Page:The history of medieval Europe.djvu/546

 496 THE HISTORY OF MEDIEVAL EUROPE at times became impatient and angry; who in later life dressed soberly, but who was always dignified and some- times imperious. Like many good people he could not en- tirely refrain from admonishing others how to conduct themselves. His six sons and five daughters stood in consid- erable awe of their father, with whom they apparently were not on very intimate terms, although he gave his personal attention to their education. No scandal ever disturbed the strictly moral and incorruptible court of St. Louis, who insisted that all his servants should be of irreproachable character. And if he could not prevent crime and irreligion in his kingdom, he could at least severely punish such offenses. There were some resemblances between the reigns of St. Louis and of his contemporary, Henry III of England. Reign of Both began their reigns as mere boys ; both mar- pared with ned daughters of Raymond Berengar of Pro- Hen ° f in vence; and their brothers, Richard of Cornwall of England and Charles of Anjou, married his third and fourth daughters. Both Henry and Louis were religious and peacefully inclined. They had conflicting territorial claims in France ; and the Kingdom of Sicily was offered by the pope to members of both their families. Both met with sharp opposition from the feudal nobility, and the clergy at this time in both France and England protested vigorously against the increasing pressure of both papal and royal taxation. But Henry was weak in character, Louis was strong, although a certain unsuspiciousness, which inclined : him to believe what any one said, was at times abused by unscrupulous persons. Henry's wife dominated him, while Louis kept the upper hand of her equally ambitious and energetic sister. The pope made a cat's-paw of Henry to pull chestnuts out of the fire for him; but Louis, for all his piety, would not yield to bishop or pope when he believed himself to be in the right. Henry's barons were often suc- cessful in their revolts, and dictated schemes of government to him, and made trouble almost to the end of his reign. Th( last feudal revolt that Louis had to crush was in 1241-42,