Charles the Bold, Last Duke of Burgundy, 1433-1477Putnam, Ruth
History
Charles the Bold, Last Duke of Burgundy, 1433-1477
Putnam, Ruth
Burgundy (France) -- History; Charles, Duke of Burgundy, 1433-1477; Switzerland -- History -- 1032-1499
The joy experienced by the conquered, here described by La Marche, as
he looked back at the event from the calm retirement of his old age,
was not visible to all eye-witnesses. The progress of this war was
watched eagerly from other parts of Philip's dominion. His army was
full of men from both the Burgundies, who sent frequent reports to
their own homes. Some passages from one of these reports by an unknown
war correspondent run as follows:
"As to news from here, Monday after St. Magdalen's Day,
Monseigneur the duke got the better of the Ghenters near Gaveren
between ten and eleven o'clock. They attacked him near his
quarters.... The duke risked his own person in advance of his
company in the very worst of the slaughter, which lasted from the
said place up to Ghent, a distance of about two leagues. The slain
number three or four thousand, more or less, and those drowned in
the river of Quaux about two hundred.... This Tuesday, the date of
writing, the army departs from their quarters to advance on Ghent
to demand the conditions lately offered them, and the bearer of
this letter will tell you what is the result. M. the duke and
his army marched up to Ghent and I have seen the bearing of the
citizens. They are very bitter and despondent. M. the marshall has
been parleying. I hear that matters have been settled. I hear that
the Ghenters' loss is thirteen to fourteen thousand men. I
cannot write more for I have no time owing to the haste of the
messenger."
This was written July 23d. There is another despatch of July 31st,
giving the last news, which was "very joyous." The public apology had
just been enacted--
"and afterwards, in token of being conquered and as a confession
that my said seigneur was victorious, those of Ghent have
delivered up all their banners to the number of eighty. And on
this day my said lord has created seven or eight knights and
heralds in honour of his triumph, which is inestimable."[20]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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