two, Louis the king and Charles the
duke. Had not the former been a beggarly suppliant at his father's
gates, as dauphin? As king, had he not been forced to yield at the
gates of his own capital to every demand made by Charles, standing as
the conscientious representative of the public welfare of France?

Had not Louis befriended the contumelious neighbour of Charles, only
to learn that his Burgundian cousin could and would deal summarily
with all protests against his authority among the lesser folk on
Netherland territory?

The Croys made an attempt to gain the new duke's friendship, as
appears from this letter to Duke Charles:

"Our very excellent lord, we have heard that it has pleased Our
Lord to take to Himself and to withdraw from the world the good
Duke Philip, our beloved lord and father, prince of glorious
memory, august duke, most Christian champion of the faith, patron
and pattern of the virtues and honours of Christianity, and the
dread of infidel lands. By his valorous deeds, he has won an
immortal name among living men, and deserves to our mind to find
grace before the merciful bounty of God whom we implore to pardon
his faults.

"Alas! our most doughty seigneur, thus dolorous death shows what
is to be expected by all mortals. How many lands, how many nobles,
how many peoples, how many treasures, and how many powers would
have been ready to prevent what has come to pass, and how many
prayers would have risen to God could He have prevented this
death!...

"Death is inevitable, and the death of the good is the end of all
evils and the beginning of all benefits, but still your loss
and ours cannot pass without affliction. Nevertheless, our most
puissant lord, when we consider that we are not left orphans, and
that you, his only son, remain to fill his place, this is a cause
for comfort.

* * * * *

"We implore you to be pleased to count us your loyal subjects
and very humble servitors and to permit us to go to you, to thus
declare ourselves, etc.

"A. DE CROY, "J. DE CROY."

At the time of the duke's death, Olivier de La Marche was in England,
whither he had accompanied the Bastard of Burgundy on a mission to
King Edward.[2] Right royally had the latter received the embassy.

"Clad in purple, the garter on his leg and a great baton in his
hand, he seemed,