ion to business
than to pleasure, the mayors continued to do all the business,
until at last they did everything that the king ought to have done.
They made war, led armies in battle, raised money and spent it,
and carried on the government as they pleased, without consulting
the king.

The "Do-nothings" had the title of king, but nothing more. In fact,
they did not desire to have any business to do. The things they
cared for were dogs, horses and sport.

One of the most famous of the mayors was a man named Pep'in. Once
a year, it is said, Pepin had the king dressed in his finest clothes
and paraded through the city of Paris, where the court was held.
A splendid throng of nobles and courtiers accompanied the king,
and did him honor as he went along the streets in a gilded chariot
drawn by a long line of beautiful horses. The king was cheered by
the people, and he acknowledged their greetings most graciously.

After the parade the king was escorted to the great hall of the
palace, which was filled with nobles. Seated on a magnificent throne,
he saluted the assemblage and made a short speech. The speech was
prepared beforehand by Pepin, and committed to memory by the king.
At the close of the ceremony the royal "nobody" retired to his
country house and was not heard of again for a year.

II

Pepin died in 714 A.D., and his son Charles, who was twenty-five
years old at that time, succeeded him as mayor of the palace. This
Charles is known in history as Charles Martel. He was a brave young
man. He had fought in many of his father's battles and so had become
a skilled soldier. His men were devoted to him.

While he was mayor of the palace he led armies in several wars
against the enemies of the Franks. The most important of his wars
was one with the Saracens, who came across the Pyrenees from Spain and
invaded the land of the Franks, intending to establish Mohammedanism
there. Their army was led by Abd-er-Rah'man, the Saracen governor
of Spain.

[Illustration: CHARLES MARTEL AT TOURS]

On his march through the southern districts of the land of the
Franks Abd-er-Rahman destroyed many towns and villages, killed a
number of the people, and seized all the property he could carry
off. He plundered the city of Bordeaux (_bor-do'_), and, it is
said, obtained so many valuable things that every soldier "was
loaded with golden vases and cups and emeralds and other precious
stones."

But meanwhile Charles Martel was not i