large/12344/historyoffrance_1807_librivox_64kb_mp3/historyoffrance_02_yonge_64kb_32
large/12344/historyoffrance_1807_librivox_64kb_mp3/historyoffrance_02_yonge_64kb
English
12344
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. 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
dred Years' War, the great difficulty in time of peace was the presence of the bands of free companions, or mercenary soldiers, who, when war and plunder failed them, lived by violence and robbery of the peasants. Charles VII., who had awakened into vigour, thereupon took into regular pay all who would submit to discipline, and the rest were led off on two futile expeditions into Switzerland and Germany, 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 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. N THE HUNDRED YEARS WAR THE GREAT DIFFICULTY IN TIME OF PEACE WAS THE PRESENCE OF THE BANDS OF FREE COMPANIONS OR MERCENARY SOLDIERS WHO WHEN WAR AND PLUNDER FAILED THEM LIVED BY VIOLENCE AND ROBBERY OF THE PEASANTS CHARLES THE SEVENTH WHO HAD AWAKENED INTO VIGOR THEREUPON TOOK INTO REGULAR PAY ALL WHO WOULD SUBMIT TO DISCIPLINE AND THE REST WERE LED OFF ON TWO FUTILE EXPEDITIONS INTO SWITZERLAND AND GERMANY 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
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