Page:The history of medieval Europe.djvu/544

 494 THE HISTORY OF MEDIEVAL EUROPE tany and the Loire on the west and south, including Nor- mandy, Maine, Anjou, and several other districts. Indeed, he had some lands south of the Loire in Poitou and Saintonge as well as Touraine and Berri. These gains were made chiefly from King John of England and from the Count of Flanders. The number of royal prevbts had to be increased from thirty-eight to ninety-four to administer this greatly enlarged royal domain. Philip also increased his influence as feudal overlord in regions not directly under his control, interfering in feudal marriages and the garrisoning of cas- tles, and confirming legal transactions between the lords and their sub- vassals or towns or serfs. Many lords, espe- cially ecclesiastical ones, now began to share their fiefs or "go half-and-half" with the king. This practice generally resulted in the long run in royal annexation of the entire fief in question. Philip was a great amasser of treasure and always had a surplus on hand for emergencies. One contemporary corn- Financial plains of his financial oppression. The extension of his royal domain and feudal overlordship greatly increased his financial resources and the revenue doubled in the course of his reign. The growing towns on his domain supplied him with militia for his wars or paid him sums of money. Louis VII had been more favorable to the gilds and communes than Louis VI, and Philip yet further encouraged towns and trade. Their representatives appear in his reign in all assemblies, together with the clergy and feudal nobles. He not only paved the streets of Paris, en- larged the circuit of its walls, increased the number of its markets, and improved its police force; he even put bour- 3 of Paris on the council of regency during his absence on crusade. But he usually protected the jurisdiction and prop- erty of the clergy in the towns against the communes. In return for such protection, however, he felt at liberty to squeeze a good many contributions from church coffers. He made use of the Templars as bankers and sometimes of the Jews. The brief reign of Louis VIII was memorable chiefly for