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CHarles the 4, Count of Marche, brother to Philip the Tall, and to Lewis Hutin, came by the same Law to the Crowne, as his brother Philip had done, who left no issue Male to inherit. He was crowned the twelfth
of February, Anno Dom. 1322.. He was severe in Justice, giving every man his right; desirous that all should be guided and governed by the Lawes and Autho∣rity of Magistrates. Following that Norme, he caused Jordan of L'Isle, a great Lord to be attached, who upon accusations of infinite enormities was attainted and convicted: wherefore hee was hanged, although hee had marryed the Neece of Pope John 22, and (as o∣thers are of opinion) his Step-mother. About that time deceased Lewis Duke of Nevers, the eldest son of Robert Count of Flanders, who dyed immediately af∣ter. By which occasion Robert, the younger sonne of the said Robert Count of Flanders, entred into a difference with his Nephew Lewis, sonne of the Count of Nevers: Hereupon the cause was pleaded in the Court of Parlia∣ment, which proved of no validity to the good of the Nephew.
Then began the Warres betweene the English and French, Anno Dom. 1324,
upon the occasion that the Lord of Montpesac would, to the Kings preju∣dice, fortifie a Castle in Gascogne, upon the borders of France. Whereupon the King sent Charles of Valois, his Unkle, who so happily acquitted him∣selfe of his charge, that hee recovered into the Kings powers all the Townes and strong holds in Burgundy, which are beyond the River Garonne, except Bourdeaux, Bayonne, and S. Senes. Af∣terwards having obtained a Truce of the English, he dyed in December, An. Dom. 1325, as also the King deceased at Bois de Vincennes, the first of March, leaving Madame Joane de Eureux his wife great with Child, who afterwards in the Moneth of April, 1328. was de∣livered of a Daughter called Blanche. Hee was the first King that ever permit∣ted to the Pope the Decimations of the Churches of France.
This King reigned sixe yeares, being wise, temperate, and just, three chiefe vertues in a Prince, but unhappy in his
progeny. Assoone as he was annointed, he held a great Sessions in Paris, to heare complaints, and caused many Gentlemen to be punished, in which number was one Jourdain of Lisle, a Gascon, who being Nephew to Pope John the 22, had beene pardoned for eighteene capitall crimes, and yet still grew more impious, former mercy ma∣king him presume more of pardon, un∣till at last he was taken, and brought to Paris, where King Charles caused him justly to be hang'd, as a memorable ex∣ample, that Respect is an enemy to Ju∣stice, which must be executed without sparing the guilty. To conclude, this Prince was worthy of the French Mo∣narchy, and deserved to be reckon'd a∣mongst the chiefest men of State. And as the Kingdome was happy in having so worthy and sufficient a King, so his short Reigne deprived the Realme of that good which it should receive by his government. But the best and most per∣fect men, are in the blind world either
despised for excesse of good, or some tooke away by death, to envy greater happinesse, equall to their desert.