682 Outlines of European History the model and the despair of other less opulent and powerful princes, who accepted his theory of the absolute power of kings but could not afford to imitate his luxury. By his incessant wars he kept Europe in turmoil for over half a century. The dis- tinguished generals who led his newly organized troops, and the wily diplomats who arranged his alliances and negotiated his The theor of the Fig. 234. Louis XIV treaties, made France feared and respected by even the most powerful of the other European states. Louis XIV had the same idea of kingship that James I had " divine right tried in vain to induce the English people to accept. God had, Francr '" given kings to men, and it was His will that monarchs should be regarded as His lieutenants and that all those subject to them should obey them absolutely, without asking any questions or making any criticisms ; for in submitting to their prince they were really submitting to God Himself. If the king were good
