very-next Neighbours, if not the true Franks themselves, and, of their Victory over the Romans, he has this expression:  Clara ea victoria, &c. “That Victory (says he) was of great Reputation to them immediately after it, and of great Profit in the Sequel; for having by that Means got both Weapons and Ships into their Possession, which before they were in great want of; their Fame was spread over all Germany and Gaul, as being the first beginners of liberty;” Libertatis Auctores celebrabantur. For the Germans thereupon sent Ambassadors, offering their Assistance.  May the Omen prove lucky! and may the Franks truly and properly deserve that name; who after having shaken off that Yoke of Slavery, imposed upon them by Tyrants, have thought fit to preserve to themselves a commendable liberty even under the Domination of Kings:  For to obey a King is not servitude:  neither are all who are govern’d by Kings, presently for that Reason to be counted Slaves, but such as submit themselves to the unbounded Will of a Tyrant, a Thief, and Executioner, as Sheep resign themselves to the Knife of the Butcher.  Such as these deserve to be called by the vile names of Servants and Slaves.

Therefore the Franks had always Kings, even at that very time when they profess’d themselves the vindicators and assertors of the publick liberty:  And when they constituted Kings, they never intended they shou’d be Tyrants or Executioners, but keepers of their Liberties, Protectors, Governors and Tutors.  Such, in short, as we shall describe hereafter, when we come to give an Account of the Francogallican Government.

For, as to what a certain, foolish and ignorant Monk, called John Turpin, has wrote (in his Life, or rather Romance of Charlemagn) concerning the Origins of the Word Frank, viz.  That whoever contributed Money towards the Building of St. Denis’s Church, should be called Francus, that is, a freeman, is not worthy of being remembred, no more than all the rest of his trifling Works; stuft’d full of old Wives Tales, and meer Impertinencies.

But this may be truly affirm’d, that this name of Franks, or (as Corn.  Tacitus interprets it) Authors of Liberty, was an Omen so lucky and fortunate to them, that through it they gain’d almost innumerable Victories.  For after the Franks had quitted their ancient Seats upon that glorious Design, they deliver’d not only Germany, their common Country, but also France from the Tyranny and Oppression of the Romans; and at last (crossing the Alps) even a great part of Italy itself.