o live according to their own laws and customs, and
tolerated their use of slaves, but gradually mitigated their
servitude. Queen Bathildes alleviated the heaviest conditions, gave
great numbers their liberty, and declared all capable of property.
The Franks still retained slaves with this condition, attached to
certain manors or farms, and bound to certain particular kinds of
servitude. The kings of the second race often set great numbers
free, and were imitated by other lords. Queen Blanche and Saint
Lewis contributed more than any others to ease the condition of
vassals, and Louis Hutin abolished slavery in France, declaring all
men free who live in that kingdom according to the spirit of
Christianity, which teaches us to treat all men as our brethren. See
the life of St. Bathildes, and Gratigny, [OE]vres posthumes, an. 1757.
Disc. sur la Servitude et son Abolition en France.
2. In the village of Chelles, in Latin Cala, four leagues from Paris,
the kings of the first race had a palace. St. Clotildis founded near
it a small church under the invocation of St. George, with a small
number of cells adjoining for nuns. St. Bathildes so much enlarged
this monastery as to be looked upon as the principal foundress. The
old church of St. George falling to decay, Saint Bathildes built
there the magnificent church of the Holy Cross, in which she was
buried. Gisela, sister to the emperor Charlemagne, abbess of this
house, rebuilt the great church, which some pretend to be the same
that is now standing. At present here are three churches together;
the first, which is small, the oldest, and only a choir, is called
the church of the Holy Cross, and is used by six monks who assist
the nuns; the lowest church is called St. George's, and is a
parochial church for the seculars who live within the jurisdiction
of the monastery: the great church which serves the nuns is
dedicated under the invocation of the Blessed Virgin, and is said to
be the same that was built by the abbess Gisela, and much enlarged
and enriched by Hegilvich, abbess of this monastery, mother to the
empress Judith, whose husband, Louis le Debonnaire, caused the
remains of our saint to be translated into this new church, in 833,
and from this treasure it is more frequently called the church of
St. Bathlides, than our Lady's. Two rich sil