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French History for English Children, 18. Louis VIII.

18. Louis VIII.

CHAPTER XVIII. Louis VIII. (1223-1226)

Louis VIII., the son of Philip Augustus, was a very different kind of man from his father, but he had so short a reign that he was not able to do much either of harm or good to his country. He was weak in body and in mind, and easily persuaded by the people about him, particularly by the priests, to do whatever they wished. He had an active, ambitious wife named Blanche of Castille, and it was she who had persuaded him to go to England when he was invited by the barons to try to make himself king there(, as I told you in the last chapter). He was the first King of France since Hugh Capet who had not been crowned king while his father was still alive. This shows that people had by this time become so much accustomed to the son of a king succeeding him — that is, becoming king after him — that there was no more need for a father to see his son crowned before his death.

The people of France had great rejoicings when Louis became king, which was a sign that they were becoming loyal, or fond and proud of their kings. The citizens of Paris gave him a beautiful cup, musicians played in the streets of Paris, minstrels sang songs, and a certain number of serfs were made free men by their lords. Many prisoners, too, were let out of prison.

The minstrels who sang in the streets were the poets of that time. They could not, as a poet does in these days, make poems into a book, and sell it to any one who likes to buy it; for at that time there were no books, and very few people who could write or read. The poets wandered about from one town to another, or from one baron's castle to another, singing their songs for any one who passed to hear. Their poetry was always sung, and was often an account of the great deeds of the king or the nobles, or stories about the heroes of old days, in particular of Charlemagne, who was the favourite hero of these poems, as King Arthur of the Round Table was of the English minstrels at about the same time. The poets were called trouvère in the north, troubadours in the south. The troubadours sang songs about beautiful ladies, and brave knights who wanted to have them for their wives, while the trouvferes sang of wars and adventures.

Louis VIII. had two wars, one with the King of England, and another with Count Raymond of Toulouse. In the war with the English king he was successful. He took away some of the few French provinces which still belonged to Henry, and left him only one in the south of France. His war with the Count of Toulouse did not end so well for him. I have said how there were two Counts of Toulouse at the same time, one Raymond, the son of the old Raymond, and one the son of Simon de Montfort. De Montfort's son found that he was not strong enough to conquer the country for himself; so he gave up all that he had already conquered to King Louis, and said he might have all the rest of Raymond's land if he could conquer it. The Pope was also an enemy to Raymond, and tried to persuade Louis to fight with him. At last Louis marched with an immense army into Languedoc, and besieged a town called Avignon,

This town was very well defended, with high towers, a double wall round it, large ditches full of water; plenty of food inside, and brave men to defend it. The poor people of the country round about had been made so poor and miserable by all the wars that had gone on in their province for so many years, that they had no heart left to go on fighting. They yielded to the King of France, though they all loved Raymond in their hearts, and were rejoiced at every success that he won. Raymond had laid waste most of the country round Avignon, hoping that if Louis could find no food for his army, he would be obliged to go away; and the French soldiers fell ill in great numbers from want of food and from the unhealthiness of the country. But the men of Avignon gave way first. After a siege of three months, the town was taken.

Louis then turned towards France, hoping to come back the next year and finish the war by taking Toulouse, the chief town of Languedoc, but he had caught the fever of which so many of his soldiers had died, and a few days after he had left Avignon, he died himself, making his nobles promise that his little son should be king after him, and that his wife Blanche should take care of the country while his son was a child.

18. Louis VIII. 18. Ludwig VIII. 18. Luis VIII. 18. Louis VIII. 18.ルイ8世 18. 루이 8세 18. Ludwik VIII. 18. Luís VIII. 18. Людовик VIII. 18. Louis VIII. 18. Людовик VIII. 18. 路易八世。 18. 路易八世。

CHAPTER XVIII. Louis VIII. (1223-1226)

Louis VIII., the son of Philip Augustus, was a very different kind of man from his father, but he had so short a reign that he was not able to do much either of harm or good to his country. Louis VIII, le fils de Philippe Auguste, était un homme très différent de son père, mais son règne fut si court qu'il n'a pas pu faire grand-chose, ni en bien ni en mal, pour son pays. Людовик VIII, сын Филиппа Августа, сильно отличался от своего отца, но его правление было столь коротким, что он не успел сделать много ни плохого, ни хорошего для своей страны. He was weak in body and in mind, and easily persuaded by the people about him, particularly by the priests, to do whatever they wished. Il était faible de corps et d'esprit, et les gens qui l'entouraient, en particulier les prêtres, le persuadaient facilement de faire ce qu'ils voulaient. Он был слаб телом и умом и легко уговаривал окружающих, особенно священников, делать все, что они пожелают. He had an active, ambitious wife named Blanche of Castille, and it was she who had persuaded him to go to England when he was invited by the barons to try to make himself king there(, as I told you in the last chapter). Il avait une femme active et ambitieuse, Blanche de Castille, et c'est elle qui l'avait persuadé de se rendre en Angleterre lorsque les barons l'avaient invité à essayer de s'y faire roi (comme je vous l'ai dit dans le dernier chapitre). У него была активная, амбициозная жена по имени Бланш Кастильская, и именно она уговорила его отправиться в Англию, когда бароны предложили ему попытаться стать там королем (как я уже рассказывал вам в прошлой главе). He was the first King of France since Hugh Capet who had not been crowned king while his father was still alive. Il est le premier roi de France depuis Hugues Capet à ne pas avoir été couronné roi du vivant de son père. Он стал первым королем Франции со времен Хью Капета, который не был коронован еще при жизни своего отца. This shows that people had by this time become so much accustomed to the son of a king succeeding him — that is, becoming king after him — that there was no more need for a father to see his son crowned before his death. Это говорит о том, что к тому времени люди настолько привыкли к тому, что сын короля становится его преемником, то есть королем после него, что у отца уже не было необходимости видеть своего сына коронованным перед смертью.

The people of France had great rejoicings when Louis became king, which was a sign that they were becoming loyal, or fond and proud of their kings. Народ Франции очень радовался, когда Людовик стал королем, что свидетельствовало о том, что они становятся преданными, или любят и гордятся своими королями. The citizens of Paris gave him a beautiful cup, musicians played in the streets of Paris, minstrels sang songs, and a certain number of serfs were made free men by their lords. Жители Парижа преподнесли ему красивый кубок, на улицах Парижа играли музыканты, менестрели пели песни, а некоторое количество крепостных были сделаны своими господами свободными людьми. Many prisoners, too, were let out of prison. Многие заключенные также были выпущены из тюрем.

The minstrels who sang in the streets were the poets of that time. They could not, as a poet does in these days, make poems into a book, and sell it to any one who likes to buy it; for at that time there were no books, and very few people who could write or read. The poets wandered about from one town to another, or from one baron's castle to another, singing their songs for any one who passed to hear. Поэты бродили из города в город или из замка одного барона в замок другого, распевая свои песни для всех, кто проходил мимо и мог их услышать. Their poetry was always sung, and was often an account of the great deeds of the king or the nobles, or stories about the heroes of old days, in particular of Charlemagne, who was the favourite hero of these poems, as King Arthur of the Round Table was of the English minstrels at about the same time. The poets were called trouvère in the north, troubadours in the south. The troubadours sang songs about beautiful ladies, and brave knights who wanted to have them for their wives, while the trouvferes sang of wars and adventures. Les troubadours chantaient des chansons sur les belles dames et les braves chevaliers qui voulaient les avoir pour épouses, tandis que les trouvères chantaient des guerres et des aventures. Трубадуры пели песни о прекрасных дамах и храбрых рыцарях, которые хотели заполучить их в жены, а труверы - о войнах и приключениях.

Louis VIII. had two wars, one with the King of England, and another with Count Raymond of Toulouse. In the war with the English king he was successful. В войне с английским королем он добился успеха. He took away some of the few French provinces which still belonged to Henry, and left him only one in the south of France. Il enlève à Henri les quelques provinces françaises qui lui appartiennent encore et ne lui en laisse qu'une dans le sud de la France. Он отобрал несколько французских провинций, которые еще принадлежали Генриху, и оставил ему только одну на юге Франции. His war with the Count of Toulouse did not end so well for him. La guerre qui l'oppose au comte de Toulouse ne se termine pas très bien pour lui. I have said how there were two Counts of Toulouse at the same time, one Raymond, the son of the old Raymond, and one the son of Simon de Montfort. De Montfort's son found that he was not strong enough to conquer the country for himself; so he gave up all that he had already conquered to King Louis, and said he might have all the rest of Raymond's land if he could conquer it. Le fils de Montfort se rendit compte qu'il n'était pas assez fort pour conquérir le pays pour lui-même ; il abandonna donc tout ce qu'il avait déjà conquis au roi Louis, et dit qu'il pourrait avoir tout le reste des terres de Raymond s'il pouvait les conquérir. Сын де Монфора обнаружил, что у него недостаточно сил, чтобы самостоятельно завоевать страну, поэтому он отдал все, что уже завоевал, королю Людовику и сказал, что может получить все остальные земли Раймона, если сможет их завоевать. The Pope was also an enemy to Raymond, and tried to persuade Louis to fight with him. At last Louis marched with an immense army into Languedoc, and besieged a town called Avignon,

This town was very well defended, with high towers, a double wall round it, large ditches full of water; plenty of food inside, and brave men to defend it. Этот город был очень хорошо защищен: высокие башни, двойная стена вокруг него, большие рвы, полные воды; внутри было много еды, а защищали его храбрые люди. The poor people of the country round about had been made so poor and miserable by all the wars that had gone on in their province for so many years, that they had no heart left to go on fighting. They yielded to the King of France, though they all loved Raymond in their hearts, and were rejoiced at every success that he won. Они уступили королю Франции, хотя все они в душе любили Раймонда и радовались каждому его успеху. Raymond had laid waste most of the country round Avignon, hoping that if Louis could find no food for his army, he would be obliged to go away; and the French soldiers fell ill in great numbers from want of food and from the unhealthiness of the country. Raymond avait dévasté la plus grande partie du pays autour d'Avignon, espérant que si Louis ne trouvait pas de nourriture pour son armée, il serait obligé de partir ; et les soldats français tombèrent malades en grand nombre à cause du manque de nourriture et de l'insalubrité du pays. But the men of Avignon gave way first. Mais ce sont les hommes d'Avignon qui ont cédé les premiers. After a siege of three months, the town was taken. После трехмесячной осады город был взят.

Louis then turned towards France, hoping to come back the next year and finish the war by taking Toulouse, the chief town of Languedoc, but he had caught the fever of which so many of his soldiers had died, and a few days after he had left Avignon, he died himself, making his nobles promise that his little son should be king after him, and that his wife Blanche should take care of the country while his son was a child. Louis se tourne alors vers la France, espérant revenir l'année suivante et terminer la guerre en prenant Toulouse, chef-lieu du Languedoc, mais il a attrapé la fièvre dont sont morts tant de ses soldats, et quelques jours après son départ d'Avignon, il meurt lui-même, faisant promettre à ses nobles que son petit fils serait roi après lui, et que sa femme Blanche prendrait soin du pays pendant l'enfance de son fils. Людовик направился во Францию, надеясь вернуться на следующий год и закончить войну взятием Тулузы, главного города Лангедока. Но он подхватил лихорадку, от которой умерло так много его солдат, и через несколько дней после отъезда из Авиньона умер сам, заставив своих вельмож пообещать, что его маленький сын будет королем после него, а его жена Бланш позаботится о стране, пока его сын будет ребенком.