however, being improvident, soon spent the 
he had thus unjustly acquired; and he ‘was 
‘to satisfy his wants, to extort money from the 
levy a tenth from the clergy, to sell their 
camped Mo Bias GF be me? 
mains ; and even to i f them to as 
wished to continue slaves. Thus the king’s avarice, or 
igality benefited his ‘subjects. It is remarkable 
2F 
ms 
mhost bea ohilganem, otter of money concerns; and Charles 
ing discovered that they were gui of extortion, as 
of 
took 
% FeaR 
fi 
Qs 
FRANCE. 
ot 
‘ te 3 i reign. , a chan 
tion o parliament, by 
ne’ citizens. It was also in this rei 
* Raoul, whom he ord 
549 
both the itors endeavoured to strengthen them- 
selves by alliances. In 1346, Edward invaded France 
with an army of 30,000 men, and Philip advanced to 
meet him at hd head of 100,000. On the 26th of Au- a 
gust, in that year, the famous battle of Cressy was 
ight, in which the French were defeated with great 
ater. In 1347, Edward took San $ e in a5 
following year, he returned in triumph to England, 
having concluded a truce with France. In the midst 
History. 
The of his misfortunes, Philip had the satisfaction of seeing 
Dauphiny annexed to the crown of France, the last 
Count of that province dying without issue ; having ce- 
ed his territories to the crown of France, on the con- 
ition that the eldest son of the French monarch should 
assume the name of Dauphin. Philip died in 1350, 
of 57, worn out with distress and anxiety. 
took place in the constitu- 
incorporation of the coun- 
sellors named j Ss, who had formerly been taken 
exclusively from the noblesse, and the counsellors na- 
med %, who had been taken from the class of 
that the famous tax 
on salt, the gabelle, was im , or rather established 
and augmented. ; 
John, the eldest son of Philip, succeeded to the John, 
throne; but an act of injustice towards the Constable 4- D. 1350. 
to be beheaded without any =» 
form of trial, rendered him soon very unpopular. Of 
this, and of other circumstances, Edward IIT. took ad- 
vantage ; for Charles, King of Navarre, setting up a 
claim to the throne of France, Edward tens Be to 
’ support him. In this emergency, John convoked the 
states-general in 1355, who agreed to a levy of 30,000 
acts, edad 100,000 other troops, ati’ to a subsidy 
to Se them. At this assembly, a decree was pass- 
ed, no proposition should be admitted without the 
unanimous consent of the three branches or their depu- 
ties. Thus, the third estate, which hitherto had been 
too much and'too often the slaves of the nobility or 
clergy, obtained their due share of authority. In 1355, 
Edward invaded France in, and sent into Guienne 
the Prince of Wales, who gained so much fame at 
the battle of C On the 19th of September in the 
following year, this prince was again successful, at the 
battle oictiers, in which the French were complete« 
ly defeated, and their king taken prisoner. John was 
treated with great attention and generosity by his ca 
tor, who, having concladed a truce for pate pies broug: t 
him over be, age In ge eh the nH Men 
of their m , the le of France were plunged 
into the grea’ i and confusion. The Dau- 
phin, indeed, assumed the management of affairs, but 
is authority and influence were not sufficient to restore 
tranquillity ; and, as he was totally destitute of sup- 
pies, he found himself under the necessity of convo- 
‘ing the national assembly; but that body, instead of 
ing his administration, seized the opportuni 
to limitations of the regal power. Paris itse 
was entirely under the dominion of the provost of the 
merchants: the dauphin was detained in a kind of cap- 
tivity. In the midst of these disorders, the King of 
Navarre, who had been thrown into prison by John in 
the year 1355, contrived to escape, and put himself’ at 
the of the malcontents ; but his conduct was so 
atrovious, that even those who had previously favoured 
* his claims, now forsook him, and resolved to strengthen 
. the 
er of the dauphin. For this purpose they ral- 
Shed Weed him, and the provost of the merchants ha- 
ving been slain in an attempt to deliver Paris up to the 
