phantom, Childeric III, and put him away in the monastery of
St. Sithiu, at St. Omer. Two years later, July 28, 754, Pope Stephen II,
having come to France to claim Pepin's support against the Lombards,
after receiving from him assurance of it, "anointed him afresh with the
holy oil in the church of St. Denis, to do honor in his person to the
dignity of royalty," and conferred the same honor on the king's two
sons, Charles and Carloman. The new Gallo-Frankish kingship and the
papacy, in the name of their common faith and common interests, thus
contracted an intimate alliance. The young Charles was hereafter to
become Charlemagne.

The same year, Boniface, whom six years before Pope Zachary had made
archbishop of Mayence, gave up one day the episcopal dignity to his
disciple Lullus, charging him to carry on the different works himself
had commenced among the churches of Germany, and to uphold the faith of
the people. "As for me," he added, "I will put myself on my road, for
the time of my passing away approacheth. I have longed for this
departure, and none can turn me from it; wherefore, my son, get all
things ready, and place in the chest with my books the winding-sheet to
wrap up my old body." And so he departed with some of his priests and
servants to go and evangelize the Frisons, the majority of whom were
still pagans and barbarians. He pitched his tent on their territory, and
was arranging to celebrate their Lord's supper, when a band of natives
came down and rushed upon the archbishop's retinue. The servitors
surrounded him, to defend him and themselves, and a battle began.

"Hold, hold, my children!" cried the archbishop; "Scripture biddeth us
return good for evil. This is the day I have long desired, and the hour
of our deliverance is at hand. Be strong in the Lord: hope in him, and
he will save your souls." The barbarians slew the holy man and the
majority of his company. A little while after, the Christians of the
neighborhood came in arms and recovered the body of St. Boniface. Near
him was a book which was stained with blood and seemed to have dropped
from his hands; it contained several works of the fathers, and among
others a writing of St. Ambrose, _On the Blessing of Death_. The death
of the pious missionary was as powerful as his preaching in converting
Friesland. It was a mode of conquest worthy of the Christian faith, and
one of which the history of Christianity had already proved the
effectiveness.