igorous pursuit. The Neustrians made a stand at Vincy, near
Cambray. Charles met them here, and after a gallant struggle
completely routed the force of Raginfred. This victory decided the
fate of Neustria, and the crown of both countries was, in the year
719, placed on the head of Chilperic II. Either from motives of policy
or of generosity, Charles did not abuse his success by the punishment
of his rival, Raginfred, on whom he conferred the earldom and province
of Anjou. He himself was content to remain sole Mayor of the Palace,
under a show of obedience to a powerless king.

A brave, iron-willed man, this Charles Martel appears to us--dimly as
the light of historic tradition permits us to behold him. He made his
army the sole engine of his power, and cultivated it to the fullest
extent then possible to him. Even the Church was not able to resist
him; and at his pleasure he seized on benefices which he deemed too
important to be placed in priestly hands, and bestowed them on his
warriors. A rebellion among the nobles of Aquitaine demanded his
attention; and thither he marched with ruthless determination,
stemming revolt and establishing order. But he had a work to do in his
generation far more important to Europe than any he had yet performed.

The Arab tribes, which in the last century had been converted, by the
genius of Mohammed, from idolatry to the worship of God, and from
lawless bandits into disciplined soldiers, were at this period
pursuing their career of religious conquest into the heart of
Christendom. The Gothic monarchy of Spain, under its last king,
Roderick, had fallen beneath the invading force, which now threatened
France. The Duchy of Aquitaine, which considered itself independent of
France, but which Charles had reduced to comparative submission,
opposed the only barrier to Arabian aggression. Eudes (or Eudin), then
Duke, was a gallant prince, and did all that in him lay to resist the
claim which the new lords of Spain asserted to his province of
Septimania (Languedoc). He defeated one invading army before Toulouse
in the year 721; but the tide of invasion still flowed in. He then
tried intrigue, and bestowed his daughter on Musa, a revolted general
of the great Arabian leader, Abd-er-rahman. But all was in vain. In
732 the Moslem once more appeared, in tremendous force, all over the
south of France, ravaging as they came, finally besieging Arles and
defeating its relieving army.

The wives and ch