Page:Readings in European History Vol 1.djvu/238

 2O2 Readings i)i European History Suger's account of the position and duties of a medi- aeval French king. A king, when he takes the royal power, vows to put down with his strong right arm insolent tyrants whensoever he sees them vex the state with endless wars, rejoice in rapine, oppress the poor, destroy the churches, give themselves over to lawlessness which, and it be not checked, would flame out into ever greater madness ; for the evil spirits who instigate them are wont cruelly to strike down those whom they fear to lose, but give free rein to those whom they hope to hold, while they add fuel to the flames which are to devour their victims to all eternity. Such an utterly abandoned man was Thomas of Marie. While King Louis was busied with many wars, he laid waste the territories of Laon, Rheims, and Amiens, devour- ing like a raging wolf. He spared not the clergy fearing not the vengeance of the Church nor the people for human- ity's sake. And the devil aided him, for the success of the foolish does ever lead them to perdition. Slaying all men, spoiling all things, he seized two manors, exceeding rich, from the abbey of the nuns of St. John of Laon. He forti- fied the two exceeding strong castles, Cre'cy and Nogent, with a marvelous wall and very high towers, as if they had been his own; and made them like to a den of dragons and a cave of robbers, whence he did waste almost the whole country with fire and pillage ; and he had no pity. The Church of France could no longer bear this great evil ; wherefore the clergy, who had met together in a gen- eral synod at Beauvais, proceeded to pass sentence of con- demnation upon the enemy of the Church's true spouse, Jesus Christ. The venerable Cono, bishop of Praeneste and legate of the holy Roman Church, troubled past endur- ance by the plaints of churches, of the orphans, of the poor, did smite this ruthless 'tyrant with the sword of the blessed Peter, which is general anathema. He did also ungird the knightly sword belt from him, though he was absent, and by the judgment of all declared him infamous, a scoundrel, unworthy the name of Christian. And the king was moved by the plaints of this great coun- cil and led an army against him right quickly. He had the