war; at one time he seemed to accept the pacific
overtures of Pepin, or, perhaps, himself made similar, without bringing
about any result; at another, he went to seek and found even in Germany
allies who caused Pepin much embarrassment and peril. The population of
Aquitaine hated the Franks; and the war, which for their duke was a
question of independent sovereignty, was for themselves a question of
passionate national feeling.

Pepin, who was naturally more humane and even more generous, it may be
said, in war than his predecessors had usually been, was nevertheless
induced, in his struggle against the Duke of Aquitaine, to ravage
without mercy the countries he scoured, and to treat the vanquished with
great harshness. It was only after nine years' war and seven campaigns
full of vicissitudes that he succeeded, not in conquering his enemy in a
decisive battle, but in gaining over some servants who betrayed their
master. In the month of July, 759, "Duke Waifre was slain by his own
folk, by the King's advice," says Fredegaire; and the conquest of all
Southern Gaul carried the extent and power of the Gallo-Frankish
monarchy farther and higher than it had ever yet been, even under
Clovis.

In 753 Pepin had made an expedition against the Britons of Armorica, had
taken Vannes and "subjugated," add certain chroniclers, "the whole of
Brittany." In point of fact, Brittany was no more subjugated by Pepin
than by his predecessors; all that can be said is that the Franks
resumed under him an aggressive attitude toward the Britons, as if to
vindicate a right of sovereignty.

Exactly at this epoch Pepin was engaging in a matter which did not allow
him to scatter his forces hither and thither. It has been stated
already, that in 741 Pope Gregory III had asked aid of the Franks
against the Lombards who were threatening Rome, and that, while fully
entertaining the Pope's wishes, Charles Martel had been in no hurry to
interfere by deed in the quarrel. Twelve years later, in 753, Pope
Stephen, in his turn threatened by Astolphus, King of the Lombards,
after vain attempts to obtain guarantees of peace, repaired to Paris,
and renewed to Pepin the entreaties used by Zachary. It was difficult
for Pepin to turn a deaf ear; it was Zachary who had declared that he
ought to be made king; Stephen showed readiness to anoint him a second
time, himself and his sons; and it was the eldest of these sons,
Charles, scarcely twelve years old, whom Pep