Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1842-11-10
From B'acEwood's Mtgae;ne FIR Oct.
French EaistOTy- NzacEaeEes.
REVIVAL OF THE MoNARCHY-

REVIVAL OF THE MoNARcHY.
When Philip Augustus who, by the
way, received this name Of Augustus tor
the simple reason Shat he was born in
the month of August came t" the throne,
about five departments of modern France,
situated on the Seine and the Loire.
constituted the royal territory. Even
within this domain, which measured no
more than about thirty leagues from east
To west, ana forty from north to south,
there were several seigneurs or barons.
who were with difficulty constrained to
observe the least measure of obedience.
louis lie Gros, or the 9Th. between whom
and Philip there interviewed only the
reign OF Lpuis the Young. was perpetu
ally at war with these his refractory vas
.sals; as the names of Montl'hery, be
Coucy, and Mnntm 3rency viii. to many
of eur readers. immedia :elv recall to
.iHinl. That king could not travel with
ont an army from his good town Of Paris
to his gond town Of Orleans. Bordering
on this domain we're .such Reishbors as
Flanders, which eqnllIed it in extent.
and far surpassed it in population and
.riches--a Champagne, which covered
the space of SIX departments --as Aijeu,
Normandy, BRITTANY, each alone capable
Of riva!ling the royal territory, and some
,of them held BY a hing of England
Three great f,uAal prin paities. Lor
.raine, Burgundy. and Provence, did not
even paw the brrren currency of homage
ITO the crown of France, being held by
the emperor Of Germany; and the entire
south. from the Loire to the Psrenees,
was in reality quite independent of the
sovereign power that bad It's seat at Pa
.rls.
The king, however. had his create. GIT
- right traced up to Char lemagne-
which, if it did not govern. may te said
to have overshadowed, France. AT a
time When the mobiles were the least I'M
der royal control, the proud counts Of
Aninu, SO distinguished for their valor
and ambition, claimed to be seneschals
of the king. and on days of high ceremo-
,nial nigh have been seen carryingaln the
first dish to the royal tab!e-asserting.
as an honor. q mental service rendered
to one whose military power they might
have disputed in the field. With such a
RICH. as this. and with such prerogatlves
as feu laism itself brought to the crown,
it was evident that an accession OF terri
tory an increase in the namber of yassals
whose services he could command, was
all that the King o! France needed to
render him an absolute monarch. Phil
jp Augustus, as is we'll known, more than
doubled his territory, by Wrestling from
cur John the provinces OF Normandy,
Aniou, and Maine.
This passage Of history is familiar to
every one, and yet there are circumstan-
ces connected with it, and certain feulal
doctrines involved in the transaction. as
related in the pages of Michelet. which
NAV render our reference to it not unac-
reptab.e.
Philip undoubtedly seized upon these
q,royinces because he was in reality at
that time the stronger Of the two. John
was little beloved in his continental
states. that he could only have maintain.
sed them by the aid of mercery troops,
and he was so hampered by debt that he
could not stir in their defence. With
ali his vices -wrong-headed as he was,
and devoted to pleasure John was not a
coward; he would have fought for his
possessions could he have obtained
troops. But though Philip made his con-
nuests by the usual right of the strongest
Vet the justification or plea on which he
proceeded was of legal character and
strictly feudal. john as Duke OF Nor,
mandy, was vassal OF the crown oil
France. Philip SUMMONED him before
tho twelve great peers Of France, to take
h;s trial for the murder Of his nephew,
Ar,bur Of Brittany, who was also feu-
.la,ary Of the same crown. Philip assn
Nod to try our King John for his crime, in
Tho manner as a subject in any one king
dom would be tired Tor a murder ne i'ao