worship of Images, excommunicated the _Greek_ Emperor,
absolved the people from their allegiance, and forbad them to pay tribute,
or otherwise be obedient to him. Then the people of _Rome_, _Campania_,
_Ravenna_ and _Pentapolis_, with the cities under them, revolted and laid
violent hands upon their magistrates, killing the Exarch _Paul_ at
_Ravenna_, and laying aside _Peter_ Duke of _Rome_ who was become blind:
and when _Exhileratus_ Duke of _Campania_ incited the people against the
Pope, the _Romans_ invaded _Campania_, and slew him with his son _Hadrian_.
Then a new Exarch, _Eutychius_, coming to _Naples_, sent some secretly to
take away the lives of the Pope and the Nobles of _Rome_: but the plot
being discovered, the _Romans_ revolted absolutely from the _Greek_
Emperor, and took an oath to preserve the life of the Pope, to defend his
state, and be obedient to his authority in all things. Thus _Rome_ with its
Duchy, including part of _Tuscany_ and part of _Campania_, revolted in the
year 726, and became a free state under the government of the Senate of
this city. The authority of the Senate in civil affairs was henceforward
absolute, the authority of the Pope extending hitherto no farther than to
the affairs of the Church only.

At that time [6] the _Lombards_ also being zealous for the worship of
images, and pretending to favour the cause of the Pope, invaded the cities
of the Exarchate: and at length, viz. A.C. 752, took _Ravenna_, and put an
end to the Exarchate. And this was the first of the three kingdoms which
fell before the little horn.

In the year 751 [7] Pope _Zechary_ deposed _Childeric_, a slothful and
useless King of _France_, and the last of the race of _Merovaeus_; and
absolving his subjects from their oath of allegiance, gave the kingdom to
_Pipin_ the major of the Palace; and thereby made a new and potent friend.
His successor [8] Pope _Stephen_ III, knowing better how to deal with the
_Greek_ Emperor than with the _Lombards_, went the next year to the King of
the _Lombards_, to persuade him to return the Exarchate to the Emperor. But
this not succeeding, he went into _France_, and persuaded _Pipin_ to take
the Exarchate and _Pentapolis_ from the _Lombards_, and give it to St.
_Peter_. Accordingly _Pipin_ A.C. 754 came with an army into _Italy_, and
made _Aistulphus_ King of the _Lombards_ promise the surrender: but the
next year _Aistulphus_, on the contrary, to revenge himself on the Pope,
besi