In the year 751 [7] Pope _Zechary_ deposed _Childeric_, a slothful and useless King of _France_, and the last of the race of _Merovaeus_; and absolving his subjects from their oath of allegiance, gave the kingdom to _Pipin_ the major of the Palace; and thereby made a new and potent friend. His successor [8] Pope _Stephen_ III, knowing better how to deal with the _Greek_ Emperor than with the _Lombards_, went the next year to the King of the _Lombards_, to persuade him to return the Exarchate to the Emperor. But this not succeeding, he went into _France_, and persuaded _Pipin_ to take the Exarchate and _Pentapolis_ from the _Lombards_, and give it to St. _Peter_. Accordingly _Pipin_ A.C. 754 came with an army into _Italy_, and made _Aistulphus_ King of the _Lombards_ promise the surrender: but the next year _Aistulphus_, on the contrary, to revenge himself on the Pope, besieged the city of _Rome_. Whereupon the Pope sent letters to _Pipin_, wherein he told him that if he came not speedily against the _Lombards_, _pro data sibi potentia, alienandum fore a regno Dei & vita aeterna_, he should be excommunicated. _Pipin_ therefore, fearing a revolt of his subjects, and being indebted to the Church of _Rome_, came speedily with an army into _Italy_, raised the siege, besieged the _Lombards_ in _Pavia_, and forced them to surrender the Exarchate and region of _Pentapolis_ to the Pope for a perpetual possession. Thus the Pope became Lord of _Ravenna_, and the Exarchate, some few cities excepted; and the keys were sent to _Rome_, and laid upon the confession of St. _Peter_, that is, upon his tomb at the high Altar, _in signum veri perpetuique dominii, sed pietate Regis gratuita_, as the inscription of a coin of _Pipin_ hath it. This was in the year of Christ 755. And henceforward the Popes being temporal Princes, left off in their Epistles and Bulls to note the years of the _Greek_ Emperors, as they had hitherto done. After this [9] the _Lombards_ invading the Pope's countries, Pope _Adrian_ sent to _Charles_ the great, the son and successor of _Pipin_, to come to his assistance. Accordingly _Charles_ entered _Italy_ with an army, invaded the _Lombards_, overthrew their kingdom, became master of their countries, and restored to the Pope, not only what they had taken from him, but also the rest of the Exarchate which they had promised _Pipin_ to surrender to him, but had hitherto detained; and also gave him some cities of the _Lombards_, and was in return himself made _Patricius_ by the _Romans_, and had the authority of confirming the elections of the Popes conferred upon him. These things were done in the years 773 and 774. This kingdom of the _Lombards_ was the second kingdom which fell before the little horn. But _Rome_, which was to be the seat of his kingdom, was not yet his own.