In each of these divisions the effective
ruler was the Mayor of the Palace, a viceroy who kept his sovereign in
perpetual tutelage. The later Merovingians were feeble puppets, produced before
their subjects on occasions of state, but at other times relegated to
honourable seclusion on one of their estates. The history of the Franks from
638 to 719 is that of conflicts between the great families of Neustria and Austrasia
for the position of sole Mayor. At length unity was restored by the triumph of
the Austrasian Charles Martel. His father had gained the same position, but it
was left for the son to sweep away the last remaining competitors.
Charles Martel is the true founder of the
Carolingian house, although his ancestors had long played a conspicuous part in
Austrasian and national politics. He was not the inventor of feudalism, but was
the first to see the possibility of basing royal power on the support of vassals
pledged to support their lord, in every quarrel, with life and limb and earthly
substance. To provide his vassals with fiefs he stripped the churches of many
rich estates. But he atoned for the sacrilege upon the memorable field of
Poitiers. In 711 the Arabs, having wrested northern Africa from the Byzantine
Empire, entered Spain and overthrew Roderic, the last King of the Visigoths.
With his death the cause of his nation collapsed. Though the Visigoths had long
since accepted the orthodox creed and were in close alliance with the Spanish bishops,
they were detested by the provincials, whom they had reduced to serfdom and
brutally oppressed. Within ten years the soldiers of the Caliph were masters of
Spain and turned their attention to southern Gaul.
