indeed, a personage worthy of being king, for he
was a fine prince with a grand manner. A count held the sword
in front of him, and around his throne were from twenty to
twenty-five old councillors, white-haired and looking like
senators gathered together to advise their master."
Thus appeared Edward on the occasion of a tourney given in honour
of the embassy which La Marche proceeds to describe in detail. The
Bastard of Burgundy, wearing the Burgundian coat-of-arms with a bar
sinister, made a fine record for himself.
After the tournament he invited the ladies to a Sunday dinner,
"especially the Queen and her sisters and made great preparations
therefor and then we departed, Thomas de Loreille, Bailiff of
Caux, and I to go to Brittany to accomplish our embassy. We
arrived at Pleume and were obliged to await wind and boats to
go into Brittany. While there, came the news that the Duke of
Burgundy was dead. You may believe how great was the bastard's
mourning when he heard of his father's death, and how the nobility
who were with him mourned too. Their pleasures were melted into
tears and lamentations for he died like a prince in all valour.
"In his life he accomplished two things to the full. One was he
died as the richest prince of his time, for he left four hundred
thousand crowns of gold cash, seventy-two thousand marks of silver
plate, without counting rich tapestries, rings, gold dishes
garnished with precious stones, a large and well equipped library,
and rich furniture. For the second, he died as the most liberal
duke of his time. He married his nieces at his own expense; he
bore the whole cost of great wars several times. At his own
expense, he refitted the church and chapel at Jerusalem. He gave
ten thousand crowns to build the tower of Burgundy at Rhodes; ...
No one went from him who was not well recompensed. The state
he maintained was almost royal. For five years he supported
Monseigneur the Dauphin, and was a prince so renowned that all the
world spoke well of him."
The Bastard of Burgundy took leave of the English court and hastened
to Bruges to join his brother, the Count of Charolais, who received
him warmly. "Henceforth," explains Olivier, "when I mention the said
count I will call him the Duke of Burgundy as is reasonable."
Solemnly was the prince's body carried into the church of St.
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