Philip IV.

Philip IV., surnamed Le Bel or 'the Fair,' king of France, the son of Philip III., 'the Rash,' and Isabella of Aragon, was born at Fontainebleau in 1268, and succeeded his father in 1285. By his marriage with Queen Joanna of Navarre (q.v.) he obtained Navarre, Champagne, and Brie. He overran Flanders, but a Flemish revolt broke out at Bruges, and at Courtrai on the 'Day of Spurs' the flower of the French chivalry went down in thousands before the sturdy burghers. The great event of his reign was his struggle with Pope Boniface VIII., which grew out of his attempt to levy taxes from the clergy. By the bull Clericis laicos in 1296 Boniface forbade the clergy to pay taxes, and to this Philip replied by forbidding the export of money or valuables, thus cutting off a main supply of papal revenue. A temporary reconciliation in 1297 was ended by a fresh outbreak of the quarrel in 1300. Philip flung the papal legate into prison, and summoned the three Estates of France, clergy, nobles, and burghers. The last two assured him of their support even in case of excommunication and interdict. Boniface replied with the celebrated bull Unam Sanctam. Philip caused the bull to be publicly burned, and with the consent of the States-general confiscated the property of those prelates who had sided with the pope. Boniface now excommunicated him, and threatened to lay the kingdom under interdict, but the king sent to Rome William de Nogaret, who seized and imprisoned the pope, with the aid of the Colonnas. Though released after a few days by a popular rising, Boniface soon afterwards died. In 1305 Philip obtained the elevation of one of his own creatures to the papal chair as Clement V., and placed him at Avignon, the beginning of the seventy years' 'captivity.' He compelled the unhappy and reluctant pope to condemn the Templars in 1310, and to decree the abolition of the order in 1312. In spite of skilful defence, they were condemned and burned by scores (see TEMPLARS), and their wealth appropriated by Philip. The grand-master, Jacques de Molay, was burned 18th March 1314, and at the stake he summoned Philip to comepear within a year and a day, and the pope within forty days, before the judgment-seat of God; strange to say, both pope and king died within the time, the latter at Fontainebleau, November 29, 1314. Philip during his whole reign steadily strove for the suppression of feudalism and the introduction of the Roman law; but while thus increasing the power of the crown, and also that of the third estate, he converted royalty, which was formerly protecting, kind, and popular to the mass of the people, into a hard, avaricious, and pitiless taskmaster. Under him the taxes were greatly increased, the Jews persecuted, and their property confiscated; and, when these means were insufficient to satisfy his avarice, he caused the coinage to be greatly debased.