The Goths, from the earliest times to the end of the Gothic dominion in Spain . ead was shaven ; for it wasbelieved that those who died in the dress of a religiousorder were sure to obtain salvation in the next twenty-four hours Wamba recovered conscious-ness ; but when he knew what had been done, he A MYSTERIOUS TRANCE, 349 recognized that according to Gothic law the fact thathe had worn a monks robe disqualified him fromruling any longer. So, in the presence of the greatofficers of the kingdom, he signed a document de-claring that he abdicated the throne, and appointinga certain
The Goths, from the earliest times to the end of the Gothic dominion in Spain . ead was shaven ; for it wasbelieved that those who died in the dress of a religiousorder were sure to obtain salvation in the next twenty-four hours Wamba recovered conscious-ness ; but when he knew what had been done, he A MYSTERIOUS TRANCE, 349 recognized that according to Gothic law the fact thathe had worn a monks robe disqualified him fromruling any longer. So, in the presence of the greatofficers of the kingdom, he signed a document de-claring that he abdicated the throne, and appointinga certain Erwig as his successor. It was afterwardsbelieved that Wambas mysterious trance was causedby a sleeping draught given to him by Erwig. If so,the nobles of the court must have been sharers in theconspiracy. Although it was quite contrary to Gothiclaw that a king should name his successor, neitherthe nobles nor the people offered any protest. Erwigwas anointed and crowned by the Archbishop ofToledo, and Wamba retired into a monastery, andthere spent the remxainder of his XXXIV. THIRTY YEARS OF DECAY. Wamba is the last great man, and his victories thelast brilliant exploits, that appear in Gothic fiery energy had for a moment seemed to inspirethe state with new life ; but the decay of nationalspirit had gone too far to be arrested. The Visigothshad exchanged their old free constitution for a des-potism controlled by bigoted prelates: the poorerfreemen had almost all sunk into slavery, and hadnaturally lost their interest in the welfare of the king-dom; the nobles, corrupted by long peace and fanciedsecurity, were sunk in idleness and vice. Hencefor-ward our story tells only of ruin and the breakingup of laws, which went on unchecked till the daywhen the kingdom was crushed like a hollow shell inthe hands of the Saracen invader. The accession of Erwig to the throne was not onlyillegal because he had not been regularly chosen ; itwas also a breach of the law which
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectgoths, bookyear1887
