by office and commission in divine estate, and as your noble
discretion knows and is cognisant, like God the Father, Creator,
of all offences committed against you, and who may be appeased
by tears and by weeping as He permits Himself to be softened by
contrition, entreaties, etc., and resumes His natural benignity by
forgetting things past [etc.].... Alas, what kindness did He use
toward Adam, His first offender, upon whom through his son Seth He
poured the oil of pity in five thousand future years, and then to
Cain the first born of mother He postponed vengeance for his crime
for ten generations etc. What did he do in Abraham's time, when He
sent word to Lot that if there were ten righteous men in Sodom and
Gomorrah He would remit the judgment on the two cities? In Ghent,"
etc.[4]

In the chancellor's answer to this plea, the duke's consent to grant
forgiveness to Ghent is again compared to God's own mercy. The divine
attributes were referred to again and again, not only on the pages
of contemporaneous chroniclers who may be accused of desiring ducal
patronage, but also in sober state papers.

There was one antidote to this homage universally offered to Charles
wherever there was no rebellion against him. One of the rules of the
Order of the Golden Fleece was that all alike should be subject to
criticism by their fellows. In May, 1468, at Bruges, Charles held an
assembly of the Order, the first over which he had presided. It was a
fitting opportunity for the knights to express their sentiments. When
it came to his turn to be reviewed, Charles listened quietly to the
representations that his conduct fell short of the ideals of chivalry
because he was too economical, too industrious, too strenuous, and not
sufficiently cognisant of the merits of his faithful subjects of high
degrees.[5]

In these plaints, respectful as they are, there is perhaps a note of
regret for the lavish and amusing good cheer of the late duke's times.
Charles was undoubtedly husbanding his resources at this period. The
vision of wide dominions was already in his dreams, and he was prudent
enough to begin his preparations. And prudence is not a popular
quality. Still his courtiers were not quite bereft of the gorgeous and
spectacular entertainments to which the "good duke" had accustomed
them. Soon after the assembly of the Order, the alliance between Duke
Charles and Margaret of York was ce