An epitome of all the lives of the kings of France From Pharamond the first, to the now most Christian King Levvis the thirteenth. With a relation of the famous battailes of the two kings of England, who were the first victorious princes that conquered France. Translated out of the French coppy by R.B. Esq.

Philip 1. the 39. King of France. Anno 1060.

[illustration] portrait

PHilip succeeded his Father Henry Anno Domini 1060, of whom Baldwin, Count of Flanders, tooke charge in regard of his tender infancy, untill he came to riper yeares:

He perceiving that the Gascognes would mutinie, led his forces against them, under pretence of going against the Sa∣racens, and by this meanes hee dissipa∣ted the beginning of the seditions which were pullulating. A while after Edward King of England dyed without issue, having by will instituted William Duke of Normandy, heire and successor to his Crowne, which in vaine was op∣posed by Harald sonne of Godwin, be∣cause he was slaine in a battaile which William gave him. Baldwin, Regent of France, deceased about the yeare 1067, leaving the County of Flanders to Baldwin of Monts his eldest sonne; at which times King Philip might be at the age of 15. or 16. yeares. He marryed Berthe, Daughter of the said Baldwin, by whom having two children he divor∣ced her, and betooke himselfe to the Wife of Foulques, Count of Aniou, whom in the end he dismissed, and re∣turned to Berthe. Anno Domini 1095. Pope Urban convocated a Councell in

November at Clermont en Auvergne, wherein the Pope upon the complaint of the Patriarch of Jerusalem, and Peter the Hermite excited the greatest part of the Princes of France, of whom were principall, Hugh the Great, brother to King Philip; Robert Duke of Normandy, brother to the King of England; God∣frey of Bovillon, (who in the yeare 1089, had the Dutchy of Loraine given him) with his two brothers Baldwin and Eustachius, together with the Counts of Flanders and Tholouze, of Bourges and Bloys, to goe to Jerusalem, which was taken in the yeare of our Lord, 1099, the 15. of July, and was given to Godfrey of Loraine, to defend and keepe it as Governour under the Title of a King. After that hee tooke in Palestine, after having slaine above five thousand Aegyptians in a battaile, and seized upon the Port of Jasse, ma∣king hereby an end of the Warre. Philip at the age of 57, deceased at Melun the 25. of July, Anno Dom. 1109,

and lyeth interred at St. Benets upon the Loire. William the bastard Duke of Normandy, having beene long sick of a great swelling in his belly, this King Philip intending to make Warre against him, sent him word that hee had laine long in Child-bed, and that if he might know of his uprising, hee would provide lights against his Churching. To which scoffe the Duke return'd this answer; That hee would come in person into ▪France, and have a solemne Masse sung at his Churching, and that for Lights, he would provide a thousand woodden Torches without waxe, and a thousand Lances tipt with steele to fire those Torches, meaning by the Torches, Houses, Townes, and Villages; by the Lances, Souldiers to set them on fire.

The dissention betwixt England be∣gan in this Kings reigne, and upon this occasion: VVilliam the Conquerors sonnes, Robert and Henry, came to the King at Conflans upon Oise, and

playing there at Chesse with Lewis King Philips sonne, the young Princes fell out, and words drew on blows, for Lewis called Henry the sonne of a Ba∣stard, and Henry strooke at him with the Chesse-boord, and had slaine him if Robert had not stayd his fury. Af∣terward Robert and Henry fled into Normandy, where they complained of wrong, and incensed many to take their part. Afterward naturall affecti∣on made the Fathers embrace their Childrens quarrell, invading one ano∣thers Territories, and maintaining hot warres. But to conclude, the me∣morable Warre undertaken to recover the Holy-land from the Saracens, was now begun under the conduct of God∣frey of Bologne, who being chosen King of Jerusalem, refused the Diadem, say∣ing, It is not fit for any Christian Prince to weare a Crowne of Gold, since Jesus Christ, the King of Kings, did weare one made of Thornes.