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126 even at fourteen years, and their children were miserable weaklings. As kings they had only the semblance of power; they remained shut up in their villae surrounded by great luxury. Only at long intervals did they go forth, in chariots drawn by oxen. The real authority was thenceforth exercised by the Mayor of the Palace, or by the different mayors who were at the head of the three kingdoms, Neustria, Burgundy, and Austrasia, whose separateness became more clearly marked. The mayors made and unmade the kings as interest or caprice prompted; sometimes they exiled them, only to recall them later. Apocryphal Merovingians were often produced who had no connexion with the sacred race. It is useless to make any further reference to these sovereigns, who were nothing but shadows and whose names serve only to date charters. The historian must direct his attention exclusively to the Mayors of the Palace.

Among these mayors the most distinguished were those of Austrasia. They were to make the office hereditary in their family and to found a powerful dynasty which was destined gradually to supplant the Merovingians. The two founders of that dynasty were, as has already been said, Arnulf, bishop of Metz, and Pepin, who had been Mayor of the Palace to the youthful Dagobert when the latter was king of Austrasia only. Both were men of distinguished piety. Arnulf ruled the city of Metz wisely and effected important reforms in the Church. Pepin destined his daughters for the cloister; one of them, Gertrude, founded the abbey of Nivelle in the district now known as Brabant. In this neighbourhood is situated the estate of Landen; whence the designation "of Landen" by which Pepin is distinguished in later documents. Arnulf's son Ansegis, who was Mayor of the Palace to the young Sigebert, married a daughter of Pepin whom the chronicles later call Begga; of this marriage was born the second Pepin, known to historians as Pepin of Heristal.

At first however it seemed probable that the chief representative of the family would be Pepin of Landen's own son Grimoald. For thirteen years, from 643 to 656, he held the office of Mayor of the Palace in Austrasia, while Sigebert continued to bear the title of king. On the death of that prince Grimoald considered himself strong enough to attempt a revolution. He had the locks of Dagobert, the young son of Sigebert, shorn, sent him to an Irish monastery, and had his own son proclaimed king of Austrasia. But the times were not yet ripe for a change of this kind. The Austrasian nobles refused to obey a youth who was not of the blood royal. They rose in revolt and gave up the Mayor of the Palace to the king of Neustria, Clovis II, who had him put to death.

After this tragic event the families of Arnulf and Pepin remained in the background for about twenty-five years. The stage of politics was occupied by two men named Ebroin and Leodegar (Léger) who engaged