A.D. 12670 THE BARONS SUMMONED. 523 could prevent him from acting on every occasion with the strictest justice. In a short time, population increased so much throughout the realm, from the justness and uprightness that reigned, that the estates,' rents, and revenues of the kingdom were in one year nearly doubled, and the country was very much improved. From his earliest youth he was very compassionate to the poor and those under misfortune ; which so much increased as he grew up, that, during his reign he was accustomed to feed daily six score poor people at his table in whatever part of the kingdom he might be. In Lent the numbers of the poor were greater ; and ofttimes I have seen him serve them himself, and from his own table. On the vigils of annual festivals, before he had eaten or drunk, he served the poor, who, when fed, carried away a certain sum of money each. In short, the king St. Louis gave away such immense sums in alms that they cannot be told aor counted. Some of his household murmured at these great gifts and alms, saying he was too extravagant in these expenses ; but the good king replied, that he had rather spend such large sums in alms than in follies and vanity. However, for all this expense in alms, he did not keep the less grand household, which was costly and liberal, and such as became so great a prince. He was naturally generous ; and, during the parliaments and councils that were held for the establishment of his new regulations, he entertained daily at his court all the lords and knights that attended them, with greater magnificence than any of his predecessors had done. He was attached to all who served God, and in consequence founded many monasteries and religious houses in various parts of his realm, and even surrounded Paris with different orders of religion, whose houses he founded and endowed with his own money. After he had arranged his new establishments, he summoned all the barons of his realm to meet him during the Lent at Paris. He sent for me at Joinville, and I thought to excuse myself from going on account of a quartan ague that I had ; but he sent me word, that he bad enough of people who knew how to cure a quartan ague, and that from the love I bore him I must come to Paris. I obeyed, but when I was there I could never find out why he had thus summoned all the great barons of his kingdom. It happened, on the festival of