immediately on Geoffrey's death, he took possession of the disputed
territory. Lest Lewis, the French king, should interpose in the
controversy, Henry paid him a visit; and so allured him by caresses
and civilities, that an alliance was contracted between them; and
they agreed that young Henry, heir to the English monarchy, should be
affianced to Margaret of France, though the former was only five years
of age; the latter was still in her cradle. Henry, now secure of meeting
with no interruption on this side, advanced with his army into Brittany;
and Conan, in despair of being able to make resistance, delivered up
the county of Nantz to him. The able conduct of the king procured
him further and more important advantages from this incident. Conan,
harassed with the turbulent disposition of his subjects, was desirous of
procuring to himself the support of so great a monarch; and he betrothed
his daughter and only child, yet an infant, to Geoffrey, the king's
third son, who was of the same tender years. The duke of Brittany died
about seven years after; and Henry, being mesne lord and also natural
guardian to his son and daughter-in-law, put himself in possession of
that principality, and annexed it for the present to his other great
dominions.

{1159.} The king had a prospect of making still further acquisitions;
and the activity of his temper suffered no opportunity of that kind to
escape him. Philippa, duchess of Guienne, mother of Queen Eleanor,
was the only issue of William IV., count of Toulouse; and would have
inherited his dominions, had not that prince, desirous of preserving the
succession in the male line, conveyed the principality to his brother
Raymond de St. Gilles, by a contract of sale which was in that age
regarded as fictitious and illusory. By this means the title to the
county of Toulouse came to be disputed between the male and female
heirs; and the one or the other, as opportunities favored them, had
obtained possession. Raymond, grandson of Raymond de St. Gilles was
the reigning sovereign; and on Henry's reviving his wife's claim, this
prince had recourse for protection to the king of France, who was so
much concerned in policy to prevent the further aggrandizement of the
English monarch. Lewis himself, when married to Eleanor, had asserted
the justice of her claim, and had demanded possession of Toulouse; but
his sentiments changing with his interest, he now determined to defend,
by his power and au