The History of the Origins of Representative Government in Europe

Lecture 9

LECTURE 9 Primitive institutions ofthe Franks. ~ Sketch ofthe history ofthe Frankish monarchy. ~ The Franks in Germany. ~ Theirsettlement in Belgium and in Gaul ~ Character andauthority oftheir chiefs after their establishment in the Roman Empire. ~ Early Frankish chieftains . ~ Clovis: his expeditions, wars, and conquests. ~ Decisive preponderance ofthe Franks in Gaul. INorder to pursue the object ofthis course, I now proceed to give a sketch of the Franks similar to that which I have already given of the Anglo-Saxons. I shall studywith you their primitive institutions, seek out their leading principle, and compare it with that type ofrepresentative government which we have just delineated. But before we enter upon the examination ofFrankish institutions, I think it advisable briefly to refer to the leading events in the history ofFrance. The institutions ofa people cannot be thoroughly understood without a knowledge oftheir history. I shall devote this lecture to a view ofthe establishment of the Frankish monarchy; on a future occasion we will trace its progress under the first and second races ofits kings. I shall not now delay to discuss the somewhat uncertain origin of the Franks; there is reason to believe that, in Germany, they did not constitute a separate and homogeneous nation. They were a confederation oftribes settled in the country between the Rhine, the Maine, the Weser, and the Elbe.The Romans seem to have been long ignorant oftheir existence even after the conquest ofGaul, and history mentions them, for the first time, during the reign ofGordian , about the middle ofthe third century. A song, composed in celebration of the victories ofAurelian had the following refrain: Mille Francos, mille Sarmatas, Semel et semel occidimus.1 1. A thousand Franks, a thousand Sarmatians, I Once indeed we slew. 71 REPRESENTATIVE INSTITUTIONS IN ENGLAND, FRANCE, AND SPAIN After this period, we find the different tribes of Franks advancing from East to West with rather rapid progress. At the beginning ofthe fourth century, we meet with the Salian Franks settled in Belgium, and the Ripuarian Franks on the two banks of the Rhine. These peoples established themselves on the frontiers of Gaul, sometimes by force, and sometimes with the consent of the emperors, who, after having defeated the barbarians, frequently assigned them lands on which to settle. This was the course pursued by Probus, Constantine, Julian, Constantius, and many others. The chiefs thus established in the Roman territory retained, over their barbarian comrades, their ancient and independent authority, and received at the same time, from the emperors, certain titles to which were applied certain functions, and a certain amount ofauthority over the Romans in their district. Thus we find them adorned with the names ofDux, Magister militae, Comes littoris , and so forth. Their position was almost identical with that ofthe leaders of the wandering Tartar tribes in the Russian empire, who are elected by the men oftheir tribe, but receive their title and a certainjurisdiction from the Emperor of Russia-retaining their independent life, but bound at the same time to render military service, and to pay a tribute offurs. Childeric, the chief of a Frankish tribe at Tournai, had received the title ofMagister militae from the empire. When, in consequence of domestic quarrels and treason, he was forced to take refuge in Thuringia, his tribe submitted in 460 to Egidius, master ofthe Roman militia at Soissons. In 1653, the tomb of Childeric was discovered at Tournai, and several pieces ofmoney were found in it, which are now deposited in the National Library, at Paris. At the termination ofthe fifth century, the epoch ofthe dissolution ofthe empire, when the provinces were left, according to the expression ofTacitus, magis sine domino quam cum Iibertate,2 nearly all these local chieftains, Romans as well as barbarians, became independent, and no longer recognised the sovereignty ofRome. Siagrius, the son ofEgidius, was appointed King ofthe Romans at Soissons. He made war with Clovis, in his own name and on his own account . The Frankish chiefs, who had thus become petty sovereigns, penetrated still farther into the empire. Clodion, who had settled at Cambrai, carried his incursions to the banks of the Somme. Meroveus was present at the battle of Chalons-sur-Marne, at which Attila was conquered. It was, however, under the command of their chieftain Clovis, that these bands ofFranks, who originally formed colonies on the frontiers, entered Gaul definitively as conquerors. Clovis was the son of Childeric, who reigned at Tournai; and he succeeded his father in 481. He probably wielded a certain amount of...