Page:A Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Peerage and Baronetage of the British Empire Chunk 1.djvu/33

 THE ROYAL FAMILY xxxi HOUSE OP OUELPH. The founder of the illustrious family of GUELPH, ANULPHUS, HUNULP}IUS, or GUELPH, younger brother of ODOACER, conqueror and first barbarian King of Italy, obtained possession in Bavaria, where he died in 489, leaving an only son, OLFIGANDUS, who did not assume the supreme autlsority in Bavaria, but entered as a volunteer into the Roman army, nuder the celebrated Belisarius, with whom he became a favourite, and eventually obtained a command. Thu period of this gallant soldier’s death is uuascortainsd, but he left an only son, ULIGAGUS, who served under Beisarios in that general’s last campaigns in Persia, and was subsequently engaged in the defence of Italy against the Lombards. He died in 590, and his son or grandson, CADUINUS, residing chiefly in Francs, enjoyed the confidence of Qussu BRUNUILDA, a princess then in the zenith of power; and having, at the head of the Austrasian army, subdued a great part of the kingdom of Burgundy, these provinces were erected into a duchy, and the victorious general suade Duke thereof in 613. In the latter years of Cadoinus he was commissioned by CLornAsna TtTE SEcoND, under the title of Ambassador of the King (Missus Rcgius), then acknowledged sovereign of Austrasia, Burgundy, and Neustria, to collect and digest the laws of the Bavarian and German nations dependent upon Francs, a duty which he fulfilled with so much zeal and success as, in a great measure, to establish the dominion of that power throughout the neighbouring provinces. Caduinus disd in 640, and his son, CATHICUS, obtained the goverumsut of Alsace, and was MAyoR ov vuz PALAOE* in the kingdoms of Nenstria and Austrasia, in the reign of Childeric, son of Clovis, and afterwards in that of DAOOBERT II, along with whom he was rnurdered in the forest of Vaivres, onsso 670. From this period the Dukes of Bavaria, shying with the Lombards, began to acquire large possessions in Italy, where a branch of the Guslphic family had already been established as Dukes of Ests, in the Lombard kingdom. From Duke Cathicus we pass to GUELPH, son of Ruthard, Count of Altdorf from whom (who died about 823) descended GUELJPH, sometimes called Wolfard, Count of Altdorf, and Duke of Nether Bavaria, who married Imagi, daughter of Frederick, Count of Lnxsmburg, and had issue, Guts.rn, Duks of Carinthia. Cnnsgonda, os ts Ass the fisconci, Marquess of Ests, and had a son, Gezorn, who inherited the estates of Aitdorf at the decease of his uncle, Guelph, alias Wolfard, was succeeded in 1036 by his son, GUELPH, Duke of Carinthia, who was succeeded by his nephew, GUELPH, Count of Altdorf, and Duke of Upper and Lower Bavaria. This prince engaged in the first crusade, caere 1096, and died in returning from the holy Land, at Paphos, in Cyprus, in 1101, leaving by his wife, Jndith, daughter of BALDWIN ‘1’, Count of Flanders, and sister of Maud, wife of WILLIAM the Couqneror, four sons, and was succeeded by the eldest, GUELPH, who died issucless in 1119, and was succeeded by his brother, hENRY THE THIRD, surnamed Niger. This prince married Wolfida, daughter and heiress of Magnns, the last Duke of Saxouy of the line of Billung, and in her right assumed the title of Duke of Saxony; though the Emperor Hsueav V, seized upon the Duehy and conferred it upon another family. The Duke obtained, however, the Duchy of Spoleto and the Margraviatc of Tuecia, with the principality of Sardinia. He died in 1127, and was succeeded by his eldest son, HENRY TIlE FOURTH, surnamed Soeperbea, who married Gertrude, daughter and heiress of the Emperor LOTHAIRE, by Richonsa, daughter and eventually heiress of Henry use Fat, Duke of Saxony, by whom he obtaiued a restoration of the Duchy of Saxony. This prince subsequently acquired the Dncby of ‘5 The youth end imbecility of the royal race [of Francel had allowed the mayors of the palace to rise from being mere servants of the court to the important rank of commanding in the kingdom. They were appointed to the chico by the gradees of the state, and not by the sovereign; and sftee the deaih of Dagobert (a.o. 644), they assumed the command of the armies, and the mamgoment of the finances, so tbat nothing was lefs to the descendant, Mcroveoe, but the empiy title of Kmg.—Hallssfay’s 4,soals of flse Heore of Jla,soeer.