His successor, Charles IV., the Fair, was the last of three brothers, whose reigns were all short, and who were always necessitous in respect to their finances, and little scrupulous with regard to their methods of improving them.

SECTION III.

Branch of Valois : :- Philip VI.; John II.; Charles V.; Charles VI.; Charles VII.; Louis XI.; Charles VIII. — From A. D. 1328 to 1498.

1. Philip the Fair left three sons, Louis Hutin, Philip the Long, and Charles the Fair, who were all successively kings of France, but who all died without leaving any male heirs; and one daughter, Isabella, Queen of England, and mother of Edward III. On the death of Charles the Fair, the male succession to the throne devolved on Philip VI. of Valois, Charles's cousin-german; and his title was universally acknowledged and supported by the French nation.

2. But Edward III. of England was a nearer relative on the female side, and he asserted his claim in right of his mother. This claim gave rise to those contests for the French crown by the kings of England, which are so famous in the history of both countries. Edward invaded France with an army of 30,000 men, in order to enforce his claim, gained the famous battle of Cressy, in 1346, and besieged and took Calais.

- In the midst of these misfortunes, Philip had the satisfaction of seeing Dauphiny annexed to the crown of France, by Hubert, the last count, on condition that the king's eldest son should bear the title of Dauphin.

3. Philip was succeeded by his son John II., surnamed the Goo, who was still more unfortunate than his father, being utterly defeated, in 1356, by the English, under the Black Prince, near Poictiers, and carried a prisoner to London, where he died.

4. During the captivity of John, the kingdom was thrown into the greatest disorder and confusion; but soon after his son, Charles V., surnamed the Wise, ascended the throne, the condition of the country began to improve. This distinguished sovereign resolved to make France a match for England; and, in order to effect this object, he deemed it necessary to restore tranquillity to the people, and inspire them with confidence in the government. He raised to the office of Constable of France the celebrated Du Guesclin, who was one of the great

est generals of the age, though he is represented as so illiterate that he was unable to read or write. The French, under his command, drove into Spain the banditti that had ravaged the country, routed Charles, king of Navarre, and expelled the English from all their possessions in France, except Bour deaux, Bayonne, and Calais.

5. Charles was one of the best sovereigns that have sat on the throne of France; a sagacious statesman, a beneficent lawgiver, a patron of literature, and an excellent man in his private character. His father left him a library of only 20 volumes; to which he added 900, which rendered it one of the greatest libraries then existing; and it was an immense number for that period, when printing was not yet invented. Charles may be regarded as the founder of the royal library at Paris, which is now the largest library in the world.

6. This eminent sovereign was succeeded by his son, Charles VI., styled the Well-beloved, a weak prince, subject to insanity, which, at last, reduced him almost to idiocy. His life and his reign were alike miserable, and all the fruits of the wisdom of his father's government were soon lost. His queen, Isabella of Bavaria, was of most infamous character, and the court was notorious for profligacy. The kingdom was governed by a succession of regents, whose misconduct occasioned seditions and rebellions.

7. During this calamitous state of France, Henry V. of England invaded the country, gained, in 1415, the memorable victory of Agincourt, and after obtaining other advantages, he concluded the treaty of Troyes, by which his succession to the throne, on the death of Charles, was acknowledged. Henry and Charles both died soon after this transaction.

8. Charles VII., afterwards surnamed the Victorious, son of Charles VI., asserted his right to the crown; and the infant Henry VI. of England was also proclaimed King of France, under the regency of his uncle, the Duke of Bedford. The English undertook the siege of Orleans, a place of the utinost importance, and pushed their designs so successfully, that the affairs of Charles seemed almost desperate, when they were suddenly restored by one of the most marvellous transactions recorded in history.

9. An obscure country girl, 27 years of age, who had lived in the humble station of a servant at an inn, overthrew the power of England. This was that wonderful heroine, Joan of Arc, otherwise called the Maid of Orleans, whe appeared at this juncture, pretending to be Divinely commissioned to deliver her oppressed country, and promising to raise

the siege of Orleans, and to conduct the king to Rheims to be crowned.

10. Her mission was pronounced by an assembly of divines to be supernatural; and, at her own request, she was armed cap-à-pie, dressed like a man, mounted on horseback, entered Orleans at the head of the French troops, and actually com. pelled the English to raise the siege (1429). Charles, in obe. dience to her exhortations, proceeded to Rheims, which was then in pussession of the English, entered it without difficulty, and was there crowned. Joan then declared that her missior was ended, and requested leave to retire; but her presence was thought still necessary, and, being detained, she afterwards fell into the hands of the English, who condemned her for witchcraft, and caused her to be burnt alive at Rouen.

11. The French gained further victories, and the English were finally expelled from all their possessions in the country, except Calais. Charles now directed his attention to the improvement of the internal condition of his kingdom, and was a useful and popular sovereign. The latter part of his life was imbittered by the undutiful and rebellious conduct of his son, the Dauphin, by whom he was in such fear of being poisoned, that he is said to have died through want of sustenance.

12. Louis XI., who was an odious compound of dissimu lation, profligacy, cruelty, and superstition, is sometimes styled the Tiberius of France; yet he obtained from the pope the title of Most Christian, a title ever since annexed to the name of the French kings. He possessed, however, considerable talents, great application to business, and affability to his inferiors; and he was the author of many wise laws and excellent regu. lations for the encouragement of commerce, and for promoting the administration of justice.

13. It was his policy to humble the feudal nobles, who formed a confederacy against him, and engaged in a contest to preserve their authority, entitled "the war of the public good." The barbarity of the public executions during his reign is almost incredible his own life was rendered miserable, especially towards its close, by the knowledge of his being generally hated, and by the torments of a guilty conscience.

14. Charles VIII., the son of Louis, succeeded to the throne, at the age of 13 years. He was mild in his disposition and courteous in his manners, and received the surname of the Affable, or Civil. His father had acquired a claim to the kingdom of Naples; an 1, on coming of age, he engaged in an expedition for the conquest of that country, which was easily accomplished: but the possession of it was soon lost.

SECTION IV.

Louis XII.; Francis I.; Henry II.; Francis II.; Charles IX.; Henry III. · From A. D. 1498 to 1589.

1. Charles VIII., who was the last of the direct line of the house of Valois, was succeeded by Louis XII., Duke of Orleans, great-grandson of Charles V. He was a beneficent and popular sovereign, though injudicious and unfortunate in his enterprises. Being frugal in his policy, he diminished the taxes and burdens of his subjects, and gained the title of "the Father of his People." He retained the ministers of the late king in office, even those who had treated him ill before he came to the throne. "It is unworthy of the King of France," said he, " to punish the injuries done to the Duke of Orleans."

2. Near the commencement of his reign, he reduced Milan and Genoa, and afterwards prosecuted his claim to Naples; but though, by the aid of his generals, the celebrated Chevalier Bayard and Gaston de Foix, he obtained some advantages, he was ultimately unsuccessful, and became the dupe of his allies, Ferdinand of Spain, and the infamous Pope Alexander VI.; and the former, by treachery, got possession of the whole of Naples.

3. At this period, the republic of Venice, on account of its wealth, acquired by commerce, excited the envy and jealousy of its neighbors, particularly of the politic and ambitious Pope Julius II., who projected against it the famous League of Cambray, in 1508, which was composed of the Pope, the Emperor of Germany, and the Kings of France and Spain. Louis entered with spirit into the war against Venice, and gained the famous victory of Agnadello. But the confederates afterwards quarrelled with each other, and a new league was formed against France.

4. The French, under the command of Gaston de Foix, gained a victory over the new confederates at Ravenna, but it cost them the life of their commander. The death of this celebrated hero was fatal to Louis, for he soon afterwards lost all the places which he possessed in Italy, and was compelled to evacuate the country. In the midst of his preparations to recover these losses, Louis died suddenly, and the exclamation of "The good king is dead!" was heard on every side.

5. Francis I., Duke of Angoulême, and nephew of Louis XII., succeeded to the throne, at the age of 21 years. He was

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of a romantic turn, fond of war, and eager for glory; and he departed from the frugal maxims of his predecessor, and soon distinguished himself by the conquest of the Milanese.

6. In 1519, on the death of Maximilian, Emperor of Germany, Francis and Charles V. (who was then King of Spain) became rival candidates for the imperial crown. Francis, speaking with Charles respecting the object of their competi tion, said, with his natural vivacity and frankness, "We are suitors to the same mistress; the more fortunate will win her, but the other must remain contented."

7. Charles was the successful candidate ; and Francis, whose heart was too much set upon the prize to lose it with quiet feelings, retired disappointed, and thirsting for revenge. The two rivals were now declared enemies, and their mutual claims on each other's dominions were the subject of perpetual hostility during nearly the whole of their long reigns.

8. The reign of Charles V. forms a distinguished period in history, memorable not only for the wars and contests among the states of Europe, but still more so for the establishment of the Reformation, the advancement of literature, the extension of commerce, and the impulse given to the progress of society. Charles was the greatest sovereign of the age, and superior to his rival, Francis, both in policy and power. Other distinguished sovereigns of the same age were Henry VIII. of England, who was courted by both of the rival monarchs, and, in some degree, involved in their wars; Solyman the Magnificent, Sultan of Turkey, a formidable enemy of Charles; Gustavus Vasa of Sweden; and Pope Leo X.

9. In the contest between the two rivals, the first hostile attack was made by Francis on the kingdom of Navarre, which was won and lost in the space of a few months. The emperor a tacked Picardy, and his troops, at the same time, drove the French out of the Milanese. Francis quarrelled with his best general, the Constable of Bourbon, who, in revenge, deserted to the emperor, and was by him invested with the chief command of his armies. The French king marched into Italy with great success, and laid siege to Pavia; but was here, in 1525, defeated by Bourbon, and taken prisoner.

10. Francis was detained some time at Madrid by Charles, who compelled him to comply with disadvantageous terms of peace. After being set at liberty, and having passed the bound. aries between Spain and France, he mounted his horse, and, waving his hand over his head, exultingly exclaimed, several times, "I am yet a king!" Charles had not treated him with generosity, having extorted from him more promises than a