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.

Lewis the 7. the 41. King of France. Surnamed Augustus. Anno 1137.

[illustration] portrait

THis Lewis undertooke the go∣vernment the same Moneth wherein his Father dyed, and marryed Elianor, the onely daugh∣ter of William Duke of Guienne, and Poictou. Afterwards hee made warre

upon the Count of Vermendois, because following the censures of the Pope, hee repudiated Peronelle, sister to Queene Elianor, that he might re-entertaine his former wife, whom before he had di∣vorced. And taking the Towne of Vitry, in Parthois, hee put to the sword and fire more than 3500 persons: for the expiation of which fact, St. Bernard advised him to make a voyage with his Army into the Holy Land, for the suc∣cour of Palestine. Whither hee arriving with his army, he had but an ill trick put upon him by the Emperour of Greece: Moreover, perceiving his Army much affoibled by the assaults of the Turkes, he saved himselfe in the towne of Attalia, and came to Antioch, where the King conceived a great distaste against his Wife, who had accompanyed him all that voiage. Afterwards he joyned for∣ces with Conradus the Emperor, for the beleaguering of Damietta. But that siege tooke no effect, through the envy of the old Christians there, conceived

against the new-commers; which was a cause that the Emperour, and the King retreated each to his owne home, where the King was in danger to have bin sur∣prised by the Emperour of Greece; but he was rescued by George, Lievtenant of the King of Sicily. The King upon his returne divorced his Wife, who married with Henry Count of Aniou, and Nor∣mandy, who should succeede to the Crowne of England, bearing with him the Counties Poictou and Aquitaine. Afterwards the King took to wife Con∣stance, the daughter of Alphonsus, King of Castile, who being deceased he tooke Adele, or Ale, (alias) Alice, daughter of the Count of Champagne, by whom, An. Dom. 1165. he had a sonne named Phi∣lip, and surnamed Deodoctus: to whom, the King growne aged, resigned his Crowne, notwithstanding hee was but 14. yeares of age, and was Crowned at Rheimes, An. Dom. 1179. King Lewis deceased the 19. or the 29. of September; although some report upon the 29. of

the same Moneth, or August, An. Dom. 1180. Hee lyes interred in the Abby of St. Barbeau, which hee had formerly built.

In his reigne the Holy Land, which the Christians had taken, seemed to bee utterly conquered, remaining under the Christians obedience, untill the unhap∣py death of Godfrey of Bouillon; for when the Commander was gone, whose unspicious good fortune put life into this action, the Warre did not prosper, yet before his death he encountred an Army of sixe thousand men, which the Turkes had brought into Palestine, and came off with very good successe, and had so proceeded, if his Death had not prevented, the good fortune of Christendome. For the name of so great a Warrier conducting an Army, prepares the way for conquest, as o∣pinion of victory; and learning is a great Engine in policy to bring a∣bout matters. This King lost some reputation by his unchast Wife

Elenor, who following him to the Ho∣ly Land, blotted her Fame with a sensu∣all imputation, loving Saladin a Ie∣ster better than the King her Husband; thereby shewing that lust is base, and doth not regard either birth or honour. Yet Lewis (shewing the vertuousnesse of his minde, and Noblenesse of dispositi∣on) brought her backe in his owne Ship, because he would not bee derided by any forraigne Prince: but beeing safely landed, he was much opprest with griefe, in stead of casting her in the Ri∣ver, which she had deserv'd, he covered her shame and his owne by a divorce granted by a general counsell, punishing her by shewing too much mercy, while hee sought onely to be freed from the disgrace.