AIGUES MORTES is another town of the age of St Louis and his son Philip the Bold, the fortifications of which have, by great good fortune, been preserved almost untouched since the date of their erection. This probably arises from the fact that Aigues Mortes presents one of the most striking instances of the “villes mortes,” whose history is so feelingly depicted by M. Lenthéric. It stands in the midst of the lagunes and marshes which here cover a large extent of country connected with the delta of the Rhone. The origin of the town dates from the time of St Louis. At that period the Kingdom of France had not as yet extended to the Mediterranean, but King Louis, being a devoted Crusader, was very desirous that his country should possess a port on that sea, from which his armies might embark in their expeditions against the Infidels. This there was some difficulty in obtaining, the harbours on the coast being almost wholly subject to the Count of Béziers or the Count of Provence. It happened, however, that a small portion of the sea-coast, including a lagune and a navigable canal, which belonged to the ancient and wealthy Abbey of Psalmodi was available, and this King Louis secured from the monks in the year 1248, in exchange for other lands near Sommière. At [Illustration: FIG. 116. AIGUES MORTES--“TOUR DE CONSTANCE.”] this place there existed an ancient tower, called the “Tour de Matafère,” said to be of the time of Charlemagne, who had bestowed it on the abbey. The Tower of Matafère was rebuilt by St Louis, and renamed the “Tour de Constance” (Fig. 116). It is of great size, and was designed to form the citadel of the projected town of Aigues Mortes. It has frequently been supposed that, in the time of St Louis, this tower was washed by the waters of the Mediterranean, and that the sea, which is now some miles distant, has receded since then. But M. Lenthéric shews most distinctly that this is a complete mistake, and that the coast line was, in the thirteenth century, precisely where it now is. At that time, however, the town was surrounded with the waters of an inland lagune, through the shallows and marshes connected with which a canal had to be kept open for access to the sea, as was formerly the case at Narbonne, and still is in the lagune of Venice. The canal by which St Louis embarked on his crusades was called the Canal Viel. It was about five miles in length from the town to the opening in the sand dunes, called the “Grau Louis,” where it debouched into the sea. Since that time the canal from the town to the sea has three times changed its course. For about a century after the time of St Louis this port was greatly frequented by merchants from Genoa, but it has long been little used, and all the commerce of Aigues Mortes has now died away.