swamps of Aigues Mortes were fostered by the burning sun and brackish water, so that the camp became little better than a pest-house. Death followed upon death. John, called Tristan, Louis's son born at Damietta, was one of the first to sink, and multitudes of all ranks followed; the king sickened, but dragged himself from one tent to another, succoring the sufferers as long as he could. move. When his strength failed, he gave beautiful counsels to his eldest son and daughter, and then gave himself up to prayer, bidding his servants lay him on a bed of ashes, where, breathing out the words "Jerusalem! Jerusalem!" he died on the 25th of August, 1270, just as Charles and Edward were landing in the bay.

Poor young Philip III., 1270, brought back to St. Denys five coffins, those of his father, brother, sister, wife, and child, also of his uncle Alfonso. Philip's eldest son, Louis, died suddenly, and suspicion of having poisoned him fell on Peter de Brosse, the king's chamberlain, who tried to turn the accusation against the prince's step-mother, Mary of Brabant. Peter was found guilty, and hanged on the great gibbet of Montfaucon. This was a huge square building, with four tiers of arches facing each way, each containing a beam and noose connected with machinery, by which sixtyfour executions could take place at one moment. Warring with Aragon he died, 1292, at Perpignan.

Philip IV., called the Fair, was at loggerheads with Edward of England, relative to outrages of Saxon and Norman sailors, but they suspended hostilities to give Philip a chance in a desperate quarrel with the pope, 1299. In 1302 the Flemings revolted, and a great battle was fought at Courtrai, between Flemish burghers and French barons, the latter sustaining a total defeat. This was one of the earliest cases of a feudal army being defeated by burghers. Philip, in 1294, imposed a tax, called the Maltôle, first on the merchants, then on the clergy. Pope Boniface VIII. put forth a bull called Clericis Laicos, forbidding any secular power to demand contributions from the clergy without the consent of the pope. Philip burned the bull. He sent to Anagni a knight named William de Nogaret, who took with him Sciarra Colonna, of a family of Roman nobles whom Boniface had banished out of hereditary enmity; and they, breaking into the city, furiously bearded the pope, insisting

that he should tear up the bull. He listened with firmness and dignity, though Colonna even struck him on the cheek; and, while the people of Anagni were cowed with surprise and horror, Nogaret shut him up without food in his palace, expecting to break his will. The townspeople, however, rallied, rescued him, and took him to Rome; but the old man, now eighty-five years of age, was so overcome by what he had undergone, that strength and reason failed him, and a few mornings later he was found quite dead, the staff in his hand gnawed and covered with foam, and his white hair stained with blood, as if he had dashed his head against the wall.

A new pope, Benedict XI., was chosen, and died as soon as he had shown himself proof against Philip's threats. Bertrand, his successor, was abject, and fixed his dwelling-place at Avignon, which for seventy years continued to be the seat of the papacy. The Knights Templars were persecuted and exterminated. James de Molay on the point of execu tion is said to have summoned Pope Clement to meet him before the judgment-seat of God in forty days' time, and King Philip within a year, to answer for his death and that of his knights. Philip's exactions and cruelties were so intolerable, that his nobles were mustering against him, when a fall from his horse brought on a low fever, and he died on the 29th of November, 1314.

Louis X., called Hutin, or fractious, succeeded. He lived riotously and died on the 5th of June, 1316, leaving only one daughter. But a son, John, was born in the following November, only to live six days, and was carried in the arms of his uncle Philip to the grave as king.

Philip the Long ascended the throne, and reigned for five years. After a cruel reign, during which the Franciscan friars were horribly persecuted for preaching against his vices, such wretchedness prevailed everywhere, that curses upon the king were on each tongue, and his early death was thought to be the consequence.

Charles IV. the Fair, brother of Philip, succeeded in 1322. His reign is chiefly noted for the crime of his sister Isabel, queen of England. Her husband, Edward II., was tired of crossing the sea to do homage for Guyenne to his short-lived brotherin-law, and sent his son Edward in his stead. He thus gave her the opportunity of raising the force, with which she was enabled to act "the she-wolf of

swamps of Aigues Mortes were fostered by the burning sun and brackish water, so that the camp became little better than a pest-house. Death followed upon death. John, called Tristan, Louis's son born at Damietta, was one of the first to sink, and multitudes of all ranks followed; the king sickened, but dragged himself from one tent to another, succoring the sufferers as long as he could move. When his strength failed, he gave beautiful counsels to his eldest son and daughter, and then gave himself up to prayer, bidding his servants lay him on a bed of ashes, where, breathing out the words "Jerusalem! Jerusalem!" he died on the 25th of August, 1270, just as Charles and Edward were landing in the bay.

Poor young Philip III., 1270, brought back to St. Denys five coffins, those of his father, brother, sister, wife, and child, also of his uncle Alfonso. Philip's eldest son, Louis, died suddenly, and suspicion of having poisoned him fell on Peter de Brosse, the king's chamberlain, who tried to turn. the accusation against the prince's step-mother, Mary of Brabant. Peter was found guilty, and hanged on the great gibbet of Montfaucon. This was a huge square building, with four tiers of arches facing each way, each containing a beam and noose connected with machinery, by which sixtyfour executions could take place at one moment. Warring with Aragon he died, 1292, at Perpignan.

Philip IV., called the Fair, was at loggerheads with Edward of England, relative to outrages of Saxon and Norman sailors, but they suspended hostilities to give Philip a chance in a desperate quarrel with the pope, 1299. In 1302 the Flemings revolted, and a great battle was fought at Courtrai, between Flemish burghers and French barons, the latter sustaining a total defeat. This was one of the earliest cases of a feudal army being defeated by burghers. Philip, in 1294, imposed a tax, called the Maltôle, first on the merchants, then on the clergy. Pope Boniface VIII. put forth a bull called Clericis Laicos, forbidding any secular power to demand contributions from the clergy without the consent of the pope. Philip burned the bull. He sent to Anagni a knight named William de Nogaret, who took with him Sciarra Colonna, of a family of Roman nobles whom Boniface had banished out of hereditary enmity; and they, breaking into the city, furiously bearded the pope, insisting

that he should tear up the bull. He listened with firmness and dignity, though Colonna even struck him on the cheek; and, while the people of Anagni were cowed with surprise and horror, Nogaret shut him up without food in his palace, expecting to break his will. The townspeople, however, rallied, rescued him, and took him to Rome; but the old man, now eighty-five years of age, was so overcome by what he had undergone, that strength and reason failed him, and a few mornings later he was found quite dead, the staff in his hand gnawed and covered with foam, and his white hair stained with blood, as if he had dashed his head against the wall.

A new pope, Benedict XI., was chosen, and died as soon as he had shown himself proof against Philip's threats. Bertrand, his successor, was abject, and fixed his dwelling-place at Avignon, which for seventy years continued to be the seat of the papacy. The Knights Templars were persecuted and exterminated. James de Molay on the point of execution is said to have summoned Pope Clement to meet him before the judgment-seat of God in forty days' time, and King Philip within a year, to answer for his death and that of his knights. Philip's exactions and cruelties were so intolerable, that his nobles were mustering against him, when a fall from his horse brought on a low fever, and he died on the 29th of November, 1314.

Louis X., called Hutin, or fractious, succeeded. He lived riotously and died on the 5th of June, 1316, leaving only one daughter. But a son, John, was born in the following November, only to live six days, and was carried in the arms of his uncle Philip to the grave as king.

Philip the Long ascended the throne, and reigned for five years. After a cruel reign, during which the Franciscan friars were horribly persecuted for preaching against his vices, such wretchedness prevailed everywhere, that curses upon the king were on each tongue, and his early death was thought to be the consequence.

Charles IV. the Fair, brother of Philip, succeeded in 1322. His reign is chiefly noted for the crime of his sister Isabel, queen of England. Her husband, Edward II., was tired of crossing the sea to do homage for Guyenne to his short-lived brotherin-law, and sent his son Edward in his stead. He thus gave her the opportunity of raising the force, with which she was enabled to act "the she-wolf of