dregs of our family, our race must shortly cease both from the kingdom and the empire. Know, moreover, that the rule of the empire will be shortly taken out of your hand, nor will you long survive. Then Louis turning to me, said, 'The empire which you have hitherto held by hereditary right, Louis the son of my daughter is to assume.' So saying, there seemed immediately to appear before me a little child, and Lothaire his grandfather looking upon him, said to me, 'This infant seems to be such an one as that which the Lord set in the midst of the disciples, and said, "Of such is the kingdom of God, I say unto you, that their angels do always behold the face of my father who is in heaven." But do you bestow on him the empire by that thread of the clue which you hold in your hand.' I then untied the thread from the thumb of my right hand, and gave him the whole monarchy of the empire by that thread, and immediately the entire clue, like a brilliant sun-beam, became rolled up in his hand. Thus, after this wonderful transaction, my spirit, extremely wearied and affrighted, returned into my body. Therefore, let all persons know willingly or unwillingly, forasmuch as, according to the will of God, the whole empire of the Romans will revert into his hands, and that I cannot prevail against him, compelled by the conditions of this my calling, that God, who is the ruler of the living and the dead, will both complete and establish this; whose eternal kingdom remains for ever and ever, amen."
The vision itself, and the partition of the kingdoms, I have inserted in the very words I found them in.[1] This Charles, then, had scarcely discharged the united duties of the empire and kingdom for two years, when Charles, the son of Louis who died at Compeigne, succeeded him: this is the Charles who married the daughter of Edward, king of England, and gave Normandy to Rollo with his daughter Gisla, who was the surety of peace and pledge of the treaty. To this Charles, in the empire, succeeded Arnulph; a king of the imperial line, tutor of that young Louis of whom the vision above recited speaks. Arnulph dying after fifteen years, this Louis succeeded him, at whose death, one Conrad, king of the
- ↑ This vision is copied from Hariulfe's Chronicle, lib. iii, cap. 21. The Annals ascribed to Asser also recite the vision, sub anno 886.—See Mr. Hardy's Note, vol. i. p. 160.
