943 before the King. Hugh-le-Grand was also gra- 942-954 tified by a remembrance carved out of the defunct's estate, to wit the superiority of Creil and Thury, and Coucy's noble tower, all which fiefs were held under him by Bernard de Senlis. The late Count Herbert had detached these domains from the temporalities of Rheims, and his sons seemed to have ceded to their Uncle, as a token of gratitude, that which was not their own. Legal evidence frequently extends no further than to raise vehement presumptions. When dealing with historical evidence it rarely happens that we can elicit much more. And it is not a far-fetched supposition, that Louis if he did in any wise plan or effect the removal of the Vermandois Count had fully reckoned upon the consequent advantages. The power of Vermandois was broken by the partitions of the inheritance; and whether Herbert of Vermandois was choked in his bed or strangled by the hempen noose, whether Guillaume the Captain of the Pirates had been lawfully executed or foully murdered, the result was identical. Two members of the treasonable Triumvirate had breathed their last breath: and the confederacy whereby Louis had been so venomously assailed was at an end. Therefore it would appear, at first sight, that through the death of Count Herbert, Hugh-leGrand was the loser, and Louis the gainer: but 943 Hugh-le- his 942-954 it was his destiny that his fairweather gleams of sky should always be speedily clouded; and Louis, though some time elapsed before the full encrease of extent of the reaction became manifest, was really power. on the suffering side.-Qui habet socium habet magistrum. In the English language we lack any proverbial version of this instructive apophthegm, so well exemplified on the present occasion by Hugh-le-Grand: who, liberated from the constraint of partners no less grasping than himself, and always ready to check, contradict, or sacrifice him, presented himself in far greater force than before. 943 Birth of Concurrent with this important phase in Hugh's political affairs when, had his Astronomer "erected a figure," Jupiter could have been found to be lord of the ascendant, a most unexpected event occurred which complemented his good fortune. In early manhood Hugh-le-Grand had been childless; in the prime of life Hugh-le-Grand continued childless-wives and concubines equally barren; but now, in Hugh-le-Grand's old age, he ceased to be childless; a child was born to him. Hugh-leGrand, hitherto characterized as the nephew of a King, the brother-in-law of a King, the son-inlaw of a King, and the son of a King, though not a King himself, became, at last, the father of a King. Hadwisa, the sister of King Otho, was delivered of that sturdy child, the gossips' marvel, who, receiving the paternal name of Hugh at the font, acquired in after-life, for the tor- 942-954 ture of antiquarian wits, the world-renowned epithet of Capet. 942-943 Grand's becomes definite. Hitherto Hugh-le-Grand had pursued his Hugh-leschemes of aggrandizement somewhat desulto- conduct rily. He persisted in his self-denying determin-more ation that he would never wear the Crown. At the commencement of Louis d'Outremer's reign, this abnegation of the royal insignia merely amounted to a distinction without a difference. The Protectorate approximated so closely to the Sovereignty that the office might be easily accepted as an equivalent; but, when deprived of his Protectorate, he never pretended to exercise any marked predominance over his Confederates. He became the liegeman of Otho, readily acknowledging also his German brother-in-law as King of France and, except when directly co-operating with the other leaders, he seemed to content himself with nibbling the royal territory, and to be satisfied if from time to time he could win some town or tower. But in future we shall find him acting definitely, whether defying the Carlovingian sceptre or gnawing under the throne, and not sparing any exertion of power, any flattery or any fraud, for the purpose of attaining his ends. He was the same Hugh-le-Grand, and yet substantially altered. Henceforth we shall constantly find him acting, so to speak, in the spirit of an ambitious parvenu, seeking to be the founder 942-954 of a family, giving his whole mind to the acquisition of capital, which he hoards for the benefit of his heir. 943 Louis encouraged to § 3. Immediately after the butchery of Picplan the quigny, Louis prepared to adopt measures for subjugation Normanno rum. of the Terra regaining the Terra Normannorum, commencing with the territory between the Seine and France. Yielding to the narcotic influence which plausible deductions from popular opinions exercise upon the mind, the scheme of annexation may, without any twinge of conscience, have been preconceived by Louis, Guillaume Longue-épée yet living, adding to his convictions that it was a righteous deed to slay the Captain of the Pirates for the safety of the CarlovingianCommonwealth. To speak of peace between the Danes and the Carlovingian nations was indeed a convenNo proba- tional falsification. There could be no peace real peace between them, according to the doctrines which Northmen. they mutually maintained. The Danskerman's bility of with the print of his foot sealed the soil to him and his heirs for ever. If ousted, his title was not barred, and he would regain his own whenever he could or dared; no effluxion of time could affect the justice of his claim. The Danish champion challenged the Conqueror on his coronation-day-The Carlovingian people, on their part, would not admit that any title could be lawfully obtained by the Northmen;-their title was incurably bad;-no cession was valid, no 943 treaty binding, no oath was made to be held. 942–954 No defiance needed to be given to the perpetual enemy; and, when Guillaume Longue-épée had fallen-no matter by whose instigation-Louis might surely believe that his royal duty bound him to avail himself of the opportunity which now was offered for the "reintegration of the Realm, and uprooting the detested Pirates."-It seemed as if Guillaume Longue-épée had worked prepensely for his country's ruin. When called to the dominion of the Terra Normannorum, the antagonistic parties were rivals; his attempted fusion had produced confusion-and, taken away from that dominion, he left them prepared and ready for mutual hostility. fied by po dence to re-annexa mandy in instance: Dismissing, however, from our consideration Louis justiall questions bearing upon the culpability or the litical pruinnocence of Louis, and, without attempting to plan the determine whether his aspirations prompted Guil- tion of Norlaume's assassination, or whether the assassina- the first tion suggested the desire, it is indubitable that he, the King of France, could not fail to watch for every opportunity of destroying the Pirate's nest. That the Northman should reign in France was a foul disgrace, an ever-increasing national danger. Louis had a sufficient warning before his eyes. Through Alfred's fatal grant to Guthrun the Danes were devouring England. Louis must have felt that it might be within his power to restore France to her integrity. One strenuous |