ON MODERN CORPORATIANS. 69 
tering the growing power of the towns. Sismondi 
(Hist. des Frangais 5. 120) and Thierry (Lettres 
sur l’Hist. de France) have sufficiently exposed 
the error of the common opinion, which makes 
Louis le Gros the champion and emancipator of 
the commonalty, and have gone so far as to 
doubt, whether in founding or confirming com- 
munities, he was influenced by any other motive 
than a desire to obtain a sum of money for ren- 
dering them this service. Yet if we reflect, that 
the early part of his life was spent in endeavour- 
ing to subdue the petty vassals who disputed 
his authority, we must suppose that he could 
not have failed to perceive, how much his own 
power would be increased by the independence 
of the towns, over which these vassals tyrannized. 
That he erected no communities on his own 
domain confirms this view of his policy; and 
that he sometimes sided with the bishop or the 
count, against a town which was struggling for 
emancipation, only proves that the present 
interest which urged him to accept their bribe, 
was stronger than the distant motive of increas- 
ing his prerogative. 
Some of the hardest contests which the com- 
munities in the North of France had to maintain 
for their liberties were against their bishops, 
