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It is thought-indeed, Philip de Valois often reproached him with it-that the haughtiness of his carriage towards some of the Peers, his apparently utter disdain for all who had ranged themselves on the side of his enemies, and the obstinacy with which he refused to use a single endeavour to conciliate them, were not amongst the least causes of his failure:- —a failure which, if injurious to himself, was fatal to his countrymen, who had long to mourn the injustice with which they used him. To him may be well applied the words with which Lord Byron has described the character of Conrad :

:

"Worm-like was trodden on, adder-like revenged.
The first may turn, but not give back the blow;
The last expires, but leaves no living foe."

It is not, I presume, at all orthodox to approve of this-nor, indeed, can I in cool reason do so. Nevertheless, there is in the mind of that man who dares arise in his own defence, spurn at, fling off, break, crush, and utterly destroy, the ones who would oppress him, a something which, taking the reason captive, charms us, and makes us love him, all fearful as he is. There are those

who

can, perhaps, enter into the feelings which Montesquieu has ascribed to Sylla.

"Je n'eus jamais cet amour dominant pour la patrie dont nous trouverons tant d'exemples dans les premiers temps de la République; et j'aime autant Coriolan, qui porte la flamme et le feu jusqu'aux murailles de sa ville ingrate,-qui fait repentir chaque citoyen de l'affront que lui a fait chaque citoyen: que celui qui chassa les Gaulois du capital; je ne me suis jamais piqué d'être l'esclave ni l'idolâtre de la société de mes pareils, et cet amour tant vanté est une passion trop populaire pour être compatible avec la hauteur de mon âme. Je me suis uniquement conduit

par mes réflections, et surtout par le mépris que j'aie eu pour les hommes. On peut juger par la manière dont j'ai traité le seul grand peuple de l'univers, de l'excès de ce mépris pour tous les autres. J'ai cru, qu'étant sur la terre, il falloit que je fusse libre. Si j'étois né chez les barbares, j'aurois moins cherché à usurper le trône pour commander que pour ne pas

obéir."

If the loss which Robert underwent from this

final adjudication of the Court of Peers were not diminished, the grief that he experienced was at least softened, by the bland voice and soothing love of one whom he had long wooed, and whom he now wedded.

This was Jeanne, daughter to the Count of Valois, who dying shortly afterwards, left his son Philip-some time after chosen as Regent of that Kingdom which he afterwards ruled as Sovereign-to inherit his lands.

It so fortuned that Robert and Louis of Flanders had each followed the same object of love, but that the former had ever been the favoured suitor.

Unable to bear the idea of a rival being preferred to himself, and pained at some other causes of offence, Louis had been induced to fling-but this in an underhand manner and secretly the whole weight of his influence into the scale opposed to Robert's interests: thinking no doubt by this, that in addition to the gratification of revenging himself upon an enemy, he might, in causing him to lose his land, render an alliance with the House of Valois

impossible; but in this he was mistaken, for the patrimony which Robert still possessed, was sufficient to justify the father in not thwarting the maiden's love: whilst the Regent, under an idea of making him more easily acquiesce in the decision of the Court, promoted the espousals with all his authority.

But when, a few years after that event, Robert's brother-in-law, Philip de Valois, being proclaimed King, Louis saw that his rival was still more firmly than ever seated in his favour, his anger and vexation knew no bounds, and all his subsequent conduct proved that it had become the dearest object of his existence, to crush one who had throughout life stood both in the way of his love, and the path of his ambition.

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