Sigebertus, sub Anno 662. taking Eguinarthus for his Pattern, inveighs against the former Kings in almost the same contumelious Terms.  “Whose Custom (says he) it was, indeed, to make an Appearance like a Prince, according to what had been usual to their Family; but neither to act, nor dispose of any thing, only to tarry at Home, and to Eat and Drink like Irrational Creatures.”—­As if the like Sloth and Cowardise ought to be imputed to all the former Kings, among whom we nevertheless find many brave Men, such as Clodoveus, who not only defeated a great Army of Germans, which had made an Irruption into France, in a great Battel near Tolbiacum; but also drove the Remainder of the Romans out of the Confines of Gallia.  What shall we say of Childebert and Clotharius, who rooted the Visigoths and Ostrogoths out of Provence and Aquitain, where they had seated themselves?  In the Histories of all which Princes, there is no Mention made of any Mayor of the Palace, but cursorily, and by the By, as one of the King’s Servants.  This we may see in Gregorius, lib 5. cap. 18, where he speaks of Gucilius, Lib. 6. cap. 9. and cap. 45.  Lib. 7. cap. 49. And we find this Employment to have been not only in the King’s Palace, but also in the Queen’s:  For the same Gregorius, lib. 7. cap. 27. mentions one Waddo as Mayor of the Palace, in the Court of Queen Riguntha:  And in very many other Places of their Histories, we find both Gregorius and Aimoinus making Mention of these Masters of the Court and the King’s House.

Now the first Beginning of the great Authority of these Praefecti Regii, was (as we told you before) during the Reign of King Clotharius the Second, about the Year of our Lord 588. that is, about 130 Years after the constituting the Francogallican Kingdom; which we may also learn from the before-mention’d Historian, so often quoted by Venericus.

Yet there are two other Historians, (tho’ not of equal Credit) Sigibertus and Trithemius, who refer the Beginning of so great a Power in the Mayor of the Palace, to the Reign of Clotair the Third; whose Magister Palatii was one Ebroinus, a Man of extraordinary Wickedness and Cruelty:  But however this may be, we find Historians calling them by several other Appellations; such as Comites Domus Regie, Praefecti Aulae, Comites Palatii, &c.

* * * * *

CHAP.  XIII.

    Whether Pipin was created King by the Pope, or by the
    Authority of the Francogallican Council.