If Dönniges is right in his view, the Frankish clergy were to exercise a similar jurisdiction in criminal causes of a grave nature. Deutsches Staatsrecht. p. 30. Footnote 236: Leg. Visig. ii. 1. § 23. Footnote 237: “Hic etenim et rex illis et pontifex ob suam peritiam habebatur, et in sua iustitia populos iudicabat.” Jornandes. Footnote 238: “Nec potest aliquis iudicare in temporalibus, nisi solus rex vel subdelegatus: ipse namque ex virtute sacramenti ad hoc specialiter obligatur, et ideo coronâ insignitur, ut per iudicia populum regat sibi subiectum.” Fleta, lib. i. cap. 17. § 1. Footnote 239: “Le titre de roi était primitivement de nulle conséquence chez les barbares. Ennodius, évêque de Paris, dit d’une armée du grand Théodoric: '_Il y avait tant de rois_ dans cette armée, que leur nombre était au moins égal à celui des soldats qu’on pouvait nourrir avec les subsistances exigées des habitans du district où elle campait.'” Michelet, Hist. France, i. 198, note. ----- We are tolerably familiar with the fact that at least eight kingdoms existed at once in Saxon England; but many readers of English history have yet to learn that royalty was much more widely spread, even at the time when we hear but of eight, seven or six predominant kings: as this is a point of some interest, a few examples may not be amiss. It is probable that from the very earliest times Kent had at least two kings, whose capitals were respectively Canterbury and Rochester, the seat of two bishoprics[240]. The distinction of East and West Kentings is preserved till the very downfall of the Saxon monarchy: not only do we know that Eádríc and Hlóðhere reigned together; but also that Wihtred and his son Æðelberht the Second did so[241]. Óswine is mentioned as a king of Kent during the period when our general authorities tell us of Ecgberht alone[242]; contemporary with him we have Swæbheard, another king[243], and all these extend into the period usually given to Eádríc and Hlóðhere. The later years of Æðelberht the Second must have seen his power shared with Eádberht[244], Eardwulf[245], Sigirǽd[246] and Ecgberht[247], and Sigirǽd deliberately calls himself king of half Kent. A very remarkable document of Eádbehrt is preserved in the Textus Roffensis[248]; after the king’s own signature, in which he calls himself Rex Cantuariorum, his nobles place their names, thus, “Ego Wilbaldus comites meos confirmare et subscribere feci:” and in the same words Dimheahac, Hósberht, Nothbalth, Banta, Ruta and Tidbalth sign. Now the fact of these persons having _comites_ at all is only conceivable on the supposition that they were all royal, kings or sub-kings. That they were subordinate appears from the necessity of the grant being confirmed by Æðelberht, which took place in presence of the grantor and grantee, and the Archbishop, at Canterbury. Among the kings of this small province are also named Æðelríc, Heardberht, Eádberht Pren[249] and