FRA 
were gratified with a fon, to whom he gave the name of 
PhiFp. The pious father, in gratitude for this blefiing, 
determined to vifit England, and offer up his devotions 
before the (hrine of Thomas a Becket, in Canterbury ca¬ 
thedral. He was met at Canterbury by our Henry II. 
and received with royal hofpitality and magnificence. 
After having prefented his offerings at the (hrine of the 
faint, and exchanged every courteous proffer of regard 
and mutual good offices witli the king of England, Louis 
returned again to France, and his arrival was announced 
by the joyful acclamations of his people. 
Louis was now rapidly defcending into the vale of years. 
His life was alfailed by a hidden (broke of apoplexy j and 
though his fenfes were reffored, yet the palfy feized his 
right fide, and announced the danger that impended over 
him. Senfible of his approaching diffolution, he deter¬ 
mined to haften the coronation of his fon ; and the cere¬ 
mony was performed in the prefence of the heir apparent 
of England, and the count of Flanders, by the archbifhop 
of Rheims. To this important care fucceeded the early 
marriage of the prince; and Philip, at the age of four¬ 
teen, efpoufed I Label 1 a, the daughter of Baldwin count of 
Hainault. But the declining health,of Louis could not 
he checked by thefe fair prolpeCls of earthly happinefs; 
in the fixtieth year of his age, and the forty-fourth of his 
reign, he expired at Paris, A. D. 11S0 ; and if the libe¬ 
rality and judgment of the king, in refforing the dowry 
of queen Eleanor, have been arraigned, and haffily con¬ 
demned, his humanity has in no inftance been queftioned, 
nor his piety or integrity impeached. A tender hufband, 
and an affectionate father, the errors of the monarch were 
loft in the virtues of the man. 
Philip II. offumed the reins of government in the fif¬ 
teenth year of his age. The “count of Flanders, uncle of 
his queen, was nominated regent ; blit his authority was 
never permitted to controul the inclination of tire youth¬ 
ful monarch ; and his fnbjeCts foon difeerned an un¬ 
bounded thirft of dominion, and a jealous zeal for the 
royal prerogative, in their new fovereign. At his birth, 
which eftablifhed the peaceabie fucceffion to the crown 
of France, Philip received the expreflive furname of The 
Gift of God. The voice of flattery in his more mature 
years alfo gratified his vanity with the appellation of 
Magnanimous ; and, after his death, the policy he had dif- 
played gave him the title of Avgvjlvs, or the Great'. 
The attention of king Philip 11 . was early and anxioufly 
engaged to maintain the dignity of his character : the 
court was purged by his feverity of a motley train of buf¬ 
foons and jefters, whofe coarfe wit w ere the delight of a 
people, then wholly ignorant of that politenefs and refine¬ 
ment for which they have been (ince fo eminently diftin- 
gnilhed. To thefe perfonal cares fucceeded others of a 
more public nature : the murmurs of the people loudly 
accufed the wealth of the Jews, who had poffeffed them- 
felves of one third of the landed property throughout 
the dominions of Philip. Their riches, the fruits oflong 
continued and opprefiive ufury, had procured them the 
protection of the nobles ; but the determination of the 
king, while it offended the barons, gratified the commons; 
and this fugitive race of God’s chofen people were com¬ 
pelled to retire from the territory of France, leaving 
every thing behind them but their perfonal effedls. The 
mercenary (oldiers, who had ferved in the wars of the 
late monarch, had fpread themfelves over the defencelefs 
country, and indulged in every fpecies of wanton out¬ 
rage ; they were reduced or reclaimed by the policy of 
Philip ; and to provide in future again!! fimilar evils, as 
well as to embellilh the cities which acknowledged his au¬ 
thority, he commanded the inhabitants to pave and to 
furround with walls fufficient for their immediate fecurity 
the towns in which they dwelt ; and the progrefs of the 
work was haftened by the prefence of the king himfelf, 
whofe vigilant eye pervaded every part of his dominions. 
The jealoulies of the court foon began to threaten the 
public tranquillity. Adelaide, the mother of the king, 
Vol. VII. No.4J*. 
N C E. 6 G 9 
refented the partiality of her fon to the count of Flanders, 
who, without children himfelf, had bellowed on his 
niece the royal dowry of the county of Artois and the 
diftriCl fertilized by the river Lvs : with the queen dow¬ 
ager was joined her brother William, archbifhop of 
Rheims. But their intrigues to diffolve the marriage 
with Ifabella were vain; and the difpleafure of Philip 
was difplayed by appointing the coronation of himfelf 
and his confort at the abbey of St. Denys, at*d receiving his 
crown from the hands of the archbifltop of Sens. Ade¬ 
laide, to fupport her faClion, implored the afliftance of 
Henry II. of England; who repaired immediately to 
Normandy, and received with great refpeCl the queen 
herfelf, and her brothers, the counts of Blois, Sancerre, 
and Chartres. With a numerous army he advanced to 
fecond their demands ; but Philip was already prepared 
to encounter this hereditary foe ; and the king of Eng¬ 
land, doubtful of the event, preferred to the chance of 
battle the arts of negociation. Even in thefe, the early 
wiidom of Philip was confpicuous ; averfe to either ex¬ 
treme, he rejected the prefumpmous claims of the re¬ 
bels, and the advice of the count of Flanders, to decide 
the difpute by the (word. To his mother he profeffed 
the duty of a fon, but at the fame time afferted the inde¬ 
pendent authority of a fovereign ; to the lords, who had 
engaged in the revolt, he offered a free pardon ; atrd their 
ready fubmiflion broke the meafures of Henry, who con- 
fented to ret ire, after confirming the former peace between 
the crowns of France and England. 
The moments that could be raviftied from the national 
enmity and hoflile encounters of England and France, 
Philip afliduonfly employed in the internal regulation of 
his dominions, and in repreTfing the formidable enter- 
prifes of the duke of Burgundy and the count of Flan¬ 
ders. The calm produced by the late peace led the rival 
monarchs to engage their forces in a third croifade, for the 
relief of the Chriftians in Paleftine, at that time opprelfed 
by the victorious career of the great Saladin. 
The birth of a fon and heir apparent to the crown, in 
1187, who was named Louis, thickened not the prepara¬ 
tions of Philip for the holy war ; and the clergy were 
compelled, though reluCtantly, to contribute large funis 
towards the facred expedition. Thefe were diftinguiftied 
by the name of Saladin’s tax, expreflive of the purpofe 
for which they were levied. But, no fooner were the 
hopes of the Oriental Chriftians awakened, and the flame 
of enthufiafm again kindled in the well, than the arms of 
Philip and Henry were turned againfl each other; and 
the forces deftined to overturn the empire of the infidels, 
were ineffectually confunted in bloody conflicts at home. 
Fortune had at length forfaken the declining age of 
Henry, and he was glad to fecure a peace, in 1189, by 
renewing his homage to Philip, and confenting to the 
coronation of his Ion Richard. The marriage of that 
prince with Alice, was to be celebrated on his return 
from the Holy Land, and he was previoufly gratified w'ith 
the payment of twenty thoufand marks of lilver. The 
treaty was figned at Azay ; and in two days afterwards 
Henry expired at Chinon ; his lad moments were embit¬ 
tered by the ingratitude of his fon John, who had deferted 
his father to join the ftandard of Philip. That monarch 
might well exult at the profpeCl then before him ; he 
had humbled the turbulent pride of his nobles at borne, 
and eltablifiied his reputation abroad ; he was delivered 
by the death of Henry front a dangerous and vigilant 
rival ; and Richard, his fucceffor, was bound to hint by 
the ties of gratitude, and the fanCtity of oaths. Infatiate 
ot fame, and enamoured of favage war, the kings of 
France and of England, now prepared to unfurl the iacred 
banner of the crofs. While Richard, furnamed Caur de 
Lion , failed from Marfeilies, Philip embarked at Genoa ; 
having'entrufted the aaminiftration of his kingdom to 
his mother Adelaide, and the archbifhop of Rheims.—. 
The perils, the dangers, the mutual jealoulies, and mili¬ 
tary yrowefs, of theie rival monarchs during this memo,. 
8 H stable.. 
