LOUIS (Lunwm in German, LUDOVIOUS in Latin) is the name of many kings of France. Louis I., called 'le Debonnaire,' and also 'the Pions,' son of Charlemagne, was made his father's colleague in the empire, A.D. 813, and after the death of Charlemagne, in the following year, he succeeded him as king of France and emperor of the West. Bernard, son of Pepin, elder brother of Louie, had been made by his grandfather king of Italy, or rather Lombardy (" qure et Longobardia dicitur" are the expressions of the chroniclers), which kingdom was defined in Charlemagne's will as being bounded by the Ticino and the Po as far as the territories of Reggio and Bologna. All to the west of the Ticino and south of the Po was then annexed to the French crown. Bernard, having conspired to supplant his uncle in the empire, was seized by order of Louis, and his eyes were put out, in consequence of which he died in a few days. Louis showed great sorrow for this act of cruelty, to which he had been advised by his courtiers, and he did publio penance for it before an assembly of bishops. In the year 820 Louis appointed his son Lotharius king of Italy and his colleague in the empire. To his son Louis he gave Bavaria, Bohemia, and Carinthia, and to his other son, Pepin, he gave Aquitania. In 830 Lothariva and Pepin revolted against their father, on the plea of the bad conduct of their step-mother Judith of Bavaria, a liCentious and ambitious woman. At a diet however which was held at Aix-la Chapelle, the father and sons were reconciled. The sons revolted again In 833, and their father, being forsaken by his followers, was obliged to give himself up to his son Lotharius, who took him as prisoner to Solssons, sent the empress Judith to Tortona, and confined her infant son Charles, afterwards Charles the Bald, the object of the jealousy of his half-brothers, in a monastery. A meeting of bishops was held at Compiegne, at which the archbishop of Rheims presided, and the unfortunate Louis, being arraigned before it, was found guilty of the murder of his nephew Bernard, and of sundry other offences. Being deposed, he was compelled to do
public penance in sackcloth, and was kept in confinement. In the following year however Lonis, king of Bavaria, took his father's part, his brother Pepin of Aquitania joined him, and they obliged Lotharius to deliver up their father, who was reinstated on the imperial throne. Lotharius, after some further resistance, made his submission and returned to Italy. The emperor Louis now assigned to Charles, eon of Judith, the kingdom of Neustria, or Eastern France, including Paris, and Pepin having died soon after, Aquitania was added to Charles's portion. Lotharitre had all Italy, with Provence, Lyon, Suabia, Australia, and Saxony. But Louis of Bavaria claimed all Germany as far as the Rhine, for himself, and invaded Suabia. The emperor Louis marched against him, and a diet was assembled at Worms to judge his rebellious son, but meantime the emperor fell Rh and died in an island of the Rhine near Mainz, in June 840, after sending to his son Lotharius the imperial crown, his sword, and his sceptre. Lotharius was acknowledged as emperor, and after a war against his brothers, he retained Italy, Provence, Burgundy, and Lorraine. Charles the Bald succeeded his father as king of France, and Louis of Bavaria bad all Oermany. Thus was the imperial crown separated from that of France. The emperor Louis was a weak peace. It was under his reign that the fiefs were first made trans missible by descent, which hitherto had been held for life only. Louis also allowed the popes elect to take possession of their charge without waiting for his confirmation.