The Carlovingian Coins; Or, The Daughters of Charlemagne: A Tale of the Ninth CenturySue, Eugène
General
The Carlovingian Coins; Or, The Daughters of Charlemagne: A Tale of the Ninth Century
Sue, Eugène
Charlemagne, Emperor, 742-814 -- Fiction
Myself, Rosneven, the oldest son of Vortigern, who make this entry at
the foot of my father's narrative, can only record here my father's
death on the fifth day of February of 889. These have been sad years for
Brittany, and also for our own family in particular. Our special sorrows
proceed from the estrangement of my younger brothers, one of whom left
Gaul and sailed to the country of the Northman pirates. I lack both the
spirit and the will to recite these lamentable events. Perhaps my
youngest brother Gomer, gifted with more energy, ability and
perseverance than myself, may some day undertake the task.
THE END.
FOOTNOTES:
[A] "The daughters of the Emperor Charles always accompanied him on his
trips into the interior of Gaul. They were handsome beauties; he loved
them passionately; he never allowed them to marry, and kept them all
with him till his death. Although happy in everything else, Charles
experienced in them the malignity of adverse fortune; but he buried his
chagrin, and behaved towards them as if they had never given cause for
evil suspicions, and as if rumor had never been busy with their
names."--_Chronicles of Eginhard, p. 145, Collected History of France._
[B] For Amael's story, see "The Abbatial Crosier," the preceding book of
the series.
[C] "The Gallic woman equalled her husband in courage and strength. She
sat in his councils of war with him. Her eyes were more furious when she
was angered, and she swung her arms, as white as snow, and dealt blows
as heavy as if they came from an engine of war."--Ammienus Marcellinus,
_Notes of the Martyrs_, vol. XVIII, book IX.
[D] "The heart of Louis the Pious (Charlemagne's son) was, naturally,
long indignant at the conduct indulged in by his sisters under the
paternal roof, the only blot upon its name. Desiring, then, to amend
these disorders, he sent before him Walla, Warnaire, Lambert and
Ingobert, with the order to watch carefully, as soon as they should
arrive at Aix-la-Chapelle, that no new scandal should occur; and to put
under heavy guard those who had soiled the majesty of the empire with a
criminal commerce (with the daughters of the Emperor). Certain ones,
guilty of these crimes, came before Louis the Pious to obtain pardon,
which they received. Audoin alone resisted. He smote Warnaire that he
died, wounded Lambert in the thigh, and slew himself with one blow of
his sword.... Whereupon Louis the Pious decided to drive out of the
palace all that multitude of women which occupied it in the time of his
father."--L'Astronome, _Life of Louis the Pious_, pp. 345-346,
_Collected History of France_.
[E] See "The Casque's Lark."
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