m144(

Pręsentation of the Chronicles of Hainault, c.1440. Duke Philip the Good is shown receiving the manuscript whilc his son, the young Count of Cliarolais, later Duke Charles the Bold, stands • on his left. Members of the Order of the Golden Fleece, founded by Philip in 1429 in lionour of his marriage to Isabel of Portugal, look on dressed in the latest court fashion. Their ‘pudding-basin’ hairstyle is the one which Joan of Arc was condemned for wearing. The court of Burgundy was at the forefront of fashion in Europę. (Bibliotheque royal Albert 1 , Brusscls)

Burgundian puppet bishop, John of Bavaria, sent letters to the moderates among the rebel leaders, inviting them to overthrow their extremist col-leagucs. When he reąuested help from the duke of Bul^gundy, John the Fearlcss, the rebcls sent the lattcr forged letters from the king of France warning the duke not to interfere in the internal affairs of Liege. They also sent ‘pilgrims’ into the town of Maastricht,' vyhó, reported that they had seen no eVidencć of aiiy French"ór Burgundian relief afmy, and advised the besieged to surrender.

It is interesting to notę the enormous proportion of casualties in medieval battles: it has becn calculated that between 20 and 50 per cent of a defcated army was killed, although figures of this kind are nearly always suspcct. The dead were by no mcans always recognisable as belonging to one side or the other: many were quile naked after being plundered, and relatives and friends would have removed a large number for burial before an official count could be madę. Obviously medical ignorance accounted for a great number of deaths; perforated intestines infallibly gave rise to peritonitis, from which there was no escape. But there are other reasons for the high death count: a fleeing army ofTercd no resistance, and provided the victorious army had cavalry they could pursue the unfor-tunate infantry, cutting them down with great ease. Wounded encniics, if not ransomable, were usually finished of!', almost certainly in order to despoil them rather than for any lnimanitarian reasons. Battles in which a large proportion of cavalry participated on both sides may have been a lot less bloody: armour was probably quite effective, and mo$t men-at-arms could oirer ransom.

Arms andArmour

There is not space in this book to enter fully into the technologicaj intricacics of 14th- and i5th-century armour; interested' readers should consult Claude Blair’s monumental work Euro pian Armour (f\T. Batsford, London), to which the author is indel ^d. However, the most interesting and important progress was madę in armour during our period; the 14th century was atimc of great experimentation in ncw matcrials and techniques, whilc the end of the 15th century saw the culminating glory of ‘white’ armour, as fuli piąte armour was called. Decoration was severely limited¹ and emphasis put on linę and form; the restrained ‘sculptures in Steel' that reśulted owe:their beauty and elegance largely to pure function.

The study of armour during the early period, up to c. 141 o, is still by no means complete; it has so far beenimpossible toisołate śpecific hational siylcs, if indeed’ they existc'd at all. By 1364 mail hauberks and coats of plates were starting to be exchanged by those who could afford it for true piąte armour, which had not been known in Europę sińce the fali of Romę. This fact presents students of armour with a singular problem, for hclmets forged from a single piece of iron had always becn manufactured, and no doubt the smith capable of this would have been able to forge a brcastplate.

By the early years of the 15th century it is elear that the dominant armour^producing areas were Germany and northern Italy. However, there is massive evidence that other centres existed, notably the northern Burgundian States. No less than 73 armourers are recordcd in Brussels at one time

‘Princely armours were an exceplion: the best had gilt borders and were covered in precious Stones. In 1410 John the Fearlcss spent £1,727 on having his armour, swords and daggers dccoratcd with pcarls and diamonds by Burgundian goldsmiths.