77 he seized the countships of Vitry and
Bar-sur-Aube, left vacant by Simon of Valois, who had retired to a
monastery. In 1089 Odo III., second son of Theobald II., became count,
and was succeeded about 1093 by his younger brother, Hugh, who became a
templar in 1125, and gave up the countship to his suzerain, the count of
Blois. In 1125 the countship of Champagne passed to Theobald II. the
Great, already count of Blois and Meaux, and one of the most powerful
French barons of his time. He was related to the royal house of England,
and incurred the displeasure of the king of France, who in 1142 invaded
Champagne and burnt the town of Vitry. After Theobald the Great the
countship of Blois ceased to be the dominant fief of his house and
became the appanage of a younger branch. In 1152 Henry the Liberal,
eldest son of Theobald II., became count of Champagne; he married Mary,
daughter of Louis VII. of France, and went to the crusade in 1178. He
was taken prisoner by the Turks, recovered his liberty through the good
offices of the emperor of the East, and died a few days after his return
to Champagne. In 1181 his eldest son, Henry II., succeeded him under the
tutelage of Mary of France. In 1190 he went to the Holy Land, and became
king of Jerusalem in 1192 by his marriage with Isabelle, widow of the
marquis of Montferrat. He died in 1197 in his town of Acre from the
results of an accident. In 1197 Theobald III., younger son of Henry I.,
became count, and was succeeded in 1201 by Theobald IV., "le
Chansonnier" (the singer), who was the son of Theobald III. and Blanche
of Navarre, and was born some days after the death of his father. From
1201 to 1222 he remained under the tutelage of his mother, who governed
Champagne with great sagacity. The reign of this prince was singularly
eventful. The two daughters of count Henry II. successively claimed the
countship, so that Theobald had to combat the claims of Philippa, wife
of Erard of Brienne, seigneur of Rameru, from 1216 to 1222, and those of
Alix, queen dowager of Cyprus, in 1233 and 1234. In 1226 he followed
king Louis VII. to the siege of Avignon, and after the death of that
monarch played a prominent part during the reign of St Louis. At first
leagued with the malcontent barons, he allowed himself to be gained over
by the queen-mother, and thus came into collision with his old allies.
He became king of Navarre in 1234 by the death of his maternal uncle,
Sancho VII. but by the on