large/12344/historyoffrance_1807_librivox_64kb_mp3/historyoffrance_01_yonge_64kb_15
large/12344/historyoffrance_1807_librivox_64kb_mp3/historyoffrance_01_yonge_64kb
English
12344
The convents alone kept up any remnants of culture; but as the fury of the Northmen was chiefly directed to them, numbers had been destroyed, and there was more ignorance and wretchedness than at any other time. THE CONVENTS ALONE KEPT UP ANY REMNANTS OF CULTURE BUT AS THE FURY OF THE NORTHMEN WAS CHIEFLY DIRECTED TO THEM NUMBERS HAD BEEN DESTROYED AND THERE WAS MORE IGNORANCE AND WRETCHEDNESS THAN AT ANY OTHER TIME
e king could only act by their consent, and must be chosen by them; but matters went more by old custom and the right of the strongest than by any law. A Salic law, so called from the place whence the Franks had come, was supposed to exist; but this had never been used by their subjects, whose law remained that of the old Roman Empire. Both of these systems of law, however, fell into disuse, and were replaced by rude bodies of "customs," which gradually grew up. The habits of the time were exceedingly rude and ferocious. The Franks had been the fiercest and most untamable of all the Teutonic nations, and only submitted themselves to the influence of Christianity and civilization from the respect which the Roman Empire inspired. Charles the Great had tried to bring in Roman cultivation, but we find him reproaching the young Franks in his schools with letting themselves be surpassed by the Gauls, whom they despised; and in the disorders that followed his death, barbarism increased again. N UNDERSTANDING THAT THE KING COULD ONLY ACT BY THEIR CONSENT AND MUST BE CHOSEN BY THEM BUT MATTERS WENT MORE BY OLD CUSTOM AND THE RIGHT OF THE STRONGEST THAN BY ANY LAW A CALIC LAW SO CALLED FROM THE PLACE WHENCE THE FRANKS HAD COME WAS SUPPOSED TO EXIST BUT THIS HAD NEVER BEEN USED BY THEIR SUBJECTS WHOSE LAW REMAINED THAT OF THE OLD ROMAN EMPIRE BOTH OF THESE SYSTEMS OF LAW HOWEVER FELL INTO DISUSE AND WERE REPLACED BY RUDE BODIES OF CUSTOMS WHICH GRADUALLY GREW UP THE HABITS OF THE TIME WERE EXCEEDINGLY RUDE AND FEROCIOUS THE FRANKS HAD BEEN THE FIERCEST AND MOST UNTAMABLE OF ALL THE TEUTONIC NATIONS AND ONLY SUBMITTED THEMSELVES TO THE INFLUENCE OF CHRISTIANITY AND CIVILIZATION FROM THE RESPECT WHICH THE ROMAN EMPIRE INSPIRED CHARLES THE GREAT HAD TRIED TO BRING IN ROMAN CULTIVATION BUT WE FIND HIM REPROACHING THE YOUNG FRANKS IN HIS SCHOOLS WITH LETTING THEMSELVES BE SURPASSED BY THE GAULS WHOM THEY DESPISED AND IN THE DISORDERS THAT FOLLOWED HIS DEATH BARBARISM INCREASED AGAIN
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