a lion's skin,
thus personifying the Lion of Flanders, leading Philip's horse by the
bridle. "_Vive Bourgogne_ is now our cry," was symbolised in every
vehicle which the rhetoricians could invent.

Not altogether explicable is this extreme self-abnegation. Civic
prosperity must have returned in four years or there would have been
no money for the outlay. Apparently, Philip's countenance was worth
more to them than their pride.

The birth and death of two children at Genappe gave the duke new
reasons for showering ostentatious favours on his guest, and furnished
the dauphin with suitable occasion for addressing his own father, who
answered him in kind.

The following is one of the fair-phrased epistles[l5]:

_The King to the Dauphin_, 1459.
"VERY DEAR AND MUCH LOVED SON:

"We have received the letters that you wrote us making mention
that on July 27 our dear and much loved daughter, the dauphiness,
was delivered of a fine boy, for which we have been and are very
joyous, and it seems to me that the more God our Creator grants
you favour, by so much the more you ought to praise and thank
Him and refrain from angering Him, and in all things fulfil His
commandments.

"Given at Compiegne, Aug.7th.

"CHARLES.

During these five years, Charles was more or less aloof from the
courts of his father and of their guest. He spent part of the time in
Holland and part at Le Quesnoy with his young wife. The Count of St.
Pol was one of his intimate friends, and a friend who managed to
make many insinuations about the duke's treatment of his son and
infatuation about the Croys whom Charles hated with increasing
fervency.

There is a story that Charles went from Le Quesnoy to his father's
court to demand a formal audience from the duke in order to lodge his
protest against the Croys. Evidently relations were strained when such
a degree of ceremony was needed between father and son.

Gerard Ourre was commissioned to set forth the count's grievances, and
he was in the midst of his carefully prepared statement when the duke
interrupted him with the curt observation: "Have a care to say nothing
but the truth and understand, it will be necessary to prove every
assertion." The orator was discomfited, stammered on for a few
moments, and then excused himself from completing his harangue.
There were only a few nobles present and all were surprised at this
embarrassment, as Gerard passed fo