into the innermost Parts of _France_; where he began again
to raise Men in Order to renew the War. In the mean Time _Charles_
having dismiss'd his Army, kept himself quiet in the Town of _Laon_ with
his Wife; but in the Year following he was on a sudden surrounded by
_Capet_, who besieged the Town with a great Army.

There was in the Place one _Anselmus_, Bishop of the City. _Capet_ found
Means to corrupt this Man by great Gifts and Promises, and to induce him
to betray both the Town and the King into his Hands; which was
accordingly done. And thus having obtained both the City and the
Victory, he sent _Charles_ and his Wife Prisoners to _Orleans_, where he
set strict Guards over them. The King having been two Years in Prison,
had two Sons born to him there, _Lewis_ and _Charles_; but not long
after they all died. So that _Capet_ being now Master of the whole
Kingdom of _France_ without Dispute or Trouble, associated his Son
_Robert_ with him in the Throne, and took care to get him declared his
Successor. Thus the Dignity and Memory of the _Carlovingian_ Family came
to an End, the 237th Year after the first Beginning of their Reign. And
this History is recorded by _Sigebert_ in _Chron._ Ann. 987. as well as
the _Appendix_, lib. 5. cap. 45.

We must not omit making Mention of the _cunning Device_ made use of by
_Hugh Capet_, for establishing himself in his new Dominion: For whereas
all the Magistracies and Honours of the Kingdom, such as _Dukedoms,
Earldoms_, &c. had been hitherto from ancient Times conferr'd upon
select and deserving Persons in the General _Conventions_ of the
_People_, and were held only during good _behaviour_; whereof (as the
Lawyers express it) they were but _Beneficiaries_; _Hugh Capet_, in
order to secure to himself the Affections of the Great Men, was the
first that made those _Honours perpetual_, which formerly were but
_temporary_; and ordained, that such as obtained them shou'd have a
hereditary Right in them, and might leave them to their Children and
Posterity in like Manner as their other Estates. Of this, see
_Franciscus Conanus_ the Civilian, _Comment. 2. Cap. 9._ By which
notorious fact, 'tis plain, that a great Branch of the _Publick
Council's_ Authority was torn away; which however (to any Man who
seriously considers the Circumstances of those Times) seems impossible
to have been affected by him alone, without the Consent of that _Great
Council_ it self.

* * *