large/12344/historyoffrance_1807_librivox_64kb_mp3/historyoffrance_03_yonge_64kb_31
large/12344/historyoffrance_1807_librivox_64kb_mp3/historyoffrance_03_yonge_64kb
English
12344
All the arts of life, above all painting and domestic architecture, nourished at Brussels; and nowhere were troops so well equipped, burghers more prosperous, learning more widespread, than in his domains. ALL THE ARTS OF LIFE ABOVE ALL PAINTING AND DOMESTIC ARCHITECTURE NOURISHED AT BRUSSELS AND NOWHERE WERE TROOPS SO WELL EQUIPPED BURGHERS MORE PROSPEROUS LEARNING MORE WIDE SPREAD THAN IN HIS DOMAINS
 married a lady who ultimately brought into the family the great imperial counties of Holland and Zealand; and her son, Duke Philip the Good, by purchase or inheritance, obtained possession of all the adjoining little fiefs forming the country called the Netherlands, some belonging to the Empire, some to France. Philip had turned the scale in the struggle between England and France, and, as his reward, had won the cities on the Somme. He had thus become the richest and most powerful prince in Europe, and seemed on the point of founding a middle state lying between France and Germany, his weak point being that the imperial fiefs in Lorraine and Elsass lay between his dukedom of Burgundy and his counties in the Netherlands. No European court equalled in splendour that of Philip. The great cities of Ghent, Bruges, Antwerp, and the rest, though full of fierce and resolute men, paid him dues enough to make him the richest of princes, and the Flemish knights were among the boldest in Europe.  JOHN THE FEARLESS HAD MARRIED A LADY WHO ULTIMATELY BROUGHT INTO THE FAMILY THE GREAT IMPERIAL COUNTIES OF HOLLAND AND ZEALAND AND HER SON DUKE PHILIP THE GOOD BY PURCHASE OR INHERITANCE OBTAINED POSSESSION OF ALL THE ADJOINING LITTLE THIEFS FORMING THE COUNTRY CALLED THE NETHERLANDS SOME BELONGING TO THE EMPIRE SOME TO FRANCE PHILIP HAD TURNED THE SCALE IN THE STRUGGLE BETWEEN ENGLAND AND FRANCE AND AS HIS REWARD HAD WON THE CITIES ON THE SOMME HE HAD THUS BECOME THE RICHEST AND MOST POWERFUL PRINCE IN EUROPE AND SEEMED ON THE POINT OF FOUNDING A MIDDLE STATE LYING BETWEEN FRANCE AND GERMANY HIS WEAK POINT BEING THAT THE IMPERIAL THIEFS IN LORNINE AND ELSACE LAY BETWEEN HIS DUKEDOM OF BURGUNDY AND HIS COUNTIES IN THE NETHERLANDS NO EUROPEAN COURT EQUALLED IN SPLENDOR THAT OF PHILIP THE GREAT CITIES OF GHENT BRUGES ANTWERP AND THE REST THOUGH FULL OF FIERCE AND RESOLUTE MEN PAID HIM DUES ENOUGH TO MAKE HIM THE RICHEST OF PRINCES AND THE FLEMISH KNIGHTS WERE AMONG THE BOLDEST IN EUROPE
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