, (Histoire Générale de Languedoc, par Dom Vic et Dom Vaissette, deux Religieux Bénédictins de la Congregation de Saint Maur, 5 vols. folio, Paris, 1730—1745).—Britanny, two extensive works, (Histoire de Bretagne, par Dom Lobineau, 2 vols. folio, Paris, 1707), and (Histoire Ecclésiastique et Civile de Bretagne, par Dom Morice et Dom Talandres, et Mémoires pour servir de Preuves, 5 vols. folio, Paris, 1742—1756); improved amplifications of Lobineau, yet not superseding him (see p. 754). -Lorraine, (Histoire Ecclésiastique et Civile de Lorraine, par Dom Augustin Calmet, 5 vols. folio, Nancy).—Burgundy, (Histoire Générale et Particulière de Bourgogne, par Dom Plancher, 3 vols. folio, Dijon, 1739— 1746).-Provence, (Chorographie de Provence, par Honoré Bouche, Aix, 1644); and occasionally from Muratori in his Annali d'Italia. An Austin Friar, Père Anselme, emulating Benedictine diligence, laid the foundation of a work of the highest importance in the study of French history-I mean the Histoire Généalogique et Chronologique de la Maison royale de France, des Pairs, Grands Officiers de la Couronne et de la Maison du Roi, et des anciens Barons du Royaume. The third edition, due to the care of Père Ange and Père Simplicien (9 vols. folio, Paris, 1727), has been a constant aid to me in deducing the various lineages and successions: so also the Art de Vérifier les Dates. Yet in all cases it has been needful to examine their statements, and occasionally to depart from them. Marriage and Concubinage, p. 144. The Teutonic learning upon this subject will be found in Grimm's Deutsche Rechtsalterthümer, (Göttingen, 1828) under the head Ehe. Carlovingian Genealogies, p. 148. These may be seen in greater length, with more details as to females and their descendants, and somewhat differently arranged, in Père Anselme's Histoire. The Charta Divisionis, p. 151. The existing text of the Charta Divisionis, Recueil des Hist. T. v. p. 771, is undated; the concurrent testimony however of all the chroniclers leaves no doubt but that the document is the record of the proceedings at Thionville. It is divided into twenty chapters: the eighteenth contains the memorable clause, prohibiting the enforcement of monastic vows upon members of the royal family. See p. 198. Pepin, King of Italy, p. 156. The Frankish historians are silent upon the subject of Pepin's defeat, which constitutes a conspicuous incident in Andrea Dandolo's Chronicle, (Muratori, T. XII.), as well as in the general recollections of Venetian history. See also Daru's Histoire de Venise, 1. c. 23. Pepin rebuilt the magnificent Basilica of San' Zeno at Verona, near which he is buried. His sepulchre, without the walls of the Church, shews how carefully the Lombards still avoided the custom of interment within the sacred edifice. Charlemagne's Entombment, p. 158. The particulars of this strange and solemn deposition are given in a life of the Monarch, compiled by a monk of Angoulême (Rec. des Hist. T. v. p. 186). According to the Deutsche Sagen (11. p. 173), the tomb was opened by the Emperor Otho III. when the corpse was beheld as described: the nails of the fingers had grown through the leathern gloves. The tomb was reverently closed; but in the course of the night, Charlemagne appeared in a dream to Otho, and foretold him that he would die childless and prematurely. The shrines and reliquaries of the Cathedral preserve many of the Babylonian gems which had belonged to the great Emperor. |