LOUIS VI., called 'Le Gros,' son of Philip I., succeeded his father on the throne of Franca in 1108. The larger part of the kingdom was then in the hands of the great vassals of the crown, over whom the king's supremacy was but nominal. The king's direct authority extended only over Paris, Orleans, Etampes, Compiegne, Melun, Bourges, and a few more towns, with their respective territories. The duchy of Normandy was in the possession of Henry L of England, who had taken it from his brother Robert during the preceding reign of Philip L Henry and Louis quarrelled about the limits of their respective states, and thus began the wars between the English and the French in France, which lasted for more than three centuries. Louis had the worst in several encounters. In 1120 he made peace, but war broke out again, when Henry of England was joined by his son-in-law the emperor Henry V., who entered Champagne, where he was met by Louis at the head of all his vassals, lay and ecclesiastical; even Sager, abbot of St. Denis, was there with the subjects of the abbey. These united forces are said to have amounted to 200,000 men, and the emperor thought it prudent to retire. Louis however could not depend on the same zealous assistance from his vassals in his quarrel with Henry of England as duke of Normandy, because the vassals considered it as their interest not to increase the power of their king. Meantime Henry of England having given one of his
daughters iu marriage to Conan, son of the Duke of Brittany, the latter did homage to Henry for Brittany as a fief Normandy. Louis le Gros, assisted by his able minister l'Abbd Sugar, succeeded iu recover ing for the crown some of the power which the great vassals had usurped : he revived the practice of Charlemagne of sending into the provinces commissioners called 'Milli dominici,' who watched the judicial proceedings of the great lords in their respective domains, and received appeals and complaints, which they referred to the king for judgment at the great assizes. In most cases however the king had not the power of enforcing his own judgments. But another and a more effective measure of Louis le Gros was the establishment of tho communes, for which he deserves to be remembered among the earliest benefactors of the French people. He granted charters to many towns, the iohabitanta of which were thereby empowered to choose their local magistrates, and administer the affairs of the community, subject however to the sanction of the king. By this means he began the creation of the third estate, or commons, as a check on the overgrown power of the feudal nobles. Louis le Gros died at Paris in 1137, at the age of sixty, and was buried at St. Denis. He was succeeded by his son Louis VII.