Charlatanism, Charlatanry

Humbug; quackery; empiricism. - Undue pretensions to skill; quackery; deception by fair words. C. is to be found among all cla es of society, and manifests itself in various ways, according to the object and character of the person. In literature, in science, in politics, and even in religion, there are to be found many who pretend to greater knowledge, or power, or virtue, than they po e . Charlemagne, ( sharl - mān, ) [Fr.; Ger. Karlder Gro e, Lat. Carolus Magnus, Charles the Great,] king of France, and emperor of the West, в. April 2,742. This illustrious prince, the restorer of order and obedience in a state of society when only the most commanding talents and heroic steadfastne of purpose could have availed him in a struggle against anarchy and ignorance in their worst forms, was the grandson of Charles-Martel, king of the Franks, and lived 742-814, master of an empire which embraced all France, a part of Spain, more than half of Italy, and nearly all Germany. To feel his greatne adequately, it must be remembered that all the ancient landmarks of social order had been overthrown with the colo al Roman power, and that the whole civilized world was covered with its ruins and infested with its crimes. The ancient seat of empire was divided among a score of petty tyrants; the Saracens had overrun Spain and threatened the farther west; the northern kingdoms were only known as the cradle of adventurous armies, whose leaders in after years organized the feudal governments of Europe; Ru ia did not even exist; and England was just emerging from the confusion of the Heptarchy. Some two centuries before, 507511, Clovis had founded the Frankish monarchy and established himself at Paris, but his power was that of an absolute military chief, and he was succeeded by a line of phantom kings, whose action is scarcely distinguishable from that of the barbarous fermentation going on around them. At length Pepin Heristal and his son Charles Martel slowly paved the way for a new authority, the former by familiarizing men's minds with justice and goodne in the sovereign; and the latter by his heroic resistance to the Saracens, and the promise of an irresistible power in the government. The succe es of C. were the natural i ue of these circumstances, NDEPOTENTER+IH Fig . 568. V nate DI CARLV IWA CHARLEMAGNE. (Golden coin, Cabinet of Medals, Paris.) under the command of his ambition and vast genius, favored by the compliance of the popes, who were willing to encourage a Christian protectorate in the West as a counterpoise to the eastern empire of Irene, and the dreaded power of Haroun-al-Raschid. A catalogue of D. 1818. BURGUNDY. C., DUKE OF BURGUNDY, and COUNT DE CHAROLAIS, surnamed THE BOLD, was the son of Duke Philip the "Good," and was B. in 1433. The mild and free government of Philip had raised the duchy to a degree of prosperity unparalleled at any former period. During the greater part of his reign, C. was at enmity with his feudal superior, Louis XI. of France. In his father's lifetime, he headed a conspiracy of the principal French nobility, and marched with a powerful army towards Paris in 1455. A battle took place at Montlbery, where, after an obstinate struggle, C. remained master of the field. In 1467 he succeeded his father on the throne of Burgundy, and next year entered into a league against his suzerain, along with the Duke of Britt any, and Edward IV. of England. Louis, to detach C. from this combination against him, invited him to a conference at Peronne, a fortified town of Picardy belonging to the duke. Unfortunately for the succe of his schemes, however, the city of Liege, instigated by the gold of Louis, revolted against C. and ma acred many of his followers. In retaliation for this outrage, C. made the French monarch a prisoner, and it was only by great payments of money and other conce ions that Louis succeeded in obtaining his liberty. C. then punished with great severity his rebellious Flemish cities, invaded France, captured several important towns, and wasted that country with fire and sword, along with Alsace and the duchy of Lorraine. He was compelled, however, to raise the siege of Nuz, the po e ion of which would have made him master of the Rhine, and felt deeply mortified by the failure of his attempt to obtain the kingly dignity when apparently on the eve of succe . Afterwards becoming involved in a war with the Swi , C. was ignominiously routed by them at Granson, in 1472. He again e ayed the project of conquering Switzerland, and attacked the combined Swi and German forces at Morat, near Fribourg, when he was a second time defeated, with the lo of 18,000 men. This second disaster was followed by the defection of most of his allies, and the lo of the city of Nancy, and the greater part of Lorraine. Still resolved to conquer, C., despite the advice of his ablest officers, laid siege to Nancy, and upon the Duke of Lorraine advancing to its relief at the head of a powerful force, C. met him with fewer, and dispirited numbers, gave battle, and after a desperate engagement, was defeated and killed, being pierced by six mortal wounds, 1477. С. was intrepid beyond most men, but rash and over-ambitious; which latter quality, along with his violent and headstrong temper, brought him to ruin. After his death, Burgundy was seized by the crafty Louis, and annexed to the French crown: C's Flemish po e ions reverting to his daughter, the celebrated MARY OF BURGUNDY, q. v. - An excellent History of Charles the Bold, by J. P. Kirk, was published in London, 1866. the space to which we are limited. In 768 C. succeeded to the government conjointly with his brother Carlo man; and on the death of the latter, in 771, became sole master of France by wisely refusing to divide the authority with his nephews. In 770 he subdued the revolt of Aquitaine. In 772 he marched against the still idolatrous Saxons, and commenced a conflict which he maintained for upwards of 30 years. In 773 he cro ed the Alps, and was shortly crowned king of Lombardy, and acknowledged suzerain of Italy by the pope, with the right of confirming the papal elections. In 778 he carried his arms into Spain, and pursued his victorious career as far as the Ebro, but was surprised on his return in the pa of Roncesvalles, where many of his knights perished, and among the rest Orlando, or Roland, his nephew, the hero of Ariosto. In 780 Louis le Débonnaire, his youngest son, was crowned by the pope king of Aquitaine, and Pepin, his 2d son, king of Lombardy, both at Rome. Between 780 and 782 he visited a terrible retribution upon the Saxons, and compelled their chief to accept Christian baptism. Towards 790 we find him establishing seminaries of learning, and doing all in his power to elevate the character of the clergy, the most of whom had hitherto known little but the Lord's Prayer; besides engaging in projects for the acceleration of commerce, the general improvement of the people, and the promotion of science. Before the end of the century he had invaded Pannonia, and extended his dominions in this direction to the mountains of Bohemia, and the Raab. In 800 he was crowned at Rome emperor of the west; and in 803 was negotiating a union with Irene in order to consolidate the eastern and western empires, when the empre was dethroned and exiled by Nicephorus. From this period to his death, which took place at Aix-la-Chapelle, in the 71st year of his age, and the 47th (Jan. 28, 814) of his reign, he was engaged in fortifying the coasts of France against the North men, and various matters relating to the security and the prosperity of the empire, including the settlement of the succe ion. In person and manners C. was the perfection of simplicity, modesty, frugality, and, in a word, of true greatne ; and though he was too much given to the society of women, he had the reputation of a good father, a tender husband, and a generous friend. He was indefatigable in all the duties of government, and whether in the camp or the court, had fixed hours for study, in which he took care to engage his courtiers by forming them into an academy. "For shame!" he exclaimed, to one who came before him attired more elegantly than the occasion demanded, "dre yourself like a man; and if you would be distinguished, let it be by your merits, not by your garments." His nearest friend and companion was the illustrious Alcuin, and his fame was so widely spread that the only man, perhaps, of kindred genius in that age, the great Caliph Haroun-al-Raschid, courted his good will and complimented him by an emba age bearing presents. Before his death, C. confirmed the succe ion of his son Louis, by an august ceremony. Placing the imperial crown upon the altar, he ordered Louis to take it with his own hands, that he might understand he wore it in his own right, under no authority but that of God. See Vétault's Life of C. Charleʼmont, JAMES CAUL FIELD, 1ST EARL OF, a distinguished Irish patriot; в. 1728. In 1783, this popular noble was selected to command the great national body of Irish Volunteers, 80,000 strong, of all ranks and cla es, politics and creeds, organized to resist the encroachments of the British Tory government of that day. Lord Charlemont D. in 1799. Charleʼmont, a town of Ireland, co. Armagh, on the Blackwater, 8 m. from Armagh; pop. 600. Charle'mont, a French fortre standing opposite Givet, near the Belgian frontier. Charleʼmont, in Ma achusetts, a post-township of Franklin co., about 50 m. N.E. of Springfield, on Deer field River, and on the line of Hoosick Tunnel Railroad; рор . 1,005. Charleʼmont, in Virginia , a post-office of Bedford co. Charleroi, a fortified and important manufacturing town of Belgium, prov. Hainault, on the navigable river Sambre, 33 m. S. of Bru els. The town is the centre of the large coal-basin of Charleroi. Manf . Iron, gla , fire-arms, cutlery, slates, woollens, leather, tobacco, sugar, soap, rope, . The fortre of C. was built in 1666, and named after Charles II. of Spain. C. has sustained several memorable sieges, and been succe ively po e ed by the Spaniards, Austrians, and French. Pop . 13,300. Charles, the name of a number of eminent European sovereigns and princes, whom we notice in the alphabetical order of their respective countries, viz.: BADEN.