Kings & rulers > History of the reign of the Emperor Charles V. > Volume 1

PROOFS AND ILLUSTRATIONS. 325
extremely dangerous. It appears from a letter of Lu¬
pus, abbot of Ferrieres, in the ninth century, that the
highways were fo much infefted by banditti, that it was
necefFary for travellers to form themfelves into compa¬
nies or caravans, that they might be fafe from the af-
faults of robbers. Bouquet Recueil des Hid. vol. vii.
p- <115. The numerous regulations publilhedby Charles
the Bald in the fame century, difcover the frequency of
thefe diforders; and fuch afls of violence were become
fo common, that by many they were hardly contidered
as criminal. For this reafon the interior judges, called
centenarii, were required to take an oath, that they
would neither commit any robbery themfelves, nor pro-
tedl fuch as were guilty of that crime. Capitul. edit.
Baluz. vol. ii. p. 6t. 68. The hiflorians of the ninth
and tenth centuries gave pathetic defcriptions of thefe
diforders. Some remarkable patTages to this purpof#
are collecied by Mat. jo. Beehr. Rer. Mecleb. lib. viii,
p. 603. They became fo frequent and audacious, that
the authority of (he civil magillrate was unable to reprefs
them. The eccleftaftical jurifdi&ion was called in to
aid it. Councils were held with great folemnity, the
bodies of the faints were brought thither, and, in pre¬
fence of their facred reliques, anathemas were denounced
againll robbers, and other violators of the public peace.
Bouquet Recueil des Hifl. tom. x. p. 36c. 431 336.
One of thefe forms of excommunication, iflued A. D.
988, is Bill preferved, and is fo fingular, and compofed
with eloquence of fuch a peculiar kind, that it will not
perhaps be deemed unworthy of a place here. After
the ufual introduction, and mentioning the outrage
which gave occafion to the anathema, it runs thus ;
“ Obtenebrefcant oculi veftri, qui concupiverunt;
arefcant manus, quae rapuerunt, debilitentur omnia
membra, quae adjuverunt. Semper laboretis, nec re¬
quiem inveniatis, frudtuque veftri laboris privemini.
Formidetis, & paveatis, a facie perfequentis, & non
perfequentis hoftis, ut tabefcendo deftciatis. Sit portio
veftra cum Juda traditore Domini, in terra mortis et
tenebrarum; donee corda veftra ad fatisfaftionem ple-
vol. 1. r r nam