LOUIS XI. (1423-83). King of France from 1461 to 1483. He was the eldest son of Charles VII., and was born at Bourges, July 3, 1423. Louis was by nature cruel, tyrannical, and per fidious. and in 1440 and 1456 he made unsuccess ful attempts against his father's throne. He was compelled to flee to Brabant in 1456 and sought the protection of Philip the Good. Duke of Burgundy, with whom he remained till his father's death in 1461, when he succeeded to the crown. The severe measures which he immedi ately adopted against the great vassals led to a coalition against him, at the head of which were the great houses of Burgundy and Brittany. t See LEA RUE OF THE PUBLIC WEA L. ) Louis owed his success over the princes more to his artful policy than to arms. When the war threatened to break out anew. he invited Charles the Bold (q.v.), Duke of Burgundy, to a friendly confer ence at B6ronne, in ttctober. 146s. Ins agents meanwhile had stirred up the people of LiAge to revolt against the Duke. upon the news of which occurrence Charles made the King a prisoner. and extorted from him a humiliating treaty. Louis, however, did not observe this treaty. and a con test broke out, which lasted until the death of Charles the Bold in 1477. Charles was aided by Edward IV. of England, while Louis incited the Swiss and RenC! of Lorraine to oppose the ambi tious undertakings of Charles. Charles the Bold left an only daughter, the celebrated Mary of Burgundy. who married Maximilian of Austria.
Louis claimed a great part of the Burgundian territories as male fiefs lapsed to the superior.
He seized the Duchy of Burgundy, conquered Artois, and subjugated Franche-Comte. War was with Maximilian until 1482, when the Treaty of Arras was concluded, by which the daughter of Maximilian was betrothed to the Dauphin. afterwards Charles •I11., and Louis was allowed to retain his conquests. In 14S0-81 Anjou, Maine, and Provence were united with the Croen. By his warfare against the feudal lords XI. rid France of the anarchical conditions which bad prevailed, and made the central power paramount. Ale died August 30. 1483. lie was a patron of learning. and caused Les cent nourelles von relies, an imitation of Boceaceio's Deramerone. to be written by a group of authors, between 1457 and 1461. Ile also materially advanced civilization in France by encouraging manufac tures, commerce, and mining. Ile improved the public roads and canals, established several print ing-presses, and founded three universities. Ilis chief counselor during a large part of his reign was the great historian Philip of Confines. Con sult: Michelet, Histoire de Frone.7 vol. vi.; See, Louis XI. et les rifles( Paris, 1893) ;Kitchen, History of France, vol. i. (Oxford, 1885).