Charles the Bold, Last Duke of Burgundy, 1433-1477

CHAPTER XXI. The Battle of Nancy

THE BATTLE OF NANCY

BIBLIOGRAPHY

INDEX

ILLUSTRATIONS

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CHARLES THE BOLD, DUKE OF BURGUNDY Frontispiece From MS. statute book of the Order of the Golden Fleece at Vienna. The artist is unknown. Date of the codex is between 1518 and 1565. This portrait is possibly redrawn from that attributed to Roger van der Weyden. That, however, shows a much stronger face.

PHILIP THE GOOD AS FOUNDER OF THE ORDER OF THE GOLDEN FLEECE From a reproduction of a miniature in MS. at Brussels.

A DUKE OF BURGUNDY AND THE POPE AT AVIGNON From a contemporary miniature reproduced in Petit's Hist. de Bourgogne.

PHILIP THE GOOD, DUKE OF BURGUNDY, AS PATRON OF LETTERS From a reproduction of part of a miniature in a beautiful MS. copy in Brussels Library of Jacques de Guise's Annales. The author is depicted presenting his book to the duke, who is attended by his son and his courtiers. The miniature is attributed by turns to Roger van der Weyden, to Guillaume Wijelant or Vrelant, and to Hans Memling.

A CASTLE IN BURGUNDY From Petit's Hist. de Bourgogne.

FRONTISPIECE OF A XVTH CENTURY ACCOUNT BOOK

COUNT OF ST. POL AND HIS JESTER From reproduction of a miniature in Barante, Les ducs de Bourgogne,

THE STATUE OF CHARLES OF BURGUNDY AT INNSBRÜCK

LOUIS XI From an engraving by A. Boilly after a drawing by G. Boilly.

PHILIP AND CHARLES OF BURGUNDY From a drawing in a MS. at Arras.

BATTLE OF MONTL'HÉRY (JULY 16, 1465) From a contemporary miniature reproduced in Comines-Lenglet.

LOUIS XI, WITH THE PRINCES AND SEIGNEURS OF THE WAR OF THE PUBLIC WEAL From a contemporary miniature reproduced in Comines-Lenglet.

ANTHONY OF BURGUNDY After Hans Memling, Dresden Gallery.

CHARLES, DUKE OF BURGUNDY, PRESIDING OVER A CHAPTER OF THE ORDER OF THE GOLDEN FLEECE From reproduction of a miniature in MS. at Brussels.

PHILIP DE COMMINES

OLIVIER DE LA MARCHE From sketch in MS. at Arras reproduced in Mémoires couronnés de l'acad. royale de Belgique, xlix.

MARY OF BURGUNDY From a contemporary miniature reproduced in Barante, Les ducs de Bourgogne.

MAP OF ALSACE AND ADJACENT TERRITORIES From Toutey, Charles le téméraire.

MEDAL OF CHARLES, DUKE OF BURGUNDY

BURGUNDIAN STANDARD CAPTURED AT BEAUVAIS

ARNOLD, DUKE OF GUELDERS From engraving by G. Robert in Comines-Lenglet.

MARY OF BURGUNDY After design by C. Laplante.

CHARLES THE BOLD Idealised by P. P. Rubens, Vienna Gallery. (By permission of J. J. Löwy, Vienna.)

MAXIMILIAN OF AUSTRIA Medal.

A FORTIFIED CHURCH IN BURGUNDY From Petit's Hist. de Bourgogne,

KING RUHMREICH AND HIS DAUGHTER EHRENREICH (These characters in Maximilian's poem of Theuerdank represent Charles and Mary of Burgundy.) From a reproduction of a wood engraving by Schäufelein in edition of 1517.

A PLAN OF THE BATTLE OF MORAT Used by kind permission of Miss Sophia Kirk and J. B. Lippincott Company.

PHILIBERT, DUKE OF SAVOY After a design by Matthey reproduced in Comines-Lenglet.

PLAN OF THE BATTLE OF NANCY Used by kind permission of Miss Sophia Kirk and the J. B. Lippincott Company.

PLAN OF THE BATTLE OF NANCY From contemporary miniature reproduced in Comines-Lenglet.

A MONUMENT ON THE BATTLEFIELD AT NANCY From Barante, Let ducs de Bourgogne.

THE TOMB OF CHARLES OF BURGUNDY Church of Notre Dame, Bruges

CHARLES THE BOLD

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CHAPTER I. Childhood

CHILDHOOD

1433-1440

On St. Andrew's Eve, in the year 1433, the good people of Dijon were abroad, eager to catch what glimpses they might of certain stately functions to be formally celebrated by the Duke of Burgundy. The mere presence of the sovereign in the capital of his duchy was in itself a gala event from its rarity. Various cities of the dominions agglomerated under his sway claimed his attentions successively. His residence was now here and now there, without long tarrying anywhere. His coming was usually very welcome. In times of peaceful submission to his behest, the city of his sojourn reaped many advantages besides the amusement of seeing her streets alive beyond their wont. In the outlay for the necessities and the luxuries of the peripatetic ducal court, the expenditures were lavish, and in the temporary commercial activity enjoyed by the merchants, the fact that the burghers' own contributions to this luxury were heavy, passed into temporary oblivion.

This autumn visit of Philip the Good to Dijon was more significant than usual. It had lasted several weeks, and among its notable occasions was an assembly of the Knights of the Golden Fleece for the third anniversary of their Order. On this November 30th, Burgundy was to witness for the first time the pompous ceremonials inaugurated at Bruges in January, 1430. Three years had sufficed to render the new institution almost as well known as its senior English rival, the Order of the Garter, which it was destined to outshine for a brief period at least. Its foundation had formed part of the elaborate festivities accompanying the celebration of the marriage of Philip, Duke of Burgundy, to Isabella of Portugal. As a signal honour to his bride, Philip published his intention of creating a new order of knighthood which would evince "his great and perfect love for the noble state of chivalry."

Rumour, indeed, told various tales about the duke's real motives. It was whispered that a certain lady of Bruges, whom he had distinguished by his attentions, was ridiculed for her red hair by a few merry courtiers, whereupon Philip declared that her tresses should be immortally honoured in the golden emblem of a new society. But that may be set down as gossip. Philip's own assertion, when he instituted the Order of the Golden Fleece, was that he intended to create a bulwark

"for the reverence of God and the sustenance of our Christian faith, and to honour and enhance the noble order of chivalry, and also for three reasons hereafter declared; first, to honour the ancient knights ...; second, to the end that these present.... may exercise the deeds of chivalry and constantly improve; third, that all gentlemen marking the honour paid to the knights will exert themselves to attain the dignity."

The special homage to the new duchess was expressed in the device

Aultre n'aray Dame Isabeau tant que vivray

This pledge of absolute fidelity to Dame Isabella was, indeed, utterly disregarded by the bridegroom, but in outward and formal honour to her he never failed.

The new institution was, from the beginning, pre-eminently significant of the duke's magnificent state existence, wherein his Portuguese consort proved herself an efficient and able helpmeet. Again and again during a period of thirty years, rich in diplomatic parleying, did Isabella act as confidential ambassador for her husband, and many were the negotiations conducted by her to his satisfaction.

But it must be noted that whatever lay at the exact root of Philip's motives when he conceived the plan of his Order, the actual result of his foundation was not affected. He failed, indeed, to bring back into the world the ancient system of knighthood in its ideal purity and strength. Rather did he make a notable contribution to its decadence and speed its parting. What was brought into existence was a house of peers for the head of the Burgundian family, a body of faithful satellites who did not hamper their chief overmuch with the criticism permitted by the rules of their society, while their own glory added shining rays to the brilliant centre of the Burgundian court.

Twenty-five, inclusive of the duke, was the original number appointed to form the chosen circle of knights. This was speedily increased to thirty-one, and a duty to be performed in the session of 1433, was the election of new members to fill vacancies and to round out the allotted tale.

In their manner of accomplishing the appointed task, the new chevaliers had, from the outset, evinced a readiness to cast their votes to the satisfaction of their chief, even if his pleasure directly conflicted with the regulations they had sworn to obey. No candidate was to be eligible whose birth was not legitimate, a regulation quite ignored when the duke proposed the names of his sons Cornelius and Anthony. For his obedient knights did not refuse to open their ranks to these great bastards of Burgundy, who carried a bar sinister proudly on their escutcheon. So, too, others of Philip's many illegitimate descendants were not rejected when their father proposed their names.

Again, it was plainly stipulated that the new member should have proven himself a knight of renown. Yet, in this session of 1433, one of the candidates proposed for election, though nominally a knight, had assuredly had no time to show his mettle. The dignity was his only because his spurs had been thrown right royally into his cradle before his tiny hands had sufficient baby strength to grasp a rattle, and before he was even old enough to use the pleasant gold to cut his teeth upon.

Among the eight elected at Dijon in 1433, was Charles of Burgundy, Count of Charolais, son of the sovereign duke, born at Dijon on the previous St. Martin's Eve, November 10th.

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