large/12344/historyoffrance_1807_librivox_64kb_mp3/historyoffrance_02_yonge_64kb_47
large/12344/historyoffrance_1807_librivox_64kb_mp3/historyoffrance_02_yonge_64kb
English
12344
Pages of noble birth were bred up in castles to be first squires and then knights. There was immense formality and stateliness, the order of precedence was most minute, and pomp and display were wonderful. Strange alternations took place. PAGES OF NOBLE BIRTH WERE BRED UP IN CASTLES TO BE FIRST SQUIRES AND THEN KNIGHTS THERE WAS IMMENSE FORMALITY AND STATELINESS THE ORDER OF PRECEDENCE WAS MOST MINUTE AND POMP AND DISPLAY WERE WONDERFUL STRANGE ALTERNATIONS TOOK PLACE
left to their fate. The princes and nobles were at first so much disgusted at the regulations which bound the soldiery to respect the magistracy, that they raised a rebellion, which was fostered by the Dauphin Louis, who was ready to do anything that could annoy his father. But he was soon detached from them; the Duke of Burgundy would not assist them, and the league fell to pieces. Charles VII. by thus retaining companies of hired troops in his pay laid the foundation of the first standing army in Europe, and enabled the monarchy to tread down the feudal force of the nobles. His government was firm and wise; and with his reign began better times for France. But it was long before it recovered from the miseries of the long strife. The war had kept back much of progress. There had been grievous havoc of buildings in the north and centre of France; much lawlessness and cruelty prevailed; and yet there was a certain advance in learning, and much love of romance and the theory of chivalry. Y AND THERE LEFT TO THEIR FATE THE PRINCES AND NOBLES WERE AT FIRST SO MUCH DISGUSTED AT THE REGULATIONS WHICH BOUND THE SOLDIERY TO RESPECT THE MAGISTRACY THAT THEY RAISED A REBELLION WHICH WAS FOSTERED BY THE DAUPHIN LOUIS WHO WAS READY TO DO ANYTHING THAT COULD ANNOY HIS FATHER BUT HE WAS SOON DETACHED FROM THEM THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY WOULD NOT ASSIST THEM AND THE LEAGUE FELL TO PIECES CHARLES THE SEVENTH BY THUS RETAINING COMPANIES OF HIGH TROOPS IN HIS PAY LAID THE FOUNDATION OF THE FIRST STANDING ARMY IN EUROPE AND ENABLED THE MONARCHY TO TREAD DOWN THE FEUDAL FORCE OF THE NOBLES HIS GOVERNMENT WAS FIRM AND WISE AND WITH HIS REIGN BEGAN BETTER TIMES FOR FRANCE BUT IT WAS LONG BEFORE IT RECOVERED FROM THE MISERIES OF THE LONG STRIFE THE WAR HAD KEPT BACK MUCH OF PROGRESS THERE HAD BEEN GRIEVOUS HAVOC OF BUILDINGS IN THE NORTH AND CENTRE OF FRANCE MUCH LAWLESSNESS AND CRUELTY PREVAILED AND YET THERE WAS A CERTAIN ADVANCE IN LEARNING AND MUCH LOVE OF ROMANCE AND THE THEORY OF CHIVALRY
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