937-943 Barbe impulse conducted him to the Cathedral of Saint 936-942 Felix, or rather to the vestiges of the Sanctuary, originally of Roman construction. So completely had Nantes been deserted in consequence of the Danish ravages, that the sorrowfully dilapidated edifice was surrounded by a thicket of rank vegetation, and the triumphant Count could not reach the shattered portal, otherwise than by cutting his path with his sword through thorns and briers. Alain Barbe-torte was the re-founder of Nantes. Nantes refounded by He summoned his Lieges to aid in restoring the Alain walls, and he also built the huge Castle, in torte. which the Dukes afterwards resided. The walls which Alain raised constitute the core of the lofty circuit, now coated by more recent ashlar, upon which you may observe in faint embossments the Cordeliere devices of good Duchess Anne, weather-crumbled almost to the level of the field.-Traders were encouraged to resort to Nantes by Alain's wise institutions: ample privileges were granted to the representatives of the old Breyzad nobility: the clergy reaped the fruits of his liberality. The new colonization flourished rapidly on the shores of the ocean-commanding æstuary; and ere Alain died, Nantes had regained her pristine opulence. Like the Norman Duke, the Breton Count was drawn more and more into connexion with the French monarchy. He entered into amicable relations with Guillaume Tête-d'étoupe, and 936-942 widened his own borders. South of the Loire, opposite to the Nantois coast, there is a small but important district, over which Bretons and Poitevins asserted a confused domination, con 937-943 943 Alain Barbe tains the from Tête- torte ob- tending against each other, to the great profit of their common enemy, the Pagan Danes. Alain Barbe-torte settled these grudges, obtaining adterritories vantageous terms. Mauge, Tiffauge, Herbauge, south of the and chivalrously sounding Clisson, being the four contested Loire. Seigneuries confirmed to him by Tête-d'étoupe, were united to the County of Nantes, together with the adjoining Poitevin Marches. On the side of Anjou, an extensive tract towards the river Mayenne, antiently depending upon Armorica, was claimed by Count Alain. Alain's The Angevin Count, Foulques-le-Roux, advanced Anjou ami- in years, unwilling to admit the demand, and yet claims upon cably set marriage with the daughter of Foulques tled by his not caring to enter into a contest, proposed that Alain should marry his daughter, the sage le-Roux. Roscilla, and hold the disputed territory as her dowry. The vigorous Alain accepted the land and the faded Lady. His second wife was a daughter of Blois. We shall hear more about these Princesses hereafter: we must always be observant of Britanny,-Britanny, linked to the destiny of Rollo's inheritance, and the remote, 936, 937. yet efficient cause of that inheritance's loss. Hugh-le- acquires §3. Louis was called into activity speedily a portion after his accession.-The station held in the Car of Bur gundy. lovingian Commonwealth by the Burgundian Dukes or Counts was very illustrious: the indi- 936-942 vidual Princes of Burgundy are sufficiently identified, but the rights or tenures enabling them 936-937 to exercise their authority are ill defined and obscure. Nor do the laborious historical Enquirers by whom the subject has been discussed, -all at variance amongst themselves,-enable their readers to arrive at any satisfactory conclusion. In tracing the succession of the early Burgundian Potentates we encounter constant conflicts of opinion. Du Cange asserts this Count to be hereditary, but Dom Plancher decorously denies any ancestorial privilege. Concerning another, there is an argument whether he was official and removeable, or official and permanent; whilst the dignity ascribed to a third, is stigmatized as being suppositious or imaginary. Burgundy of Raoul's For our present purpose, however, it is suffi- Counts of cient to accept the Dynasts as we find them, de at the era facto, immediately after the death of King Raoul. death... Hugh-le-Noir, son of Duke Richard-le-Justicier, and the late King's brother, then claimed the superiority, not only of his father's dominions, ...their but of various districts and jurisdictions which had been previously dismembered. Langres was Hugh-lesubjected to Hugh-le-Noir, together with the tion of the larger portion of the Diocese, so also the City of vintages, rubicund Dijon. rivalities. Noir's por Duchy. portion. Gilbert, the son of Count Manasses, Duke Gilbert's Richard's son-in-law, he with whom Queen Emma 936-937 936-942 had warred, having been reinstated in romantic Avalon, was also called Duke of Burgundy. His dominions included much of the modern Duchy. Chalons-sur-Saône was held by Gilbert, Mâcon also, the boundaries of his dominion being the rivers Saône and Tille, and that shallow Vigenne, whilome choked by the Danish corpses. Claim of 936 Surrender of Langres to Louis Hugh-le-Grand asserted constitutional pretensions, of which the foundation cannot be ascertained, to the whole Duchy, either in supremacy or in demesne; but he now sought to prevail by shifting his ground. It was affirmed, that, upon the death of King Raoul, the Duchy of Burgundy had escheated to the Crown, and was consequently in the King's gift.-The first employment therefore which Hugh-le-Grand made of his vastly influential position was, to render his royal Pupil the instrument through whose agency he could gain the much envied possession. Louis, progressing through his kingdom for the purpose of accepting the acknowledgments of his subjects, advanced into Burgundy, his Guardian by his side. Nobles and people, upon the approach of the Sovereign, crowded to take the oath of fealty. But there was one inimical defaulter. Hugh-leNoir, who had been summoned to appear, appeared not; and when Louis and Hugh-le-Grand came before Langres, the gates were closed. This was a useless act of disobedience: after le-Grand. a brief but vigorous defence made by the garri and Hugh 936-937 son-for the inhabitants were loyal,-Hugh-le- 936-942 Noir abandoned the Place; hostages, selected by the Bishops and Nobles of Burgundy, were sent to Paris: the young King was loudly and loyally welcomed by the citizens; Langres was his own. -By the King's assent, however, Hugh-le-Grand received the City, which he occupied. Henceforward, the son of King Robert must be reckoned as a Duke of Burgundy; so that there were now three concurrent Dukes or Counts of Burgundy, Duke Hugh-le-Grand, Duke Hugh-le-Noir, and Duke Gilbert, all claiming under diverse rights. Hugh-le-Grand subsequently concluded a treaty with Hugh-le-Noir: they agreed upon a partition of territory, and the transaction was confirmed by the King. Vigour of king's go § 4. Hugh-le-Grand thus gained his imme- 936–937 diate object; but his success disclosed the weak the young points of his political position. Had it not been vernment. for the young King's co-operation, Hugh-le-Grand would have failed. Duke Gilbert would have defied him from mountainous Avalon, and destroyed all his enjoyment of the garners and wine-vats. Powerful as Hugh-le-Grand was, the fact became evident to the world, that he could not have won his Burgundian Dukedom otherwise than through the young King's aid. His installation was the sequel of the King's joyeuse entrée. The Tutor was indebted to the Infant: the Guardian had to lean upon the arm of his Ward. |