Charles the Bold, Last Duke of Burgundy, 1433-1477. Ruth Putnam
of contemporaries when these related what they saw and thought, or at least what they said they saw or thought, about events passing within their sight or their ken. The veracity attained is only that of a mosaic of bits, each with its morsel of truth. And the rim in which these bits are set is too slender to contain all the illumination necessary. The narrative is, of necessity, partial and fragmentary, for a complete story would require a series of biographies presented in parallel columns. My own preliminary chapter to this book—a mere explanation of the presence of the dukes of Burgundy in the Netherlands—grew into an account of a sovereign whom they deposed and was published under the title of A Mediæval Princess.
John Foster Kirk gave 1713 pages to his record of Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy. Forty years have elapsed since that publication appeared and a mass of interesting material pertinent to the subject has been given out to the public, while separate phases of it have been minutely discussed by competent critics, so that at every point there is new temptation for the biographer to expand the theme where the scope of his work demands brevity.
In using the later fruit of historical investigation, it is delightful for an American to find that scholars of all nations do justice to Mr. Kirk's accuracy and industry even when they may differ from his conclusions. It has been my privilege to be permitted free access to this scholar's collection of books, and I would here express my deep gratitude to the Kirk family for their generosity and courtesy towards me.
After some preliminary reading at Brussels and Paris and in England, the work for this volume has been completed in America, where the opportunity of securing the latest results of research and criticism is constantly increasing, although these results are still lodged under many roofs. I have had many reasons to thank the librarians of New York, Boston, and Washington, and also those of Harvard, Columbia, and Cornell universities for courtesies and for serviceable aid; and just as many reasons to regret the meagreness of what can be put between two covers as the gleanings from so rich a harvest.
One word further in explanation of the use of Bold. The adjective has been retained simply because it has been so long identified with Charles in English usage. I should have preferred the word Rash as a better equivalent for the contemporary term, applied to the duke in his lifetime—le téméraire.
R.P.
WASHINGTON, D.C., 1908.
ILLUSTRATIONS
| CHARLES THE BOLD, DUKE OF BURGUNDY 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. | PAGE Frontispiece |
| PHILIP THE GOOD AS FOUNDER OF THE ORDER OF THE GOLDEN FLEECE From a reproduction of a miniature in MS. at Brussels. | 4 |
| A DUKE OF BURGUNDY AND THE POPE AT AVIGNON From a contemporary miniature reproduced in Petit's Hist. de Bourgogne. | 16 |
| 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. | 18 |
| A CASTLE IN BURGUNDY From Petit's Hist. de Bourgogne. | 24 |
| FRONTISPIECE OF A XVTH CENTURY ACCOUNT BOOK | 31 |
| COUNT OF ST. POL AND HIS JESTER From reproduction of a miniature in Barante, Les ducs de Bourgogne. | 46 |
| THE STATUE OF CHARLES OF BURGUNDY AT INNSBRÜCK | 68 |
| LOUIS XI From an engraving by A. Boilly after a drawing by G. Boilly. | 84 |
| PHILIP AND CHARLES OF BURGUNDY From a drawing in a MS. at Arras. | 101 |
| BATTLE OF MONTL'HÉRY (JULY 16, 1465) From a contemporary miniature reproduced in Comines-Lenglet. | 124 |
| LOUIS XI, WITH THE PRINCES AND SEIGNEURS OF THE WAR OF THE PUBLIC WEAL From a contemporary miniature reproduced in Comines-Lenglet. | 128 |
| ANTHONY OF BURGUNDY After Hans Memling, Dresden Gallery. | 150 |
| CHARLES, DUKE OF BURGUNDY, PRESIDING OVER A CHAPTER OF THE ORDER OF THE GOLDEN FLEECE From reproduction of a miniature in MS. at Brussels. | 189 |
| PHILIP DE COMMINES | 210 |
| OLIVIER DE LA MARCHE From sketch in MS. at Arras reproduced in Mémoires couronnés de l'acad. royale de Belgique, xlix. | 232 |
| MARY OF BURGUNDY[page xiii] From a contemporary miniature reproduced in Barante, Les ducs de Bourgogne. | 250 |
| MAP OF ALSACE AND ADJACENT TERRITORIES From Toutey, Charles le téméraire. | 260 |
| MEDAL OF CHARLES, DUKE OF BURGUNDY | 280 |
| BURGUNDIAN STANDARD CAPTURED AT BEAUVAIS | 310 |
| ARNOLD, DUKE OF GUELDERS From engraving by G. Robert in Comines-Lenglet. | 322 |
| MARY OF BURGUNDY After design by C. Laplante. | 336 |
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CHARLES THE BOLD
Idealised by P. P. Rubens, Vienna Gallery. (By permission of J. J. Löwy, Vienna.)
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