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followers to safeguard the retreat of the royal army。
During the last ten years of the eighth century； however；
Charles was obliged to devote himself exclusively to affairs of
the South。 The Pope； Leo III； had been attacked by a band
of Roman rowdies and had been left for dead in the street。
Some kind people had bandaged his wounds and had helped
him to escape to the camp of Charles； where he asked for
help。 An army of Franks soon restored quiet and carried Leo
back to the Lateran Palace which ever since the days of Constantine；
had been the home of the Pope。 That was in December
of the year 799。 On Christmas day of the next year；
Charlemagne； who was staying in Rome； attended the service
in the ancient church of St。 Peter。 When he arose from prayer；
the Pope placed a crown upon his head； called him Emperor of
the Romans and hailed him once more with the title of ‘‘Augustus''
which had not been heard for hundreds of years。
Once more Northern Europe was part of a Roman Empire；
but the dignity was held by a German chieftain who could
read just a little and never learned to write。 But he could
fight and for a short while there was order and even the rival
emperor in Constantinople sent a letter of approval to his
‘‘dear Brother。''
Unfortunately this splendid old man died in the year 814。
His sons and his grandsons at once began to fight for the
largest share of the imperial inheritance。 Twice the Carolingian
lands were divided； by the treaties of Verdun in the
year 843 and by the treaty of Mersen…on…the…Meuse in the
year 870。 The latter treaty divided the entire Frankish Kingdom
into two parts。 Charles the Bold received the western
half。 It contained the old Roman province called Gaul where
the language of the people had become thoroughly romanized。
The Franks soon learned to speak this language and this
accounts for the strange fact that a purely Germanic land
like France should speak a Latin tongue。
The other grandson got the eastern part； the land which
the Romans had called Germania。 Those inhospitable regions
had never been part of the old Empire。 Augustus had
tried to conquer this ‘‘far east；'' but his legions had been
annihilated in the Teutoburg Wood in the year 9 and the people had
never been influenced by the higher Roman civilisation。 They
spoke the popular Germanic tongue。 The Teuton word for
‘‘people'' was ‘‘thiot。'' The Christian missionaries therefore
called the German language the ‘‘lingua theotisca'' or the
‘‘lingua teutisca；'' the ‘‘popular dialect'' and this word
‘‘teutisca'' was changed into ‘‘Deutsch'' which accounts for the name
‘‘Deutschland。''
As for the famous Imperial Crown； it very soon slipped
off the heads of the Carolingian successors and rolled back onto
the Italian plain； where it became a sort of plaything of a
number of little potentates who stole the crown from each other
amidst much bloodshed and wore it （with or without the permission
of the Pope） until it was the turn of some more ambitious
neighbour。 The Pope； once more sorely beset by his
enemies； sent north for help。 He did not appeal to the ruler
of the west…Frankish kingdom； this time。 His messengers
crossed the Alps and addressed themselves to Otto； a Saxon
Prince who was recognised as the greatest chieftain of the
different Germanic tribes。
Otto； who shared his people's affection for the blue skies
and the gay and beautiful people of the Italian peninsula；
hastened to the rescue。 In return for his services； the Pope；
Leo VIII； made Otto ‘‘Emperor；'' and the eastern half of
Charles' old kingdom was henceforth known as the ‘‘Holy
Roman Empire of the German Nation。''
This strange political creation managed to live to the ripe
old age of eight hundred and thirty…nine years。 In the year
1801； （during the presidency of Thomas Jefferson；） it was
most unceremoniously relegated to the historical scrapheap。
The brutal fellow who destroyed the old Germanic Empire was
the son of a Corsican notary…public who had made a brilliant
career in the service of the French Republic。 He was ruler
of Europe by the grace of his famous Guard Regiments； but
he desired to be something more。 He sent to Rome for the
Pope and the Pope came and stood by while General Napoleon
placed the imperial crown upon his own head and proclaimed
himself heir to the tradition of Charlemagne。 For history is
like life。 The more things change； the more they remain
the same。
THE NORSEMEN
WHY THE PEOPLE OF THE TENTH CENTURY
PRAYED THE LORD TO PROTECT THEM
FROM THE FURY OF THE NORSEMEN
IN the third and fourth centuries； the Germanic tribes of
central Europe had broken through the defences of the Empire
that they might plunder Rome and live on the fat of the
land。 In the eighth century it became the turn of the Germans
to be the ‘‘plundered…ones。'' They did not like this at all； even
if their enemies were their first cousins； the Norsemen； who
lived in Denmark and Sweden and Norway。
What forced these hardy sailors to turn pirate we do not
know； but once they had discovered the advantages and pleasures
of a buccaneering career there was no one who could stop
them。 They would suddenly descend upon a peaceful Frankish
or Frisian village； situated on the mouth of a river。 They
would kill all the men and steal all the women。 Then they
would sail away in their fast…sailing ships and when the soldiers
of the king or emperor arrived upon the scene； the robbers
were gone and nothing remained but a few smouldering
ruins。
During the days of disorder which followed the death of
Charlemagne； the Northmen developed great activity。 Their
fleets made raids upon every country and their sailors established
small independent kingdoms along the coast of Holland
and France and England and Germany； and they even found
their way into Italy。 The Northmen were very intelligent
They soon learned to speak the language of their subjects and
gave up the uncivilised ways of the early Vikings （or Sea…
Kings who had been very picturesque but also very unwashed
and terribly cruel。
Early in the tenth century a Viking by the name of Rollo
had repeatedly attacked the coast of France。 The king of
France； too weak to resist these northern robbers； tried to
bribe them into ‘‘being good。'' He offered them the province
of Normandy； if they would promise to stop bothering the rest
of his domains。 Rollo accepted this bargain and became ‘‘Duke
of Normandy。''
But the passion of conquest was strong in the blood of his
children。 Across the channel； only a few hours away from the
European mainland； they could see the white cliffs and the
green fields of England。 Poor England had passed through
difficult days。 For two hundred years it had been a Roman
colony。 After the Romans left； it had been conquered by the
Angles and the Saxons； two German tribes from Schleswig。
Next the Danes had taken the greater part