of France:  and this was done, as our Annals testify, in the Year of Christ 469.  Nay, even Eudo, whom they had placed in his stead, abusing his Power thro’ excessive Pride and Cruelty, was with the like Severity turned out.  Which Fact we find attested by Gregory of Tours, lib. 2. cap. 12.  Aimoinus, lib. 1. cap. 7.  Godfrey of Viterbo, part. 17. cap. 1.  Sigibertus, sub annis 461, & 469.  “Childeric (says Gregorius) being dissolved in Luxury, when he was King of the Franks, and beginning to deflower their Daughters, was by his Subjects cast out of the Throne with Indignation; whereupon he finding they had a Design to kill him, fled into Thoringia.”  But the Abbot of Ursperg says, “the People were unwilling to kill him, but contented themselves with having turn’d him out, because he was a dissolute Man, and a Debaucher of his Subjects Daughters—.” Sigibertus says,—­“Hilderick behaving himself insolently and luxuriously, the Franks thrust him out of the Throne, and made AEgidius their King.”

And this most glorious and famous Deed of our Ancestors, deserves the more diligently to be remark’d, for having been done at the very Beginning, and as it were, the Infancy of that Kingdom; as if it had been a Denunciation, and Declaration, that the Kings of Francogallia were made such, upon certain known terms and Conditions; and were not Tyrants with absolute unlimited and arbitrary Power.

Their Successors also, keeping up the same Custom, in the Year of Christ 679, forced Childeric, their Eleventh King, to Abdicate, because he had behaved himself insolently and wickedly in his Government.  And he having formerly caused a certain Nobleman, called Bodilo, to be tied to a Stake and whipp’d, without bringing him to a Tryal, was a few Days after slain by the same Bodilo.  Our Authors are Aimoinus, lib. 4. cap. 44, Trithemius, anno 678. and Sigebertus, anno 667.

The Severity of our Ancestors appear’d in the same Manner a little while after, in the Instance of their 12th King Theodoric; who being a wicked and covetous Prince, “the Franks (says Aimoinus) rose up against him, and cast him out of the Kingdom, cutting off his hair by force,” lib. 4. cap. 44.—­Ado, AEtat. 6. anno 696. but Sigebertus sub anno 667. imputes a great many of his Crimes to Ebroinus his Favourite and chief General. [Footnote:  Praefectus Regius.] “King Theodorick” (says he) “was deposed by the Franks, because of the Insolence of Ebroinus, and his Brother Hilderick was with unanimous Consent chosen King.”  And Ado says, “The Franks cast Theodorick out of the Kingdom, shaved Ebroinus in the Monastery of Lexovium, and afterwards raised Childerick to be King over them.”  Also the Appendix to Greg. of Tours, lib.  II. cap. 64.—­“The Franks rise up in Arms against Theodorick, cast him out of the Kingdom, and cut off his Hair:  They shaved also Ebroinus."