large/12344/historyoffrance_1807_librivox_64kb_mp3/historyoffrance_03_yonge_64kb_38
large/12344/historyoffrance_1807_librivox_64kb_mp3/historyoffrance_03_yonge_64kb
English
12344
They held, however, the imperial fief of Provence, and Louis XI., whose mother had been of this family, obtained from her two brothers, René and Charles, that Provence should be bequeathed to him instead of passing to René's grandson, the Duke of Lorraine. The Kings of France were thenceforth Counts of Provence; and though the county was not viewed as part of the kingdom, it was practically one with it. THEY HELD HOWEVER THE IMPERIAL FIEF OF PROVENCE AND LOUIS THE ELEVENTH WHOSE MOTHER HAD BEEN OF THIS FAMILY OBTAINED FROM HER TWO BROTHERS RENEE AND CHARLES THAT PROVENCE SHOULD BE BEQUEATHED TO HIM INSTEAD OF PASSING TO RENEE'S GRANDSON THE DUKE OF LORNINE THE KINGS OF FRANCE WERE THENCEFORTH COUNTS OF PROVENCE AND THOUGH THE COUNTY WAS NOT VIEWED AS PART OF THE KINGDOM IT WAS PRACTICALLY ONE WITH IT
ceedingly 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. 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. But though the burghers throve under him, and the lawless nobles were depressed, the state of the peasants was not improved; feudal rights pressed heavily on them, and they were little better than savages, ground down by burthens imposed by their lords. 6. Provence and Brittany.--Louis had added much to the French monarchy. He had won back Artois; he had seized the duchy and county of Burgundy; he had bought Roussillon. His last acquisition was the county of Provence. The second Angevin family, beginning with Louis, the son of King John, had never succeeded in gaining a footing in Naples, though they bore the royal title.  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 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 BUT THOUGH THE BURGHERS THROVE UNDER HIM AND THE LAWLESS NOBLES WERE DEPRESSED THE STATE OF THE PEASANTS WAS NOT IMPROVED FEUDAL RIGHTS PRESSED HEAVILY ON THEM AND THEY WERE LITTLE BETTER THAN SAVAGES GROUND DOWN BY BURTHENS IMPOSED BY THEIR LORDS SIX PROVENCE AND BRITTANY LOUIS HAD ADDED MUCH TO THE FRENCH MONARCHY HE HAD WON BACK ARTOIS HE HAD SEIZED THE DUCHY AND COUNTY OF BURGUNDY HE HAD BOUGHT ROUSSION HIS LAST ACQUISITION WAS THE COUNTY OF PROVENCE THE SECOND ENJOVAN FAMILY BEGINNING WITH LOUIS THE SON OF KING JOHN HAD NEVER SUCCEEDED IN GAINING A FOOTING IN NAPLES THOUGH THEY BORE THE ROYAL TITLE
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