were in a Manner but titular Princes, having very little to do with the Government of the Realm.” Sigebertus says almost the same Thing sub Anno 662.—­“From this Time, (says he) the Kings of the Franks degenerating from their ancient Wisdom and Fortitude, enjoy’d little more than the bare Name of King.  They did indeed bear the Title according to Custom, as being of the ancient Regal Race; but neither acted nor disposed of any Thing:  The whole Administration and Power of the Kingdom, was lodg’d in the Hands of the Mayor of the Palace.”

Yet in Reading such-like Authorities, we ought to take this Observation along with us.  That since Pipin and his Sons laboured (as ’tis probable they did) under a great Load of Envy, for having violently wrested the Royal Dignity from King Childerick, they made it their Business to find out and employ plausible ingenious Historians, who magnified the Cowardliness of Childerick and his Predecessors, upbraiding them with Sloth and Idleness, beyond what they deserv’d.  And among such as these, we may reckon Eguinarthus, Chancellor to Charles the Great, and one that did him special Service of this Nature; who in the Beginning of his Book writes thus.—­“The Family of the Merovingians, out of which the Franks used to Elect their Kings, is supposed to have lasted as long as to Hilderic; who by the Appointment of Pope Stephen, was deposed, shaven, and thrust into a Monastery.  Now tho’ it may be said to have ended in him, yet in Truth, for a long Time before, it ceased to have any Value or Excellency, bearing the bare empty Title of King.  For both the Riches and Power of the Kingdom, were at the Disposition of the Prefects of the Palace, commonly called Majores Domus; with whom was also lodg’d the Authority of the Empire:  Neither was there any Thing left remaining to the King, but only that contenting himself with the Title, he should sit on a Throne, wearing his Hair and Beard very long, and representing the Person of a Ruler; sometimes giving the first and last Audience to Ambassadors from Foreign Parts, and returning such Answers as were made for him, as if they proceeded immediately from himself.  But besides the unprofitable Name of a King, and a precarious Allowance for his private Expences, (which the Mayor of the Palace was pleased out of Bounty to give him) he had nothing that he could call his own, except one Village of very small Revenue, where he had a little House, and a few Servants, barely sufficient for his necessary Occasions, &c.”