The Order of our Discourse requires, that we should now enquire into the Original of the Franks, and trace them from their first Habitations, or (as it were) their very Cradles:  In which Disquisition ’tis very much to be admired, that no mention has been made of them by Ptolomy, Strabo, or even by Tacitus himself, who of all Writers was most accurate in describing the Names and Situations of all the German Nations:  and ’tis plain, the Franks were a German People, who possessed most part of Europe for many Years, with great Reputation; of which we will quote but a few Instances out of many.

First, Joannes Nauclerus says thus,—­“Charles the Great was call’d King of the Franks; which is as much as to say, King of Germany and France.”  Now ’tis demonstrable, that at that time all Gallia Transalpina, and all Germany from the Pyrenaeen Mountains, as far as Hungary, was called Francia:  This last was called Eastern France, the former Western France; and in this all true Historians agree.

Eguinarthus, in his Life of Charlemain, says,—­“The Banks of the River Sala, which divides the Taringi from the Sorabi, were afterwards inhabited by those called the Eastern Franks.” Otto Frising. Chron. 5. cap. 4. speaking of King Dagaber’s Reign, “The Bounds of the Franks Dominions reach’d now (says he) from Spain, as far as Hungary, being two most noble Dukedoms, Aquitania and Bavaria";—­but much more at large, lib. 6. cap. 17.  And after him Godfrey of Viterbo, in his Chronic. part. 17. sub Anno 881, “Arnulphus (says he) ruled all Eastern Francia, which is now called the Teutonick Kingdom, or Germany; that is to say, Bavaria, Suabia, Saxonia, Turingia, Frisia and Lotharingia; but Odo was king of Western France.”  Again, sub Anno 913.  “It is apparent by the Authority of many Writers, that the Kingdom of Germany, which the Emperor Frederick at present holds, is part of the Kingdom of the Franks; for there (on both sides of the Rhine) the first Franks were seated; which as far as to the Limits of Bavaria, is now called Eastern France:  But Western France is that Kingdom which lies on both Sides the Rivers Seine and Loire”—­And again he says, “In the time of Charles the Great, King of the Franks, all Gallia, that is, Celtica, Belgica, and Lugdunensis and all Germany which reaches from the Rhine as far as Dalmatia, made but one Kingdom; which was called Francia”—­Almost all which Quotations have been taken out of Otto, as I said before.  ’Tis to be noted, that