large/12344/historyoffrance_1807_librivox_64kb_mp3/historyoffrance_03_yonge_64kb_24
large/12344/historyoffrance_1807_librivox_64kb_mp3/historyoffrance_03_yonge_64kb
English
12344
He did much to promote trade and manufacture, improved the cities, fostered the university, and was in truth the first king since Philip Augustus who had any real sense of statesmanship. HE DID MUCH TO PROMOTE TRADE AND MANUFACTURE IMPROVED THE CITIES FOSTERED THE UNIVERSITY AND WAS IN TRUTH THE FIRST KING SINCE PHILIP AUGUSTUS WHO HAD ANY REAL SENSE OF STATESMANSHIP
amilies, such as the house of Armagnac, were treated with frightful severity. But his was not wanton violence. He acted on a regular system of depressing the lawless nobility and increasing the royal authority, by bringing the power of the cities forward, by trusting for protection to the standing army, chiefly of hired Scots, Swiss, and Italians, and by saving money. By this means he was able to purchase the counties of Roussillon and Perpignan from the King of Aragon, thus making the Pyrenees his frontier, and on several occasions he made his treasury fight his battles instead of the swords of his knights. He lived in the castle of Plessis les Tours, guarded by the utmost art of fortification, and filled with hired Scottish archers of his guard, whom he preferred as defenders to his own nobles. He was exceedingly unpopular with his nobles; but the statesman and historian, Philip de Comines, who had gone over to him from Charles of Burgundy, viewed him as the best and ablest of kings. O DEATH AND THE MORE TURBULENT FAMILIES SUCH AS THE HOUSE OF ALMAGNAC WERE TREATED WITH FRIGHTFUL SEVERITY BUT HIS WAS NOT WANTON VIOLENCE HE ACTED ON A REGULAR SYSTEM OF DEPRESSING THE LAWLESS NOBILITY AND INCREASING THE ROYAL AUTHORITY BY BRINGING THE POWER OF THE CITIES FORWARD BY TRUSTING FOR PROTECTION TO THE STANDING ARMY CHIEFLY OF HYDE SCOTS SWISS AND ITALIANS AND BY SAVING MONEY BY THIS MEANS HE WAS ABLE TO PURCHASE THE COUNTIES OF ROUSSION AND PAPIGNON FROM THE KING OF ARAGON THUS MAKING THE PYRENEES HIS FRONTIER AND ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS HE MADE HIS TREASURY FIGHT HIS BATTLES INSTEAD OF THE SWORD OF HIS KNIGHTS HE LIVED IN THE CASTLE OF BLICILLOTOURS GUARDED BY THE UTMOST ART OF FORTIFICATION AND FILLED WITH HIRED SCOTTISH ARCHERS OF HIS GUARD WHOM HE PREFERRED AS DEFENDERS TO HIS OWN NOBLES HE WAS EXCEEDINGLY UNPOPULAR WITH HIS NOBLES BUT THE STATESMAN AND HISTORIAN PHILIP DE CREMINE WHO HAD GONE OVER TO HIM FROM CHARLES OF BURGUNDY VIEWED HIM AS THE BEST AND ABLEST OF KINGS
large/12344/historyoffrance_1807_librivox_64kb_mp3/historyoffrance_03_yonge_64kb
file
download/librilight/large/12344/historyoffrance_1807_librivox_64kb_mp3/historyoffrance_03_yonge_64kb.flac