A History of Europe During the Middle Ages Volume 2

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1833 edition. ... the other orders of society, and perpetuated their civil thraldom. 888 iii. Germany.--On the election of Arnulf (888--to 899), who, as we have before observed, was an ille'gitimate scion of the Carlovingian family, the great feudatories of the empire were the dukes of Saxony, Thuringia, Lorraine, Swabia, and Bavaria, besides nu. merous counts and lordB of the marches. Dependent on it, also, were not only the kings of Burgundy and Provence, but even that of Moravia, a prince who, like his subjects, was of Slavonic descent and language. Hence the empire was almost as extensive in the ninth century as at any subsequent period. If the eastern frontier, Moravia and Silesia, were occupied by a different people, and if several tribes were virtually independent, its extension into France must be admitted nearly to counterbalance that disadvantage. Of those tribes, by far the most formidable was that of the Obotrites, who inhabited Mecklenburg, and against whom Arnulf had little success. To secure the friendship of Zwentibold, king of Moravia, Arnulf gave him the ducal fief of Bohemia, which was also inhabited by Slaves; but this policy had an effect opposite to that which he intended. Zwentibold, thus strengthened, revolted. In revenge, Arnulf had recourse to an expedient still more censurable,--that of allying himself with the Huns, whom he drew into Germany, and with whom he marched against the Slaves. If he triumphed over the enemy, he had the mortification to see a great part of Moravia joined to a part of Dacian Thrace, and made to form the new kingdom of Hungary. This savage and warlike people were much more to be dreaded than the Slaves, whose power had been thus injudiciously weakened. But if Arnulf was thus unfortunate in his policy...