Excerpt from The Library of Historic Characters and Famous Events of All Nations and All Ages, Vol. 5 of 10

First, however, Charlemagne was called upon to chastise the Lombards, who were invading the Pope's territory. This invasion was an act of revenge, originating in the following circumstances Charlemagne had married the daughter of the Lombard King Desiderius, but after a year had disowned her and sent her back to her father and married Hildegarde, daughter of the Swabian Duke Godfrey. Desiderius, failing to turn the newly-elected Pope Hadrian against Charles, sought revenge by invading the papal domain. Charlemagne, after a visit to Rome where he was enthusiastically received, overthrew Desiderius, and himself became King of the Franks and Lombards.

In 776 Charles quelled a revolt in Italy, aiming at the restoration Of the Lombards, and next year, following up advantages gained over the Saxons, he held a diet at Pader born, in the heart of the enemy's country, and there received the homage of the Saxon chiefs, many of whose warriors were then and there baptized. Meanwhile, an appeal to him had come from another quarter; he was asked to interpose in the wars Of the Saracens in Spain, and, hastening across the Pyrenees, he invaded that country as far as the Ebro On his return, the rear-guard was cut off and overthrown by an attack of the Basque mountaineers in the pass of Ronces valles; this defeat, and the death of the leader Roland, embellished and transformed in all manner of ways, became a famous theme of romance and song.

Charlemagne was inclined to be lenient with his conquered foes, allowing them to retain their chiefs, their laws, and vari ous customs. But with the Saxons he was obliged to adopt harsh measures, and has even been accused of cruelties. An act which was characteristic of Charlemagne, was the forced conversion of the Saxons, who were baptized in their rivers whether they would or not. As already indicated, it took over three decades of fighting to reduce these honest, brave Saxons to complete submission. The Saxon conquest later on formed a barrier against the inroads of the Normans, over whose entry into a port in Gaul for plunder Charlemagne is said to have wept, foreseeing the evils they would do when he was dead. These same Normans, however, came to form the flower of chivalry.

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