$64 FRANC E. 
bloody commotions. The count of Anjou, a vaflal of 
the crown, had in a private quarrel belieged the city of 
Tours; the royal mandate commanded him to relinquifh 
the lawlefs enterprife ; his haughty refufal provoked the 
meflenger to the infulting qtieftion of “ Who madejea a 
count ?” The indignant anfwer proclaims the independent 
fpirit of the barons: “ Tell your matter, the fame who 
made him- a. king.” The monarch, fenfible of his delicate 
fituation, and hopelefs of reprefling the factious chief¬ 
tains, fluttered them to wade their ftrength in mutual hof- 
tilities, and remained an unconcerned fpeCtatqr of their 
fanguinary feuds; yet his own meafures were impercep¬ 
tibly directed to augment the power of the crown. Paris, 
under his reign, became the feat of government; and un¬ 
der'pretence of curbing the in.curfions of the Normans, he 
fortified feveral advantageous ftations, and eftablifhed a 
magazine of arms at Abbeville. The tranquillity in which 
lie pafled the latter part of his reign, muft be afcribed to 
the prudence of his conduct; and near ten years after he 
afcended the throne of France, and in the fifty-feventh 
year of his age, A.D. 996, he expired in his capital, 
leaving his Ton in peaceable pofieflion of the crown. 
The character of Hugh Capet is not marked with thofe 
commanding features which generally diftinguilh the 
founder of a new dynafty ; but his policy was fuited to 
the times in which he lived, and his moderation difarmed 
the jealoufy of his powerful competitors. Model! in his 
apparel, abltemious in his diet, and Ample in his manners, 
he enjoyed in a palace the comforts of humble life ; and 
his private happinefs was fecured by the chafie virtues 
and amiable qualities of his confort Adelaide. From the 
moment that he alTociated his fon to the regal authority, 
he abfiained himfelf from the ufe of the enligns of royal¬ 
ty; and if fome praife is due to the greatnefs of mind 
which fcorned the pageantry of power, more will always 
be afcribed to the clemency of a prince who transferred to 
his family a fceptre unftained with blood, and who in an 
age of violence preferved the reputation of unblemilhed 
iui inanity. 
Few princes ever commenced their reign with more 
natural advantages than Robert. At the deceafe of his 
father he was in the tw enty-feventh year of his age, and 
the graces of his mind and body have been alike celebrated 
by the pen of the hiftorian. The people had already been 
accuftomed to refpeCt him as their monarch ; and the pru¬ 
dent maxims of his predecelfor were imprinted on his 
mind, and adopted with more than filial veneration. Vet 
the rifing fun of his grandeur was darkened by the clouds 
of private and public anxiety ; but more particularly from 
his uxorious connections. Robert, in 998, defirous oi 
heirs, efpoufed Conftance, the daughter of William count 
of Arles. The perfonal charms of this princefs had in¬ 
flamed the padions of the king; but it was his misfor¬ 
tune fcarcely to partake of domeftic happinefs. His firfi: 
wife, the daughter of Berenger king of Italy, and the 
widow of Arnold count of- Flanders, was early raviflied 
from him by death. From Bertha, his fecond, he was 
divorced by the fpiritual decree of the pope of Rome ; 
and the king, after feparating from a confort whom he 
wifhed to retain, was now compelled to retain a wife from 
whom he wiftied to feparate : the high fpirit and intrigues 
of Conftance were pregnant with mifchief. 
For twelve years the fubjeCts of France had enjoyed 
a ftate of uninterrupted tranquillity; but the death of 
Henry duke of Burgundy, the laft brother of Hugh Capet, 
in 10C2, was the fignal for war. His wealthy dominions 
were difputed by Eudcs, his natural fon, to whom he had 
bequeathed the country of Beauvois; by Otlio William, 
furnamed the Stranger , the fon of his widow by her firfi: 
marriage ; and by Robert king of France, who urged his 
lawful fuccefiion to the inheritance of his deceafed uncle. 
The different pretenfions of thefe competitors could only 
be decided by arms; but the forces of Robert were 
ftrengthened by the troops of his kinfman the duke of 
Normandy. Six years were confumed in this civil com¬ 
motion ; at the end of which, Otho William was com¬ 
pelled to abandon his vain hopes; Eudes acquiefced in 
the peaceable enjoyment of the country of Beauvois; and 
Robert, to gratify the Burgundians, and to foothe hi3 
own vaflals, bellowed the duchy on his fon Henry, and 
inverted him with the title of duke of Burgundy. But 
the calamities of a civil war had no fooner ceafed, than 
the French beheld the ravages of a long and deftruCtive 
famine, which is faid to have carried oft' one-third of the 
inhabitants of France. 
In the palace the aflaults of famine was followed by 
domeftic ftrife and contention ; and Robert, to footh the 
impatient temper of Conftance, was compelled, againft 
the advice of his minifters, in 1017, to afiociate to the 
throne his eldeft fon Hugh. That unprincipled woman 
had not hefitated to employ againft the counfellors who 
diftuaded him, the dagger of afiafiination ; and the king be¬ 
held, even in the royal prefence, a faithful fervant atone 
with his life for his unfhaken integrity. After this, the 
king’s feelings were further and deeper wounded by the 
premature death of Hugh, in 1026 ; and it was natural 
that he fhould afiociate his next fon Henry to the dignity 
which he had imparted to his deceafed brother; but the 
juftice of this nomination was oppofed with indecent 
warmth and obftiriacy by Conftance; and her partiality for 
her younger fon Robert, agitated the court with all the 
fury of contending factions. Yet the fecret arts of in¬ 
trigue, the open violence of the queen, in vain sftailed 
the inflexible integrity of the king ; the rights of primo¬ 
geniture were refpeCted ; in an affembty at Rheims, Henry 
received the crown ; and Robert, his younger brother, 
refufing to join in the daring meafures of Conftance, be¬ 
came equally the obje'Ct of her hatred and.perfecution. 
The two princes, in 1027, harafled by the incefiant en¬ 
mity of their mother, retired from court, and entered into 
an alliance for their mutual defence ; the eldeft pofiefied 
himfelf of the caftle of Dreux, the younger occupied the 
city of Avalon, in the duchy of Burgundy. The unna¬ 
tural pafiions of a female had already kindled the torch 
of civil commotion, and the gloomy flame u'as beheld, 
with horror throughout the kingdom of France. At the 
head of a numerous army, Robert advanced to reduce his 
revolted fons; but his march was interrupted by the re- 
monftrances of William abbot of St. Benigne ; and he 
was foon convinced that the princes, inftead of arming 
againft his authority, fought only protection againft the 
aCtive hatred of their mother. The moment of explana¬ 
tion was that of fubmiftion on one fide, and pardon on the 
other; the fons were again reftored to the confidence of 
their father; and the force which had been afiembled to 
extinguifii the diftenfions of his family, was happily em¬ 
ployed by Robert in humbling the haughty nobles of 
Burgundy, who had prefumed to withhold the homage 
due to their fovereign. But the life of the king was 
clofed by this expedition into Burgundy: three and thirty 
years from his afeending the throne, and in the fixtieth 
year of his age, Robert expired at Melun, A.D. 1031, 
amidft the lamentations and heart-felt forrow of his fub- 
jeCts. -His prudence and moderation conftantly infured 
the public happinefs which fo eminently diftinguifhed his 
adminiftration. The rigour with which he punifhed, in 
the reduction of Burgundy, the obftinate refinance of the 
inhabitants of Avalon, was the only event of his reign 
that could cart the (lighted (hade on a reign of unprece¬ 
dented clemency. 
Henry fucceeded to the crown of his father at the age 
of twenty-feven ; and with the vigour of youth pofiefied 
the prudence and wifdom of age; yet thefe qualities were 
infufficient to fecure his authority, and the implacable 
enmity of his mother (hook his throne to the very foun¬ 
dation. At her imperious voice the flames of difeord 
blazed with redoubled fury. Ambition prompted the 
count of Flanders, and intereft induced Eudes count of 
Champagne, to fupport the pretenfions of Robert againft 
the claim of his elder brother. To Eudes was reiki. 
•quiihcd 
