ontamination they imparted
is often over-rated. The infusion of paganism into religion was far more
due to the people of the classical countries. The inhabitants of Italy
and Greece were never really alienated from the idolatries of the old
times. At the best, they were only Christianized on the surface. With
many other mythological practices, they forced image-worship on the
clergy. But Charlemagne, who, in this respect, may be looked upon as a
true representative of Frankish and German sentiment, totally
disapproved of that idolatry.

[Sidenote: The conspiracy of the papacy and the Franks.]

2nd. From this consideration of the psychical revolution that had
occurred in Central Europe, I turn to an investigation of the position
of the papacy and its compact with the Franks.

[Sidenote: Position of the Franks and Saracens.]

[Sidenote: Relations of Charles Martel to the Church.]

Scarcely had the Arabs consolidated their conquest of Africa when they
passed into Spain, and quickly, as will be related in a subsequent
chapter, subjugating that country, prepared to overwhelm Europe. It was
their ambition and their threat to preach the unity of God in Rome. They
reached the centre of France, but were beaten in the great battle of
Tours by Charles Martel, the Duke of the Franks, A.D. 732. That battle
fixed the religious destiny of Europe. The Saracens did not, however,
give up their attempt. Three years afterward they returned into
Provence, and Charles was himself repulsed. But by this time their power
had expanded too extensively for consolidation. It was already giving
unmistakable tokens of decomposition. Scarcely, indeed, had Musa, the
conqueror of Spain, succeeded in his expedition, when he was arrested at
the head of his army, and ordered to give an account of his doings at
Damascus. It was the occurrence of such disputes among the Saracens in
Spain that constituted the true check to their conquest of France.
Charles Martel had permitted Chilperic II. and Thierry IV. to retain the
title of king; but his foresight of approaching events seems to be
indicated by the circumstance that after the death of the latter he
abstained from appointing any successor. He died A.D. 741, leaving a
memory detested by the Church of his own country on account of his
having been obliged to appropriate from its property sufficient for the
payment of his army. He had taken a tithe from the revenues of the
churches and convents for that p