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Rh facilitate the levy of the host. In 877 at Quierzy, a whole body of very diverse measures were introduced, their object being to secure the good government of the kingdom, and the proper administration of the private property of the king during his absence, or even in case he should happen to die while on his expedition. The prince, Louis (the Stammerer), was to take his father's place with the assistance of counsellors, the choice of whom shews that the Emperor was not entirely free from distrust of his heir. An article in the capitulary orders Louis not to deprive the son of any count who should die during the campaign of the honours enjoyed by the father. Here we have a seal set upon the custom which was becoming more and more general, namely that the honours held by the father should be continued to the son, but at the same time we get the implicit recognition of the sovereign's right to dispose of the fiefs which, in principle, he has granted for life only, a right which Louis might possibly abuse.

Charles, accompanied by Richilda, set out at the end of June. He brought with him only a small number of his chief vassals; others, of whom Boso was one, were to join him a little later at the head of an army which they had received orders to assemble. The Emperor took the St Bernard route, and met John VIII who had advanced as far as Vercelli to receive him. But, at the same time as Charles, Carloman of Bavaria had been crossing the Alps at the head of a powerful army, and now made his appearance in the eastern part of Lombardy. Charles, uneasy at this, hurried on the coronation of Richilda as Empress, and sent her back to Gaul, demanding the hastening forward of the reinforcements which he was awaiting. But his presentiments were realised. The magnates had been irritated to see him depart thus, giving up the struggle with the Northmen, which in the eyes of the Frankish aristocracy was more important than the war against the Saracens. On the other hand they no doubt considered that the expedition was unlikely to provide them with many fiefs and benefices to be conquered beyond the Alps. Thus they made no response to the appeal addressed to them. Boso himself, who the year before, under the influence of Berengar of Friuli and the German party, had married Ermengarde, daughter of the late Emperor Louis II, was opposed to a fresh expedition into Italy, and declined to enter upon the campaign. Some of the most powerful nobles of the Western Kingdom, chosen by Charles to command the relieving army, Bernard, Count of Auvergne, and Bernard, Marquess of Gothia, followed the example set them. Hincmar himself, discontented that the vicariate should have been conferred on Ansegis, shewed himself less loyal than usual, and Prince Louis openly abetted the movement. The one object of the discontented seems to have been to compel Charles to return, and in this they succeeded, for the Emperor lost no time in retracing his way towards Gaul. But on the road he fell sick and on 6 October, in a poor hovel,