CHA P. particular example of a province, a diocefe, a fenatorial faXXXVIII. mily. Auvergne had formerly maintained a juft pre-emi~ nence among the independent states and cities of Gaul. The brave and numerous inhabitants difplayed a fingular, trophy; the fword of Cæfar himself, which he had loft when he was repulfed before the walls of Gergovia (100). As the common offspring of Troy, they claimed a fraternal alliance with the Romans (101); and if each province had imitated the courage and loyalty of Auvergne, the fall of the Western empire might have been prevented, or delayed. They firmly maintained the fidelity which they had reluctantly fworn to the Vifigoths; but when their braveft nobles had fallen in the battle of Poitiers, they accepted, without resistance, a victorious and catholic fovereign. This eafy and valuable conqueft was atchieved, and poffeffed, by Theodoric, the eldeft fon of Clovis : but the remote province was feparated from his Auftrafian dominions, by the intermediate kingdoms of Soiffons, Paris, and Orleans, which formed, after their father's death, the inheritance of his three brothers. The king of Paris, Childebert, was tempt ed by the neighbourhood and beauty of Auvergne (102), The Upper country, which rifes towards the fouth into the mountains of the Cevennes, presented a rich and various profpect of woods and pastures; the fides of the hills were clothed with vines; and each eminence was crowned with a villa or caftle. In the Lower Auvergne, the river Allier flows through the fair and fpacious plain of Limagne; and the inexhaustible fertility of the foil supplied, and still supplies, without any interval of repofe, the conftant repetition of the (100) When Cæfar faw it he laughed (Plutarch. in Cæfar. in tom. i. p. 409.); yet he relates his unsuccessful siege of Gergovia, with less frånkness than we might expect from a great man to whom victory was familiar. He acknowledges, however, that in one attack he loft forty-fix centurions and feven hundred men (de Bell. Gallico, 1. vi. c 44-53. in tom. i. p. 270 -272.). (101) Audebant fe quondam fratres Latio dicere, et fanguine ab Iliaco populos computare (Sidon. Apollinar. 1. vii. epift. 7. in tom. i. p. 799.). I am not informed of the degrees and circumftances of this fabulous pedigree. (102) Either the firft, or fecond, partition among the fons of Clovis, had given Berry to Childebert (Greg. Turon. 1. iii, c. 12. in tom. ii. p. 192.). Velim (faid he), Arvernam Lemanem, quæ tantâ jocunditatis gratiâ refulgere dicitur oculis cernere (1. iii. c. 9. p. 191.). The face of the country was concealed by a thick fog, when the king of Paris made his entry into Clermont. the fame harvests (103). On the falfe report, that their CHA P.' lawful fovereign had been flain in Germany, the city and XXXVIII. diocese of Auvergne were betrayed by the grandson of Sidonius Apollinaris. Childebert enjoyed this clandeftine victory ; and the free subjects of Theodoric threatened to defert his ftandard, if he indulged his private refentment, while the nation was engaged in the Burgundian war. But the Franks of Auftrafia foon yielded to the perfuafive eloquence of their king. "Follow me," faid Theodoric, "into Auvergne: I "will lead you into a province, where you may acquire gold, "filver, flaves, cattle, and precious apparel, to the full ex"tent of your wifhes. I repeat my promife; I give you "the people, and their wealth, as your prey; and you may "transport them at pleasure into your own country." By the execution of this promife, Theodoric justly forfeited the allegiance of a people, whom he devoted to destruction. His troops, reinforced by the fierceft Barbarians of Germany (104), fpread defolation over the fruitful face of Auvergne ; and two places only, a strong caftle, and a holy fhrine, were faved, or redeemed, from their licentious fury. The caftle of Meroliac (105) was feated on a lofty rock, which rose an hundred feet above the furface of the plain; and a large refervoir of fresh water was inclofed, with fome arable lands, within the circle of its fortifications. The Franks beheld with envy and despair this impregnable fortrefs: but they furprised a party of fifty ftragglers; and, as they were oppreffed by the number of their captives, they fixed, at a trifling ranfom, the alternative of life or death for thefe wretched victims, whom the cruel Barbarians were prepared to maffacre on the refufal of the garrifon. Another detach ment (103) For the defeription of Auvergne, fee Sidonius (1. iv. epift. 21. in tom. i. p. 793.), with the notes of Savaron and Sirmond (p. 279. and 51. of their respective editions), Boulainvilliers (Etat de la France, tom. ii. p. 242-268.), and the Abbé de Longuerue (Défcription de la France, part i, p. 132-139.). (104) Furorem gentium, quæ de ulteriore Rheni amnis parte venerant, fuperare non poterat (Greg. Turon. l. iv. c. 50, in tom. ii. 229.), was the excufe of another king of Auftrafia (A. D. 574.), for the ravages which his troops committed in the neighbourhood of Paris. (105) From the name and fituation, the Renedictine editors of Gregory of Tours (in tom. ii. p. 192.) have fixed this fortress at a place named Caftel Merliac, two miles from Mauriac, in the Upper Auvergne. In this description, I tranflate infra as if I read intra; the two prepofitions are perpetually confounded by Gregory, or his tranfcribers; and the fense must al. ways decide. CHA P. ment penetrated as far as Brivas, or Brioude, where the inXXXVIII. habitants, with their valuable effects, had taken refuge in the Story of fanctuary of St. Julian. The doors of the church refifted the affault; but a daring foldier entered through a window of the choir, and opened a paffage to his companions. The clergy and people, the facred and the profane fpoils, were rudely torn from the altar; and the facrilegious division was made at a small distance from the town of Brioude. But this act of impiety was feverely chaftifed by the devout fon of Clovis. He punished with death the most atrocious offenders; left their fecret accomplices to the vengeance of St. Julian; releafed the captives; restored the plunder; and extended the rights of fanctuary, five miles round the fepulchre of the holy martyr (106). Before the Auftrian army retreated from Auvergne, Theodoric exacted fome pledges of the future loyalty of a people, whofe juft hatred could be restrained only by their fear. A felect band of noble youths, the fons of the principal fenators, was delivered to the conqueror, as the hoftages of the faith of Childebert, and of their countrymen. On the first rumour of war, or confpiracy, thefe guiltless youth, were reduced to a state of fervitude; and one of them, Attalus (107), whofe adventures are more particularly related, kept his master's horfes in the diocese of Treves. After a painful fearch, he was difcovered, in this unworthy occupation, by the emiffaries of his grandfather, Gregory bishop of Langres; but his offers of ranfom were fternly rejected by the avarice of the Barbarian, who required an exorbitant fum of ten pounds of gold for the freedom of his noble captive. His deliverance was effected by the hardy ftratagem of Leo, a flave belonging to the kitchens of the bishop of Langres (108). An unknown agent eafily introduced him into the fame (106) See these revolutions, and wars, of Auvergne, in Gregory of Tours (1. ii. c. 37. in tom. ii. p. 183. and l. iii. c. 9. 12, 13. p. 191, 192. de Miraculis St. Julian. c. 13. in tom. ii. p. 466.). He frequently betrays his extraordinary attention to his native country. (107) The story of Attalus is related by Gregory of Tours (1. iii. c. 16. in tom. ii. p. 193-195.). His editor, the P. Ruinart, confounds this Attalus, who was a youth (puer) in the year 532, with a friend of Sidonius of the same name, who was count of Autun, fifty or fixty years before. Such an error, which cannot be imputed to ignorance, is excufed, in some degree, by its own magnitude. (108) This Gregory, the great grandfather of Gregory of Tours (in tom. - įì. p. 197. 490.), lived ninety-two years; of which he paffed forty, as count of fame family. The Barbarian purchased Leo for the price of C H A F. twelve pieces of gold; and was pleafed to learn, that he was XXXVIII. deeply fkilled in the luxury of an epifcopal table: "Next "Sunday," faid the Frank, "I fhall invite my neighbours, " and kinfinen. Exert thy art, and force them to confefs, "that they have never seen, or tafted, fuch an entertain"ment, even in the king's houfe." Leo affured him, that, if he would provide a fufficient quantity of poultry, his wifhes. fhould be fatisfied. The mafter, who already afpired to the merit of elegant hofpitality, affumed, as his own, the praife which the voracious guests unanimoufly bestowed on his cook; and the dexterous Leo infenfibly acquired the trust and management of his houfehold. After the patient expectation of a whole year, he cautiously whispered his design to Attalus, and exhorted him to prepare for flight in the enfuing night. At the hour of midnight, the intemperate guests retired from table; and the Frank's fon-in-law, whom Leo attended to his apartment with a nocturnal potation, condefcended to jeft on the facility with which he might betray his truft. The intrepid flave, after fuftaining this dangerous raillery, entered his master's bed-chamber; removed his fpear and fhield; filently drew the fleeteft horfes from the ftable; unbarred the ponderous gates; and excited Attalus to fave his life and liberty by inceffant diligence. Their apprehenfions urged them to leave their horfes on the banks of the Meufe (109); they fwam the river, wandered three days in the adjacent foreft, and fubfifted only by the accidental discovery of a wild plum-tree. As they lay concealed in a dark thicket, they heard the noife of horfes; they were terrified by the angry countenance of their mafter, and they anxioufly liftened to his declaration, that, if he could feize the guilty fugitives, one of them he would cut in pieces with his sword, and would expofe the other on a gibbet. At length, Attalus, and his faithful Leo, reached the friendly habitation of a prefbyter of Rheims, who recruited their fainting ftrength with VOL. III. LI bread of Autun, and thirty-two, as bishop of Langres. According to the poet Nobilis antiquâ decurrens prole parentum, Quos domuit judex, patris amore fovet. (109) As M. de Valois, and the P. Ruinart, are determined to change the Mofella of the text into Mofa, it becomes me to acquiefce in the alteration. Yet, after fome examination of the topography, I could defend the common reading. CHA P. bread and wine, concealed them from the search of their XXXVIII. enemy, and fafely conducted them, beyond the limits of the mans of Gaul. Auftrafian kingdom, to the epifcopal palace of Langres. Gregory embraced his grandfon with tears of joy, gratefully delivered Leo, with his whole family, from the yoke of fervitude, and bestowed on him the property of a farm, where he might end his days in happiness and freedom. Perhaps this fingular adventure, which is marked with fo many circumstances of truth and nature, was related by Attalus himself, to his coufin, or nephew, the firft hiftorian of the Franks. Gregory of Tours (110) was born about fixty years after the death of Sidonius Apollinaris; and their fituation was almost fimilar, fince each of them was a native of Auvergne, a fenator, and a bishop. The difference of their ftyle and fentiments may, therefore, exprefs the decay of Gaul; and clearly afcertain how much, in fo fhort a space, the human mind had loft of its energy and refinement (III). Privileges We are now qualified to defpife the oppofite, and, perof the Ro- haps, artful, misrepresentations, which have foftened, or exaggerated, the oppreffion of the Romans of Gaul under the reign of the Merovingians. The conquerors never promulgated any univerfal edict of fervitude, or confifcation: but a degenerate people, who excufed their weakness by the fpecious names of politeness and peace, was exposed to the arms and laws of the ferocious Barbarians, who contemptuously infulted their poffeffions, their freedom, and their fafety. Their personal injuries were partial and irregular; but the great body of the Romans furvived the revolution, and still preferved the property, and privileges, of citizens. A large portion (110) The parents of Gregory (Gregorius Florentius Georgius) were of noble extraction (natalibus ... illuftres.), and they poffeffed large estates (latifundia) both in Auvergne and Burgundy. He was born in the year 539, was confecrated bifhop of Tours in 573, and died in 593, or 595, foon after he had terminated his history. See his life by Odo, abbot of Clugny (in tom. ii. p. 129-135.), and a new Life in the Mémoires de l'Académie, &c. tom. xvi. p. 598-637 (111) Decedente atque immo potius pereunte ab urbibus Gallicanis liberalium culturâ literarum, &c. (in præfat. in tom. ii. p. 137.), is the complaint of Gregory himself, which he fully verifies by his own work, His tyle is equally devoid of elegance and fimplicity. In a confpicuous ftation he ftill remained a stranger to his own age and country; and in a prolix work (the five laft books contain ten years) he has omitted almost every thing that pofterity defires to learn. I have tediously acquired, by a painful perufal, the right of pronouncing this unfavourable fentence. |