Thatempirewasnotunworthyofitstitle；^105andsomeofthefairestkingdomsofEuropewerethepatrimonyorconquestofaprince，whoreignedatthesametimeinFrance，Spain，Italy，Germany，andHungary。^106I。TheRomanprovinceofGaulhadbeentransformedintothenameandmonarchyofFrance；but，inthedecayoftheMerovingianline，itslimitswerecontractedbytheindependenceoftheBritonsandtherevoltofAquitain。
Charlemagnepursued，andconfined，theBritonsontheshoresoftheocean；andthatferocioustribe，whoseoriginandlanguagearesodifferentfromtheFrench，waschastisedbytheimpositionoftribute，hostages，andpeace。Afteralongandevasivecontest，therebellionofthedukesofAquitainwaspunishedbytheforfeitureoftheirprovince，theirliberty，andtheirlives。
Harshandrigorouswouldhavebeensuchtreatmentofambitiousgovernors，whohadtoofaithfullycopiedthemayorsofthepalace。Butarecentdiscovery^107hasprovedthattheseunhappyprinceswerethelastandlawfulheirsofthebloodandsceptreofClovis，andyoungerbranch，fromthebrotherofDagobert，oftheMerovingianhouse。TheirancientkingdomwasreducedtotheduchyofGascogne，tothecountiesofFesenzacandArmagnac，atthefootofthePyrenees:theirracewaspropagatedtillthebeginningofthesixteenthcentury；andaftersurvivingtheirCarlovingiantyrants，theywerereservedtofeeltheinjustice，orthefavors，ofathirddynasty。BythereunionofAquitain，Francewasenlargedtoitspresentboundaries，withtheadditionsoftheNetherlandsandSpain，asfarastheRhine。II。
TheSaracenshadbeenexpelledfromFrancebythegrandfatherandfatherofCharlemagne；buttheystillpossessedthegreatestpartofSpain，fromtherockofGibraltartothePyrenees。Amidsttheircivildivisions，anArabianemirofSaragossaimploredhisprotectioninthedietofPaderborn。Charlemagneundertooktheexpedition，restoredtheemir，and，withoutdistinctionoffaith，impartiallycrushedtheresistanceoftheChristians，andrewardedtheobedienceandservicesoftheMahometans。InhisabsenceheinstitutedtheSpanishmarch，^108whichextendedfromthePyreneestotheRiverEbro:BarcelonawastheresidenceoftheFrenchgovernor:hepossessedthecountiesofRousillonandCatalonia；andtheinfantkingdomsofNavarreandArragonweresubjecttohisjurisdiction。III。AskingoftheLombards，andpatricianofRome，hereignedoverthegreatestpartofItaly，^109atractofathousandmilesfromtheAlpstothebordersofCalabria。TheduchyofBeneventum，aLombardfief，hadspread，attheexpenseoftheGreeks，overthemodernkingdomofNaples。
ButArrechis，thereigningduke，refusedtobeincludedintheslaveryofhiscountry；assumedtheindependenttitleofprince；