the Palace_, to the Reign of _Clotair_ the Third;
whose _Magister Palatii_ was one _Ebroinus_, a Man of extraordinary
Wickedness and Cruelty: But however this may be, we find Historians
calling them by several other Appellations; such as _Comites Domus
Regie, Praefecti Aulae, Comites Palatii, &c._

* * * * *

CHAP. XIII.

_Whether_ Pipin _was created King by the_ Pope, _or by the
Authority of the_ Francogallican Council.

Having in the former Chapter given an Account, that after the Expulsion
of _Childerick_, (a stupid Prince, in whom the Line of the Merovingians
ended) _Pipin_, from being _Mayor of the Palace_, was created _King_; It
will be worth our Enquiry, to know by whose Authority the Kingdom was
conferr'd upon him. For _Pope Gelasius_ says thus, _Cap. 75. Quest. 6._
--"_A Roman Pope_, viz. _Zacharias_, deposed the King of the _Franks_,
not so much because of his evil Actions, as because he was stupid, and
unfit for the Exercise of so great a Trust; and in his Stead,
substituted _Pipin_, Father of _Charles_ the Emperor: Absolving all the
_Franks_ from the Oath of Allegiance to _Childeric_."

And there is scarce an Author who does not acquiesce in this Testimony
of one _Pope_, concerning the Power of another: Thus _Ado, Lambertus,
Rhegino, Sigibertus, Aimoinus, Landulphus_, nay, even _Venericus
Vercellensis_, (in the Book which we formerly quoted) cites these Words
out of the Epistle of _Pope Gregory_ the VIIth. to _Herman_ Bishop or
_Metz_; viz. "A certain _Pope of Rome deposed_ the _King_ of the
_Franks_ from his Kingdom, nor so much for his Wickedness, as his being
unfit for so great a Power; and after having absolved all the _Franks_
from the Oath of Fidelity they had sworn to him, placed _Pipin_ in his
Room.--Which _Otto Frisingius_, lib. Chron. 5. cap. 23. and _Godfrey_,
Chron. Part. 17. laying presently hold of, break out into this
Exclamation--From this Action, the Popes of _Rome_ derive an Authority
of changing and deposing Princes, &c."

But pray let us enquire whether the Truth of this Story, as to the
Matter of Fact, be sufficiently proved and attested. For in the first
Place, 'tis manifest, That _not one_ of all that _great Number of Kings_
of the _Franks_, which we have instanced to have been Elected or
Abdicated, was either created or abdicated by the Pope's Authority. On
the contrary we have irrefragably prov'd, that the whole Right, both of
_maki