LOUBET 



3507 



LOUIS 



Branches they bore of that enchanted stem, 

 Laden with flower and fruit, whereof they gave 

 To each, but whoso did receive of them, 

 And taste, to him the gushing of the wave 

 Far, far away did seem to mourn and rave 

 On alien shores ; and if his fellow spake, 

 His voice was thin, as voices from the grave ; 

 And deep asleep he seemed, yet all awake, 

 And music in his ears his beating heart did make. 



In Homer's Odyssey it is told that Ulysses 

 and his companions were entertained by the 

 lotus-eaters on their return from the siege of 

 Troy (which see). Three of the company par- 

 took of the "enchanted stem," and over them 

 stole a languorous feeling, which made them 

 desire to remain in that pleasant land and feast 

 there forever. When Ulysses saw the dreamy, 

 vacant expression in their eyes, he bore them 

 forcibly away to his ships and forbade his other 

 followers to taste of the magic food of that land 

 "where it was always afternoon." 



In modern speech the name lotus-eater is 

 applied to the absent-minded, impractical per- 

 son who aimlessly builds air castles and dreams 

 dreams that can never come true. - 



LOUBET, loo bay ', EMILE (1838- ), a 

 French statesman and former President of the 

 republic, was born at Marsanne, in the depart- 

 ment of the Drome. He studied law in Paris 

 and practiced in Montelimar and in 1870 was 

 chosen mayor of that city. In 1876 he was 

 elected to the Chamber of Deputies and in 

 1885 to the Senate. He joined the Tirard Cabi- 

 net as minister of public works in 1887, and in 

 1892 became Premier. On the sudden death of 

 President Faure in 1899 he was elected Presi- 

 dent of France on the first ballot. His patri- 

 otism and simpliciiy of manner made him a 

 popular President, and under his administra- 

 tion the country prospered. His term expired 

 in February, 1906, and he was succeeded by 

 Fallieres. See FRANCE, subtitle History oj 

 France. 



LOUIS, loo' is, or loo'i, the name of a fa- 

 mous line of French kings. The reigns of the 

 last three covered some of the most troubled 

 periods of the history of the country. Those in 

 whom interest largely centers are the following : 



Louis IX [SAINT Louis] (1215-1270), the son 

 of Louis VIII and Blanche of Castile. He was 

 but twelve years of age when his father died 

 and he succeeded to the throne, but his mother 

 showed much wisdom and virtue as regent, and 

 trained him to become a worthy king. Through- 

 oat his reign, indeed, he proved himself to be 

 swayed by piety rather than by selfish ambi- 

 tions. 



In 1243 he was victorious in various engage- 

 ments against the English, and in 1248 he set 

 out in connection with one of the Crusades to 

 the Holy Land, in pursuance of a vow made 

 four years earlier during a critical illness. Fail- 

 ure attended his efforts, for he was captured by 

 the Moslems and released with the remnant 

 of his army only after the payment of a huge 

 ransom. He remained for some time in Pales- 

 tine, attempting to better the conditions of the 

 Christians there, but in 1252 returned to France 

 and devoted himself to the improvement of 

 his country. He managed to increase the royal 

 power at the expense of that of the great 

 nobles, but at the same time was so just and 

 kindly that he won the respect and love of all 

 his vassals. 



In 1270 he set out on a second crusade, but 

 a plague broke out in the army while it was 

 encamped in Tunis, and the king died. Twenty- 

 seven years later he was canonized by Pope 

 Boniface VIII. The Sieur de Joinville, who 

 accompanied Louis on his expeditions, wrote a 

 History oj Saint Louis, which is the chief source 

 of information as to the life of this monarch 

 who was able and just in a day when ambition 

 and intrigue betrayed the interests of most 

 countries. 



Louis XI (1423-1483), the son of Charles VII, 

 and known as "the terrible king." Even before 

 his father's death he had proved his vicious 

 character, for he took part in various insurrec- 

 tions and was at length forced to flee from the 

 kingdom. In 1461 he succeeded to the crown, 

 and at once set himself to breaking down the 

 power of the great nobles and strengthening 

 his own. This he accomplished by the most 

 high-handed means. If a noble opposed him 

 he had him put to death, or thrown into a 

 prison from which he never emerged. Indeed, 

 it is said that the number of secret murders he 

 had performed approached 4,000. 



He acquired Provence, Maine andAnjou, and 

 determined that the great possessions of the 

 Duke of Burgundy must belong to the Crown. 

 A long struggle with Charles the Bold was the 

 result, and when Charles fell in battle Louis 

 seized most of his territory and refused to sur- 

 render it to the rightful heirs. He was a pat- 

 tern of the true despot, ruling without the 

 States-General and levying taxes at his own 

 discretion. Nevertheless, he benefited his coun- 

 try by his encouragement of art, learning and 

 manufactures; established a postal system; 

 opened roads and canals, and made it easier 

 for the poorer classes to obtain justice. He was 



