r respected, feared, and encompassed by
vassals always turbulent and still often aggressive, but disunited,
weakened, intimidated, or discredited, and always outwitted, for a space
of ten years, in their plots.

When she had secured the political position of the king her son, and as
the time of his majority approached, Queen Blanche gave her attention to
his domestic life also. She belonged to the number of those who aspire
to play the part of Providence towards the objects of their affection,
and to regulate their destiny in everything. Louis was nineteen; he was
handsome, after a refined and gentle style which spoke of moral worth
without telling of great physical strength; he had delicate and chiselled
features, a brilliant complexion, and light hair, abundant and glossy,
which, through his grandmother Isabel, he inherited from the family of
the Counts of Hainault. He displayed liveliness and elegance in his
tastes; he was fond of amusements, games, hunting, hounds and
hawking-birds, fine clothes, magnificent furniture. A holy man, they
say, even reproached the queen his mother with having winked at certain
inclinations evinced by him towards irregular connections. Blanche
determined to have him married; and had no difficulty in exciting in him
so honorable a desire. Raymond Beranger, Count of Provence, had a
daughter, his eldest, named Marguerite, "who was held," say the
chronicles, "to be the most noble, most beautiful, and best educated
princess at that time in Europe. . . . By the advice of his mother
and of the wisest persons in his kingdom," Louis asked for her hand in
marriage. The Count of Provence was overjoyed at the proposal; but he
was somewhat anxious about the immense dowry which, it was said, he would
have to give his daughter. His intimate adviser was a Provencal
nobleman, named Romeo de Villeneuve, who said to him, "Count, leave it to
me, and let not this great expense cause you any trouble. If you marry
your eldest high, the more consideration of the alliance will get the
others married better and at less cost." Count Raymond listened to
reason, and before long acknowledged that his adviser was right. He had
four daughters, Marguerite, Eleanor, Sancie, and Beatrice; and when
Marguerite was Queen of France, Eleanor became Queen of England, Sancie
Countess of Cornwall and afterwards Queen of the Romans, and Beatrice
Countess of Anjou and Provence, and ultimately Queen of Sicily. Princes