the beginning of the religion and
sect of the Saracens, instituted by Mahomet._ Sec. 9.--_Of the
successors of Rotharis, king of the Lombards._
Sec. 10.--_How Charles Martel came from France to Italy at the summons
of the Church against the Lombards; and of the origin of the city of
Siena._
[Sidenote: 735 A.D.]
[Sidenote: 740 A.D.]
In the time of the said Eliprando [Liutprand], albeit he was a
Christian, yet by reason of avarice, and of desire to usurp the rights
of Holy Church, and by the counsel of the emperor of Constantinople,
he began war against the Romans and against Pope Gregory III., and
came with all his forces to besiege the said Pope in Rome, he by way
of Lombardy, and Grimoald, king of the Samnites and of the Apulians,
with his troops from Apulia, in the year of Christ 735. For the which
thing, after a council had been held in Rome, the Church with the
Romans sent to France for aid from Charles Martel, which Charles was
son to Pepin, a great baron of France, and was of the Twelve Peers,
and governed all the realm and the king himself; and the said Charles
Martel did likewise, forasmuch as the king which then was, called
Chilperic, had the name only, but Charles had the strength and
lordship; and he was the son of the sister of Dodon, king of
Aquitania, and afterwards was father of the good King Pepin, which was
father of Charles the Great, and he had the surname of Martel, because
he bore a hammer as his arms. And in truth he was a hammer, forasmuch
as by his prowess he struck at all Germany, Saxony, Suabia, Bavaria,
and Denmark as far as Norway, at England, Aquitania, and Navarre and
Spain, and Burgundy and Provence, and became ruler over them all, and
they became his tributaries. Then, at the summons of the said Pope, he
passed into Italy as far as Apulia, and freed Rome and the Church from
the encroachments of the Lombards. And it is said that at that time,
about the year of Christ 740, was the place first inhabited where is
now the city of Siena, by the aged and sick [non sana] people which
came in with Charles Martel, and remained in that place as has been
told afore concerning the building of Siena.
Sec. 11.--_How Eraco [Rachis], the Lombard king of Apulia, returned to
obedience to Holy Church._
Sec. 12.--_How Telofre [Astolf], king of the Lombards, persecuted Holy
Church, and how King Pepin at the summons of Pope Stephen came from
France and defeated him, and took him prisoner._
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