Charles the Bold, Last Duke of Burgundy, 1433-1477. Ruth Putnam
Undoubtedly, though, the king was much surprised at his son's action. He had rather expected him to take refuge somewhere but he never thought that the Duke of Burgundy would be his protector—a strange choice to his mind. "My cousin of Burgundy nourishes a fox who will eat his chickens" is reported as another comment of this impartial father.24 Like many a phrase, possibly the fruit of later harvests, this is an excellent epitome of the situation.
[Footnote 1: I.,ch. xxxi.]
[Footnote 2: II.,204.]
[Footnote 3: Barante, vi.,50.]
[Footnote 4: Some of the canons wrote their reasons after their recorded vote: "Because Duke Philip had made the candidate member of his council of Holland, Zealand, and Friesland, in which office Gijsbrecht had acquitted himself well." "Because all the Sticht nobles were his relations," etc.—(Wagenaar, Vaderlandsche Historie, iv., 50.)]
[Footnote 5: Du Clercq, ii., 210.]
[Footnote 6: Mémoires, i., ch. xxxiii.]
[Footnote 7: II., 315.]
[Footnote 8: See Lavisse, ivii., 317.]
[Footnote 9: For the effects of operations on a large scale see Jacques Cœur and Charles VII., by Pierre Clémart.]
[Footnote 10: Duclos, "Hist. de Louis XI.," Œuvres Complètes v., 8.]
[Footnote 11: Duclos, iii., 78.]
[Footnote 12: See Lavisse, ivii., 292.]
[Footnote 13: II.,223.]
[Footnote 14: Lettres de Louis XI., i., 77. According to the editor, Vaesen, the original of this letter shows that September 2nd was written first and erased.]
[Footnote 15: , iii., 185.]
[Footnote 16: Du Clercq, ii., 228.]
[Footnote 17: Chastellain iii., 197.]
[Footnote 18: See Séjour de Louis XI. aux Pays-Bas; Reiffenberg: Nouveaux mem. de l'Acad. Royale, 1829.]
[Footnote 19: Alienor de Poictiers, Les Honneurs de la Cour, ii., 208. It was early in October.]
[Footnote 20: This date, November 11th, does not agree with the others.]
[Footnote 21: "At that time they did not say Madame, for Monsieur was not the son of a sovereign."—La Marche, ii., 410, note.]
[Footnote 22: La Marche, ii., 410: "Dieu quel parrain!"]
[Footnote 23: II., 343.]
[Footnote 24: Chastellain, iii., 185; Lavisse ivii., 299.]
CHAPTER V
THE COUNT AND THE DAUPHIN
1456–1461
The picture of the Burgundian court rejoicing in happy unison over the advent of an heiress to carry on the Burgundian traditions, with the dauphin participating in the family joy, shows the tranquil side of the first months of the long visit. Before Mary's birth, however, an incident had occurred, betraying the fact that the dauphin and Charles VII. were not the only father and son between whom relations were strained, and that a moment had arrived when the attitude of the Count of Charolais to the duke was no longer characterised by unquestioning filial obedience.
Charles was on his way to Nuremberg1 to fulfil a mission with certain German princes when the dauphin alighted in Brabant, like "a bird of ill omen," as he designated himself on one occasion. The count did not return to Brussels until January 12, 1457. Thus he took no part in the hearty welcome accorded to the visitor. It is more than possible that the heir of Burgundy was not wholly pleased with the state of affairs placidly existing by mid-winter.
Instead of resuming the first position which he had enjoyed during his brief regency, or the honoured second that had been his after Philip came back, Charles was now relegated to a third place. Further, without having been consulted as to the policy, he found that he was forced into following his father's lead in treating a penniless refugee like an invited guest, whose visit was an honour and a joy. It is more than probable that Charles was already feeling somewhat hurt at the duke's warmth towards Louis when a serious breach occurred between father and son about another matter.
It chanced that a chamberlain's post fell vacant in his own household, and the count assumed that the appointment of a successor was something that lay wholly within his jurisdiction. When the duke interfered in a peremptory fashion and insisted that the appointment should be made at his instance, the son refused to accept his authority, especially as his father's nominee was Philip de Croy, one of a family already over-dominant in the Burgundian court. At least, that was Charles's opinion. Therefore, when he obeyed his father's commands to bring his ordonnance, or household list, to the duke's oratory, he unhesitatingly carried the document which contained the name of Antoine Raulin, Sire d'Émeries, in place of Philip de Croy.
The duke was very angry at this apparent contempt for his expressed wishes. Indignantly he threw the lists into the fire with the words, "Now look to your ordonnances for you will need new ones2."
There was evidently a succession of violent scenes in which the duchess tried to stand between her husband and son. But Philip was beside himself with wrath and refused to listen to a word from her or from the dauphin,