TROISIÈME RÉCIT. NOTES

Page 74.

1. 33. cinq mille .. .vingt-quatre mille. These numbers hâve no value. There were no means of determining the numbers or losses of armies with any semblance of accuracy, at that time.

Page 75.

1. 24. à perdre sa chevelure , c'est-à-dire à se voir retranché de la famille des Merowigs. “On dépouillait un roi franc de sa chevelure, comme un empereur de son diadème. Les Germains, dans leur simplicité, avaient attaché le signe de la puissance à la couronne naturelle de l’homme — Châteaubriand.

Page 7 6.

1. 19. ordonné prêtre. This had been practised before by the sons of Chlodowig the Great on their infant nephew Chlodowald (St Cloud) son of Chlodomer.

Page 77.

1. 14. Georgius Florentins Gregorius. Gregory of Tours, the historian from whose work almost ail the narrative is drawn.

Page 79.

1. 23. Rikulf. Riculf was afterwards the accomplice in the designs of Leudastes. When detected, his life was spared, but he was tortured by order of Fredegund.

1. 22. sous les deux espèces. Communion in one kind only is a later practice, adopted during the I2th century.

1. 28. eulogies. ( evXoyiai , blessings.) This name was first applied to the eucharist or Lord’s Supper itself ; then to portions of the sacrament reserved and sent to absent Christians ; then to the bread remaining unconsecrated after a communion, which was merely blessed, and distributed to the non-communicating : and also to présents of blessed bread &c. sent by priests as a token of Christian love to their friends. Thierry explains the usage.

Page 8i.

1. 28. apostasie . Properly, apostasy is renouncing Christianity itself ; but priestly orders were accounted nearly as sacred.

Page 82.

1. 21. la loi romaine . The towns, and the Gallo-Roman population generally, were under the Roman law.

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