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 ¬had its period. — When the extraordinary person at the head of the Capetian monarchy, who, under a different treatment, might have been to the full as pacific as other princes, began to see that his throne except through Avar was insecure, it is no wonder that, after having trampled upon and overthrown so many powerful kingdoms, his ambition should be lifted up beyond per- haps the impulses of his original character, even to the hope of universal empire. — To have made peace with him then, though brought down at last to a seemingly safe level by signal reverses, when there was a fair prospect of his final sub- jugation, became a doubtful question in the councils of Armata, dividing those in opinion who were divided in nothing else, combining for the occasion the authors of the war and those who had always condemned and continued to condemn them. — On the one hand, in our ex- hausted condition, a failure of the force of nations, or even a protracted contest, would have been fatal, as they looked only to Armata for resources ; but on the other hand, an humbled ¬and ¬