A source-book of ancient history - The Search For Mecca

576 The Prankish Power
Decline of
the Merovingians
(Merwings).
Eginhard,
Life of Karl
the Great, i f.
Ancient
World, SSI f.
been so utterly wanting in power that it had been able
to show no mark of royalty except the empty kingly title.
All the resources and power of the Kingdom had passed
into the hands of the prefects of the palace, who were
called the "Mayors of the Palace," and by them the
supreme government was administered. Nothing was
left to the King. He had to content himself with his royal
title, long hair, and hanging beard. Seated in a chair of
state, he used to display an appearance of power by receiving
ambassadors on their arrival, and by giving them
on their departure, as if on his own authority, those
answers which he had been taught or commanded to
Charles
M artel
(Karl, father
of Pippin).
Ancient
World, 552.
give. . . .
Whenever he went anywhere he used to travel in a wagon
drawn by a yoke of oxen, with a rustic oxherd for chariteer.
In this manner he proceeded to the palace, and to
he pubHc assemblies of the people held every year for the
espatch of the business of the kingdom, and he returned
home again in the same sort of state. The administration
of the kingdom, and every matter which had to be undertaken
and carried through, at home and abroad, was
managed by the Mayor of the Palace.
At the lime of the deposition of Hilderic the office of
Mayor was filled by Pippin, the father of King Karl. The
office seemed now to be almost hereditary; for Pippin's
father, Karl, had also held it, and with great renown, since
he had quelled throughout all Frank-land those usurpers
who had tried to assume independent authority. He had
also utterly defeated the Saracens, who were at that time
attempting to establish themselves in
Gaul, in two great
battles, the first in Aquitaine, near the city of Poitiers,
and the second near Narbonne on the river Birra, and
had compelled them to retire into Spain. . . .