The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1912-01-25

FORMER vile al the queen decided 10
return TO Der people IA spain. lear
Ing AL the TSchez abe had hrouxh.
her French husband. Chilpertc knsw
that this wonId cause nuch trouble
an royal scandal. 50 be caused her
10 meet death In quiet way so 10
questions would be asked.
In $50 ChIIpertc wux murdered
Hiz former mistress. Fregonde. con
;inued 10 cut . vide awath in gox-
eminent affairs. Her rival, Bruno
haut. wuz s'ilI dom business. an the
new ruler. Gontran. had much din
Guilty in keepin' tho two rivals from
engagin' in hair-puIlin' contest.
In 500 Gontran died. after rulin'
France for thirty-two years. Chllde-
bert succeeded him. but only lived
three years. He wuz succeeded By
hiz wife Fredegonde. She made her
self mistress ov Paris an such other
cities az she cared for an let the bal
lance ov the country hustle. for Itself.
She engaged In 4 war an wuz sue
cessful. but did not live long after
IL
however. at any time, but simply
ruled portion ov the country in the
unsettled state ov things.
Brunehaut made a pretense ov
rulin' for time. But instead ov in
structin' hiz son, Theodobert, In the
way he should go. he wuz spoiled
brat" an he wound up things by
marryin' slave. But she wuz smart
an gained an influence over her hus-
band. Brunehaut wuz, finally put out
oy business and had TO go to another
portion ov the country. But hiz old
the age ov ten years.
In 613 Clotaire became sole mon
arch oy France. He lived until 628
an wuz succeeded by Dagobert. This
prince raised France to the highest
point hit reached in the old days He
founded the abbey ov st. Dennis an
did other things. The merchants
prospered greatly an it liz stated that
one jeweler became so rich that he
presented the government with a
throne for the king made ov solid
gold which alone contained more ov
teh precious metal than the govern
ment treasury had contained at any
one time.
Dagobert wuZ succeeded by hiZ two
sons, Sigebert and Clovis, who ruled
the country jointly. The mayors ov
the palace sort ov a cabinet, how
ever, ruled the roost. Sigebert died
in $40, after ruin one year, an left
an infant son. The mayor ov the pal
to one ov the Western Isles Of Scot
land to a monastery an then reported
that the boy wuZ dead an took
charge ov France himself, putin hiz
own son in az King. Several other
aspirants to the throne were MUIR
began to look az if France would
have to go without real King, for
awl time to come for hit meant death
to the occupant ov the throne sooner
or later.
A little later the political situation
grew still worse. Two dukes, Mar
| tin and Pepin, were in charge, or
| thought they were. They led revo-
! lutionary forces an lost Martin
surrendered on a promise that his life
be spared, but he wuz treacherously
put to death. Pepin wuz more sue
cessful an at last defeated the gov
eminent troops an became mayor ov
the palace an managed things to suit
himself az long az he lived. He died
in TIA an had enjoyed unlimited
power for twenty-six years. He
named hiz grandson, only six years
old, az mayor ov the palace. Dago-
/ bert wuz still in power an he, decided
that no six-year-old boy could run
business for the country while hiz
term lasted. This led to civil war an
Dagobert won out.
From this time the authority ov
| the Kings of France became small.
| Anvil they did wuz to look wise an
draw princely salaries. But havin'
got rid ov enemies within, the ruler
had to watch outside enemies. The
Saracens, havin' overrun the greater
part ov Asia, now turned their vic
torious army Westward and threat
ened Europe with total subsection.
Spain had already submitted to the
yoke; and havin' passed the Pyreness,
they next invaded France. At Tou-
louise they met Endes an after hard
fight were defeated; but this proved
only partial check. The Saracens
once more crossed the Pyreness an
entered France with an army tina:
Endes could not meet in victory.