uity, as you may see.

The Lombard rule now broke up rapidly. The Lombards of Spoleto yielded
to the double pressure of Franks and Romans, asked to be 'taken into the
service of St. Peter,' and clipt their long German locks after the Roman
fashion.

Charlemagne, in his final invasion, had little left to do. He confirmed
Pepin's gift, and even, though he hardly kept his promise, enlarged it to
include the whole of Italy, from Lombardy to the frontier of Naples,
while he himself became king of Lombardy, and won the iron crown.

And so by French armies--not for the last time--was the Pope propt up on
his ill-gotten throne.

But the mere support of French armies was not enough to seat the Pope
securely upon the throne of the western Caesars. Documentary evidence
was required to prove that they possessed Rome, not as the vassals of the
Frankish Kaisers, or of any barbarian Teutons whatsoever; but in their
own right, as hereditary sovereigns of Rome. And the documents, when
needed, were forthcoming. Under the name of St. Isidore, some ready
scribe produced the too-famous 'Decretals,' and the 'Donation of
Constantine,' and Pope Adrian I. saw no reason against publishing them to
Charlemagne and to the world.

It was discovered suddenly, by means of these remarkable documents, that
Constantine the Great had been healed of leprosy, and afterwards
baptized, by Pope Sylvester; that he had, in gratitude for his cure,
resigned to the Popes his western throne, and the patrimony of St. Peter,
and the sovereignty of Italy and the West; and that this was the true
reason of his having founded Constantinople, as a new seat of government
for the remnant of his empire.

This astounding falsehood was, of course, accepted humbly by the
unlettered Teutons; and did its work well, for centuries to come. It is
said--I trust not truly--to be still enrolled among the decrees of the
Canon law, though reprobated by all enlightened Roman Catholics. Be that
as it may, on the strength of this document the Popes began to assume an
all but despotic sovereignty over the western world, and--the Teutonic
peoples, and Rome's conquest of her conquerors was at last complete.

What then were the causes of the Papal hatred of a race who were good and
devout Catholics for the last 200 years of their rule?

There were deep political reasons (in the strictest, and I am afraid
lowest sense of the word); but over and above them there were evidently
mora