The History of the Church Since the Days of Christ, Book 1 · History of century 9
CENTVRIE IX.
Carolus Magnus.
IN the yeere of our Lord 801. Charles the Great, King of France, was declared Emperour, by Leo the third, Bishop of Rome: and hee raigned sixteene yeeres in his Imperiall dignity: for hee continued King of France forty and six yeeres. The Empire of the West had beene cut off since the dayes of Augustulus, the sonne of Orestes, whom Odoacer, King of Rugiheruli, &c. had compelled to denude himselfe of the Imperiall dignity. Now after the issue of 300. yeeres, and after the Hunnes, the Gothes, the Lombards, and other Nations had obtained dominion in the West, all abstaining (notwithstanding of their prevailing power) from the name, dignity, and stile of Emperours. Now at length (I say) Charles the Great is anoynted, and crowned Emperor, by Leo the third, in the towne of Rome. And this was the beginning of that evill custome which after followed, to wit, That Emperours should receiue their coronation from the Bishops of Rome. At this time the Empire of the East was in the hands of the Empresse Irene, and in the hands of the Emperour Nicephorus, who had banished Irene, and raigned in her stead. The Empire of the East was also weake at this time, as appeareth by a covenant of peace which they concluded with Charles, Emperour of the West: in the which no mention is made of Exarchatus Ravennae, to be rendred againe vntounto them: onelyonly that the Isle of Sicile, and the townes and lands which lie from Naples Eastward on the right hand, and from Manfredonia (sometimes called Syponto) on the left hand, compassed about with the Seas, called Superum & Inferum: these should remaine in the possession of the Emperours of Constantinople. 'Charles a prudent and godly Emperour, more sound and vpright in sundry heads of Christian doctrine, then many others: for hee detested the worshipping of Images, as vile Idolatry: as appeareth by his bookes written against the second Councell of Nice. Charles was very friendly to Christians, and defended them against the violence and tyranny of their persecuting enemies: namely, against Godfridus, King of Denmarke, a fierce adversary against the Christians, who dwelt in Saxony. Likewise hee subdued the Slavonians, and Bohemians, enemies to Christian Religion: and was iustly called Magnus, for his great exploits and valiant acts, which God prospered in his hand. Pipinus, the sonne of the Emperour Charles, was declared King of Italy: who died before his father, and after his death hee appointed Bernard his nephew to raigne in Italy, with expresse commandement, That hee should bee obedient to his sonne Ludovicke, whome hee ordained to be successour to himselfe in the Imperiall office. So the Emperor Charles full of dayes, died in the 71. yeere of his age, and was buried in Aken.
Ludovicus Pius.
AFter Charles succeeded his sonne Ludovicus Pius, and raigned 26. yeeres. For his gentle and meeke behaviour, he was called Pius. He received the Imperiall Diadem from Stephanus the fourth, at Aken. Bernard his brothers sonne, forgetfull of the mandate of Charles the Great, rebelled against Ludovicus Pius, and was beheaded at Aken. Likewise, his owne sonnes (assisted with Hugobortus, Bishop of Lions, and Bernhardus, Bishop of Vienne, and other Bishops, who did excommunicate the Emperour for adherence to Iudith his wife) behaued themselues very vndutifully towards their father. Neverthelesse, he freely pardoned his sonnes, and accepted them againe into favour. Also Fredericke, Bishop of Vtrecht, threatned to excommunicate the Emperour, if hee did no… forsake the company of Iudith, his welbeloved wife, and daughter to the Duke of Bavaria, because shee was his neere kinswoman, to wit, in degrees of consanguinity for bidden, in the Popish lawe. The Empresse willing to bee revenged of the Bishop, shee hired two Gentlemen, who set vponupon him after Church service, and slew him in his Priestly garments. In his time also the Saracens in huge numbers, like vntounto Locusts, swarmed out of Egypt and Africke, and invaded the Isle of Sicile. By cutting downe all fruitfull trees, burning Townes, Temples, and Monasteries, and by killing Bishops, Priests, and Monkes, they brought the Ile to an vtter desolation. Gregory the fourth at that time was Pope: and hee exhorted the Emperour, and his sonne Lotharius, to support the distressed estate of the Isle of Sicile. They answered, That albeit that matter duly belonged to Michael, Emperour of Constantinople, yet neverthelesse, they refused not to vndertake the worke, vponupon the common charges of the Countrey.
Now whilest these things were in reasoning,Platin. in vit. Greg. 4. Bonifacius, Count of Corsica, and his brother Bertarius, with support of the people of Hetruria, arrived with a Navie at Africke: and betwixt Vtica and Carthage, encountred with the Saracens foure times, and slew of them so great a number, that they were compelled to recall their forces backe againe from Sicile: like as of old the Carthaginians vexed by Scipio, recalled Hanniball for the safety of his owne country: So Bonifacius returned back againe with an army victorious, and richly lodened with the spoyle of his enemies. Nothing was more vnprovidently done by the good Emperour Lodovicus Pius, then the giving ouer of that right, voluntarily conferred to Charles his father, by Adrian the first, and Leo the third: to wit, That no man should be elected Pope without the consent and allowance of the Emperour.Funct. comment. l. 9. This foresaid right Ludovicus gaue over to the Clergie and people of Rome: onelyonly; the Romanes for keeping of friendshippe, should send an Ambassadour to the King of France, declaring whom they had elected to bee Pope.Note. Hereby a patent doore was opened to all mischiefe, which after followed: and to that horrible contention betwixt Emperours and Popes, concerning investment of Bishops. In his time three Emperours raigned in the East, at Constantinople: to wit, Leo Armenius, Michael Balbus, and Theophilus. Leo Armemenius raigned seven yeeres. Hee banished Nicephorus, Patriarch of Constantinople, for defending adoration of Images. Michael Balbus slew Leo, his predecessor, whilst he was praising God in the Church, and raigned in his stead nine yeeres. In his time the Saracens mightily prevailed: a number of them issued out of Spaine, and tooke the Isle of Candie. Another company comming from Africke, wasted the Isle of Sicile. Theophilus raigned ten yeeres, and fought against the Saracens, who did oppresse the countrey of Asia: but he had no good successe.
Lotharius.
LOtharius, the sonne of Ludovicus Pius, was declared King of Italy, and Augustus before his fathers death. He was anoynted by Pope Paschalis, in the Church of Saint Peter: and he raigned 15. yeeres. Great hostility and bloody warres fell out amongst the children of Ludovicus Pius: to wit, Lotharius, Lewis, Charles, and Pipinus, fordividing of their fathers Lands. In this civill dissention, the Nobility of France was so miserably weakened, that the Normans and Danes tooke boldnesse to invade the countrey of France: which they vexed for the space of twenty yeeres. In the East, after Theophilus had concluded his life, his sonne Michael, with his mother Theodora governed the estate. Michael raigned foure and twenty yeeres. Theodora continued only eleven yeeres. She persecuted those who would not worship Images: albeit her husband before his departure from his life had seriously admonished her, that shee should not trouble the Church for restoring of Images.
Ludouicus the second.
LVdouicus the second, and son of Lotharius, raigned one and twentie yeeres. The intestine dissention betwixt him and his brother Charles, seemeth to be like vntounto an hereditarie sicknesse. Howsoeuer, the Emperour L…douicke had dishonour thereby: because the rebelles of Charles desired the Emperours protection against his owne brother: which when hee had graunted; the rebelles were reconciled againe with their owne King Charles: and the Emperour, with dishonour, was compelled to retire from his brothers Dominions. In the East, Michael, Emperour of Constantinople, slew his brother Theoctistus, and thrust his mother Theodora, and her sisters, into a Monasterie, and raigned himselfe alone after his mothers deposition thirteene yeares. So the whole time of the gouernement of Michael, was twentie and foure yeeres. He fought against the Saracenes, but very vnprosperously, and was slaine by Basilius, who raigned in his stead seuen yeeres.
Carolus Caluus.
LVdovicus the second dying without children, his brother Carolus Caluus, king of France, obtained at the handes of the Bishop of Rome, by many liberall giftes, to be annointed Emperour. Hee continued Emperour not aboue two yeeres: and was poysoned by one Sedekias, a Iew, whom hee vsed for his Physitian.
Carolus Crassus.
CArolus Crassus was the sonne of Lewis, king of Germanie: hee raigned ten yeeres. Carolus Balbus, the son of Carolus Caluus, was quicklie cut off by death. I herefore, I hauehave ouerpassed his name with silence.Hist. Magd. cent 9. cap. 16. In this Emperours time the Normanes and Danes made such horrible excursions and desolations in France, that the Emperour, who came with a great Armie, to support the distressed estate of France, was compelled to make peace with them, Anno 888. and assigned vntounto them that part of Fraunce which lieth beyonde Seane, towardes the Britannicke Ocean, to bee their habitation: which hath the name of Normandie vntill this day. Crassus, for his negligence and euill gouernement, was deposed from his authoritie, and Arnulphus, his nephew, was declared Emperour.
Arnulphus.
AFter the death of Carolus Crassus, great troubles ensued in Italie, by the factions of Berengarius, whom the Lombardes choosed to be king of Italie, on the one part: and Guido, Duke of Spoleto, whom others choosed to raigne in Italie, on the other part. In the middest of these factions Arnulphus leadeth an armie out of Germanie. He tooke the Towne of Bergamum, and hanged Ambrose, the Earle thereof, vponupon a Gibbet, before the port of the Towne. This seueritie terrified other Townes, and made them to yeelde. Hee addressed towardes Rome, and was crowned Emperour by Formosius, whose enemies he punished vntounto the death. From thence hee addressed to fight against Guido: but hee fled, and escaped the Emperoures hands. The wife of Guido, hauing no puissance to resist the Emperours forces, shee hired some of the Emperoures seruantes, who gaue vntounto him a cup of poyson, which brought vponupon him a lethargie, and three dayes sleeping continually. After this he arose sicke, and left the siedge, (for hee was besieging the wife of Guido) and he died, after hee had raigned twelue yeeres. In the East gouerned Leo, the sonne of Basilius, in whose time the Saracens cōquered Taurominium, a towne in Sicile, and the Isle of Lemnos.