France under Louis XIV 695 fifty thousand years. In the following volume we shall hac but two hundred years to traverse — a moment only in the history of mankind, but fraught with such momentous changes that they seem almost Uy eclipse all those that occurred be- tween the building of the pyramids and the erection of the palace of Versailles. The whole world has now been exijlored by Europeans and has become so closely united in interest that a war between two European powers endangers the happiness of people in the most distant portions of the globe. The science which began to flourish in the reign of Louis XIV has not onlv revolutionized our conception of the universe but it has, through modern inventions, so altered our lives and ideals that we seem to live in a different w^orld from that of the earl}- eighteenth century. It is the purpose of Part II of the Outlines to show the nature and progress of these changes, to put us in a j^osi- tion to understand the great problems which now face mankind, and to encourage us to do our part in solving them. QUESTIONS Section 121. What did Richelieu accomplish in strengthening the French monarchy? What were Louis XI'"s ideas of kingship.^ Why did the French view the " divine right of kings "" differently from the English? Contrast Louis XI' with James I. Section 122. Describe the palace of Versailles. What were the chief reforms of Colbert? Mention some of the great writers of Louis XIV's time. How did the government aid scholarship and science ? Section i 23. What led Louis XIV to attack his neighbors ? What are the " natural " boundaries of France ? What country did Louis first attack ? What additions did he make to French territory ? Section 124. What was the policy of Louis XIV toward the Huguenots? Who were Louis XIV's chief enemies? Section 125. What were die causes of the War of the .Spanish Succession ? What were the chief changes provided for in the Treaty of Utrecht?
