made King, assigned certain Towns and Villages near the Loire, to his Brother Heribert for his Maintenance.  Which Aimoinus confirms, lib. 4. cap. 17. and further adds, that he made a Bargain with him, to live as a private Person, and to expect no more of his Father’s Kingdom.  Also in his 61. chap. where he speaks of King Pipin, “He bestowed (says he) some Counties on his Brother Grison, according to the Order of the Twelve Peers.”  And to this belongs what Greg.  Turon. writes, lib. 7. cap. 32.—­“Gondobaldus sent two Ambassadors to the King with consecrated Rods in their hands, (that no Violence might be offer’d them by any body, according to the Rites of the Franks) who spoke these Words to the King, Gondobaldus says, he is a Son of King Clotharius, and has sent us to claim a due Portion of his Kingdom.”

But to return to the Question, as far as it relates to the Succession of the Kingdom; I can find out no certain Rule or Law in Francogallia touching that Matter; because (as I said before) the Kingdom was not hereditary.  ’Tis true, that in many Noble Patrimonies there was what we call Fiefs, Feuda; as Otto Frising. lib. 2. cap. 29. observes, “’Tis the Custom (says he) in Burgundy, which is also in most of the other Provinces of France, that the Authority of the Paternal Inheritance always falls to the Elder Brother, and his Children, whether Male or Female; the others looking on him as their Lord—.”  And that the same was practised among the whole Nation of the Franks, Petrus de Vincis, lib. epist. 6. epist. 25. and in other Places of his Writings, sets forth at large.  But in the Succession of the Kingdom a different Rule was observ’d.  For our Records do testify, that in old times the Kingdom of Francogallia, upon the Death of the King, was very often, not bestowed by the People on any one of his Sons, but divided into convenient Parcels, and a part assigned to each of them.  Therefore when Clodoveus the 2d King dyed, anno 515. who left four Sons, Theodorick, Clodoveus, Childebert, and Clotharius, we find the Kingdom was thus divided among them; Theodorick had the Kingdom of Metz for his Share, Clodoveus that of Orleans, Clotharius that of Soissons, and Childebertus that of Paris, as ’tis recorded by Agathius, lib. hist. 1. Greg.  Turon. lib. 3. cap. 1. Aimoinus lib. 2. cap. 1. Rhegino sub anno 421.

Again, after the Death of Clotharius the 4th King, the Kingdom was divided among his four Sons.  So that Cherebertus had that of Paris:  Guntranus, Orleans:  Chilpericus, Soissons: and Sigebertus that of Rheims—­, Greg. lib. 4. cap. 22. Aimoinus lib. 3. cap. 1. Rhegino sub anno 498.