Chapter VII: Book THE FIFTH

CH. I.—How the Duke of Burgundy, making War upon the Swiss, was
defeated by them at the Foot of the Mountains, near Granson 301

CH. II.—How after the Defeat near Granson, the Duke of Milan,
René, King of Sicily, the Duchess of Savoy, and others,
abandoned their Alliance with the Duke of Burgundy 307

CH. III.—How the Duke of Burgundy was again defeated by the
Swiss, near the Town of Morat 313

CH. IV.—How, after the Battle of Morat, the Duke of Burgundy
seized upon the Duchess of Savoy, and how she was delivered by
our King and sent back into her own Country 316

CH. V.—How the Duke of Burgundy lived in a solitary Manner for
some Weeks at La Rivière, and how the Duke of Lorraine retook
Nancy in the meantime 320

CH. VI.—Of the Count of Campobasso’s great Treachery, and how
he prevented the Duke of Burgundy from hearing a Gentleman who
would have revealed it to him before his Execution, and how the
Duke also rejected the Information that was sent him by the
King 325

CH. VII.—How the Duke of Lorraine with a powerful Army of
Germans took the Field, and encamped at St. Nicholas, whilst
the Duke of Burgundy lay before Nancy; and how the King of
Portugal, who was in France at that Time, paid a visit to the
Duke in his Camp before that Town 330

CH. VIII.—How the Duke of Burgundy, by rejecting the Counsel
of several of his Officers, was defeated and slain in a Battle
between him and the Duke of Lorraine not far from Nancy 334

CH. IX.—A Digression concerning the Virtues of the Duke of
Burgundy and the Time of his House’s Prosperity 339

CH. X.—How the King of France received Intelligence of the Duke
of Burgundy’s last Defeat, and managed his Affairs after the
Duke’s Death 342

CH. XI.—How the King of France seized upon Abbeville after the
Death of the Duke of Burgundy, and the Answer he received from
the Inhabitants of Arras 345

CH. XII.—A Digression (not altogether foreign to my principal
Design) concerning the King’s Joy at being delivered from most
of his Enemies, and of the Error his Majesty committed in the
Reduction of the Duke of Burgundy’s Countries 348

CH. XIII.—Of the Delivery of Han, Bohain, St. Quentin, and
Peronne to the King, and how he sent his Barber, Monsieur
Oliver, to treat with the Citizens of Ghent 350

CH. XIV.—How Master Oliver, the King’s Barber, not succeeding
in his Designs upon Ghent, finds out a Way to secure Tournay
for the King 355

CH. XV.—Of the Ambassadors whom the Lady of Burgundy, Duke
Charles’s Daughter, sent to the King, and of the Delivering up
of Arras, Hesdin, Boulogne, and the City of Arras, to the King
by the Assistance of the Lord des Cordes 359

CH. XVI.—How the Citizens of Ghent, having usurped Authority
over their Princess upon the Death of the Duke of Burgundy her
Father, sent Ambassadors to the King of France in the Name of
the Three Estates of their Country 364

CH. XVII.—How the People of Ghent, upon the Return of their
Ambassadors, put the Chancellor Hugonet and the Lord of
Humbercourt to Death, against their Princess’s Consent; after
which they, in conjunction with some other Flemish Troops,
were defeated before Tournay, and the Duke of Guelders, who
commanded them, was slain; and the Duchy of Burgundy was placed
in the Hands of the King of France 371

CH. XVIII.—A Digression, serving to demonstrate that Wars and
Divisions are permitted by God for the Punishment of wicked
Princes and People, with various Arguments and Instances which
happened in the Author’s Life-time, chiefly intended for the
Instruction of Princes 378

CH. XIX.—On the Character of the French People, and the
Government of their Kings, with Reflections on the Misfortunes
which occur to both great and small 385

CH. XX.—Examples of Misfortunes that have happened to Princes,
and Revolutions that have been brought to pass in States by the
Judgment of God 393

Dedication.

TO THE ARCHBISHOP OF VIENNE.

It was your request, my Lord Archbishop of Vienne[3], that I should give you in writing an account of what I knew and had heard of the transactions of the late King Louis XI.[4], our master and benefactor—a prince, indeed, whose actions well deserve to be remembered. In compliance with your Lordship’s desire I have done it, as near the truth as my memory would permit me.

Of the occurrences that happened in his youth I can say little besides what I have heard his Majesty state in conversation; but, from the time of my first being entertained in his service to his death, at which I was present, I was more constantly in attendance on him than any one about the court, being always one of his chamberlains, and employed in the most important affairs of the kingdom. In him, and in all the rest of the princes that I have either served or known, I perceived ever a mixture of good and bad; for they are but men like us, and perfection belongs only to God Himself. But when in a prince virtues and good qualities outweigh vices, he is certainly worthy of more than ordinary commendation and applause; because persons of such rank are more inclinable to excess in their actions than other people, by reason that their education in their younger years is less strict; and when they are grown up to man’s age, the generality of those who are about them make it their endeavour to conform themselves to their caprices and humours.

As I have been unwilling to dissemble the matter, I may, perhaps, in several places have said something that seems to lessen the character of my master; but I hope the reader will consider the reasons that have induced me to do so. This I dare affirm in his praise, that I never knew any prince less faulty in the main, though I have been as conversant among great princes as any man in my time in France; and not only with those who have reigned in this kingdom, but in Bretagne, Flanders, Germany, England, Spain, Portugal, and Italy, princes spiritual as well as temporal; besides several whom I never saw, but knew by their letters and instructions, and by my conferences with their ambassadors, which gave me a sufficient character of their natures and conditions. However, it is not my intention in the least to detract from the honour and renown of the rest, by praising my master. I send you only what has readily occurred to my mind, hoping you have asked for it in order to write it in some work which it is your design to publish in Latin (a language which your Lordship understands to perfection), by which will be shown the learning and abilities of the author, as well as the magnificence and grandeur of the prince of whom I speak. Where I am defective, you have the Lord du Bouchage[5] and others to apply to, who can give you a better account, and in better language; though, considering the honour King Louis XI. did me, the possessions he gave me, the privacies he admitted me to, and his never discontinuing any of his favours to me to his dying day, no person ought to remember him better than myself; and if I could forget his good actions, my misfortunes and sufferings since his decease would be sufficient to remind me of them; though it is not unusual upon the death of such great and powerful princes to see confusion among their officers, some of them being advanced, whilst others are laid aside; for honours and preferments are not always distributed according to the inclination of those who desire them.

Though your Lordship seems only to demand of me an account of such occurrences as happened during the time that I was near the king’s person, I am obliged to begin a little earlier; and, having deduced them from the time of my being first entertained in his service, I shall continue them in a regular method to his death.

THE MEMOIRS OF PHILIP DE COMMINES, LORD OF ARGENTON.