was a better king than many a better man had been.

He buried the ideals of the past fathoms deep and then stamped them down with remorseless feet.

He demolished the political structure of mediaevalism in his kingdom, and when his terrible reign was ended, in 1483, the Middle Ages had passed away and modern life had begun in France.
Almost any reign would have seemed colorless after that of Louis XI.
But that of his son, Charles VIII., was made memorable by one event, an invasion of Italy, which brought to France a long train of disastrous consequences.
It will be remembered that in the thirteenth century, Charles, Duke of Anjou, of Sicilian fame, or infamy, and brother of Louis the Saint, occupied the throne of Naples by invitation of the pope.
The family of Anjou having recently become extinct, Charles was now the rightful heir to that throne.

So as there was nothing in especial for him to do at home, and as his new army, created and equipped by his father, was a very splendid affair for that day, and as Charles was young and ambitious of a name, he determined to take forcible possession of his inheritance in Italy.
The success of the enterprise was quite dazzling.

Milan, Florence, Rome, were successively occupied, and finally Charles was actually seated upon the throne in Naples (1495).
But the seat was not comfortable.