658 
father-in-law, to embrace the party of 
the emperor Otho, with whom he was de- 
feated at Bouvines, on the 7th of July 
1214. 
Soon after this, he abandoned Otho 
also, to whom he had given his daughter 
in marriage, and then deciared himself 
on the side of Frederick, his competitor 
for the empire: “ Thus equally without 
benefit, and without glory, Henry [. was 
prodigal of the blood and the wealth of 
his subjects; Henry IT. on the other hand, 
was constantly occupied for their repose 
and their happiness. This priuce, who 
suppressed the odious law of mortmain, 
for which his memory was long blessed; 
exhibited a singular instance of modesty, 
having actually refused the offer of the 
imperial crown. 
Henry HI. was the first who assumed 
the title of Duke of Brabant, towards the 
year 1250. One part of his last will is 
very remarkable, as it thus becomes evi- 
dent, that his mind was imbued with a 
singular portion of humanity towards a 
class of beings, but little regarded in that 
age. 
“‘ By an express article in it, he en- 
franchised from extraordinary impositions, 
and every species of exaction, that nu- 
merous class of serfs, or bondmen, who 
were then, and still continue in some 
barbarous countries to be, attached to the 
soil, sequestered from civil society, and 
degraded from all the claims and privi- 
leges of men.’ 
Alice, the widow of HenryITI. held the 
reins of government, during the minority 
of her children. The eldest of her sons, 
solemnly yielded the sovereignty of Lower 
Lorraine, to a younger brother, who be- 
came John I. “At this period, we are in- 
formed of the pitiful grounds of a destruc- 
tive war with the people of Liege: it ori- 
ginated in the theftof a domestic animal, 
not worth a guinea, and was attended 
with the destruction of thousands on both 
sides! The author seizes this opportunity 
to exclaim: “ Quidguid delirant reges, 
plectuntur Achivt !” 
A little after this, the succession of 
Limbourg produced an importantstruggle 
between John and Renaud Count of 
Gueldres, who disputed his territories 
with him. The quarrel was terminated 
at Woringen ; and the duchy of Limbourg, 
in consequence of the events of that day 
was reunited to Brabant. 
During the time of John IT. Philip le 
Bel, king of France, in order to punish 
the temerity of Guy, Count of Flanders, 
who had formed an alliance against him, 
2 
Retrospect of French Lnterature— History. 
with Edward I. king of England, obtaigs 
ed possession of his territories under the 
pretext of confiscation. On this the Fle- 
mings took the field, beat the French at 
Courtray, and entered into a league with 
Duke John, who had made a commen 
cause withthem. ‘Their efforts were at 
first sufficiently prosperous, but having 
been defeated at Mouns-en-Puelle, Philip 
dictated the terms of the peace at Achier- 
sur-Orange, in the month of June, 1803. 
John if, being desircus to reform the 
eo which had crept into the admi- 
istration, at least as far as was in his 
bower! caused the lords and the depu- 
ties of the cities of Brabant to be as- 
sembled, about a month anterior to his 
death. It was this assembly that passed 
the celebrated regulations, called the laws 
of Cortenherg, because they had met in 
the town of that name. 
John IT. was forced to take part in 
that long and disastreus contest, carried 
on by Edward IV. of England, against 
Philip de Valois. He was Succeeded by 
his daughter Jean, and Wenceslaus, her 
husband. During the war that succeeded 
soon after, a battle was fought at Sans- 
fliet, in the Marquisate of Antwerp, at 
which period, we are told, bombs were 
first brought’ into use. This occurred in 
1356. 
The 8th epoch comprehends the house 
of Burgundy. The government of John 
IV. was sufficiently tempestuous, for he 
had not only to combat with his own 
subjects, but also with his own spouse, 
Jaqueline, Countess of Hainault, who 
had separated from him, and married 
another. It ought to be remembered to 
his honour, that he founded the Univer- 
sity of Louvain in 1426: 1t was his in- 
tention to fix it at Brussels, and this 
would accordingly have taken place, 
had it not been for the folly of the ma- 
gistrates. 
Under Philip, his brother and succes- 
sor, the inhabitants of Ghent and Bruges 
were so powerful, that it was found dif- 
ficult on the part of their sovereign to 
subject and punish them for their fre- 
quent revolts. His son Charles, Count 
de Charolois, entered intd the famous 
combination, known under the name of 
(ligue du bien public, ) the league for the 
public good; having for a pretext the 
reformation of the state and the advan- 
tage of the people. 
' Soon after this we find, that the mha- 
bitants of Dinant having revolted, Philip 
le Bon caused eight hundred of them 
to be precipitated into the Meuse, where 
they 
