its totality, and follow it
along its highways. In my tales to my grandchildren I sometimes lingered
over some particular anecdote which gave me an opportunity of setting in
a vivid light the dominant spirit of an age or the characteristic manners
of a people; but, with rare exceptions, it is always on the great deeds
and the great personages of history that I have relied for making of them
in my tales what they were in reality--the centre and the focus of the
life of France.
GUIZOT.

VAL-RICHER,
December, 1869.

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

I. GAUL 13

II. THE GAULS OUT OF GAUL 27

III. THE ROMANS IN GAUL 48

IV. GAUL CONQUERED BY JULIUS CIESAR 61

V. GAUL UNDER ROMAN DOMINION. . 83

VI. ESTABLISHMENT OF CHRISTIANITY IN GAUL. 111

VII. THE GERMANS IN GAUL--THE FRANKS AND CLOVIS 129

VIII. THE MEROVINGIANS 156

IX. THE MAYORS OF THE PALACE.--THE PEPINS AND THE CHANGE OF DYNASTY
180

X. CHARLEMAGNE AND HIS WARS 210

XI. CHARLEMAGNE AND HIS GOVERNMENT. . 234

XII. DECAY AND FALL OF THE CARLOVINGIANS. 254

XIII. FEUDAL FRANCE AND HUGH CAPET 286

XIV. THE CAPETIANS TO THE TIME OF THE CRUSADES 306

XV. CONQUEST OF ENGLAND BY THE NORMANS 332

XVI. THE CRUSADES, THEIR ORIGIN AND SUCCESS 372

LIST OF STEEL ENGRAVINGS, VOLUME I.

[Illustration: PORTRAIT OF GUIZOT--FRONTISPIECE]

[Illustration: MAP OF ANCIENT FRANCE LYONS]

[Illustration: FROM LA CROIX ROUSSE----86]

[Illustration: BATTLE OF TOLBIACUM----144]

[Illustration: THE BATTLE OF TOURS----193]

[Illustration: THE SUBMISSION OF WITTIKIND----218]

[Illustration: PARIS BESIEGED BY THE NORMANS----259]

[Illustration: NOTRE DAME----310]

[Illustration: Ideal Landscape of Ancient Gaul----13]

[Illustration: Gyptis presenting the Goblet to Euxenes----17]

[Illustration: A Tribe of Gauls on an Expedition----27]

[Illustration: The Gauls in Rome----39]

[Illustration: The Women defending the Cars----58]

[Illustration: The Roman Army invading Gaul----61]

[Illustration: Divitiacus before the Roman Senate----63]

[Illustration: Mounted Gauls----66]

[Illustration: Vercingetorix surrenders to Caesar----81]

[Illustration: Gaul subjugated by the Romans----83]

[Illustration: Eponina and Sabinus hidden in a Vault----97]

[Illustration: Christianity established in Gaul----111]

[Illustration: Druids offering Human Sacrifices----111]

[Illustration: Germans in