~~ 
France) seized "the ercwn on the death of Louis V.3 
and, as he possessed the dukedom of France, which ex- 
nded as far as Touraine, and was also count of Paris, 
and in possession of large territories in Picardy and Cham- 
ne, while the royal domain was reduced to the cities 
of 1 and Soissons, he in fact brought more strength 
to the crown than he derived from it. Though the right 
of succession bel ‘to Charles, Duke of Lorrain, uncle 
: J stor 
Hugh Ca- 
=o 
Hhetina.- In order to establish the 1 in his family 
during his lifetime, he associated his son Robert in the 
government of the kingdom, and prudently vested him 
with those insignia of y which he denied himself, 
Tedt SA AALS Gasp’ ibee Wid “ald been very lately 
being defeated, he was made ‘by. 
ee ee 
excommunication, that’ he was abandoned by all his 
courtiers and his servants, except two, who threw to the 
dogs all the victuals their master left, and purified by 
fire the vessels in which he had been served. The king, 
alarmed either at his spiritual punisiment, or at the com- 
mencing commotions in his kingdom, at last’ divorced his 
wife, and married Constance, ter to the Count of 
“Arles. ~The last of his reign were rendered very 
unfortunate by the disorders of his‘family. His eldest 
son Hugh, whom he had associated in the sovereignty, 
was ; and Constance, who’ was an imperious ter- 
magant, wished to her younger son Robert on the 
thtoriey but the Iifig. by the advice of his parliament, 
‘confirmed the succession of Henry, his eldest surviving 
son. In the midst of these disorders the king died, in 
A.D. 1031, and was succeeded’ IL 
Bhi; 
rting the rights of her son Robert. Henry re- 
‘some ‘time, but at length was obliged to take 
with Robert; Duke ‘of Normandy, received 
t sent an army 
France, while the king and royal party invaded it on ano- 
ormandy 
' Soon after Henry was restored, the Duke of Norman- 
dy made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem ; and, dying before. 
hus r , there was a dispute. Y succes~ 
sion to his dominions. His natural son had been 
ed by the nobles, before the of Robert ; 
and his guardianship was entrusted to the King of France 
and th Duke of Bretagne. A sen as the death of 
Robert was , the. nobles broke out into. 
VOL. Ix, PART i 
‘ 
FRANCE. 
545 
persona! quarrels, whieh the Duke-of Bretagne in vain History. 
endeavoured to appease.’ Under these circumstances, the 
King of France had an excellent opportunity of display- 
ing his gratitude for the favours which he had received 
from Robert ; but he seemed rather willing to deprive 
his infant son of his inheritanee,\by invading Normandy. 
Not finding, however, the conquest so easy. as'he ex- 
pected, he reassumed the appearance of friendship and 
ity, united his forces with those. of the ‘young 
e, and the malcontents were totally routed ‘in. the 
battle of Val de Dunes, A. D. 1046. D364 4 
In 1060, Henry I. was succeeded by his son Philip I. ; phitip 1. 
and about six years afterwards, William, Duke of! Nor- A. D. 1060. 
mandy, successfully invaded England. Philip was only © 
eight years old when his father died, and remained under 
the guardianship of Baldwin V., surnamed the Pious, 
Count of Flanders, a man of strict honour and integri- 
ty, till the year 1067, when Baldwin died, having, just 
before his death, concluded an offensive and defensive al- 
liancé between the crowns of Scotland and France. 
Philip incurred the excommunication of Urban IT. by 
his marrying Bertrand de Montfort, Duchess’ of Anjou, 
while her husband and his q were both alive; nor 
was the excommunication taken off till the death of the 
Pope and the Queen in 1097. Philip, however, though 
relieved from his domestic troubles, was exposed to the 
rapacious power of his nobles, who insalted him con- 
stantly, and cut off entirely the communication between 
Paris and Orleans. In order to remedy these evils, Phi 
lip associated with him his son Louis. This prince was _ 
active, vigorous, erous, affable, and free from most 
youthful vices. soon perceived the full extent and 
the exact nature’ of the dangers which surrounded him, 
and that nothing could be-‘accomplished by force. He 
therefore kept continually in the field with a small body 
of troops about him, whom he employed against such 
nobles as would not listen to the dictates of justice and 
equity ; he demolished their castles, and laid waste their 
ground ; and by these measures, and by compelling them 
to render restitution to those whom they had pillaged, 
he restored order to the state, preserved the monarchy 
from subversion, and gained the affections of the virtu- 
ous part of the nobility, and the reverence of the peo- 
In 1108, when he was 80 years old, he succeeded his Louis the 
father. From his great size in the latter part of his life, Gross, 
he was called Louis the Gross. Soon after his corona- 4 0. 1108, 
tion, he engaged in a war with Henry I. of England, 
the particulars of which will be found in our history of 
that ki “After the peace between these monarchs, 
which took place A. D. 1128, Louis devoted himself to 
the ion of the internal management of his king- 
dom: He re-established the commons, or third estate, 
which had’ long ceased to exercise its privileges ; he en- 
franchised the villains, or bondsmen; diminished the 
‘authority of the seignorial jurisdictions, and sent com- 
missaries into the provinces to receive Mr ane re~ 
dress wrongs, and encourage appeals to the royal judges. 
‘In the midst of these wise lations, his ebbehaye =. 
pulency on a disorder which terminated in his 
‘death, in the 60th year of his age, and 30th of his 
reign, A; D. 1187. 
Lonis VIL, surnamed the Young, to distinguish him Louis the 
from ‘his father, was 18 years of age when he ascended Young, 
the throne. He was of a devout turn of mind, good= 4 ?- 1137- 
natured, and easy in his-temper ; but jealous of his ho- 
3z 
