The fatal mistake committed by Charles was that he despised his enemy and underestimated his quality as well as his strength.  Just before engaging in battle, the whole Swiss army fell upon their knees in prayer that the issue might be successful.  This action deceived Charles into thinking that they were cowardly and his opinion was shared by his men.  A contemptuous laugh broke out from the Burgundian ranks.[15]

Olivier de la Marche ends a meagre account of Granson with the following rather barren words[16]: 

“In short the Duke of Burgundy lost the day and was pushed back as far as Jougne, where he stopped, and it is meet that I tell how the duke’s bodyguard saved themselves ... and reached Salins where I saw them arrive for I was not present at the battle on account of a malady I suffered.  From Jougne the duke went to Noseret, and you can understand that he was very sad and melancholy at having lost the battle, where his rich baggage was stolen and his army shattered.”

On March 21, 1476, Sir John Paston writes to Margaret Paston from Calais: 

“As ffor tydyngs heer we her ffrom alle the worlde. ...  Item, the Duke of Burgoyne hath conqueryd Lorreyn and Queen Margreet shall nott nowe be lykelyhod have it; wherffer the Frenshe kynge cheryssheth hyr butt easelye; but afftr thys conquest off Loreyn the Duke toke grete corage to goo upon the londe off the Swechys [Swiss] to conquer them butt the berded hym att an onsett place and hathe dystrussyd hym and hathe slayne the most part of his vanwarde and wonne all hys ordynnaunce and artylrye and mor ovyr all stuffe thatt he hade in hys ost with hym; exceppte men and horse ffledde nott but they roode that nyght xx myle; and so the ryche saletts, heulmetts garters, nowchys[17] gelt and all is goone with tente pavylons and all and soo men deme hys pryde is abatyd.  Men tolde hym that they were ffrowarde karlys butte he wolde nott beleve it and yitt men seye that he woll to them ageyn.  Gode spede them bothe.”

Many of the rumours that were current represented Charles as completely prostrated by his disaster.  This was only half true.  His efforts to retrieve himself were immediate but, physically, he certainly showed the effects of this campaign.  He was attacked by a low fever, his stomach rejected food, insomnia afflicted his nights, and dropsical swellings appeared on his legs.  This condition was attributed to his fatigues and exposure in a hard climate, and to his habit of drinking warm barley-water in the morning.  He was urged to use a soft feather-bed instead of his hard couch, while Yolande’s own physician and one Angelo Catto watched anxiously over him.  The latter claimed the credit of saving his life.  Charles was not, however, fully recovered when he resumed his activities and held a review on May 9th.  With all his efforts exerted in every quarter likely to yield results, the whole number of troops was but twenty thousand men.  Every onlooker felt that the duke was now trying to accomplish something quite beyond his resources.