[1] "Often the fury of the Northmans was inspired less by their Odinic fanaticism than by the vengeance of the revolted slave and by the rage of the turn-coat"--Michelet, _History of France_, Vol. I, p. 395.
[2] "During these disastrous times [the Northman wars] the serf became free, the free man became reduced to the estate of serf; they made a valet of the lord, and a lord of the valet."--Abbon, _Siege of Paris by the Northmans_, Vol. I, p. 5. Collected History of France.
[3] See "The Branding Needle" and "The Abbatial Crosier," of this series.
[4] For the career of the notorious Fredegonde, see "The Branding Needle," the seventh of this series.
[5] Vortigern appears as one of the leading characters in "The Carlovingian Coins, or, The Daughters of Charlemagne," which immediately precedes the present work.
[6] See the opening volume of this series, "The Gold Sickle."
[7] See "The Poniard"s Hilt," number six of the series.
[8] Albinik, one of the sons of Joel, figures in the second volume of this series, "The Bra.s.s Bell."