Out of the forty thousand men who had left France only about six
thousand now remained. Many had died of disease as well as in
battle.
King Louis was among the prisoners, and the sultan of Egypt agreed
to release him only upon the payment of a large ransom.
When the ransom had been paid a truce was made for ten years between
Louis and the sultan, and the good king left Egypt. He then went
to the Holy Land, and for four years worked to deliver Crusaders
who were in Moslem prisons.
II
During the time that Louis was in the Holy Land his mother ruled
France as regent. When she died he returned immediately to his
kingdom and devoted himself to governing it.
In 1252 he took part in the founding of the Sorbonne, the most
famous theological college of Europe from the days of St. Louis
down to the time of the French Revolution.
He ruled his people so wisely and justly that it is hard to find
any better king or even one equally as good in the whole line
of French kings. He never wronged any man himself, or knowingly
allowed any man to be wronged by others.
Near his palace there was a grand oak with wide-spreading branches,
under which he used to sit on pleasant days in summer.
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