ries. He passed much of his
time in devotional exercises, and, when not occupied with religious
duties, ever conducted himself as if with a consciousness that the eye
of his Maker was upon him, and that he would one day have to give a
strict account of all his actions. Every morning he went to hear prayers
chanted, and mass and the service of the day sung; every afternoon he
reclined on his couch, and listened while one of his chaplains repeated
prayers for the dead; and every evening he heard complines.

Nevertheless, Louis did not, like such royal personages as our Henry
VI., allow his religious exercises so wholly to monopolise his time or
attention as to neglect the duties which devolved upon him as king. The
reverse was the case. After arriving at manhood he convinced the world
that he was well qualified to lead men in war, and to govern them in
peace.

It happened that, in the year 1242, Henry King of England, who was
several years older than Louis, became ambitious of regaining the
continental territory wrested from his father, John, by Philip Augustus;
and the Count de la Marche, growing malecontent with the government of
France, formed a confederacy against the throne, and invited Henry to
conduct an army to the Continent. Everything seemed so promising, and
the confederacy so formidable, that Henry, unable to resist the
temptation of recovering Normandy and Anjou, crossed the sea, landed at
Bordeaux, and prepared for hostilities. At first, the confederates were
confident of succeeding in their objects; but, ere long, they discovered
that they had mistaken their position, and the character of the prince
whom they were defying.

In fact, Louis soon proved that he was no 'carpet knight.' Assembling an
army, he buckled on his mail, mounted his charger; and placing himself
at the head of his forces, marched to encounter his enemies. Reaching
the banks of the Charente, he offered the confederates battle, near the
bridge of Taillebourg; but his challenge was not accepted. By this time
the confederates had lost faith in their enterprise; and while De la
Marche was meditating a reconciliation with Louis, Henry, accusing the
count of having deceived, and being about to betray, him, retreated
precipitately, and never drew rein till he reached the village of
Saintonge.

But Louis was unwilling to allow his royal foe to escape so easily. Nor,
indeed, could Henry without reluctance fly from the peril he had
provoked. A