The most celebrated acts in the life of Louis worthy of special record in our work are his efforts to advance the Christian religion by the foundation of two relig- ious institutions, viz., the monasterj^ of Corvey and the archbishopric of Hamburg. The former he built for la- borers among the Saxon colony he had caused to settle on the A\'eser, and it speedily became not only a relig- ious centre, but the best school for education in that country. The latter furthered the missionary cause among the northern nations, especially among the Juts [see Jutland], by the zealous labors of Anschar [see Ansciiar], generally known as the "Apostle of the JSTortli" (compare Maclear, Hist, of Christian Missions in the Middle Ar/es, chap. xi). The kind treatment which Louis aiforded to the Jews deserves particular mention. He took them under his especial protection, and suffered neither nobles nor clergy to do them harm. In this re- spect he simply carried out the policy of his father, but he certainly improved their condition during his reign (comp. Griitz, Gesch. d. Juden, v, chap, viii ; and our arti- cle Jews, vol. iv, p. 908, col. 2). See Funck, Ludwig der Fromme (Frkf.-a.-jM. 1832) ; Himly, Wala et Louis le De- honnaire (Par. 1849) ; Milman, Hist, of Lat. Christianity (N. Y. 18G4, 8 vols. 12mo), ii, bk. iv, chap, xii; Neander, C/(. //?*V. iii, 351 sq. ; Y\&iQh^\, Roman See in the 3 fiddle Ar/es. ch. iv ; Lea, Studies in Ch. Hist. (see Index) ; Kohl- rausch, Hist, of Germany, ch. v and vi ; Baxmann, Pulitih der Pdpste, i (see Index). (J. H. W.)
Loui.s VI, OF THE Palatinate, was born July 4, 1539, and succeeded his father, Frederick HI, in 1576. The late elector had been a strong Calvinist, but Louis YI had imbibed Lutheran principles at the court of Philibert of Bavaria, and gradually introduced them into the country.
Louis VII, OF France, called " Le Jeune,'' son of Louis le Gros, was born in 1119, and succeeded his fa- ther in 1137. By nature of a cruel disposition, he had been especially harsh towards disobedient subjects, and, luider the pretence that he must aid the Church to atone for his great sins, he was advised by St. Bernard, abbot of Clairvaux, to go on a crusade. Accordingly, the king set out, at the head of a large army, in 1147. Suger and Raoul, count of Yermandois, Louis's brother- in-law, were left regents of the kingdom. This second crusade proved unsuccessful: the Christians were defeat- ed near Damascus, and Louis, after several narrow es- capes, returned to France in 1 149. The re]iudiation of his first wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, and his marriage with Constance of Castile, brought on a war ^yith Hen- ry II of England, who had taken Eleanor for his wife. The war was, however, unimportant in its consequences. In Henry's controversy with Thomas h Becket, Louis YII greatly furthered the cause of Becket (comp. Rob- ertson, Becket [London, 1859, sm. 8vo], p. 211 sq., 295). He died at Paris in September, 1180. See Iieichel, iio-
mayi See in the Middle Ages, p. 327 sq. ; Milman. Historrj of Latin Christianity, bk. viii, ch. vi and ch. viii. (J. H.W.)
Louis IX (or St. Louis) of France (1226-1270), was born in Poissy April 25, 1215, and succeeded his fa- ther, Louis YIII, when but twelve years of age. his mother, Blanche de Castile, acting "as regent. Dur- ing the minority of the king tliere was a constant struggle between the crown and the feudal lords, head- ed by Thibaut, count of Champagne, and the count of Brittany. Amid these troubles queen Blanche displayed great firmness and ability, and Louis, as soon as he was old enough, by the assistance of those who had remained faithful to the crown, made war against Henry HI, king of England, who had supported the French refractory nobles, and beat the English in 1242 at Tailleburg, at Saintes, and at Blaye, but finally made a truce of five years with the English sovereigns, at the same time par- doning also his rebellious nobles. During an illness Louis had made a vow to visit the Holy Land, and in June, 1248, after having appointed his mother regent, he set out for the East with an army of 40,000 men, to conquer the Holy Sepulchre. He landed first in Egypt and took Damietta, but was made prisoner at the battle of Man- soura, and compelled to pay a heavy ransom. He then sailed, with the remainder of his army, now only GOOO strong, to Acre, and carried on the war in Palestine, but without success. After the death of his mother (Nov., 1252), he made preparations for his return to France. At home in 1254, he now applied himself with great diligence to the interests of his realm. It was Louis IX of France that first gave life to Gallicanism by his " Pragmatic Sanction," which he enacted in 1208. See Gallican Church. He also published several useful statutes, known as the EtaUissements de St. Louis; es- tablished a police in Paris, under the orders otaj^revot; organized the various trades into companies called con- frairies; founded the theological college of La Sor- bonne, so called after his confessor; created a French navy, and made an advantageous treaty with the king of Aragon, by which the respective limits and jurisdic- tions of the two states were defined. The chief and al- most the only fault of Louis, which was, however, that of his age, was his religious intolerance ; he issued op- pressive ordinances against the Jews, had a horror of heretics, and used to say "that a layman ought not to dispute with the unbelievers, but strike them with a good sword across the body." By an ordinance he re- mitted to his Christian subjects the third of the debts they owed to Jews, and this " for the good of his soul." This same spirit of fanaticism led him (in July, 1270) to undertake, against the wishes of his best friends, anoth- er crusade — a crusade the most ignoble, and not the least calamitous of all the crusadis (q. v.). He sailed for Africa, laid siege to Tunis, and, while there, died in his camp of the plague, Aug. 25, 1270. Pope Boniface YIII canonized him in 1297. See Histoire de St. Louis (edited by Ducange, with notes, Paris, 1668, folio, Eng- lish trans.) ; Petitot, Collection com})!, des memoires rela- tifs a Vhistoire de France (Paris, 1824) ; Disscrtatiui/s et reflexions sur Vhistoire de St. Louis; Le Nain de Tille- mont. Vie de St. Louis (ed. J. de Gaulle, Paris, 184G, 5 vols.) ; H. L. Scholten, Geschichte Ludwigs IX (Minister, 1850-1853, 2 vols.) ; E. Alex. Schmidt, Gesch. v. FranJc- reich, i, 486 sq. ; K. Rosen, Die pragm. Sanktion, welche imter d. Namen Ludwigs IX v. Frankreich auf uns ge- kommen ist (Munich, 1853) ; Neander, Church Hist, iv, 203 sq. ; Reichel, Roman See in the Middle Ages, p. 618 sq. ; and the works already cited in the article Galli- can Church. See also Papacy.