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XXXIX. Louis I, “the Pious”
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334 XXXIX Louis I, “the Pious” Louis I (r. 813–840), sole surviving son of Charlemagne, was called “the Pious” because of his theological interests, liberality to the church and moral strictness, banishing even his sisters for sexual misconduct. Twice he sent his second wife, Judith, to a convent for infidelity. In 813, at his father’s bidding, he crowned himself joint emperor, and, when Charlemagne died the following year, he became sole emperor. He was faced with sedition by his sons and presided over an Empire rocked by other revolts as well. Our author appears to know very little about Louis except for his reputation for piety. This leads him to extrapolate on what the results of pious kingship must have been. when that fabled emperor passed on, he left a good heir whose name was Louis. When it was time for him to assume the duties of manhood the princes acclaimed him to be their lord and ruler and to be the judge over Christians, saying that he was wise enough for this. When Louis held the Empire, he had the princes told that they should have the young lords taught Imperial Law the way the Romans once taught it. His good vassals all confirmed how willing they were to do this, and the fabled king sent word to all the princes that he wanted to hold his first council at Mainz. The high nobility from far and wide then gathered there, adding a large number to the council, but two brothers arrogantly asserted that they never wanted to see the king nor confirm him as ruler or as judge. The book tells us as a fact that one brother was named Germar, the other Godwin. Many of the princes supported them in deserting the king and attacking the Empire. Louis I 335 Then King Louis thought over the fact that in his father’s time no one did violence to anyone else, and his mood changed to an angry one. Because of the severe crisis he declared them to be outlaws. It was not long after that when they were caught in Oppenheim. A council was announced once again in the city of Mainz. The king judged according to Imperial Law, and those nobles were condemned. With the concurrence of the lords spiritual and temporal, he sentenced them to be beheaded, which cast proper fear into the hearts of the other princes. The king judged the Empire, advised by wise counsel. He decreed a Peace of God: he punished robbery with the hangman’s noose, murder with the wheel. Hai! What a peace that was! Yes, the robber went to the gallows, the thief paid with his eyes, the breaker of the peace with a hand, and the arsonist with his neck. Peace grew in the Empire, as the king judged as powerfully as his father before him. The farms remained intact, unrobbed and unburned so that the son found his inheritance just pleasing to behold as when it had been his father’s. He took care of his vassals very well, and they served in the king’s forces well. He wielded his sword in a way that gained him honor. In a battle with other peoples, he would spare the life of a conquered leader. When one of his vassals died in battle or survived, his fief became his son’s without his paying anything in gold or gems or other treasure. Under King Louis no one could doubt that if anyone committed a crime he would pay for it on the spot, all as justice required, which served as a strong deterrent. There was fidelity and honor between vassals and lords. Pleasure and good manners abounded. No one belittled what he had inherited but manfully took up enlarging what his father had left him. In King Louis’s time—the Book makes this clear beyond a doubt— vassals were true and faithful to their lords. They oversaw their parts of the Empire well and always spoke the truth. What they were told to do— Owî!—how soon they let that come true! That fabled king mastered everything together. Liars could never press their way into his court and kneel before his nobles at trials or other open sessions to advance their evil conspiracies. Upright men gave advice, which evil men were unable to do; only a man who was distinguished for telling the truth would be allowed [44.197.113.64] Project MUSE (2024...