comet, and what it
signified._

END OF SELECTIONS FROM BOOK VI.

BOOK VII.

[Sidenote: 1264 A.D.]

_Here begins the Seventh Book, which treats of the coming of
King Charles, and of many changes and events which followed
thereupon._

[Sidenote: Inf. xix. 99. Purg. vii. 113, 124, 128, 129; xi. 137; xx.
67-69.]

[Sidenote: Purg. xx. 61-63.]

[Sidenote: Purg. vii. 113, 124.]

[Sidenote: 1265 A.D.]

[Sidenote: Purg. vii. 126.]

Sec. 1.--Charles was the second son of Louis le Debonnaire, king of
France, and grandson of the good King Philip, the blear-eyed, his
grandfather, whereof we before made mention, and brother of the good
King Louis of France, and of Robert, count of Artois, and of Alfonso,
count of Poitou; all these four brothers were the children of Queen
Bianca, daughter of the King Alfonso of Spain. The said Charles, count
of Anjou, by inheritance from his father, and count of Provence, this
side the Rhone, by inheritance through his wife, the daughter of the
good Count Raymond Berenger, so soon as he was elected king of Sicily
and of Apulia by the Pope and by the Church, made preparation of
knights and barons to furnish means for his enterprise and expedition
into Italy, as we before narrated. But in order that those who come
after may have fuller knowledge how this Charles was the first of the
kings of Sicily and of Apulia descended from the house of France, we
will tell somewhat of his virtues and conditions; and it is very
fitting that we should preserve a record of so great a lord, and so
great a friend and protector and defender of Holy Church, and of our
city of Florence, as we shall make mention hereafter. This Charles
was wise, prudent in counsel and valiant in arms, and harsh, and much
feared and redoubted by all the kings of the earth, great-hearted and
of high purposes, steadfast in carrying out every great undertaking,
firm in every adversity, faithful to every promise, speaking little
and acting much, scarcely smiling, chaste as a monk, catholic, harsh
in judgment, and of a fierce countenance, tall and stalwart in person,
olive-coloured, large-nosed, and in kingly majesty he exceeded any
other lord, and slept little and woke long, and was wont to say that
all the time of sleep was so much lost; liberal was he to knights in
arms, but greedy in acquiring land and lordship and money, from
whencesoever it came, to furnish means for his enterprises and wars;
in jongleur