[Illustration:  LOUIS XI FROM THE ENGRAVING BY A. BOILLY, AFTER THE DRAWING BY J. BOILLY]

Undoubtedly, though, the king was much surprised at his son’s action.  He had rather expected him to take refuge somewhere but he never thought that the Duke of Burgundy would be his protector—­a strange choice to his mind.  “My cousin of Burgundy nourishes a fox who will eat his chickens” is reported as another comment of this impartial father.[24] Like many a phrase, possibly the fruit of later harvests, this is an excellent epitome of the situation.

[Footnote 1:  I.,ch. xxxi.]

[Footnote 2:II.,204.]

[Footnote 3:  Barante, vi.,50.]

[Footnote 4:  Some of the canons wrote their reasons after their recorded vote:  “Because Duke Philip had made the candidate member of his council of Holland, Zealand, and Friesland, in which office Gijsbrecht had acquitted himself well.”  “Because all the Sticht nobles were his relations,” etc.—­(Wagenaar, Vaderlandsche Historie, iv., 50.)]

[Footnote 5:  Du Clercq, ii., 210.]

[Footnote 6:  Memoires, i., ch. xxxiii.]

[Footnote 7:  II., 315.]

[Footnote 8:  See Lavisse, iv^{ii}., 317.]

[Footnote 9:  For the effects of operations on a large scale see Jacques Coeur and Charles VII., by Pierre Clemart.]

[Footnote 10:  Duclos, “Hist. de Louis XI.,” OEuvres Completes v., 8.]

[Footnote 11:  Duclos, iii., 78.]

[Footnote 12:  See Lavisse, iv^{ii}., 292.]

[Footnote 13:  II.,223.]

[Footnote 14:  Lettres de Louis XI., i., 77.

According to the editor, Vaesen, the original of this letter shows that September 2nd was written first and erased.]

[Footnote 15:  Chastellain, iii., 185.]

[Footnote 16:  Du Clercq, ii., 228.]

[Footnote 17:  Chastellain iii., 197.]

[Footnote 18:  See Sejour de Louis XI. aux Pays-Bas; Reiffenberg:  Nouveaux mem. de l’Acad.  Royale, 1829.]

[Footnote 19:  Alienor de Poictiers, Les Honneurs de la Cour, ii., 208.  It was early in October.]

[Footnote 20:  This date, November 11th, does not agree with the others.]

[Footnote 21:  “At that time they did not say Madame, for Monsieur was not the son of a sovereign.”—­La Marche, ii., 410, note.]

[Footnote 22:  La Marche, ii., 410:  “Dieu quel parrain!”]

[Footnote 23:  II., 343.]

[Footnote 24:  Chastellain, iii., 185; Lavisse iv^{ii}., 299.]

CHAPTER V

THE COUNT AND THE DAUPHIN

1456-1461

The picture of the Burgundian court rejoicing in happy unison over the advent of an heiress to carry on the Burgundian traditions, with the dauphin participating in the family joy, shows the tranquil side of the first months of the long visit.  Before Mary’s birth, however, an incident had occurred, betraying the fact that the dauphin and Charles VII. were not the only father and son between whom relations were strained, and that a moment had arrived when the attitude of the Count of Charolais to the duke was no longer characterised by unquestioning filial obedience.