Married up to Ethelwulf of England, and thus
stepmother of Alfred the Great,--after his death behaving, alas for her!
not over wisely or well, she had verified the saying:
"Nous revenons toujours
A nos premiers amours,"
and ran away with Baldwin.
Charles, furious that one of his earls, a mere lieutenant and creature,
should dare to marry a daughter of Charlemagne's house, would have
attacked him with horse and foot, fire and sword, had not Baldwin been the
only man who could defend his northern frontier against the heathen
Norsemen.
The Pope, as Charles was his good friend, fulminated against Baldwin the
excommunication destined for him who stole a widow for his wife, and all
his accomplices.
Baldwin and Judith went straight to Rome, and told their story to the
Pope.
He, honest man, wrote to Charles the Bald a letter which still
remains,--alike merciful, sentimental, and politic, with its usual
ingrained element of what we now call (from the old monkish word
"cantare") cant. Of Baldwin's horrible wickedness there is no doubt. Of
his repentance (in all matters short of amendment of life, by giving up
the fair Judith), still less. But the Pope has "another motive for so
acting. He fears lest Baldwin, under the weight of Charles's wrath and
indignation, should make alliance with the Normans, enemies of God and the
holy Church; and thus an occasion arise of peril and scandal for the
people of God, whom Charles ought to rule," &c.
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