An Account of Denmark

6 Whether the Kingdom of Francogallia was hereditary or elective; and the manner of making its Kings

239 CHAPTER VI Whether the Kingdom of Francogallia was hereditary or elective; and the manner of making its Kings  But here arises a famous Question; the decision of which will most clearly show theWisdom of our Ancestors.Whether the Kingdom of Francogallia were Hereditary, or conferr’d by the Choice and Suffrages of the People? That the German Kings were created by the Suffrages of the People, CorneliusTacitus , in his Book De moribus Germanorum, proves plainly; and we have shown, that our Franks were a German People: Reges ex nobilitate, Duces ex virtute sumunt; “Then Kings (says he) they chuse from amongst those that are most eminent for their Nobility; their Generals out of those that are famous for their Valor.” Which Institution, to this very day,74 the Germans, Danes, Swedes and Polanders do retain. They elect their Kings in a Great Council of the Nation; the Sons of whom have this privilege (as Tacitus has recorded) to be preferred to other Candidates. I do not know whether any thing could ever have been devised more prudently, or more 74. Note in margin: “1574.” 240  Francogallia proper for the Conservation of a Commonwealth, than this Institution. For so Plutarch, in his Life of Sylla, plainly advises. “Even (says he) as expert Hunters not only endeavour to procure a Dog of a right good Breed, but a Dog that is known to be a right good Dog himself; or a Horse descended from a generous sire, but a tried good horse himself: even so, those that constitute a commonwealth, are much mistaken if they have more regard to kindred, than to the qualification of the Prince they are about to set over them.” And that this was the Wisdom of our Predecessors in constituting the Francogallian kingdom, we may learn, First, from the last will and Testament of the Emperor Charlemagn, publish’d by Joannes Nauclerus and Henricus Mutius; in which there is this clause, “And if any Son shall hereafter be born to any of these, my three Sons, whom the People shall be willing to Elect to succeed his Father in the Kingdom; My Will is, that his Uncles do consent and suffer the Son of their Brother to reign over that portion of the Kingdom which was formerly his father’s.” Secondly, What Aimoinus, lib. I. cap. 4 says, of Pharamond, commonly counted the first King of the Franks, in these Words. “The Franks electing for themselves a King, according to the custom of other Nations, raised up Pharamond to the Regal Throne.” And again, lib. 4. “But the Franks took a certain Clerk or Priest called Daniel; and as soon as his Hair was grown, established him in the Kingdom, calling him Chilperic. And lib. 4 cap. 67. King Pipin being dead, his two Sons, Charles and Carlomannus were elected kings by the consent of all the Franks. And in another place As soon as Pipin was dead, the Franks having appointed a solemn Convention, constituted both his Sons Kings over them, upon this foregoing condition, that they should divide the whole Kingdom equally between them.” And again, after the Death of one of the Brothers “But Charles, after his Brother’s Decease, was constituted King by the consent of all the Franks.” Also, towards the end of his History of Charles the Great, he says, “The Nobility of the Franks being solemnly assembled from all parts of the Kingdom; he, in their presence, called forth to him Lewis King of Aquitain, (the only one of Heldegardis’s Sons then living) and by the advice and consent of them all, constituted him his Associate in the whole Kingdom, and Heir of the Imperial Dignity.” Thus much out of Aimoinus. Chapter VI  241 ManyTestimonies of the like nature we find in GregoriusTuron. whereof we shall cite only these few following, lib. 2. cap. 12. “The Franks (says he) having expelled Childeric, unanimously elected Eudo for their King.” Also lib. 4. cap. 51 “Then the Franks (who once looked towards Childebert the Elder) sent an Embassy to Sigebert, inviting him to leave Chilperic and come to them, that they by their own Authority might make him King.” And a little after, “The whole Army was drawn up before him; and having set him upon a Shield, they appointed him to be their King.” And in another place, “Sigebert agreeing to the Franks...