After the death of Eudes, in 898, Charles succeeded to the throne of France ; but his reign was by no means tranquil, the nobles aspiring openly at independency, and depressing the great body of the people. In the midst of these internal disorders, the Normans gained a permanent footing in France ; Rolla the Norman, in 912, compelling the king to yield him a large portion of the territory of Neustria, and to give him his daughter in marriage. The new kingdom was called Normandy, of which Rouen was the capital. In the same year, the empire of Germany was separated from France, by the death of Louis IV. son of the Emperor Arnold. Charles the Simple, being equally contemptible to the French and the Normans, was deposed in 922, and Robert, Duke of France, brother to Eudes, proclaimed king. Robert, however, was soon afterwards killed in battle. His son, Hugh the Great, instead of as suming the sovereignty, placed the crown on the head of Rodolph, Duke of Burgundy, who assumed the title of king, and was almost universally acknowledged. In this extremity, Charles endeavoured to gain the assistance of the Duke of Normandy the Emperor of Germany ; but being betrayed, and thrown into prison by the court of Vermandois, he died there in 929.
After his death, Rodolph, being now indisputed master of France, acted with great decision and vigour. He re pelled the incursions of some new tribes of Normans, re strained the licentiousness of the nobles, and restored tran quillity to his kingdom. I [e died without issue, in 936. An interregnum ensued, and France was again involved in troubles. At last Hugh the Great, still unambitious of sovereignty himself, recalled Louis the son of Charles, who had taken refuge in England : from this circumstance he was surnamed the Stranger.
When Louis was called to the throne he was only 17 rears old, and was little acquainted with the affairs of France, or the manners of the people. Notwithstanding these disadvantages, he conducted himself with consider able propriety, though with a portion of spirit rather cre ditable than useful to him ; for, not liking the tyranny of Hugh, who had been appointed his tutor, he made a fruit less attempt to rescue himself from this bondage ; but, after a variety of struggles, he was compelled to make peace with his vassal, and to confirm to him the county of Laon, which comprehended almost the whole of the royal domain.
Louis the Stranger died in 954, and left to his son Lo thario only a shadow of royalty ; for, though Hugh the Great died in 955, he was succeeded in consequence, abili ties, and influence, by his son Hugh Capet, soon destined to be on the throne of France. Lothario died in 986, and
was quietly succeeded by his son Louis V., who governed under the. direction of IIugh Capet, during a short reign of one year and two months. In him ended the Carlovin gian race of kings, A. D. 987.
I I ngh Capet being the most powerful nobleman in France, seized the crown on the death of Louis V. ; and, as he pos sessed the dukedom of France, which extended as far as Touraine, and was also count of Paris, and in possession of large territories in Picardy and Champaigne, while the royal domain was reduced to the cities of Laon and Soissons, he in fact brought more strength to the crown than he de rived from it. Though the right of succession belonged to Charles, Duke of Lorraine, uncle to Louis V., yet Hugh Capet, by his power, and by securing the favour of the clergy, was acknowledged in an assembly of the nobles, and was afterwards anointed at Rheims. In order to esta blish the throne in his family during his lifetime, he asso ciated his son Robert in the government of the kingdom, and prudently vested him with those insignia of royalty which he denied himself, lest he should displease those who had heen very lately his equals. The Duke of Lor raine did not give up his right to the crown of France with out a struggle ; but, being defeated, he was made prisoner by Hugh Capet. In 996 this monarch died, and was qui etly succeeded by his son Robert. This prince had mar ried Bertha, his cousin in the fourth degree ; hut though this marriage had been authorised by the bishops, Pope Gregory V. undertook to dissolve it, under the pretence that it was within the forbidden degrees of consanguinity. Robert, however, persisted in keeping his wife, and was on this account excommunicated. Such was the effect of the excommunication, that he was abandoned by all his cour tiers and his servants, except two, is ho threw to the dogs all the victuals their master left, and purified by fire the vessels in which he had been served. The king, alarmed either at his spiritual punishment, or at the commencing commotions in his kingdom, at last divorced his wife, and married Constance, daughter to the Count of Arles. The last years of his reign were rendered very unfortunate by the disorders of his family. His eldest son Hugh, whom he had associated in the sovereignty, was dead ; and Con stance, who was an imperious termagant, wished to place her younger son Robert on the throne ; but the king, by the advice of his parliament, confirmd the succession of Henry, his eldest surviving son. In the midst of these disorders the king died, in A. D. 1031, and was succeeded by Henry I.